“I hate puns using orange when referring to the Weekly,” I told our art director, Dustin Ames, as we were trying to think of a new name for our weekly political cartoon. “But what about ‘Rhymes with Orange’?”
Dustin laughed. #3 editor Patty Marsters winced. Calendar editor Aimee Murillo might’ve chuckled. And that, gentle cabrones, is how to introduce our new weekly political cartoon. (see note below!)
I’ve been wanting to get a political cartoon in the infernal rag for years, not just as yet another bonus for people who still pick up the dead-tree edition, but because young people are now more than ever appreciating the craft thanks to Instagram/Facebook/Twitter, etc. (they sure weren’t in the days of Herblock, I tell you what). In addition, political cartoons about Orange County are now virtually dead: the Orange County Register hasn’t employed a full-time one in nearly a decade, the Los Angeles Times has just plumb forgot about us, the Voice of OC sometimes does some, and much-missed Mike Lawson (founder of the Liberal OC, back before it became a Larry Agran blowjob factory) occasionally does them. To offer OC weekly political cartoon is not only an opportunity; it’s an obligation.
So make sure to pick up a copy every week (or wait online every Thursday) for the latest “Rhymes with Orange.” “Orange Feathers.” Our cartoons won’t always be explicitly political, though: we’ll satirize OC life one way or another, whether our pendejo DA Tony Rackauckas (as this week’s entry shows), HB bros, Newport Beach MILFS, Laguna Woods geezers and the like—whatever’s topical, whatever’s HILARIOUS. Regular contributors Bob Aul and Luke McGarry will be our main cartoonists, along with a rotating cast of the usual gang of idiots until I win the lottery and can afford an in-house cartoonist. Wanna pitch us some ideas? Email me at garellano at ocweekly dot com (remember: I’m looking for OC-specific ideas, not the latest, lamest Obummer attack or Trump eviseceration). Enjoy, and start drawing!
*Note: Shortly after I tweeted this, legendary political cartoonist Tom Tomorrow—who used to run in our paper—tweeted there’s already a comic called Rhymes with Orange, so let’s instead call our political cartoon “Orange Feathers,” after the Marx Brothers film—problem solved! No disrespect meant to Rhymes with Orange author Hilary Price—that’s what I get for reading too much Krazy Kat as of late….
