Cox & Forkum Hang it Up

The first Cox & Forkum cartoon I remember seeing was the classic Uncle Sam rising from the Twin Towers, fist clenched and looking determined. It was powerful and pretty much expressed my sentiments and those of many, many others. Eventually, I found the website through someone's link. It has been on my sidebar since the beginning of my own blog.

Update: Well this is kind of embarassing... the cartoon I remember wasn't Cox & Forkum at all. It was John Kurtz. But it doesn't change any of the rest of the post. It would fit well with John & Allen's work. The sentiment of that cartoon echoed well in John's illustration on the cover of Black & White World II. (right)

Many were the times when my blog reading started out with Cox & Forkum. Not only was I guaranteed a quality and timely cartoon dealing with an issue in a manner that typically reflected my own, but the commentary was a fantastic launch-pad to other stories and other sites. The links have lead me to some political commentators I may never have read, and provided background to Forkum's typically well-worded, well-thought-out, and well researched commentary.

It has been an indispensible site in the past few years of the culture war, and I feel almost like I'm losing a favorite neighborhood friend who is moving away.

Life does go on, though, and it changes for us all. I sympathize with John's need to focus somewhere else. Change is good and necessary for growth and sanity. He is absolutely right when he says that focusing on this stuff every day can be draining and utlimately unhealthy. I've had to step away from the keyboard on my meager blog several times in the past myself to clear my head and remember what life is really for to begin with -- and get back to it.

We will miss them greatly, but take comfort in the massive and quality contribution they have made and left behind, and for its role in rallying us together, united in keeping America ... well... America.