Product Description

The 2008 presidential campaign got off to an early start with Democratic candidate Barack Obama and Republican Rudy Giuliani. Saddam Hussein was convicted and sentenced to death by hanging, and violence in the Middle East reached new levels, surpassed only by the extraordinary and escalating violence in Darfur. Gas prices and college tuition skyrocketed, while the value of the U.S. dollar plummeted overseas. Barry Bonds replaced Hank Aaron as the homerun king. O.J. Simpson became an author, Atlanta Falcon Michael Vick became head of an illegal dog-fighting ring, and Paris Hilton became an inmate. U.S. troops are still in Iraq and the fence along the Mexican border has still not been built. Wildfires, droughts, earthquakes, and tsunamis have fueled the increasing concerns about the threat of global warming, which reached celebrity status with Al Gore's documentary.

Since 1972, Pelican has presented this diverse compilation of the best efforts of cartoonists from publications across the country. Selected for clarity of position as well as for exceptional execution, this collection includes the work of Pulitzer Prize-winning artists, the year's major award-winning cartoons, and the best work from Canadian cartoonists.

The editor of this series since its inception in 1972 is Charles Brooks, former president of the Association of American Editorial Cartoonists, winner of numerous major cartooning awards, and editorial cartoonist at the "Birmingham News" for 38 years.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #146342 in Books
• Published on: 2007-12-01
• Released on: 2007-11-29
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 208 pages

From the Publisher
A chaotic news year full of controversy, and full of possibilities for cartoon commentary.

About the Author
In addition to his lifetime of work as an editorial cartoonist, Charles Brooks has had another rewarding long-time career: that of editor of Pelican's "Best Editorial Cartoons of the Year Series." This landmark series, begun in 1972, showcases the work of editorial cartoonists from the United States and Canada.

Throughout his life, Brooks has not only seen history unfold before his eyes, but he also has recorded it for posterity in his cartoons. So, too, do the editorial cartoonists that he chooses to appear in each edition of "Best Editorial Cartoons of the Year." The cartoons, inevitably more famous than the cartoonists themselves, become a part of the history that they capture.

Charles Brooks is past president of the Association of American Editorial Cartoonists and was a cartoonist for the Birmingham (Ala.) News for thirty-eight years. He has been the recipient of thirteen Freedom Foundation awards, a national VFW award, two Vigilante Patriot awards, and a Sigma Delta Chi award for editorial cartooning.

Brooks' cartoons appear in more than eighty books, including textbooks on political science, economics, and history, as well as encyclopedias and yearbooks. His original cartoons are on display in the archives of many libraries.

Customer Reviews

As Usual....Excellent !!!
As a Cartoonist for a Small Town Newspaper, somewhere in the Mountians of California, every year I purchase: "Best Editorial Cartoons of the Year".

The 2008 Edition is outstanding and full of Wonderful Political Insight from the year 2007. This Series spotlights The Best of the Best, and they are here: Walt Handelsman, Jimmy Margulies, Mike Peters and Dick Locher. Over 100 other Great Cartoonists are included in the pages of this Book, and I cannot recommend this Series highly enough. This is The Bible of the Best Political Cartoons of the Year, and it is as Entertaining as it is Educational.

Subjects included in the 2008 Edition include: The Presidential Campaign, The Bush Administration, The Economy, Crime and Entertainment. From Dick Cheeney to Britney Spears, nobody is safe from the Wrath of these Cartoonists. The Iraq War, Gas Prices and Immigration are all under attack here.

From 1972 to 2008; "The Best Editorial Cartoons Of The Year" are THE Books on this Subject. And if: "The Daily Show" is must-see viewing in your home, this Book belongs on your Bookshelf as well...FIVE STARS !!!

Still the Gold Standard of Editorial Cartoons
Since the 1980's I have purchased this book. Each year I find it rewarding. I am disturbed at the fact that too many papers do not have regular cartoonists. They are valuable and needed. There is indeed humor, as this collection so well shows, in the foibles of our political life. If you don't have it, buy it. Better still, try to get your library to get this and past issues. It is a valuable resource.