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Blog Newsletter Syndicate Top 10

hmmm … We’re COVID Cheerleaders? Top Ten COVID Cartoons

Researchers like to categorize and count things. Most of the few scholarly studies of editorial cartoons involve making subjective judgements about cartoons to divide the cartoons into categories selected for the study.

I gave Political Science professor Dr. Jody Baumgartner full access to our archives to do a study on editorial cartoons about Coronavirus. Baumgartner and his colleague Dr. Hanna Kassab categorized and counted only CagleCartoons.com content, and their study has just been published; see it here.

The study asked if political cartoonists are “Critics” or “Cheerleaders.” The researchers studied only CagleCartoons that were about COVID during the time of the pandemic.

The conclusion of the study? Political cartoonists are “cheerleaders” for the establishment. We prefer to think of ourselves as critics.  Calling us “cheerleaders” sounds a bit rude.

Perhaps Baumgartner and Kassab are conservative and were looking for more cartoons bashing Dr. Fauci, resisting mask mandates, promoting conspiracy theories, and shilling Hydroxychloroquine, Ivermectin, injected bleach and anti-vaxxer nonsense.

Here are the ten most reprinted pandemic cartoons since 2019. (Keep in mind that editors like for us to be cheerleaders for truth.) Congratulations to Jeff Koterba for taking four out of ten, and to Rick McKee and Dave Granlund for each having two on the Top Ten!

John Darkow

 

Dave Granlund

Dave Whamond

 

Jeff Koterba

Rick McKee

 

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Blog Newsletter Syndicate Top 10

Rick McKee’s 2020 Top Ten

Here are Rick McKee’s Top Ten cartoons of the year that were most reprinted in newspapers.  Rick is impressive and prolific, he worked for many years as the editorial cartoonist for the Augusta (Georgia) Chronicle, he has taken over the classic comic panel “Pluggers” and he also draws a new newspaper comic strip, “Mt. Pleasant.”

We keep statistics on how many editors, who subscribe to our syndicate service at CagleCartoons.com, download each cartoon. Over the next few days I’ll post Top Ten cartoons from some of our other CagleCartoonists!  See Rick’s cartoon archive on Cagle.com

Merry Christmas!

Our reader supported site, Cagle.com, still needs you!  Journalism is threatened with the pandemic that has shuttered newspaper advertisers. Some pundits predict that a large percentage of newspapers won’t survive the pandemic economic slump, and as newspapers sink, editorial cartoonists who depend on newspapers sink too, and along with them, our Cagle.com site.

The world needs political cartoonists more now than ever. Please consider supporting Cagle.com and visit Cagle.com/heroes.

#1

 

#2

 

#3

 

#4

 

#5

 

#6

 

#7

 

#8

 

#9

 

#10

Want to get EVERY new CagleCartoon from our 62 syndicated newspaper editorial cartoonists, in your email box every day? Just become a Cagle.com HERO and you get the exclusive daily emails of ALL THE CARTOONS!  See all the cartoons before the newspapers print them and never miss a cartoon!

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Blog Newsletter Syndicate Top 10

Top Ten Cartoons of 2020

Here are our most reprinted cartoons of the year, 2020. We have about 700 newspapers in the USA that subscribe to our CagleCartoons.com syndicate service and we collect data on which cartoons newspaper editors download; these cartoons were the biggest hits – each was the #1 cartoons the week it ran.

The most reprinted cartoons of the year provide a clear lesson in what newspaper editors wanted to see with five of the cartoons explicitly about the pandemic and a couple of others generally about bad times. The cartoons emphasize how much editors want to see cartoons about holidays and events (Christmas, New Year, Election Day, Daylight Savings Time Day, change of season). The cartoons also clearly show how most newspaper editors tend to avoid cartoons about politics and president Trump, to the frustration of the political cartoonists.

What is most amazing about the Top Ten cartoons this year is the stellar performance of Dave Granlund who took the #1 and #2 spots with the most reprinted cartoons of the year. Jeff Koterba, Dave Whamond and I have two cartoons each on the list.

