Since Dick Cheney says he isn't part of the executive branch, I found just the place for him.

Eric Devericks/The Seattle Times

In honor of Howard Dean's visit to Seattle this evening I dug up a few old cartoons.

Please don't email me and tell me the Al Gore never said he invented the internet. Every time I do a cartoon with Al Gore in it throngs of people email me in his defense. I can't think of any other person that gets that kind of response. I've always thought that people hate to see him get picked on because of their perception that he got a raw deal in the 2000 election.

I did this cartoon a bit after the Dean scream incident. From this cartoon on I've drawn him in a straight jacket. I was never a fan of Howard Dean but I think he got a raw deal over the "scream" incident. It really stands to illustrate how quickly the front runner can fall in the primary season.

I wonder how he feels about that incident now? Have any of you heard him speak about it? I'd be very curious.

Eric Devericks/The Seattle Times

It's hard for me to take either one of them seriously.

Some days, this job does itself.

Eric Devericks/The Seattle Times

* Full disclosure: I use a mac at work and home. I have an iPod and I love them all.

To Steve Jobs:

When you are laughing at my cartoon on the way to the bank, could you stop by and give me one of your fancy new phones?

The Senate voted to raise fuel efficiency for the first time since 1989. The powerful auto lobby wasn't able to put a stop to this legislation despite their strong opposition. I think this is another example of mainstream America starting to pay more attention to environmental issues. That's the wider point of this cartoon. It's becoming harder and harder for politicians, especially from the right to ignore environmental issues.

Where I grew up, a small logging town in rural Oregon,"environmentalist" was a swear word. Mills were shutting down, people losing their jobs and families were forced to move in order to save the spotted owl. I had a paper route when I was in my early teens and when I was collecting fees for the month much of the money was stamped "timber dollars at work". It was very much a live and let live kind of place.

Call it a product of my youth, but I still cringe any time someone suggests that I am an environmentalist. At my core is a leave me alone attitude. Just outside that core is a side of don't mess with me. But now that I live in Seattle, so close to so many other people it's easier to see how our individual actions effect everyone. I need to be careful now or I'll be sick. I can't help but think that if I'm softening to the issues facing our environment, there must be a lot hold outs feeling the same way.

Eric Devericks/The Seattle Times

Michael Bloomberg left the Republican party yesterday. I don't see a huge difference between Bloomberg and Giuliani. Both are socially liberal and fiscally conservative. So I found myself wondering today what Rudy might be thinking when he found out about Mr. Bloomberg's exit.

Eric Devericks/The Seattle Times

I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to do it, I was just trying to be supportive. Ever since this cartoon printed last Thursday the 14th, the Mariners have lost every game.

I hereby retract this cartoon, throw salt over my shoulder, knock on wood and whatever else I need to do to remove this terrible jinx I seem to have put on my favorite team.

Again, I'm sorry.

Eric Devericks/The Seattle Times

Michael Bloomberg is leaving the G.O.P. There has been speculation for some time now that he is looking to run for president. Looks to me like he just took a major step in that direction. Now every conversation and poll will have to factor him in, much the way every poll includes Fred Thompson. Apparently, you don't even have to run for president to run for president. I would love to see a three way race for president, more fodder.

How do you think Michael Bloomberg as a candidate will affect the race?

Eric Devericks/The Seattle Times

Over at Sound Politics I read that presidential candidate Mitt Romney was coming to town for a fund raiser. As part of my effort to get out of the office and do some sketches out in the field for this blog I called the campaign to see about getting a press pass.

I got a call back today letting me know the event isn't open to the press. A politician who doesn't want press, seems odd to me. Maybe they don't want a cartoonist there. I wouldn't.

Apparently, the low profile visit is popular right now.

Let me know if you see any press on his visit tomorrow. I'm genuinely curious if there really won't be any media there or if I need to add another name to the list of people who don't want me around.

Update:

Looks like the event really is closed to the press. Maybe next time.

Eric Devericks/The Seattle Times

The Vatican issued ten commandments for drivers today. I thought of a few automotive sins in this sketch. What's the worst car you ever owned? There was a time in high school when I had a dirty brown Datsun B-210. I think I need to repent.

.

Update again...

