Drew this on Friday after I read Orrin Hatch's quote about the Mexican presidents comments about Arizona's immigration law.

Something fishy in Colorado City?

For the context of this cartoon check out the work my colleagues have been writing about at the Web site I work for, found below: www.thespectrum.com

From my head to my canvas

Earlier this month, I noticed several media organizations reporting on a poster showing members of the Desert Hills High School football team sitting on Humvees and holding military-grade firearms. Some people said it was insensitive, others said that parents were making an issue out of nothing.

I had another thought. As the United States works on determining its exit strategies in two different theaters of war, I wondered if any of these young men could be fighting in Iraq, Afghanistan or some other location for war.

I also thought about the thousands of men and women who have given their lives in these conflicts. My mother's grandfather fought in France in World War I when he was in his twenties. My grandfather left at 19 to serve in the Pacific theater in World War II on a transport ship. I've read or listened to their stories of how the conflict changed them. Mostly for the good. However, the thought still remains in my mind -- these soldiers are often just young men in their teens and twenties. Not that many years elapse between the time of being on the high school football team and the experience of serving in a combat theater during a time of war.

These are the thoughts that swelled in my head as I drew this editorial cartoon.

I don't consider myself a hawk. I don't revel in the bloodshed of our own troops or our enemies. I don't consider myself a dove, either. I don't feel that we should lay down and take it while enemy combatants make war on our people, our skylines or our symbols of America.

But the debate over the Desert Hills did get me thinking about the families of our soldiers -- and yes our future soldiers -- and contemplate over this question: "Could boys such as these be the next to fight and then live or die?"

Tennis Volley Time

Gil Almquist found himself stuck betwen some tennis pro friends of his and St. George city rec officials. One of the sports writers at The Spectrum did some digging and discovered the grumblings were from a few select tennis pros. I had a lot of fun drawing this one. My new blog format primarily calls for black and white on most toons. It's stylistic I think. I'll only add color on my best work. This is my best cartoon so far. Enjoy!

Friday the 13th (Revisited)

The title of this blog entry sounds like the title of a horror flick sequel. I think this photoillustration is the best work I've done in the past four months.