This book belongs on the reference shelf of anyone interested in the interplay between cartoons, politics, and public opinion. It provides the reader a historic framework in which to understand the cartoons' meaning and significance.

Contains cartoons by Chip Bok that chronicle the political history of the United States since President Nixon was in office.

From Benjamin Franklin's drawing of the first American political cartoon in 1754 to contemporary cartoonists' blistering attacks on George W. Bush and initial love-affair with Barack Obama, editorial cartoons have been a part of American journalism and politics. American Political Cartoons chronicles the nation's highs and lows in an extensive collection of cartoons that span the entire history of American political cartooning."Good cartoons hit you primitively and emotionally," said cartoonist Doug Marlette. "A cartoon is a frontal attack, a slam dunk, a cluster bomb." Most cartoonists pride themselves on attacking honestly, if ruthlessly. American Political Cartoons recounts many direct hits, recalling the discomfort of the cartoons' targets and the delight of their readers.Through skillful combination of pictures and words, cartoonists galvanize public opinion for or against their subjects. In the process they have revealed truths about us and our democratic system that have been both embarrassing and ennobling. Stephen Hess and Sandy Northrop note that not all cartoonists have worn white hats. Many have perpetuated demeaning ethnic stereotypes, slandered honest politicians, and oversimplified complex issues.

Featuring over 200 illustrations, this book tells the story of American political cartoons. From the colonial period to contemporary cartoonists like Pat Oliphant and Jimmy Margulies, this title highlights these artists' uncanny ability to encapsulate the essence of a situation and to steer the public mood with a single drawing.

This account of the American political cartoon from 1747 to the work of contemporary cartoonists such as Mauldin and Herblock chronicles the careers of the famous figures and the political situations which provided the cartoonists with their material. It also offers a picture of the mass media (broadsides, newspapers and magazines) through which the cartoonists reached their audiences.

"Thomas Nast (1840-1902), the founding father of American political cartooning, is perhaps best known for his cartoons portraying political parties as the Democratic donkey and the Republican elephant. Nast's legacy also includes a trove of other political cartoons, his successful attack on the machine politics of Tammany Hall in 1871, and his wildly popular illustrations of Santa Claus for Harper's Weekly magazine. In this thoroughgoing and lively biography, Fiona Deans Halloran interprets his work, explores his motivations and ideals, and illuminates the lasting legacy of Nast's work on American political culture"--