Cagle World

A government shutdown. Costs continuing to rise. Soldiers on the streets of American cities. Political enemies of the president targeted by his administration. Reporters forced out of the Pentagon.

Outside of the peace deal between Israel and Hamas, is there actually any good news out there?

Chris Weyant tapped into that sentiment with one of our most-reprinted cartoons of the week, which features a gameshow appropriately called “How much more of this can I take?” I also enjoyed Dave Whamond’s cartoon, about Americans tuning out of the news and turning to Netflix instead.

Our most-reprinted cartoon was a wonderful John Darkow piece on the government shutdown, which is entering its third week with no end in sight. In his cartoon, Darkow wondered if we’ll all get a break on our taxes with the government at a standstill. I think you know the answer to that, which I guess is just more bad news.

Here are our top ten most reprinted cartoons of the week:

#1. John Darkow

#2. Chris Weyant

#3. Dave Whamond

#4. John Darkow

#5. John Darkow

#6. John Darkow

#7. Dave Granlund

#8. Margolis & Cox

#9. Rick McKee

#10. Bob Englehart

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Daryl Cagle is the publisher of Cagle.com and owner of CagleCartoons.com, a syndicate that distributes editorial cartoons and columns to over 500 subscribing newspapers. See Daryl’s blog at DarylCagle.com and watch his video podcast about editorial cartoons at Caglecast.com

The government shutdown grinds forward, with no end in sight and no deal on the horizon to bring together Republicans and Democrats. In other words, it’s a mess, which isn’t exactly new for Washington.

Gary McCoy’s shutdown cartoon, featuring a student complaining about schools not being closed, was our most-reprinted cartoon this week. Bruce Plante’s boxing-themed cartoon – with both Republicans and Democrats bruised and battered – was also popular among editors.

I laughed at Pat Byrnes’ funny cartoon about Republicans and Democrats finally finding something to agree on – the full release of the Epstein files. Now if they can only find something to agree on to reopen the government.

Here are our top ten most reprinted cartoons of the week:

#1. Gary McCoy

#2. Bruce Plante

#3. John Cole

#4. Dave Granlund

#5. Bob Englehart

#6. John Cole

#7. Pat Byrnes

#8. Bob Englehart

#9. John Darkow

#10. R.J. Matson

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Daryl Cagle is the publisher of Cagle.com and owner of CagleCartoons.com, a syndicate that distributes editorial cartoons and columns to over 500 subscribing newspapers. See Daryl’s blog at DarylCagle.com and watch his video podcast about editorial cartoons at Caglecast.com

What’s left to say about the government shutdown and our broken politics in the nation’s capital? Because Republicans and Democrats can’t get together to accomplish the most basic task of keeping the federal lights on, tens of thousands of government employees face furloughs and possibly their loss of their jobs, thanks to Trump’s threats about layoffs.

Our most popular cartoon of the week by far was R.J. Matson’s wonderful drawing of an unplugged Capitol building, a powerful image that quietly sums up the dysfunction in Washington. Matson also drew a funny cartoon of foam fingers being delivered for the blame game between Republicans and Democrats.

Amid the shutdown, news broke that beloved chimpanzee researcher Jane Goodall passed away at age 91. Cartoonists typically hate drawing obituary cartoons, but readers love and appreciate them. So it’s no surprise to me Dave Whamond’s wonderful drawing and quote honoring Goodall’s work was among our most popular among editors.

Here are our top ten most reprinted cartoons of the week:

#1. R.J. Matson

#2. Dave Whamond

#3. Doug Plante

#4. John Darkow

#5. Ed Wexler

#6. R.J. Matson

#7. Dave Whamond

#8. Adam Zyglis

#9. Dave Granlund

#10. R.J. Matson

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Daryl Cagle is the publisher of Cagle.com and owner of CagleCartoons.com, a syndicate that distributes editorial cartoons and columns to over 500 subscribing newspapers. See Daryl’s blog at DarylCagle.com and watch his video podcast about editorial cartoons at Caglecast.com

When Donald Trump was reelected, who predicted late-night television would become relevant again?

