When satire becomes crime

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How I made this

I drew this with mocking humor, but let’s be honest—it came from a darker place where comedy shows a jagged edge.

As an editorial cartoonist, I’ve always intended to be a satirist—to poke fun at hypocrisy, illustrate phoniness, make you smile or laugh, and, on a good day, provoke discussion. But lately, I feel the tug toward grimmer themes. Watching the Trump administration’s crackdown on public protests, I can’t help but wonder where this path leads. History shows that the silencing of street voices often precedes the silencing of the press—and cartoonists are among the first canaries in that coal mine, perfectly demonstrated in this Ann Telnaes cartoon:

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Source: Ann Telnaes (tip o’ th’ day: Subscribe to her - she’s one of the best!)

What worries me most isn’t the threat of government censors with red pens—it’s the quieter censorship that comes from the top floors of media corporations. When powerful owners begin aligning with political ideology, dissenting cartoons risk never seeing the light of day.

Lucky me

My style and voice are not exceptionally hard-hitting or accusatory, so I see myself as just a “play it safe” face in the herd. In the past 5 years of working my freelance newspaper gig, I’ve had only a couple of rejections from the managing editor at the Niagara Gazette. The reasons were thoroughly explained, and I did not take it as censorship. I am glad he did not interpret today’s cartoon as a jab at his paper and management policy.

Ann Telnaes showed a steel spine in walking away from The Washington Post rather than compromising her principles. That kind of integrity comes at a cost—but it reminds me why I still draw. Satire is both a mirror and a megaphone, and if we stop holding it up to power, we become part of the silence.

Gratitude

To those of you who read, share, and support my work, you give me the guts to elevate my game. You prove that free expression still matters. Thank you for standing by cartoonists who still dare to draw the line, even when it’s safer to toe it.

If this post resonates with you, I’d love to get your feedback via the reply button.

Do you think satire still has power in today’s climate—or are we watching its boundaries shrink?

Your comments, shares, and support help keep independent voices alive and unafraid to speak truth with ink (or in my case, digital ink).