Even though this “New Rules” segment by Bill Maher called ‘Suck of the Draw’ initially aired back in May, from time-to-time I still see cartoons featuring Barack Obama with his name clearly labeled somewhere in the cartoon. It also happened with George W. Bush, most often represented with a ‘W’ button pinned to his jacket.

Sometimes, it’s because the cartoonist can’t quite nail the caricature. A lot of the time, it’s an editor demanding the label for complete reader clarity, clearly forgetting that the same readers understand that in the comic strip ‘Doonesbury,’ George W. Bush was clearly represented by first a cowboy hat atop an asterisk (due to the controversy over vote-counting), then later a Roman military helmet representing imperialism.

In every case, it’s unneeded. Obama should never ever need to be labeled in a cartoon. Ever.

The “New Rule” that applies to cartoonists is at about :50 in.

NOT ME! Of course, that’s not being very charitable to the thousands of people who were swindled by Bernard Madoff’s Ponzi scheme. My sympathies are with all of them, and I hope they can squeeze as much money out of Madoff’s financial holdings and properties so that the healing process can begin, inadequate though it will be.

However, out of my own greedy self-interest, I’ve gotten a real kick out of Bernie Madoff, as have most cartoonists. No, make that ALL cartoonists and caricaturists. The flowing mane, the devilishly benign face, the twinkling eyes, the barely concealed arrogance. But, above all, it’s the smile — or, rather, the smirk. Bernard Madoff possesses one of the three greatest smirks of all time. Perhaps THE greatest. Battling for runner-up are George W. Bush, which should come as no surprise, and…”The Mona Lisa.”

…I know, I know. The Mona Lisa is supposed to have a mysterious and beatific smile. But I’ve always thought she was smirking. Laughing at Leonardo’s mad genius, perhaps?

How will Mr. Madoff fair in prison? Perhaps he’ll become a Jewish Chuck Colson, offering rabbinical outreach to the wayward at Allenwood or some other “country club” penitentiary? Or maybe he’ll just grow a great big beard like Ivan Boesky did when he went to jail? I’m hoping for the latter.

If you’d like to see additional samples of my work, click here. Or you can Twitter me…Aw, hell, “tweeting” is a waste of time, in my opinion.

But you can leave a comment if you’d like. Thanks for stopping by.

A guest cartoon submitted by local cartoonist Dave Horton and published on The News-Press Opinion page on Saturday, Jan. 17, generated nearly 50 emails and numerous phone calls to community conversation editor David Plazas.

“To allow such an abomination to be printed is an example of the quality of your paper and much of the liberal media today,” wrote Arlene Fair of Fort Meyers, just one of the many readers who were upset at the image of former President George W. Bush’s face on a welcome mat at the entrance to Mount Rushmore.

“The most common adjectives used were “appalling” and “disgraceful”,” Plazas said in the story.

One pleasant surprise about the incident is the editorial department’s backing of Horton’s cartoon, writing that publishing the cartoon was the right thing to do.

“We allowed the artist the opportunity to express his particular point of view,” Plazas wrote.

The News-Press is home to staff cartoonist Doug MacGregor, who draws the cartoon for the Opinion page five days a week. On Saturdays and Mondays, they publish syndicated cartoons and accept cartoons provided by local cartoonists.