We Stand With Ann Telnaes, illustration by Courage in Editorial Cartooning recipient Kanika Mishra
From Cartoonists Rights Network founder Robert “Bro” Russell:
Screen grab of Ann Telnaes’ animation removed from Washington Post website
I and CRNI completely support Ann Telnaes’ cartoon animation about Sen. Ted Cruz and his children. Cruz clearly and egregiously opens the door to his family life when he brings his children onstage performing in his political video. The’re seen expressing their lines, which of course were scripted by dear old dad, in order to raise more money. Quite an inappropriate exploitation of his own children, if you ask me.
The party that was wrong in all of this was the Washington Post, which spent only minutes determining that they should throw Ann under the bus by apologizing and taking the animation off of their website. Ann pushed the envelope for free speech just a little bit farther. Too bad the editors of the Washington Post didn’t have the sense or presence of mind to understand what was going on. Of course, they are still getting settled in with their new owner.
Cruz campaign cartoon tweet
It was Ted Cruz who overstepped the red line this time, not Ann Telnaes. It was nice to see however that the Cruz team came out with their own counter-cartoon poking fun at Hillary Clinton walking her two dogs, the Washington Post and the New York Times. For that they get some credit.
In another theater, it is interesting that police in India are now starting to publish their own counter-cartoons. See the story from Assem Trivedi elsewhere on our website.
Bro Russell
Executive Director, Cartoonists Rights Network International