Congratulations to the other cartoonists with a most reprinted cartoons of the year: Dave Fitzsimmons. Rick McKee and Steve Sack! Check out the cartoons below!

Our reader supported site, Cagle.com, still needs you!  Journalism is threatened with the pandemic that has shuttered newspaper advertisers. Some pundits predict that a large percentage of newspapers won’t survive the pandemic economic slump, and as newspapers sink, editorial cartoonists who depend on newspapers sink too, and along with them, our Cagle.com site.

The world needs political cartoonists more now than ever. Please consider supporting Cagle.com and visit Cagle.com/heroes.

 

#1

Dave Granlund wins the year with this wildly popular Christmas/Pandemic cartoon.

 

#2

Dave Granlund also takes second place with this Election Day reminder cartoon. Call to vote cartoons were very popular this year.

 

#3

Jeff Koterba takes third place with his first of two cartoons in the Top Ten.

 

#4

Dave Whamond takes 4th place, with the first of two cartoons on the list. Cartoons complaining about what a terrible year 2020 was, were very popular.

 

#5

I took 5th place with this general complaint about the bad times.

 

#6

Jeff Koterba takes 6th place with this COVID/New Year combo – his second on the list.

 

#7

My second cartoon on the list was a call to vote emphasizing “mail-in voting” which President Trump claimed was fraudulent because more Democrats tend to vote by mail.

 

#8

Dave Whamond claims 8th place with this cartoon about distance learning. Cartoons about school during the pandemic were top performers with editors this year.

 

#9

Rick McKee takes 9th place with Christmas/COVID combo cartoon.

 

#10

Steve Sack nabs tenth place with this lovely Autumn/how-bad-things-are cartoon.

Want to get EVERY new CagleCartoon from our 62 syndicated newspaper editorial cartoonists, in your email box every day? Just become a Cagle.com HERO and you get the exclusive daily emails of ALL THE CARTOONS!  See all the cartoons before the newspapers print them and never miss a cartoon!

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Blog Newsletter Syndicate Top 10

Top Ten Cartoons of the Week – December 19, 2020

Here are our most reprinted cartoons of last week (December 27th through December 19th 2020).

Five of the cartoons have Christmas themes, eight of the cartoons are about COVID19. As usual, no drawings of Trump or Biden made the Top Ten. No cartoons about foreign issues were popular.  There are three ties which is quite unlikely considering the large number of editors downloading cartoons.

The Top Ten cartoons are what readers see since only 20% of the cartoons get 80% of the reprints.

John Darkow won the week with a Christmas/COVID cartoon,  Jeff Koterba had two cartoons in the Top Ten. Great work, gentlemen!

Congratulations to the other cartoonists with the most reprinted cartoons of the week: Gary McCoy, Dave Whamond, Steve Sack, Dave Granlund, Bruce Plante, Dave Fitzsimmons and Pat Bagley.

Our Top Ten is a measure of how many editors choose to reprint each of our cartoons, from the 62 cartoonists in our CagleCartoons.com syndication package. Just about half of America’s daily, paid circulation newspapers (around 700 papers) subscribe to CagleCartoons.com. 

Our reader supported site, Cagle.com, still needs you!  Journalism is threatened with the pandemic that has shuttered newspaper advertisers. Some pundits predict that a large percentage of newspapers won’t survive the pandemic economic slump, and as newspapers sink, editorial cartoonists who depend on newspapers sink too, and along with them, our Cagle.com site.

The world needs political cartoonists more now than ever. Please consider supporting Cagle.com and visit Cagle.com/heroes.

 

#1

John Darkow wins the week with this Christmas/pandemic cartoon.

 

#2

Gary McCoy is tied for second place with another Christmas Pandemic cartoon.

 

#2

Dave Whamond shares the tie for second place with another Christmas/COVID combo cartoon.

 

#4

Steve Sack takes 4th place with yet another Christmas/COVID combo cartoon.

 

#5

Dave Granlund shares a tie for 5th place with this COVID vaccine cartoon.

 

#5

Bruce Plante shares the tie for 5th place with this vaccine cartoon.

