Presentations -- A Sampling

drawing conclusions: Political cartoonists on the 2008 election

Political cartoonists are looking at a unique moment in American history - two potential "firsts" in the contest for the U.S. presidency, an African-American and a woman. This campaign offers up a goldmine of material.

The cartoonists negotiate the terrain of cultural stereotypes and offer up takes on the candidates, and on the issues, that run the gamut - hard-hitting, poignant, hilarious, wickedly incisive. As one cartoonist quipped, "Do I want to vote for the one who will be the best president? Or do I want to vote for the one who will make my life just fabulous for the next four years?"

Recently Miller and editorial cartoonist Nick Anderson were interviewed by NPR's On the Media about political cartoon portrayals of the 2008 candidates, especially Obama and Clinton, with respect to race and gender stereotypes. (Listen to the interview.) Miller wrote about the November 2006 Congressional elections and the 2008 presidential campaign in her essay A Change of Tune.

After 9/11 - visual commentary from Around the World

Perspectives on the tragedy of Sept. 11th, offered by international political cartoonists.

Drawing on a collection of cartoons from the U.S. and from around the world, this presentation offers a sampling of the international perspectives brought to bear - some with dramatically conflicting points of view, and attempts to capture both the poetry and the politics of the cartoonists’ messages.

Latin American Cartoonists: Voices from the Hispanic World

Commentary on world issues by Latin American political cartoonists offers perspectives that expand, and often contrast with, those commonly presented in the U.S. press.

Editorial cartoons produced by Latin American cartoonists, on a wide range of subjects, are a rich source of perspectives that expand on the scope of information commonly provided by the U.S. press. This presentation is enriched by material from personal interviews conducted on site with two Latin American editorial cartoonists – Arturo Yépez of San Juan, Puerto Rico, and Gustavo Rodríguez (“Garrincha”) of Havana, Cuba.

Gender Imagery in Political Cartoons

Political cartoonists mine the metaphors of our social landscape to convey their messages, and gender imagery is one of the richest sources of these metaphors. Two dramatic examples are the cartoons produced about 1984 Vice Presidential candidate Geraldine Ferraro and, more recently, First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton.

Editorial cartoons very often rely on metaphor, both visual and verbal, to communicate their messages. Gender imagery is one of the richest sources of such metaphors, a source that the cartoonists can count on for recognition by the reading public. In addition to portrayals of Geraldine Ferraro and Hillary Rodham Clinton, gender imagery is also commonly used to communicate concepts or perspectives on issues, for example, the portrayal of Latin America as female beside the male Uncle Sam.

Contact E. Miller to discuss the specific interests and needs of your group.