Pundits And Their New Blogs
Interesting story via Media Channel on editorial cartoonists and the like who’ve begun blogs this year and increased interaction w/ their readership as a consequence.
By Dave Astor
Source: Editor and PublisherAt least three syndicated creators started blogs this fall—joining a small but growing group of cartoonists and columnists who have taken that online plunge. Syndicated creators already have a public forum via their newspaper features, so why a blog, too? The reasons are many.
“I’m finding that, creatively, it might be the most fun I’ve had doing anything,” said “Dilbert” creator Scott Adams, who began his blog Oct. 25. The United Media cartoonist explained that composing short blog entries—containing personal anecdotes, behind-the-scenes stories about how his syndicate edits “Dilbert,” and other topics of interest—is easier than writing a book and less confining than writing a comic strip that has room for only a few words and certain restrictions on what Adams can say.
“There’s no one checking my work in the blog, and no limit to what I can write within the confines of PG,” said Adams, whose blog can be accessed at Dilbert.com.
Mike Luckovich, who launched a blog Oct. 14, has a forum to offer his opinions as a Pulitzer Prize-winning editorial cartoonist for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution and Creators Syndicate. He said one purpose of the new blog (at AJC.com) is to give his readers a forum, too. “I can comment, so why can’t they?” noted Luckovich.
The cartoonist added that a blog allows him to bring certain things to the attention of readers. For instance, Luckovich said he was thinking of posting a 1990s cartoon lampooning President Clinton to show that he satirizes politicians in power—not just Republicans, as some of Luckovich’s conservative critics claim.
Akron Beacon Journal/Creators editorial cartoonist Chip Bok said his “Bokbluster” blog, which launched Oct. 11 at his paper’s Ohio.com site, has several benefits. “Sometimes readers don’t understand my cartoon, and this gives me an opportunity to confuse them more by explaining it in writing,” he joked, adding that the blog allows him to link to old cartoons when they apply to a new event, promote his books and appearances, and more…
Oh, that Dilbert guy writes funny enough cartoons I suppose but you knew he was just another corporate shill, right? Check out Norman Solomon’s book The Trouble With Dilbert to learn more about that dynamic.
Someone care to translate this?
- tristero