A Talk With Cartoonists Rick McKee, David Cohen, Graeme MacKay & Angelo Lopez - January 11, 2026

Описание: On January 11, 2026, editorial cartoonists Rick McKee, David Cohen, Graeme MacKay and Angelo Lopez had a talk on the editorial cartooning profession and on Donald Trump's effects on both Canada and the U.S.


BIOGRAPHY

RICK MCKEE was the staff cartoonist of The Augusta Chronicle from 1998 to 2019 and is nationally syndicated by CagleCartoons.com.

In 2025, McKee won the Silver Reuben Award for editorial cartoons from the National Cartoonists Society.

McKee's award-winning work has been featured on CNN/Headline News, The New York Times, the Washington Post and in Newsweek. McKee is a regular contributor to the Swiss satirical magazine, Nebelspalter, the oldest continually-published satirical publication in the world.

McKee also draws the nationally syndicated comic strip, Pluggers.

A collection of his cartoons, "Painting With a Broad Brush" was published in December, 2015.

Rick's Substack page is
https://rickmckeeink.substack.com/


DAVID COHEN is the editorial cartoonist for the Asheville (NC) Citizen-Times, a position that he has held for the last 20 years.

He not only draws editorial cartoons but also regular humor cartoons, magazine illustrations, and pet portraits.
David is also a professional drummer, playing in numerous bands over the last 50 years, has worked with Grammy winners and has recorded in Nashville.

David Cohen's Substack page is https://substack.com/@cohencidents


GRAEME MACKAY has been doing editorial cartoons for The Hamilton Spectator in 1997. His biting wit and sharp observations have graced newspapers across Canada and occasionally found their way into the U.S., making him a beloved figure in the editorial cartooning scene.

Beyond his editorial work, Graeme’s accolades include serving as President of the Association of Canadian Editorial Cartoonists and winning prestigious awards like the Ranan Lurie Political Cartoon Award. A viral cartoon during the COVID-19 pandemic showcased his ability to capture the zeitgeist, illustrating the intricate dance of intellectual property in the digital age.

A history enthusiast, Graeme creates caricatures of political figures and marked his 20th anniversary at The Spectator with his debut book, "You Might Be From Hamilton If…".

In 2018, he launched a nostalgic cartoon series featuring Ontario's Premier Doug Ford, blending satire with a touch of 70s and 80s flair.

You can find his work in the Hamilton Spectator website https://www.thespec.com/users/profile...

Here is Graeme's website https://mackaycartoons.net/


ANGELO LOPEZ was the regular cartoonist for the Philippine News Today, a Filipino American community newspaper based in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Angelo’s cartoons are currently published in the Cartoon Movement and Pitik Bulag.

Angelo Lopez won the 2016 Robert F. Kennedy Book and Journalism Award for Editorial Cartoons. He has also won the 2013, 2015, 2016 and 2018 Sigma Delta Chi award for editorial cartooning for newspapers with a circulation under 100,000. Angelo won first prize for the Best of the West contest in 2016 and third prize in 2017.

Here is Angelo's cartoons for the Cartoon Movement https://www.cartoonmovement.com/carto...

Here is Angelo's Instagram page   / angelolopezart  


QUESTIONS
6:39 What are Rick, David and Graeme's thoughts on Trump's deposing of Nicolas Maduro and the recent shooting of Renee Nicole Good?
17:54 David and Rick both live in the South. What is the mood of the working class and rural Trump supporters in their areas? What are their thoughts on Marjory Taylor Greene's recent opposition to Trump?
25:52 What are Graeme's observations on Trump's effects on the Canadian political scene?
37:17 During the 1950s, 2 cartoonists, Herbert Block and Walt Kelly, were 2 of the few Americans willing to take on Joe McCarthy during the height of the Red Scare. Herblock's cartoons were more hard hitting satire. while Walt Kelly’s Pogo was more gentle satire. Would Rick, David and Graeme consider their cartoons more hard hitting satire or more gentle satire?
56:48 What are Rick, David and Graeme's thoughts on the ethics of using AI to either create or animate cartoons?
1:07:21 Editorial cartoons are supposed to comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable. How do their cartoons apply this mantra to this Trump era?