 

#7

Jeff Koterba claims 7th place with a “what a bad year 2020 was” New Years cartoon – a theme that editors love.

 

#8

Dave Fitzsimmons wins 8th place with yet another Christmas/COVID combo cartoon.

 

#9

Pat Bagley ties for 9th place with an oldie that he strategically reposted to the syndication flow. This is the first time I can recall that a reposted oldie made the Top Ten. A heavy snowstorm hit the northeast, and Washington DC this week.

 

#9

Jeff Koterba shares 9th place with this vaccine cartoon, which is Jeff’s second cartoon in the Top Ten this week.

Want to get EVERY new CagleCartoon from our 62 syndicated newspaper editorial cartoonists, in your email box every day? Just become a Cagle.com HERO and you get the exclusive daily emails of ALL THE CARTOONS!  See all the cartoons before the newspapers print them and never miss a cartoon!

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Blog Newsletter Syndicate Top 10

Top Ten Cartoons of the Week – December 12, 2020

Here are our most reprinted cartoons of last week (December 5th through December 12th 2020).

Six of the cartoons combined Christmas with Covid themes, which is clearly what newspaper editors want to see right now. As usual, no drawings of Trump or Biden made the Top Ten, even as transition problems and Trump’s last lawsuit dominated cable news. No cartoons about foreign issues were popular, despite some excellent cartoons about Boris Johnson, the EU and failing Brexit trade negotiations.

The Top Ten cartoons are what readers see since only 20% of the cartoons get 80% of the reprints.

Rick McKee won the week with a strong #1 cartoon,  Jeff Koterba and John Darkow each had two cartoons in the Top Ten. Great work, gentlemen.

Congratulations to the other cartoonists with the most reprinted cartoons of the week, RJ Matson, Pat Byrnes, Nate Beeler, Dave Granlund and John Cole.

Our Top Ten is a measure of how many editors choose to reprint each of our cartoons, from the 62 cartoonists in our CagleCartoons.com syndication package. Just about half of America’s daily, paid circulation newspapers (around 700 papers) subscribe to CagleCartoons.com. 

Our reader supported site, Cagle.com, still needs you!  Journalism is threatened with the pandemic that has shuttered newspaper advertisers. Some pundits predict that a large percentage of newspapers won’t survive the pandemic economic slump, and as newspapers sink, editorial cartoonists who depend on newspapers sink too, and along with them, our Cagle.com site.

The world needs political cartoonists more now than ever. Please consider supporting Cagle.com and visit Cagle.com/heroes.

 

#1

Rick McKee wins the week with this very popular Christmas/pandemic cartoon.

 

#2

RJ Matson takes second place with this impressive cartoon that he tells me he created in Photoshop in only two hours. Unbelievable.

 

#3

Jeff Koterba snags third place with this Christmas/COVID combo cartoon.

 

#4

Jeff Koterba takes 4th place with another Christmas/COVID combo cartoon.

 

#5

Nate Beeler takes 5th place with this Christmas/COVID combo cartoon.

 

#6

Pat Byrnes claims 6th place with this COVID cartoon.

 

#7

John Darkow claims 7th place with a cartoon implying that 2020 was a bad year and 2021 will be better – one of the most popular themes for editors.

 

#8

John Darkow wins 8th place with this Chuck Yeager memorial cartoon. There was a time when obit cartoons were the most popular with editors, but those days have been drowned out by the pandemic.

 

#9

Dave Granlund nabs 8th place with the only cartoon about the ugly presidential transition that dominates the news, but not the ink. The candy coating of a 2020 year cartoon makes it a cartoon that editors will swallow.

 

#10

John Cole takes 10th place with a cartoon about virtual learning during the pandemic. Education during the pandemic is another favorite theme for editors.

Want to get EVERY new CagleCartoon from our 62 syndicated newspaper editorial cartoonists, in your email box every day? Just become a Cagle.com HERO and you get the exclusive daily emails of ALL THE CARTOONS!  See all the cartoons before the newspapers print them and never miss a cartoon!