Seems a little less scary than it used to...

Eric Devericks/The Seattle Times

President Bush asked for another $46 billion for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. To date, congress has given $455 billion for the war in Iraq.

These numbers got me thinking about when this war got started. I remember doing a cartoon (see below) estimating the war could cost as much as $200 billion. At the time, many wrote to tell me that that figure was ridiculously overblown. They told me that with the oil revenue that the war and reconstruction could pay for itself. When we look at my cartoon now, the number I used is ridiculous, but not because it's overblown.

Eric Devericks/The Seattle Times

This year it's MRSA or as the media is calling it, because MRSA doesn't sound scary enough, the SUPERBUG!! It seems every year there is new disease, bacteria or virus that the media latches onto as the next plague that could wipe out humanity. I did this cartoon because I think we often forget that only last year it was a different bug and I think remembering that is the kind of perspective that's needed in these discussions.

Eric Devericks/The Seattle Times

Eric Devericks/The Seattle Times

Here is a sketch of an alternate cartoon. Obviously, I went with the other cartoon but either one would have worked. I just wish I would have given Cheney a whip in the cartoon above. Maybe next time.

Update:

I found that Anderson Cooper 360 video about R-67 on YouTube. Check it out.

I've been getting more interested in R-67 lately. For those of you who aren't familiar, R-67 is an attempt to stop legislation passed this year in Olympia and signed by the governor. The legislation, if it takes effect would make it illegal for insurance companies to deny legitimate claims. If an insurance company denies a claim and then they lose in court they could be forced to pay triple damages.

It's been heating up as we get closer to the election and now it's even getting national coverage. Here is an article from CNN. If you get a chance I would also try to download the podcast for Anderson Cooper 360 from October, 2nd.

I found the piece on his show especially enlightening and there will be cartoons on the subject for sure.

A few of you have emailed to ask how I color my cartoons. Here is a quick explanation. Later, I hope to do a screen capture video and speed it up. Anyone know of some good screen capture software?

You will need to be somewhat familiar with Photoshop to understand some of this.

First thing I do after scanning in the cartoon is add layers in Photoshop to keep things separate. It makes it much easier to go back and edit later. The layer with the black line work on it is set to multiply and then locked so I can't accidentally mess it up.

The names I gave the layers always remind me of a day spa. This is the first time I've ever named a layer make-up. She just didn't look feminine enough after I colored her skin. Hence the make-up layer.

Next, I lay down a base color for the skin.

Then put down a base color for the hair. Notice I leave white areas for where the light hits.

Since Hillary's hair isn't purely blonde, I thought it would look good to add some brown to get a sort of sandy blonde look. I used the pen tool and set it to 20% transparency with medium brown color.

Lastly I added some make-up. A little purple eye shadow, some rose colored blush, and some lip stick. Not bad, huh? I may have a future in cosmetics.

Eric Devericks/The Seattle Times

UPDATE:

I'm being stalked by the grammar police. Four days later they are still cutting out this cartoon and sending it in to me. I made a mistake, one mistake in 5 years people. Let it go.

On the plus side, it's nice to know you are paying attention.

A very controversial cartoon printed in today's (Sunday) paper and every K-12 English teacher was out for blood. In the past, I've been critical of strikes, I've lampooned the Washington Education Association and I've been supportive at times as well. None of those cartoons, however, received the response that this one did. I committed an error so horrible I was called an idiot, so deplorable it caused one reader to say, "I will show this cartoon as an example of the decline of western civilization."

If you've read the cartoon below, you no doubt instantly spotted the dubious crime I am guilty of. I used "to" when I should have used "too!"

I'm sorry ok!! But since the logic, persuasive argument, and intelligent content of my cartoons is always 100% flawless, I will forgive myself. I hope you can do the same.

Now, uf youll eckcuse mee it be Sonday an I haf sum fotball 2 whatch.

Eric

Eric Devericks/The Seattle Times

I did this sketch last week after China and Russia vetoed a resolution in the UN that would have only taken the minor step of condemning the violent put down of the protests there. Pathetic.

This was one of the best opinion pieces I've read on the subject.

I went with another cartoon and now I'm not sure if this is still on readers minds enough to ink and run?

Eric Devericks/The Seattle Times

Most people think that caricature comes naturally to us cartoonists. Truth is it's requires a lot of work sketching and re-sketching. Whenever I haven't drawn a politician much and I am about to do a cartoon with them in it, I will often fill a page or two with sketches. For me caricature is a process of doing lots of drawing and taking those things that work and using them in the next drawing. With luck, after a dozen or so, it turns into a serviceable caricature.

I usually just do them quickly in pencil, but they show up better online if I go over them quickly with ink like I did on these.

Eric Devericks/The Seattle Times