June 19, 2013
Art, politics, angels, demons . . . and righteous dogs.

BEYOND BULWORTH

Last week President Obama said that he wanted to “go Bulworth”. I think it’s great that this wonderful film has now entered the language as a metaphor for telling the truth at all (sometimes extreme) costs. I was lucky to get the call to create the poster for Warren Beatty waybackwhen. So, of course, I wanted to weigh in on this. The assignment for the Washington Post (GREAT THANKS to Carlos Lozada, Marisa Bellack, eds, , Marianne Seregi, AD, and special thanks to artist and friend Sue Blubaugh, who started this whole thing rolling!) was to find other movies that may have influenced Obama as well. 
bulworth_ver1My original image: the poster Warren Beatty commissioned, 1998.

Obama as Bulworth

My idea of what an Obama Bulworth might look like.

 

Mr Smith Final

‘Mr. Smith Goes to Washington’

A politician’s good intentions mess with people’s minds.

 

Manchurian Candidate Final

“The Manchurian Candidate” It’s not easy to do the right thing when outside forces are trying to corrupt your thoughts.

 

All the President's Men Final

‘All the President’s Men’

The White House goes after whistleblowers while banishing reporters to the sub-basement.

 

Being There Fin

‘Being There’

Clueless aides are sent to media interviews to spout impressive-sounding nonsense.

 

Dave Final

‘Dave’

The president is asleep while his administration carries on.

Oiy-bama

For the cover of this week’s National Journal editor Ron Brownstein and art director Jan Zimmeck wanted a piece that reflected the fact that Obama was floating higher in the polls than his economic numbers might warrant. The event last night, however, may end up being called the Great Deflate. We will have to see. Clearly, Obama, had a different concept of what was needed in Denver. I think I can tell him: CAFFEIN!

Anyway, sketches:

Here I was thinking of the movie Being There and that Margritte-like poster.

Then a walk-on-water concept but with warring factions below.

A Macy’s balloon idea (an old metaphor for me).

Ron and Jan liked this idea so we kept going with it. Here he’s affecting a kind of Bugs Bunny-like aplomb.

This one connected with everybody.

And so, the final. Thanks for the NatJo for the support and freedom. I think it was my favorite sketch too. And as for Obama, he just might have to start pumping those legs!

DNC Day 1

Steve Brodner’s Live DNC Art Blog: Day One

Steve Brodner on September 4, 2012 – 6:54 PM ET

  Stay tuned to see drawings during the DNC convention tonight!

“When she said, “There’s no such thing as us and them” I think Republicans are going to have something to say about that given the last few years” snorted Bret Baier. Fox News.

 

Michelle killing them softly.

 

Michelle warms up Mr. Cool.

 

 

 

Michelle Obama, an original but familiar.

 

Castro kills.

 

Castro on Mitt.

 

Julian Castro. The nearing future of Texas.

 

Sean “Avenging Angel” Hannity on Fox: “In 2004 God was mentioned in the platform seven times. This year, God was removed.”

 

O’Malley: 2012, 2016–He’s got them both covered.

 

Deval Patrick: “We know Mitt Romney.”

 

Lilly Ledbetter, American Hero. “Maybe 23 cents doesn’t sound like a lot to someone with a Swiss bank account.”

 

Shep drills down on the issues.

 

Rahm.

 

Tammy Duckworth. True hero, survivor of Iraq chopper crash and Tea Party slander. Senate candidate, Illinois.

 

Rep. Jared Polis: “My great grandparents were immigrants to this country. I’m Jewish, I’m gay, I’m a father, I’m a son, I’m an entrepreneur, and I’m a Congressman from the great state of Colorado.”

 

Osama Hologram will be on call.

 

Tonight’s crowning moment so far: Just run Mr. Multiple Choice’s greatest hits and Ted Kennedy commentary. Play this all fall.

 

Joe Kennedy III. Tonight played by Prince Harry.

 

Obama considers an appearance of Jimmy Carter.

 

Majority leader Harry Reid.

 

Cory Booker. Defender of Wall Street.

 

 

Steny Hoyer. My favorite corporate Democrat. Friend of the telecoms, voted for the Iraq War. Huge corporate fundraiser. Collects, bundles, distributes money to Democratic candidates.

 

And the grand finale paid by Bank of America, Wells Fargo, and Duke Energy.

 

Welcome to DNC 2012! Hard to avoid the signs of the times.

 

What’s The Sequester?

Do you know what the Sequester is?  Well, it’s coming!  In this piece for The Washington Spectator we show the whole thing in a nutshell . . . a very hard nutshell!

The expiring Bush tax cuts frighten the GOP more than the Sequester does. And Obama can let them go by just doing nothing. It could be spectatcular!

As I have worked on these videos I feel they have started to change.  I am getting a better sense of what they want to be, I feel. My sense now is that the satire needs to be much more in context.  If there’s a chance to be informative as well as do commentary, I feel it works better.  On social media, I learned, you are talking to everyone. It’s wonderful to be exploring around in a new medium and feel that it starts to talk back and give you a new direction!

SHILL, BABY, SHILL

Here’s a new campaign image for the White House.  The Obama Campaign today exposed for it’s becoming a branch of the oil industry. The first Arctic drilling ever.  The Inuit know what’s coming. Obama doesn’t or could care less. This TIMES piece tells it:

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/24/science/earth/shell-arctic-ocean-drilling-stands-to-open-new-oil-frontier.html?_r=1&hp

We can make it without the oil. In fact we can only make it without the oil.

Shill Baby Shill.