My first Sarah Palin cartoon, gun included.

Last updated on January 3, 2023

I am all kinds of thrilled that I’ve been invited to submit political cartoons about the election to a major publication!!

I’ve never done any editorial cartoons before. (My father used to suggest that if I did them, I would be a “real” cartoonist,  but fortunately – I think it wasn’t until he held my first book in his hands – that mantra has stopped, or at least slowed down. Well, here I am, Dad!)

I don’t know any cartoonists who mix the genres, actually; you’re either funny or serious, and I always choose funny! (Plus, what about those arrows and signs and symbols and nametags and scrawling ink splotches all over everything in editorial drawings? Kind of messy.)

Sarah Palin cartoon with gun or murderous weapon in hand
Sarah Palin as a child with gun in hand. "They're not toys, they're trophies."

I have certainly made my opinions known about Los Angeles political figures in my Los Angeles blog, but I’ve never thought of cartooning as my favorite way to prove anything. Words are faster.  So no LA cartoons…but national politics are easier to find the humor in, I find!

This current campaign season certainly has the drama, and so I’m ready to dive right in and try something out of my comfort zone! (Plus I always like the challenge of studying something new to make fun of.)

One of the caveats of this project was: Don’t try out for a Pulitzer, please.

Speak for yourself, sir. Aim high. I have a few ideas simmering, but I thought I’d present this one here, as an example of how to rework, work it, baby.

The Drawing
Hope you can read the caption: Sarah Palin as a child with gun: “They’re not toys, they’re trophies.”

This is my first try at lettering with my Wacom tablet and pen, and boy is it hard – my hand has been cramping up.  (Any suggestions, cowboy cartoonists?) But the Wacom is much easier to color with, for sure. Doing text with a tablet pen is hard because the work space on the tablet is a different proportion than the screen or real paper.

But I do like young, innocent Sarah!

8 Comments

  1. Geri Mars said:

    LOL!!! The kitty with the bow is purrfect!

    September 20, 2008
    Reply
  2. Scott L. Hendrie said:

    Great Cartoon !

    I hope to see more !!!

    Scott

    September 20, 2008
    Reply
  3. @Geri, Good, I’m glad you could tell, they are supposed to be stuffed animals!

    @Scott – Thanks, Scott, God willing.

    September 20, 2008
    Reply
  4. Trudy Moore said:

    Is that lipstick she’s holding behind her back?

    *grin*

    Great job, Donna!

    September 21, 2008
    Reply
  5. Kevin Rains said:

    I think the “field trip” caption is funnier, and I like the reworked drawing. Great cartoon! Yes the Wacom takes a while to get used to. However, once broken in, you’ll love it. I did my first Palin and Hillary cartoon a couple of weeks ago.

    September 22, 2008
    Reply
  6. Trudy – Well, it could be MAC lipstick AND a gun!
    Kevin – did it involve Bullwinkle?

    September 24, 2008
    Reply
  7. kinda mean said:

    OK, one more. It should say, “Young Sarah shows Billy the household pets”.

    October 20, 2008
    Reply

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