Measure 37 Media Darling Dorothy English Continues Quest for Millions

A few years back, when Oregon’s Measure 37 was being pushed through, I remember feeling a tinge of sympathy for poor Dorothy English, an old lady in her 90’s who just wanted to build on her land.

Well, Measure 37 passed, and Dorothy can build her houses, but she’s not satisfied. She’s still suing for $1.5 million. And she’s not the only one wanting huge amounts of money for land with commercial viability only in their dreams. Check out these other Measure 37 claims.

By the way, if you’re from California, and you have a state issue you’d like to see in a cartoon, email me at drawmesomething@pixelmarx.com. Every Tuesday I’m going to be working my way around the States, starting at my hottest markets (most visitors) and moving to areas that seem to have yet found the internet.

Hello…North Dakota?

Oh well, perhaps ND is just too red for my blog.

Credit Crunch on Middle American Dreams

Ah, if only the American Dream purchased on easy credit were so simple to leave behind.

With the previous tightening of the bankruptcy laws (aimed to protect big banks and their questionable lending practices) many American’s won’t find it so easy to excuse themselves of debt this time around.

The cycle of easy credit with an easy escape (either by refinancing an appreciated property or Chapter 7 bankruptcy that previously allowed many to walk away from unsecured debt for only a few hundred bucks) is no longer an option. It’s also a situation the economy hasn’t faced before and any recession caused by the current housing market slowdown, could be prolonged by the difficulty the middle class will have getting back on stable financial feet.

Of course, in a country where welfare is viewed negatively by capital idealists, there’s pretty much a guarantee that any trouble by the big corporations will find some sort of corporate welfare so they survive.

Break Like David Beckham

Playing on an injured ankle for the L.A. Galaxy, soccer star, David Beckham is now out for the rest of the season with an injured knee. The hype surrounding the announcement of Beckham, and his potential to transform the game of soccer in the U.S. is now a full-turn spectacle. The astronomical contract worth upwards of $250 million dollars, the glitz and glamor, the photo spreads - next year no one will remember.

And even knowing this, there isn’t one of us that wouldn’t take the same fall, to break like Beckham, for the millions and the fame.

Note: In drawing this cartoon, I started with a feeling of “What was he thinking, anyway?” However, as I progressed, and the drawing started to form, my feelings changed. Instead it seems he took on an impossible task…before an impatient country. I’m not a fan of soccer, but he has my sympathy.

Political Cartoon Drawing Lesson: The Basics Part I

Change the World by Drawing Funny Pictures

You want to try political cartooning. You want to change the world. Perhaps you’re being idealistic. Then again, maybe not.

Political cartooning appeared to lose significance as newspapers struggled against on-line news. And new media tools, such as digital photography and video proliferated via internet. Who had time to draw? These new tools were faster, easier to learn, and seemed just as effective at satire and humor. Drawing took years to learn.

And then some Dutch newspaper had to go and ruin everyone’s day by publishing some crazy cartoons, because no one had a photo of Muhammad. Well, I guess there’s still some punch left in the pen.

For those wishing to learn the art of drawing political cartoons, each Saturday I’m going to take us a bit further along that journey. The lessons will alternate between practice and theory, skills and history. Some of the stuff may seem silly. I hope you try it out anyway.

So let’s start having fun at the expense of famous people who do stupid things.

[Read more]

« Previous Page