Icon Wanted
When I came up with this idea on Friday regarding Elizabeth Edwards' recurrence of cancer, I realized there was no universally recognized cartoon shorthand for Cancer. the idea called for a "Cancer" figure to be throwing cold water on the frivolity of the 2008 Campaign.
Drawing Cancer as Death or the Grim Reaper wasn't quite right. Though her cancer has been called "incurable" in the news accounts, death is not necessarily imminent, thankfully. The figure in this drawing had to be walking away, so there wasn't much opportunity to be subtle.
I settled on this gaunt spectral figure but clearly it's lacking some sort of identification prop. (My editor mistook the figure for a slug.)
Just wondering if anyone else has tackled this one. Icon for hire.
posted by Jim Borgman at 9:22 AM
10 Comments:
at 3/26/07, 9:49 AM 
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at 3/26/07, 11:07 AM 
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at 3/26/07, 4:15 PM 
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at 3/26/07, 4:56 PM 
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at 3/26/07, 10:11 PM 
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at 3/27/07, 6:28 AM 
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at 3/27/07, 11:29 AM 
Jim Cronenberg said...
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at 3/27/07, 5:55 PM 
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at 3/27/07, 6:26 PM 
Terrence said...
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at 3/28/07, 10:59 AM 
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Post a Comment*I also thought it was a slug at first glance.
Maybe doing an imposing, non-gender specific silhouetted figure? (in the vein of the Oliphant image here)
http://www.geocities.com/eingedi.geo/softer_side.jpg
http://www.ajwrb.org/watchtower/G37_9_8_p773%252ejpg.jpg
I have no idea how I would have handled that one, but given your image of protagonist clowns I think I might have just had a respectful drawing of Elizabeth Edwards on the side with an x-ray under her arm.
There's always "the big C".
I agree with Shawn who said the cancer figure looked like a slug. I sensed trepidation on your part. However, it also took courage to tackle such a sensitive subject. You made your point that politics as usual are frivilous in comparison to the real issues we face in our lives. My paternal grandparents both died from cancer. My grandma never requested preferential treatment because of her illness. You demonstrated good intentions by drawing the cartoon.
I thought it was a giant, burnt finger and for the life of me I did not understand the meaning. It would have been at home in the New Yorker.
The pink ribbon would have been easier on the brain. Sunday paper's in color anyway, huh?
cancer is gluttonous, ravenous. gaunt, doubtful.
With a water analogy, I thought the "Rorshak cloak" was a mishapen or elongated sharks fin, that said, it's one of "those" cartoons that just doesn't quite "congeal" or neatly fall into place.
Too divergent, slapstick on the one hand and insidiousness on the other and at times a viable cartoon can be fleshed out but most of the time the humor or editorial idea is left floundering in the dark void of those illuminatae that just don't catch or spark.
Well... I believe the graphic/symbolic image for cancer would traditionally be a crab.
So I guess the issue, then, is the need for a human figure to contrast with the clowns?
How about an evil-looking mime?
I like the idea of Mrs. Edwards wearing a pink ribbon and looking at the clowns.
Cancer doesn't need an icon. It needs a human face and ribbon which, to me at least, represents strength and perseverance.
I wish there were some way to work in her husband walking away from the clowns to take care of her. It makes me sad that he's still in the race and making her come with him.
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