Oliphant's Presidents: : Twenty-Five Years of Caricature

Rating:
Summary: Funny, biting cartoons of presidents Johnson through Bush 1
Review: The best editorial cartoonists are people of true genius. Their ability to exaggerate facial and body features to make a point can at times be astounding. Pat Oliphant is such a person, having drawn some of the best cartoons of presidents Johnson through George Herbert Walker Bush. The best in this collection is one where a cowboy on a movie screen is riding into the sunset and giving the audience a hearty wave. Only two people are in the audience, one male and the other female. Even though we see only their backs, it is clear that they are Ronald and Nancy Reagan. This demonstrates Oliphant's ability to represent a person using a very small number of characteristics. Of course, this only works if the reader is aware of the people of the caricature.
All good editorial cartoons have a bite to them, and these definitely are in that category. They show the presidents at their weakest, accurately describing their failures using absurd circumstances. While the cartoons are funny, if you do not understand the historical context, by itself, the cartoon will not be understandable. Fortunately, there is companion text that explains the circumstances at the time the cartoon was published.
I love reading editorial cartoons, part propaganda, part political and social commentary and always part of that wonderful gift of free speech; they represent the best qualities of America. Genius and the right to speak your mind, even about those who run the country.