Paris attack will motivate cartoonists to rally: former Province artist
Posted January 7, 2015 11:34 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) – In the wake of a terror attack on a French satirical newspaper, one local longtime political cartoonist says this tragedy will only inspire cartoonists to carry on with their work.
Bob Krieger, who satirized our politicians for over three decades in The Province newspaper, says this act of terror is devastating, but will only rally those in the trade.
“We do a lot of offensive things — things people find offensive,” Krieger says. “But nobody ever died, nobody ever got hurt by a cartoon. The response to this is more cartoons.”
He has friends in the business in France, and when he heard the news he got in touch.
“I wouldn’t have got into the business if I didn’t think cartoons were important,” Krieger says. “A good cartoon will say as much as a column but at a brief glance, in just a few seconds. Cartoons can be incredibly offensive at times but they never killed anybody.
“The men who did this, the maniacs who did this, they have succeeded in silencing some very brilliant voices, but all they’re going to do is provoke more cartoonists to pick up pens and go after mindless fanaticism and terrorism.”
Krieger says he was touched by one colleague’s response, in which the man said he did not feel hate toward the perpetrators, only sorrow for those killed.