Thanks to the cancelation of Stephen Colbert’s show and Jimmy Kimmel’s short-lived suspension, late-night TV hosts have alerted Americans (and even a few Republicans) to the Trump administrations’s willingness to use the government to threaten speech it doesn’t like.

I thought Adam Zyglis’ cartoon of free speech advocates raising the constitution like the flag at Iwo Jima really hit the mark. I also enjoyed Dave Granlund’s cartoon mixing Trump’s annoyance over Kimmel’s return with his bizarre instance Americans stop taking Tylenol.

But our most-reprinted cartoon of the week, drawn by R.J. Matson, previews what we’ll all be fretting over in just a few days – a government shutdown under an administration trying to rid itself of as many federal employees as possible.

Here are our top ten most reprinted cartoons of the week:

#1. RJ Matson

#2. Dave Whamond

#3. Adam Zyglis

#4. Ed Wexler

#5. Dave Granlund

#6. Doug Plante

#7. Harley Schwadron

#8. Dave Granlund

#9. Dave Granlund

#10. Ratt

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Daryl Cagle is the publisher of Cagle.com and owner of CagleCartoons.com, a syndicate that distributes editorial cartoons and columns to over 500 subscribing newspapers. See Daryl’s blog at DarylCagle.com and watch his video podcast about editorial cartoons at Caglecast.com

Cartoons are still just coming in following the murder of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, but the tragic death of the young pundit is clearly the focus of both readers and editors as the week ends.

Jeff Koterba’s cartoon showing the Statue of Liberty’s bloody torch of “civil discourse” is already one of our most-reprinted cartoons this week. R.J. Matson’s popular 9/11 cartoon highlighted the growing political divide that might have played a role in Kirk’s untimely death at the end of an assassin’s bullet.

Our most-reprinted cartoon wasn’t about a news topic at all – it was Rick McKee’s fun look at the return of football, which is as good a form of distraction as anything else these days… unless you’re a New York Jets fan.

Here are our top ten most reprinted cartoons of the week:

#1. Rick McKee

#2. Dave Granlund

#3. Jeff Koterba

#4. R.J. Matson

#5. R.J. Matson

#6. Dave Granlund

#7. Rick McKee

#8. John Darkow

#9. Dave Whamond

#10. John Darkow

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Daryl Cagle is the publisher of Cagle.com and owner of CagleCartoons.com, a syndicate that distributes editorial cartoons and columns to over 500 subscribing newspapers. See Daryl’s blog at DarylCagle.com and watch his video podcast about editorial cartoons at Caglecast.com

The first week of September proved to be a true hodgepodge of topics for our cartoonists, covering everything from Gavin Newsom’s heckling of Donald Trump to Powerball mania to soldiers occupying Washington, D.C. restaurants.

Our most-reprinted cartoon of the week was a funny toon about the return of football, drawn by Gary McCoy. But we also had a few popular cartoons about Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and his dismantling of our public health infrastructure, including a pointed barb by Michael de Adder showing Death giving RFK a piggyback ride.

Here are our top ten most reprinted cartoons of the week:

#1. Gary McCoy

#2. Dave Whammond

#3. Rick McKee

#4. Gary McCoy

#5. Dave Whammond

#6. R.J. Matson

#7. John Darkow

#8. Harley Schwadron

#9. John Darkow

#10. Michael de Adder

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Daryl Cagle is the publisher of Cagle.com and owner of CagleCartoons.com, a syndicate that distributes editorial cartoons and columns to over 500 subscribing newspapers. See Daryl’s blog at DarylCagle.com and watch his video podcast about editorial cartoons at Caglecast.com

Happy Labor Day to all the workers out there soon to be replaced by A.I.-powered robots.

A.I. is basically the new pumpkin spice, with companies rushing to push the unproven technology into all their products and services. So it’s not too far fetched before those hard-working robots get the day off, as John Darkow predicts in this week’s most-reprinted cartoon.

Though I shouldn’t say all human workers will be displayed by robots. As Harley Schwadron points out in his funny but depressing cartoon, they’ll still need to hire “a few token humans.”

