In other news, one of my editorial cartoons, “Stimulating a War Economy,” took top honors at this year’s Homer Davenport International Cartoon Contest. The event is part of the annual Homer Davenport Days festival in Silverton, Ore. Another of my toons, “The Numbers Game” (color version), took third. It was a small competition — 13 artists competed — but I’m still pretty tickled.

I’ve reprinted the cartoons below, or you can check them out at the Homer Davenport Days Web site.

Links: Buy a hand-signed, 11×14 print of this cartoon | On the main site: “Stimulating a War Economy” [Archive No. 0817]

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Links: Buy a hand-signed, 11×14 print of this cartoon | On the main site: “The Numbers Game” (color version) [Archive No. 0813b]

Man, not even a week in and the Palin family is a gift that won’t stop giving. This Alaskan crew comes with more baggage than the Clintons (but hopefully not with as much political skill!) So many scandals, so little cartoon space: I decided to go with “Having It Both Ways,” an angle on the McCain campaign and the Right’s deliberate attempt to reignite the culture wars. I’m sure there will be plenty of future chances to come back and visit the colorful (though not in skin tone) Palin clan.

Speaking of the future, I’m back at my art board and settled in to deliver weekly toons for the Election ’08 homestretch. The hand is pretty much healed; thanks for all the kind e-mails!

Links: Buy a hand-signed, 11×14 print of this cartoon | On the main site: “Having It Both Ways” [Archive No. 0830]

A quick note to let you know my editorial cartoons won’t be returning from hiatus until next week. During the first week of my vacation, I slipped and landed on a barnacle-encrusted rock, resulting in several cuts on my drawing hand (click here for picture) and a trip to the ER. It’s all healing remarkably well, but I’m still finding it tough to do brushwork. So I’m going to have to pass on the Democratic National Convention, but should be back in the saddle for next week’s GOP brouhaha.

A quick roundup of OtWP news:

• One of my editorial cartoons has been selected by toonpool.com for its ongoing “Underground Exhibition” in Europe. On Aug. 3, “Checking the Gauge” [Archive No. 0617] will be broadcast 40 times a day on 4,000 video screens in Berlin’s subways, and should be seen by approximately 1.5 million passengers.

• Three of my toons can be found in new books chronicling the recent primaries. “Marathon Coverage” [Archive No. 0801] is included in “The Race for the 2008 Democratic Nomination,” while “Mitt on Change” [Archive No. 0802] and “Fresh Face of the GOP” [Archive No. 0804] made the cut for “The Race for the 2008 Republican Nomination.” I won’t be selling copies in the OtWP Store, but, if you’re interested, you can use the links below and I’ll get a kickback from Amazon.

Buy “The Race for the 2008 Democratic Nomination” from Amazon

Buy “The Race for the 2008 Republican Nomination” from Amazon 

• Finally, the time has come for a summer break. I plan to take the next three weeks off for family travel, backburner cartoon projects and just to generally recharge my battery. Expect my next toon Aug. 27, just in time to comment on the Democratic convention.  

Earlier this week, The White House announced it’s expecting the 2009 budget deficit to hit a record $482 billion. Worse still, this total doesn’t factor in an additional $80 billion in expected war costs (despite a mandate from Congress that they be included). All told, then, the deficit will top a half trillion dollars. That’s TRILLION. In one year. Thanks largely to a president from the party that touts fiscal restraint, and who inherited a budget SURPLUS. Consider it a parting gift from “The Digger.”

Links: Buy a hand-signed, 11×14 print of this cartoon | On the main site: “The Digger” [Archive No. 0829]

It’s ironic that John McCain, once a media favorite, finds himself on the short end of increasingly lopsided news coverage. Barack Obama has proved a master of modern political stagecraft, and the U.S. media seems content to lap up his spoon-fed goodness. While such unquestioning acceptance might make good television, the media is failing to play its critical role in the political process. Similar just-swallow-the-message behavior helped lead this nation into an unjustified war. Obama is no Bush, but the press owes the public more than the fawning adoration they’re passing off as “The New ‘Objective.’ ”

Before signing off, a reminder that I’m offering a limited-edition portfolio to help cover the cost of books for my upcoming semester of grad school. Since sales were tepid on the selections I made, I’ve tweaked the portfolio offer so you can pick out your favorite toons. For only $20, you get reproductions of your five favorites, professionally printed on 8×10 photo stock, along with an original pen sketch of George W. Bush. Order soon, as this offer only lasts until 20 sets are sold.

Links: Buy a hand-signed, 11×14 print of this cartoon | On the main site: “The New ‘Objective’ ” [Archive No. 0828]

Three bits of business to take care of this week:

1. This week’s new toon, “American Values,” brings attention to our national shame at Guantánamo Bay. It’s back in the news this week, and I still find it shocking and sad that Americans have largely turned a blind eye to this human-rights blemish, year after year.

2. I’ve started posting my work on toonpool.com, a European-based social-networking site for cartoonists. One of my toons, “Checking the Gauge,” was selected as their “Cartoon of the Day” earlier this week. There’s some pretty cool stuff over there, so check it out.

3. My second semester of grad school is just around the corner and I’ve decided to put out a limited-edition portfolio to help raise money for my books. The portfolio features reproductions of five of my recent favorites — Archives Nos. 0530, 0536, 0617, 0718 and 0725 — professionally printed on 8×10 photo stock with a lustre finish, suitable for framing. In addition, each portfolio will include an ORIGINAL pen sketch of one of my favorite foils, George W. Bush, drawn on 60 lb. card stock. This portfolio will be strictly limited to 20 sets. If interested, you can pick one up now on eBay, or save $2 in shipping by buying directly from the OtWP Store.

Links: Buy a hand-signed, 11×14 print of this cartoon | On the main site: “American Values” (color version) [Archive No. 0827b]

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Links: Buy a hand-signed, 11×14 print of this cartoon | On the main site: “American Values” (B&W version) [Archive No. 0827a]

In his mad dash to the middle, Barack Obama joins John McCain and George W. Bush as a trampler of American privacy rights. It looks like “The Further Adventures of Big Brother Sam” [Archive No. 0826a and 0826b] will continue, regardless of who takes the White House.

Links: Buy a hand-signed, 11×14 print of this cartoon | On the main site: “The Further Adventures of Big Brother Sam” (color version) [Archive No. 0826b]

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Links: Buy a hand-signed, 11×14 print of this cartoon | On the main site: “The Further Adventures of Big Brother Sam” (B&W version) [Archive No. 0826a]

I’ve never been a big backer of gun rights, especially when it comes to handguns. I don’t like them personally, and, in the America I grew up in, didn’t see the need for the average citizen to have them. Still, I’ve known lots of people who enjoy hunting, or who get the same warm fuzzy going to a gun show that I get at a comic-book convention. To each there own, I thought.

But my views have started to evolve during the Bush reign, and I found myself having a different reaction to last week’s Supreme Court decision than I think I would have seven years ago. As this week’s toon makes clear, I’m having “Second Amendment Second Thoughts.”

How about you?

Links: Buy a hand-signed, 11×14 print of this cartoon | On the main site: “Second Amendment Second Thoughts” [Archive No. 0825]

This week’s toon, “The Human Footprint,” is a bit of a departure from my normal issue-of-the-day approach. It was conceived while camping on the shore of Lake Pend Oreille in the Idaho Panhandle last weekend.

Links: Buy a hand-signed, 11×14 print of this cartoon | On the main site: “The Human Footprint” [Archive No. 0824]