If I’ve ever cornered you in a conversation about cartooning, I’ve surely brought up the uncanny similarities between the work of San Diego Union-Tribune cartoonist Steve Breen and Omaha World-Herald cartoonist Jeff Koterba. I’ve even blogged about it. It’s not that I think they’re copying each other or in any way engaging in some kind of unethical professional behavior, just that both have very similar senses of humor and manners in which they present their commentary. I haven’t seen it in print in a while, but the Union-Tribune Sunday opinion section would include a weekly roundup of 5 national cartoons, and it was not uncommon for Koterba to have 2 of the 5 slots. So the U-T opinion staff apparently agrees with me.

So it wasn’t much of a shock to see Breen’s Wednesday cartoon and Koterba’s Thursday cartoon. Again, I’m not alleging copying or anything. Koterba has often said, including to me, that he doesn’t spend much time looking at other cartoonists’ work. I just think the crime here is that Breen keeps winning things like Pulitzers when his idea-buddy’s getting shafted.

EDIT: WOW!!! Check out Tom Toles’ Thursday cartoon too!

from the San Diego Reader

from the Omaha Reader

Omaha World-Herald cartoonist Jeff Koterba’s three-part series telling an autobiographic parallel narrative of his life in journalism and the rise and fall of the Omaha skyline concludes today.

from the Lincoln Journal Star

from the San Diego Reader

from the Omaha Reader

from the Lincoln Journal Star

Bill Richards points out how you’re supposed to tackle the ethanol / hunger issue if you want to be a big time editorial cartoonist — take 1 and take 2.

from the San Diego Reader

The cover story is on Augusto Boal and the Theatre of the Oppressed.

Meanwhile, the cover was a 10-hour project on Monday. I’m still not entirely comfortable with this faux-painting technique, but I think I’m getting better at it.