Here are our top ten most reprinted cartoons of the week:

#1. John Darkow

#2. Dave Granlund

#3. Dave Whamond

#4. Dave Granlund

#5. Daryl Cagle

#6. Dave Granlund

#7. John Cole

#8. Dave Granlund

#9. Harley Schwadron

#10. Harley Schwadron

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Daryl Cagle is the publisher of Cagle.com and owner of CagleCartoons.com, a syndicate that distributes editorial cartoons and columns to over 500 subscribing newspapers. See Daryl’s blog at DarylCagle.com and watch his video podcast about editorial cartoons at Caglecast.com

What do people want to read about in the waining days of summer? Gerrymandering.

In Texas, at the behest of Donald Trump, Republicans pushed through a controversial new election map expected to cost five Democrats in Congress their seats during next year’s midterm elections. Democrats in California responded by creating their own map that would flip five Republican congressional seats, a move which will be decided by voters during a special election in November.

This race to the bottom was the target of Monte Wolverton’s cartoon, our most-reprinted this week. I also liked Dave Whammond’s popular cartoon comparing new congressional maps to a Jackson Pollock painting.

With everything else going on, how much do American’s care? Are they even checked in? As Chris Weyant summed up well in his new back-to-school cartoon, the kids are happy “just to get a break from the news cycle.”

Here are our top ten most reprinted cartoons of the week:

#1. Monte Wolverton

#2. John Darkow

#3. Dave Whamond

#4. Dave Granlund

#5. Dave Granlund

#6. Chris Weyant

#7. Taylor Jones

#8. John Cole

#9. Dave Whamond

#10. Dave Granlund

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Daryl Cagle is the publisher of Cagle.com and owner of CagleCartoons.com, a syndicate that distributes editorial cartoons and columns to over 500 subscribing newspapers. See Daryl’s blog at DarylCagle.com and watch his video podcast about editorial cartoons at Caglecast.com

As August winds down, parents can finally see the light at the end of tunnel as their sun-drenched kids say goodbye to summer and head back to school.

Our most-reprinted cartoon this week comes from Bruce Plante, who channeled a kid texting what he did over the summer. I also liked John Darkow’s cartoon about kids returning to schools where their parents took RFK Jr.’s advice on vaccines.

The Trump administration’s favorite vaccine skeptic was also the target of Chris Weyant, who depicted the country’s top health official as a misguided magician looking to make vaccine protection disappear. Boy, this school year will sure be fun.

Here are our top ten most reprinted cartoons of the week:

#1. Bruce Plante

#2. Dave Granlund

#3. Dave Granlund

#4. John Darkow

#5. Dave Whamond

#6. Chris Weyant

#7. Chris Weyant

#8. Jeff Koterba

#9. John Darkow

#10. John Darkow

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Daryl Cagle is the publisher of Cagle.com and owner of CagleCartoons.com, a syndicate that distributes editorial cartoons and columns to over 500 subscribing newspapers. See Daryl’s blog at DarylCagle.com and watch his video podcast about editorial cartoons at Caglecast.com

Trump’s tariffs are back on, with dozens of key trading partners being slapped this week with so-called “reciprocal” tariffs Trump may or may not walk back.

I liked John Darkow’s cartoon, which mixed the furor of tariffs with wildfire smoke from Canada clouding our economic future. John Koterba also had a funny tariff cartoon involving a mom rushing to buy back to school supplies before prices go up.

But our most popular cartoon of the week, drawn by Chris Weyant, tackled the looming presence of AI by quoting philosopher René Descartes. I recall he also had another famous line about doubt being the origin of wisdom, something all these tech cheerleaders seem to be lacking.

Here are our top ten most reprinted cartoons of the week:

#1. Chris Weyant

#2. John Darkow

#3. Jeff Koterba

#4. Jeff Koterba

#5. Jeff Koterba

#6. Bruce Plante

#7. John Darkow

#8. Gary McCoy

#9. John Darkow

#10. Margolis & Cox

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Daryl Cagle is the publisher of Cagle.com and owner of CagleCartoons.com, a syndicate that distributes editorial cartoons and columns to over 500 subscribing newspapers. See Daryl’s blog at DarylCagle.com and watch his video podcast about editorial cartoons at Caglecast.com