Sean Delonas

Sean Delonas is an American political cartoonist and author whose work was for 23 years published by the New York Post as part of their Page Six content. His cartoons are currently syndicated worldwide by Cagle Cartoons.

Life and career

Delonas graduated from the New York Academy of Art. Delonas is author of the children's book Scuttle's Big Wish (a retelling of the story of King Midas),[1] Sean Delonas: The Ones They Didn't Print and Some of the Ones They Did (Skyhorse Publishing (2015) ISBN 978-1632203656) and Jackie Mason & Raoul Felder's Survival Guide to New York City.[2] His work has also appeared on the cover of another Rupert Murdoch-owned publication, The Weekly Standard.[3] He painted the altar triptych for the Church of St. Agnes in New York.[4]

Controversies

A number of his cartoons have been criticized as "racist, offensive, and misleading."[5] His work has been criticized as "ham-handed",[6] and he has been accused of "churning out malevolent fantasies."[7] He has been called "the worst cartoonist on the planet" by Vanity Fair, which also asked if he was "stupid, racist, or both?"[8] Conversely, Commentary also praised his irreverent visual imagination, and described as "a bizarre cross between Jack Davis of Mad Magazine and Hieronymous Bosch."[9]

A 1999 cartoon depicted Louis Farrakhan about to undergo surgery for recently diagnosed cancer, with the surgeons preparing to cut through his neck to remove "the cancerous tumor from Farrakhan's body."[10] A 2001 cartoon showing rival editor Mortimer B. Zuckerman of the New York Daily News sending anthrax to Post editor Col Allan led to sponsor withdrawal.[11]

After a photoshopped picture of the Sesame Street muppet Bert standing alongside Osama bin Laden went viral when it turned up on a pro-Osama placard, the website which included it (Bert is Evil) was taken down. Referencing this, in the Post, Delonas did a series of depictions of Bert instructing and training Taliban and Al Qaida terrorists. In 2009, two days after a local chimpanzee mauling[12] and one day after legislation was signed into law by President Barack Obama,[13] Delonas depicted two white police officers who just shot and killed a chimpanzee. One officer says, "They'll have to find someone else to write the next stimulus bill." The cartoon was widely criticized as in bad taste[14] and as making a reference to the racial slur of African Americans being portrayed as apes. Protests came from journalists,[15][16][17][18] politicians,[19][20] police groups,[21][22] and the public.[23][24] The Post disputed this interpretation and defended Delonas.[25]

In 2018, the Albuquerque Journal apologized for publishing a cartoon by Delonas which equated MS-13 gang members with Dreamers. The cartoon was widely criticized, including by both U.S. senators from New Mexico.[5][26][27][28]

References
  1. Delonas, Sean (2006). Scuttle's Big Wish. HarperCollins, ISBN 978-0-06-072645-4
  2. Mason, Jackie and Raoul Lionel Felder (1997). Jackie Mason & Raoul Felder's Survival Guide to New York City. Avon Books, ISBN 978-0-380-97483-2
  3. Colford, Paul D. (February 5, 1998). Conservative Journals Are Yukking It Up. Los Angeles Times
  4. Beth Landman & Deborah Mitchell (February 16, 1998). Delonas's Saints of Circumstance New York Magazine
  5. "Albuquerque newspaper apologizes for "obviously racist" cartoon attacking Dreamers". Salon. 2018-02-08. Retrieved 2018-02-09.
  6. Grossberger, Lewis (October 29, 2001). Beware News Abuse. Mediaweek
  7. Cotts, Cynthia (October 30, 2001). Big Brother’s 'Reason' to Fear. Village Voice
  8. Sancton, Julian. "Sean Delonas: Stupid, Racist, or Both?". The Hive. Retrieved 2018-02-09.
  9. Michael J. Lewis (October 2003)
  10. Kurtz, Howard (March 29, 1999). Report of a Death, Slightly Exaggerated. Washington Post
  11. Blair, Jayson (October 24, 2001). Ads Withdrawn From The Post As Criticism of Anthrax Cartoon. New York Times
  12. "Pet Chimp Is Killed After Mauling Woman"
  13. "'Racist' US cartoon causes stir". BBC News. 19 February 2009. Retrieved 2009-02-19.
  14. Roland S. Martin, Commentary: NY Post cartoon is racist and careless, CNN, February 18, 2009, Accessed February 19, 2009.
  15. Gabe Pressman, The Unfunny Cartoon, MSNBC.com, February 18, 2009, Accessed February 19, 2009.
  16. "Commentary: NY Post cartoon is racist and careless". CNN. February 18, 2009. Retrieved May 23, 2010.
  17. NBC News
  18. "Sebelius may fill void in Cabinet". The Boston Globe. February 19, 2009.
  19. "Chimp-Stimulus Cartoon Raises Racism Concerns"
  20. "Hundreds More Protest New York Post Cartoon". NY1. February 19, 2009. Archived from the original on June 12, 2012.
  21. Simone Weichselbaum, New York Post chimpanzee stimulus cartoon draws cops' ire, New York Daily News, February 19, 2009, Accessed February 19, 2009.
  22. Weichselbaum, Simone (February 19, 2009). "New York Post chimpanzee stimulus cartoon draws cops' ire". Daily News. New York.
  23. Nico Hines, Protesters picket New York Post over chimp cartoon, The Times, February 19, 2009, Accessed February 19, 2009.
  24. Hines, Nico (February 19, 2009). "Protesters picket New York Post over chimp cartoon". Times Online. London.
  25. Ashley Fantz, Racism row over chimp cartoon sparks debate, CNN, February 19, 2009, Accessed February 19, 2009.
  26. Romero, Simon (2018-02-08). "New Mexico Newspaper Apologizes for Cartoon Portraying 'Dreamers' as Muggers". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2018-02-09.
  27. "Albuquerque Journal apologizes for racially-charged cartoon". POLITICO. Retrieved 2018-02-09.
  28. Gstalter, Morgan (2018-02-08). "New Mexico senators blast 'heinous' cartoon depicting Dreamers as gang members". The Hill. Retrieved 2018-02-09.
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