Portfoolio 14: The Year's Best Canadian Editorial Cartoons

Geoff Hayes is the director of International Studies Option at the
University of Waterloo.

Portfoolio 14 suggests that in 1998 Canadians shared the usual
skepticism about politicians, celebrities (especially if they’re
American), dope-smoking Olympic athletes, soldiers, and the economy.
Cartoons about the icestorm show that we laughed at ourselves in the
face of adversity. We were also outraged, especially at the media, who
are portrayed here as a pack of vultures or grim reapers preying on
Princess Diana. Then there are Bill and Monica.

The cartoonists’ biographies may be the most revealing aspect of this
collection. Bounded by Aislin and Zazulak, the 51
cartoonists—including one father and son (Wicks and Wicks)—represent
a variety of ethnic and cultural backgrounds. Especially evident are the
cultural differences between English- and French-speaking cartoonists,
and the fact that it is a male-dominated profession (the work of just
two women, Susan Dewar and Ingrid Rice, is included).

The list also shows a growing number of freelancers who are plying
their trade over the Internet. Perhaps this may explain why a special
section for cartoons deemed too raunchy for the papers does not seem
controversial. Possibly too the World Wide Web is leaving the moral
standards of newspaper editors in the dust. Whatever the future trends,
Portfoolio 14 is an entertaining look back at 1998.