“Them Damned Pictures”: American History Through Editorial Cartoons 5-week Mini-course

“Stop them damned pictures,” Boss Tweed of Tammany is reputed to have told his lieutenants after viewing the vitriolic cartoon penned by Thomas Nast against him. “My constituents can’t read. But, damn it, they can see pictures.”

Since the founding of this country, editorial cartoonists have led from the vanguard: exposing corrupt politicians and identifying the issues that have aroused a nation’s conscience.

This course offers a wide survey of these talented cartoonists that have addressed – and sometimes corrected – the ills that they felt plagued the country. We begin with the founding titans of the industry: Thomas Nast, Adalbert Volck, Joseph Keppler and Frederick Oppper to today’s popular cartoonists who have proudly continued in this tradition: Bill Mauldin, Herbert Block (Herblock), Paul Conrad, Jules Feiffer, Doug Marlette and many others. In addition, we will also examine the cartoons for their artistic merit, as well as for their political content.

Meets 1/31 through 2/28/13.

Professional development available for educators.