Is it a flash of inspiration, or an agonizing search for an idea that shows up minutes before deadline? We want to know how the best editorial cartoonists create their best work. We look at dozens of cartoons every week from around the world and then invite a cartoonist to answer questions about the creative process. This week, Poynter Online Visual Journalism faculty member Sara Quinn asked Mike Keefe, editorial cartoonist for The Denver Post, what sparked the idea for this cartoon, how the concept evolved, and why it worked.
What sparked the idea?
Under the Bush administration we are experiencing record deficit spending. Linked with the tax cuts of the last three years and the cost of the war with Iraq, the question arises: who is going to pay for all this?
How did the concept evolve?
The answer to the question is, of course, the generations to come. Our children. But what has this administration said about our children. The first thing to come to mind is the Bush pledge concerning education: “Leave no child behind.” That quote seemed ironic when applied to the financial burden these children will bear.
Why does it work?
The cartoon works because it takes a phrase from the president and turns it back on him in an ironic way, pointing out that his supposed concern for the next generation is, economically, hollow.
How did you end up doing editorial cartoons?
I drew cartoons for high school and college newspapers as a hobby. My true love was mathematics. After finishing coursework for a Ph.D. in math I could not find a job in my field (there was an economic recession at the time). In desperation, I applied as a cartoonist at a couple of newspapers and was hired by the Denver Post. I’ve been there ever since.
Name: Mike Keefe
Publication: The Denver Post
Joined the paper: 1975
Also published in: USA Today, Time, Newsweek, Business Week, US News and World Report, The New York Times, The Washington Post and over 200 newspapers across the country.
Awards: The Fischetti editorial cartoon competition (1991), the National Headliners Club (1986), and the Society of Professional Journalists (1986)
Things to know about him: Past President of the Association of American Editorial Cartoonists, Keefe is also a former U.S. Marine, and for a short time (before Frank Shorter’s heat), the state masters record holder in the indoor mile. He plays guitar and harp for a rock and blues band.
