There has been a great level of discontent concerning the comics I have created as the illustrator for the Emerald. It is my wish to articulate a few points concerning my topics of choice and role at the paper.
Every time my cartoon comes out there is a giant word slapped across the page it is printed on. That word is Commentary. The word “commentary” implies a personal narrative or interpretation of a particular happening. That interpretation is my own, and in no way reflects the opinions of the Emerald, or the opinion of any fellow Emerald employees. I am not a columnist. I am not a sports editor. I am not a photographer. As an agent of satire, my job is to draw comics .
I took a vow of sorts when I began my job at the Emerald to stay away from the broad political schemes on which the previous cartoonist focused. In my opinion, those cartoons were repetitive, cryptic and had virtually no relevance to campus life and the everyday activities of the majority of Emerald readers. I have chosen to deal with the very campus that readers inhabit. I am speaking to my audience.
I would like to address two comics in particular that have overflowed the editor’s inbox with disdain.
In my comic about Frog, I was attempting to illustrate the sensation many people feel when they are repeatedly asked to buy his joke books as they walk to class. Frog has willingly elevated himself as a celebrity figure on campus and thus in my eyes is up for grabs as a satire piece, as celebrities generally are. I would not deny that there are many students who find Frog amusing and enjoy his company, but I believe it is also fair to say that there is an equally large group who feel annoyed, cornered and generally irritated that they have to deal with a sales pitch on a regular basis as they try to get to class on time.
Secondly, my cartoon about the College Republicans seemed to have been taken far too literally. The aim of my comic was not to characterize all College Republicans as alcoholics and definitely not to attack the Republican Party as a whole. It had been articulated to me by a close friend, who happens to be a member of the College Republicans, that many feel that because they are such a minority on campus they have to do whatever it takes to attract media attention. This was especially prominent last year when Teresa Heinz Kerry’s speech was interrupted by a College Republican yelling; distasteful signs were waved at the entrance to John Edwards’ campus address; people dressed up like giant flip flops, etc. My comparison of a boozed-up football fan yelling passionate obscenities throughout the game was thus a comparison between these similar methodologies, not a reflection of the Republican ideology.
So remember, patrons of the Oregon Daily Emerald, that I rarely have the luxury of such a lengthy explanation, and 13 inches of illustration is hardly enough space to tip-toe around a point with the articulation of a columnist. Feelings will be hurt, and generalizations will be made, but I will do my best to do so impartially and hopefully win you over in the end. After all, it worked for South Park didn’t it?
Contact Emerald illustrator Aaron DuChateau at [email protected]
