This week is about saying no to conformity, and yes to yourself. ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏
Hi John, For some weeks I write from the heart, other weeks I write from the gut. This week is both.
There is something powerful about laughing in the face of those who oppress you. Something about saying “no” to what numbs, standing your ground just as you are. Whether it’s a joke, a drawing, a poem, a song, a finger, a march, or simply not conforming, that’s a form of quiet, creative rebellion. And it matters. Cartoon: Jesus Eraser ✏️
Dad Joke: The men I please… 👀
Quote: Revolution 🔥
NEW Original: I’m Fine Where I Am 🧍♂️🌿
Merch of the Week: Make Myself The Black Sheep T 🐑🖤 |
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| Jesus Eraser, is one of my first cartoons that really took off. Maybe because so many of us know what it’s like to be boxed in by others’ expectations. This piece says: You can let go of all that. Erase the lines. Reclaim your story. If you love it as much as I (and a good bunch of this community do), here is the print. I also have stickers and mugs. |
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| A man asked the waitress, “Can I ask about the menu please?” She said, “The men I please are none of your business.” |
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| “Every joke is a tiny revolution.” - George Orwell. |
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| Did you know that authoritarian leaders and regimes don’t appreciate humour? Especially when it’s directed against them. “On no account may humorists ridicule the activities of the Party… Not a shadow of blame or mockery must affect the glorious native Party, which deserves to be esteemed and loved to a supreme degree” - The Hoover Institute. Sounds like Goebbels and Miller. Have you noticed that what brings glee to dictators and their followers is making or watching people suffer? But jokes or satire… no! They outlaw it. I read a story recently of a judge in Nazi Germany suddenly breaking out in restrained laughter. His friend asked him why he was laughing. He said that in court today, he charged a man with insurrection for telling a certain joke… therefore, it would be unlawful for him to repeat it. Did you know that there are cartoonists around the world imprisoned for their cartoons? Four were just arrested in Turkey the other day for criticizing the regime through their art. How many artists, writers, poets, musicians, cartoonists, journalists… any kind of creator… are in prison or worse because of their critique of authority? I googled it. Thousands! Remember Charlie Chaplin’s The Great Dictator speech? “Fascist art glorifies surrender, it exalts mindlessness, it glamorizes death.” - Susan Sontag, On Women. All this to say… being creative is anti-surrender, anti-mindlessness, anti-death! Therefore, anti-authoritarian! It shouts freedom. I think of that scene in the movie Gandhi when he was trying to figure out a way to challenge the British authorities. Suddenly, an idea comes to him. He scoops up a handful of salt from the edge of the sea. (The British took their salt and sold it back to them.) So, Gandhi decides to undertake the Salt March to protest colonialist rule and produce their own salt. Just a little handful of salt started it all. How creative is that? I’ve served several authoritarian spiritual leaders. I would poke fun at them… or at us… and at the ministries. You know… self-deprecation. I thought it was funny. They did not. I was punished. You’re FIRED! That’s why I’ll continue creating my cartoons, like Overturning. |
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| It’s one of my most popular… a picture of a rebellious act against exploitation, against the status quo, against authority! It wasn’t too long ago when people realized that they get their news from standup comics. And then we started hearing about how they should be silenced. To laugh is to resist. One joke can spark an entire revolution. |
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| Here we see an individual... me... you... making a critical decision not to join the crowd. You and I both know the pressure is enormous to conform. Enticing, even! But we also know it will numb our minds, harden our hearts, and kill our souls. We must learn to say no... I'm fine where I am. I love the symbolism in this painting. See the evergreens on the left and the barren trees on the right? See the light breaking through? See the fence? I’m going to be independent and free. Hopefully not alone. But I will if I have to. You? |
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| I’ve always felt like the black sheep, and I’m done trying to fit in. This double-sided tee makes a bold statement with a playful graphic on the front and a striking design on the back. It’s soft, easy to wear, and a daily nudge to stop blending in and start owning your story. (Oh, and if you’re into this, I've also got a ‘Black Sheep’ sticker. It’s a fun little way to share that same vibe). |
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| So if you’ve ever felt like the outsider, the misfit, the black sheep, I see you. Your voice, your perspective, your way of showing up in the world? It’s needed. Keep resisting in your own beautiful way. Much love, my friend, David P.S. What makes you laugh or even smile these days? It’s as simple as replying to this. I genuinely love hearing from you. 💙 |
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