Killed Cartoons: Casualties from the War on Free Expression by David Wallis (Editor)

From the Publisher

Think you live in a society with a free press? These celebrated cartoonists and illustrators found out otherwise. Whether blasting Bush for his "Bring 'em on!" speech, spanking pedophile priests, questioning capital punishment, debating the disputed 2000 election, or just mocking baseball mascots, they learned that newspapers and magazines increasingly play it safe by suppressing satire.



With censored cartoons, many unpublished, by the likes of Garry Trudeau, Doug Marlette, Paul Conrad, Mike Luckovich, Matt Davies, and Ted Rall (all Pulitzer Prize winners or finalists), as well as unearthed editorial illustrations by Norman Rockwell, Edward Sorel, Anita Kunz, Marshall Arisman, and Steve Brodner, you will find yourself surprised and often shocked by the images themselves-and outraged by the fact that a fearful editor kept you from seeing them. Needed now more than ever because of a neutered press that's more lapdog than watchdog, Killed Cartoons will make you laugh, make you angry, and make you think.

Rachel Bridgewater - Library Journal

In his latest collection, Wallis, who also edited Killed: Great Journalism Too Hot To Print, takes on censored editorial cartoons. He displays 95 cartoons rejected by editors fearful of offending their readership, advertisers, corporate owners, or political leaders. A brief essay describing the circumstances surrounding the rejection prefaces each cartoon. Though each part may be read alone, a sequential reading reveals Wallis's thoughtful editorial choices as each entry builds subtly on the last. The collection is enriched by the comments of the cartoonists themselves, which Wallis includes whenever possible. Unleavened by these comments, Wallis's approach might seem heavy-handed. The inclusion of these diverse voices increases the value and readability of the work. This collection is particularly powerful in light of the 2006 riots surrounding the Danish Muhammad cartoons, a topic dealt with here at some length and with considerable nuance. This will be a popular and relevant title in collections with a current affairs focus, especially larger public libraries.

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