Since it\u2019s an election year, some of San Diego State\u2019s faculty and students are hoping lovers of cartoons and politics check out its newest exhibit at its Downtown gallery.<\/p>\n
Starting June 23, the SDSU Downtown Gallery \u2014 located at 725 W. Broadway and managed by the university\u2019s School of Art and Design \u2014 will be devoted to a new exhibit, \u201cParty Lines: The History, Art, and Politics of Editorial Cartoons.\u201d<\/p>\n
The exhibition focuses on political cartoons made during presidential years from today, back to the early part of the 20th century.<\/p>\n
The candidates being caricatured differ depending on the year, but some things remain the same, according to Chantal Paul, the gallery\u2019s program coordinator.<\/p>\n \u201cThere are some cartoons from the 1980s where they are talking about equal pay for women,\u201d Paul pointed out. \u201cAlso, it\u2019s amazing how certain tropes reappear, such as the metaphor of auto mechanics in broken-down cars.\u201d<\/p>\n Political cartoons actually predate the comic strip, having existed for a few hundred years, while the first official comic strip, \u201cThe Yellow Kid,\u201d only dates back to the 1890s.<\/p>\n \u201cPolitical cartoons actually date back to the 18th and 19th century. They were a way of communicating to people who couldn\u2019t read,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n The exhibition will feature 50 framed pieces, as well as additional pieces by contributing artists. Many of the artists featured are Pulitzer Prize winners, such as Patrick Oliphant, Herb Block, Jeff MacNelly and Steve Breen, the editorial cartoonist of the San Diego Union-Tribune.<\/p>\n \u201cCartoons have this tremendous power to simplify an issue and crystalize its essence into a quick read,\u201d Breen said. \u201cThere\u2019s so much noise out there in the form of social media, talking heads on TV, etc. I think there\u2019s always going to be a market for the quiet power of a cleanly drawn, thoughtful cartoon.\u201d<\/p>\n Patrons will not only see how cartoonists covered the campaigns of presidents like John F. Kennedy, George W. Bush, Bill Clinton and Barack Obama, but also their opponents, many of whom may be obscure to those who weren\u2019t alive during those election years.<\/p>\n In addition, there is a section of the exhibit dedicated to current candidates Hillary Clinton, Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders.<\/p>\n Cartoonist Lalo Alcaraz, an SDSU alum most famous for his syndicated strip \u201cLa Cucaracha,\u201d has studied the three pols long and hard looking for those details that allow him to shorthand each candidate\u2019s appearance so it can be satirized.<\/p>\n \u201cHillary Clinton has to have the right amount of nose over the rest of her features and the hair is hard to nail sometimes. A big solid-colored pant suit is a must,\u201d Alcaraz said. \u201cBernie Sanders is frowning \u2014 scowling almost \u2014 and haphazardly coiffed.<\/p>\n \u201cOf course, Trump is all about the hair, the hair has become a living, breathing character,\u201d he said. \u201cRight now I\u2019m into making his face bright orange and highlighting his squinty eyes with white lines.\u201d<\/p>\n Because political cartoonists make their living ripping politicians to shreds, they are sometimes caught between trying to decide which candidate will do the best job and which one will provide the best material.\u201d<\/p>\n That\u2019s how this year is for Alcaraz.<\/p>\n \u201cTorn in half is exactly how I feel,\u201d he said. \u201cThe most colorful candidate in this cycle could turn out to be the biggest disaster for the U.S.\u201d<\/p>\n The SDSU Downtown Gallery is open daily between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m., but there will be an opening reception on June 23 from 6 to 8 p.m., which Alcaraz will be attending.<\/p>\n In addition, the gallery will be open till 8 p.m. on July 21 and August 18, as part of the monthly Downtown at Sundown celebrations.<\/p>\n The exhibition will run through Sept. 4, but Alcaraz hopes its impact lasts a little longer.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m happy that people will come see the cartoons in this political season, but I wish the public at large would pay attention to politics all year round, like us nerd political cartoonists have to,\u201d he said. \u201cThe world would be a better place.\u201d<\/p>\n SDSU\u2019s School of Art and Design manages a total of five galleries and its Downtown Gallery is the only one located off-campus in a metro area. In addition to art exhibitions, the space also features lectures, poetry readings, symposia and other interdisciplinary events.<\/p>\n![\"Cartoonist](\"https:\/\/sandiegodowntownnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/Matt-Wuerkerwebtop.jpg\")
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the fire. (Courtesy Susan MacNelly)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n