I want to thank everyone who posted a caption, they were all fantastic. I plan on doing this again and giving the winner the original artwork. I'll let you know well ahead of time.

All the captions were so good I had a hard time choosing but the caption that had me laughing out loud came from Kurtis.

"Another Affordable Housing Unit Provided by Greg Nickels."

I love it. A couple of the VA hospital ideas were right in there but I had to go with this one.

Thanks again for all the captions.

UPDATE:

Here is my version of the cartoon. A simple comment on the condo conversion boom going on here in Seattle. Joel guessed almost word for word what my caption was. For his apparent psychic powers I'm sending him a signed print of the cartoon. I'm also sending another print to the caption I like the best that's not the same as mine. Trouble is they are all so good. I'll think about it and decide tonight...

Eric Devericks/The Seattle Times

I am holding this cartoon that I planned to print tomorrow until Sunday. So, I thought it would be fun to take out some key parts and see if you could either guess what the cartoon is going to say or come up with your own idea. I'll pick the one I like the best then sign it and mail you a full color print.

Eric Devericks/The Seattle Times

I love baseball. So, with the Mariners doing as well as they have been for the last month I wanted to take a day and do a light hearted cartoon about something other than politics.

Eric Devericks/The Seattle Times

Here are a couple sketches from the day. At one point I considered doing a cartoon on Dan Rather's comments about Katie Couric and CBS news.

The deadline for Sunday's cartoon is always earlier than my regular cartoons during the week. Normally, I have to have the cartoon ready and to the copy editor by 4:30pm for publication the next day. Sunday's cartoon deadline is either at 2pm or 3pm depending on some factor that I've never managed to nail down. An hour or two less time may not seem like much, but I usually work right up until the last second. Point is I'm taking a minute to give you a preview to Sunday's cartoon which leaves me 14 minutes to get my cartoon in on time...enjoy!

All done.

Seems the fragile bipartisan compromise in the Senate broke down. Republicans especially have been under tremendous pressure from the base to abandon any support they may have had for comprehensive immigration reform and Bush just doesn't have the political capital to rally the troops.

This legislation seems dead to me but I could be wrong.

Eric Devericks/The Seattle Times

I'm really excited for Fred Thompson to jump into the GOP primary race...can you tell?

ERIC DEVERICKS/THE SEATTLE TIMES

The first sketch

Eric Devericks/The Seattle Times

The final sketch

I read this story on Friday morning about the drugs and guns undercover police officers were able to buy in Federal Way schools. Seriously scary business. And that lead to this cartoon.

ERIC DEVERICKS/THE SEATTLE TIMES

ERIC DEVERICKS / THE SEATTLE TIMES

Sketch.

Update:
I think a good editorial cartoon is harsh and provokes response. Over the last couple days I've gotten a number of email and letters about Sunday's cartoon. Here are a couple I wanted to share?

What do you think?

Let's give credit where it is due. The Federal Way Police in cooperation with the Superintendent of Schools and the three high school principals are to be lauded for their actions. Instead of simply saying that this is a problem everywhere some positive steps were made to at least reduce the "marketing" of drugs, and guns, in our schools.

One, if not the most significant causes, of this is "too much money" in the hands of juveniles. Over indulgent adults, mostly parents, have decided that their kids "need" to have everything and this is largely all distractions to getting a proper education. I-pods, cell phones, Playstations, text messaging, expensive clothing(costumes), and as soon as they reach the age of 16 a car, are clear examples of distractions that allow the adults to get on with their lives without continuing to supervise the lives of their children. All of these "necessities" consume student's time and the loser here is academic preparation. If you think that your child needed a car to drive to the library you may be mistaken.

With all of this indulgence comes money to purchase "things". Drugs are clearly one of the purchases. What if kids didn't have all of this stuff and didn't have spending money to support this? Drug dealers would have to look elsewhere for customers. Dollars determine where "crime" takes place.

Charlie Hoff

Eric Devericks June 3rd cartoon pokes fun at the Federal Way School District's big efforts to face and attack a big problem occurring daily in schools across the nation - drugs and guns. The recent efforts of the Federal Way Police Department and the Federal Way School District show that they care about their schools and community. I applaud Federal Way for their work and success in letting drug dealers and users know they will have to do their exchanges elsewhere. The recent arrests at three Federal Way high schools may not make a huge difference but it will make a positive difference for someone. Even if it is only one someone, it is of value.

