Poor Ken Svoboda. Four years ago, he dominated the city council race. Two years ago, he narrowly lost the mayoral race to Chris Beutler. And tonight, he ended up in fourth place, booted from the council by three newcomers.
I’ve done quite a few cartoons about Ken over the years (with this one probably being my favorite), but I thought I’d share this one as a little farewell to the guy.
from the Lincoln Journal Star
I was working on a cartoon recently that includes a public figure whose time in the spotlight will soon be ending, and it got me thinking about how that kind of farewell happens quite a bit once you’ve spent a few years cartooning. It’s simply the nature of public life that time as a comment-worthy figure is bound to be finite.
Back in my Daily Nebraskan days, I had a lot of recurring characters — including L. Dennis Smith, Harvey Perlman and Danny Nee. But my favorite was Frank Solich. I couldn’t get enough of working him into cartoons, even when they had nothing to do with him. Frank and I left the university about the same time, and he was gone by the time I returned to Nebraska cartooning. Sadly, there was never going to be another excuse to draw him, even though I’ve tried. (Ironically enough, I’m not sure I ever actually drew him — I took some kind of sick joy in cutting out photocopied pictures of him and gluing them into cartoons.)
Similarly, once I started at the Lincoln Journal Star, Mayor Colleen Seng quickly became one of my favorite subjects. Almost accidentally, she evolved into a sort of iconic shorthand, with her poofy white hair, glasses and flower-print dress. Sadly, she decided to retire. Chris Beutler just hasn’t been as interesting. Ken Svoboda was another favorite. Fortunately for me, I can’t imagine that Jon Bruning and Dave Heineman are going anywhere anytime soon.
Jeff Koterba, Paul Fell and Steve Breen shared some of their favorite Targets of Cartooning Past with me:
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Time for another installment of “What you’re missing because newspapers are sissies.”
10. Starting off, it’s the first Heath Mello cartoon I’ve attempted since the 2000 ASUN elections. I can get away with this because I’m rural folk (Not that I could have gotten away with this).
from the Lincoln Journal Star
If you find yourself awake at 7 a.m. with nothing to do, come out and cheer for the runners. I promise you it’s appreciated.
from the Lincoln Journal Star
A sketch I submitted to the Journal Star on Friday, seen only by my editor and me:
From the Journal Star coverage of Monday’s city council meeting:
Before voting on the projects, Councilman Ken Svoboda turned the tables on Seacrest, asking him to clarify who he was representing, since he represents many entities, such as the private business group 2015 Vision, Antelope Valley and the Downtown Lincoln Association.
Svoboda said “the whole conflict of interest thing has really bothered me” and asked Seacrest whether there is a “fuzzy gray line” when it comes to whom he’s representing.
from the Lincoln Journal Star
