Chip Bok's Bokbluster

Here’s a good example of a cartoon gone bad.

On Monday the NYT ran a story about the heroin epidemic spreading across the cities of America.

The Times editors chose to place that story on the front page, right next to Nancy Reagan’s obituary. That would be Nancy “Just Say No to Drugs” Reagan.

Considering that prescription drug abuse is soaring and pot is sold openly in Colorado and other states, it’s pretty clear that, 30 years after Nancy’s “Just Say No” campaign, quite a few Americans are saying “yes” to drugs.

Being a sucker for irony, I drew a cartoon and rushed it off to the syndicate. Only then did I stop to look at what I had drawn. I was perplexed by my own cartoon. It was true, but it was crass. Mrs. Reagan was devoted to President Reagan and the White House. I wasn’t thinking about dumping on her the day after her death but that’s the message my image conveyed.

Fortunately, I had failed to stick Muhammad in the picture so I would live to draw another day.

I asked the syndicate to withdraw the drug cartoon and dashed off the one above.

I guess this story is an example of the peculiar power of a picture.

Anyway, should you come across this cartoon, just say no.