Save your talents as an artist to pick on some other cause and not to put down a school district and police department that are willing to spend their resources on our kids and their futures. After all, the lives of these kids, affect us all.

Melissa Havili

Eric Devericks' cartoon in the Sunday, June 3, Seattle Times, missed the
mark entirely. Poking fun at a school district -- in this case, Federal
Way -- because it decided to "get tough" on drugs and guns . . .? How
about instead give them a pat on the back for not hiding its head in the
sand, like so many others have done, pretending "Our kids don't have
problems."
Drugs and violence plague all our schools, even private ones attended by
the wealthy. (Some say the only difference between drug use at inner
city schools and those on Mercer Island or Medina is that the latter's
school kids can afford better quality narcotics.) Federal Way has been
relentless in its pursuit of raising the educational bar for all
students, with achievements other districts envy. Its administrators,
board and teachers also have been unafraid to tackle tough issues. We
need more educational leadership like this throughout our region, and
Federal Way should not be ridiculed but should be applauded.

Jim Klein

In the Sunday, June 3 edition there was a cartoon poking fun at the
Federal Way School District And, as you might guess, there was a lot of
angry students & staff horrified at the fact that a major newspaper like
the Seattle Times would put out such a ignorant piece like that into
its work.
I'm a student at FWHS, and i was caught off guard;sure there's a lot
of drugs & other illegal activities going on in and around school but,
isn't that the time we live in? It's everywhere & I don't think it's
fair for you to call out Federal Way like that. There are plenty of other
schools (rich schools) that have the same problem.

Gabriel Arenas

Even more letters...

Dear Editor,

Eric Devericks' latest editorial cartoon published on June 3rd is an insulting and unjustifiable attack at the Federal Way School District and should not have been published. The cartoon does not rightly respond to the recent events that have taken place and wrongly villainizes the schools. Yes, the high schools in our district do have students who sell drugs and guns, as does every other high school in the state. The problem in Federal Way is the same as in any other city; our district just took the initiative to try to stop it and is experiencing negative backlash. The cartoon implies that our district should have put on a facade and went with the status quo instead of doing something about the problem. Our district took action to correct the issue and everyone in the schools are safer because of it. This cartoon denounces a school district that is trying to alleviate a situation while ignoring those that are not. I believe that an apology is in order to the Federal Way School District and its hardworking students for such irresponsible journalism.

- Justin Willis, a junior at Federal Way High School

I'm sitting here watching the Republican debate on CNN and as I often do I'm sketching. Most people think that caricature is some sort of gift from god but the truth is it's a lot of work. I'm going to be posting some sketches and comments over the next hour or so while the debate is raging.

ERIC DEVERICKS/THE SEATTLE TIMES

An actual quote from Mike Huckabee. There was a rather obnoxious young man on my high school football team that used to say the exact same thing. It sounds great until someone comes along who is 6'4" 250lbs!!

ERIC DEVERICKS/THE SEATTLE TIMES

ERIC DEVERICKS/THE SEATTLE TIMES

ERIC DEVERICKS/THE SEATTLE TIMES

He said this a half dozen times in the debate and in the interviews afterward. Kind of makes you want to, I don't know...put it on a bumper sticker.

Welcome to "Antagonistic Ink", my blog. I'm calling it a blog, only because I'm not sure what else to call it. I have a lot of ideas for this space but most of them won't look anything like the other blogs you'll find here on the Seattle Times website.

I'll be posting my cartoons here, nothing new, but now I'll post some of the sketches and thoughts that went into them. I'll answer questions, take your critiques, receive your hate mail, bask in the glow of your love letters, and with any luck we may even see a thoughtful comment or two. I'll post everything I can.

In the coming weeks and months I plan to attend local events with one goal in mind. Fill my sketchbook with biting, sarcastic drawings and share them with you. What events? Consider the suggestion box open.

As an editorial cartoonist I break all kinds of rules that most journalists live by. I stereotype, I put words in peoples mouths, and I'll be the first to admit that I'm biased. So, to the extent that blogging has any rules, I am looking forward to breaking them.