I threw this one out to the for the little papers across Canada to run if they want it. It's a revision of a cartoon I drew for budget day during the Chretien era which predated my syndication days:

It worked better as Chretien's time in office was winding down, but I'd say given the enormous size of the federal surplus the cartoon could apply to Harper as well. I'll be working on a barand new one for tomorrow's Spec.

* * * * * Update * * * * *

It's experimental, a bit crude, but today's cartoon is animated:

Another one of my occasional rants. This one's on those discarded roll up the rim cups you see all over the place in any urban space. It seems as though it's a national issue according to this CBC Nova Scotia news clip I found. I'm not alone in my disgust it seems.

Here's a shocking display of a pile of cups collected in one day at the University of Western Ontario.

Here's an article about someone who at least used the losing cups to create art. Be sure to check out the photos. Can't you just imagine that dried horton's coffee smell?

It seems as though Tim Horton's is concerned. At least they were 2 years ago.

Well, this cartoon might have had the shortest shelf life on record. This morning the Liberals launched its Green Plan.

Oh well.

Anyway, this is the first St. Patrick's Day editorial cartoon I've ever drawn. With all the talk of green this and green that over the past 3 or 4 months I've been waiting for the arrival of this day to feature some politician dressed up as a leprechaun. This is the second time within 6 months... the last (and probably first ever leprechaun I've drawn since probably grade 4) was in this cartoon related to Toronto's Simcoe Day.

Many people think that because I've got a pretty celtic name... my middle name is Patrick, by the way, I'm one of those Celtic-philes. Especially one of those North American 'celts' who try hard to understand their heritage by scoffing at the notion of green beer and acting like they really enjoy stout beer... and not necessarily Guiness, but one of those micro brewed Irish stouts. Scottish wannabes will act like haggis is the greatest delicacy on Earth. And of course extreme Celtic-philes will listen to obscure celtic music and set aside time on Saturday mornings to watch television highlights of British and Irish soccer... I mean, football. Every few years they'll go over to the old country and wander around cemetaries looking for long lost relatives just to assure themselves that their backgrounds go beyond their large suburban garage doors in Blandville, North America.

I've been to both Scotland and Ireland on a couple of occasions. I lived in London for nearly two years in the 1990's. I was one of those Celtic-philes, and my life in the U.K. gave me enough exposure to the ways of life over there that I'm more than happy to be back here. I think it was the aftermath of downing 7 pints of Guiness in a row at that St Patrick's night party at the Irish Club in Sloane Square 14 years ago when I realized Celticmania wasn't all the 'craic' I had been lead to believe.

My grandfather, the MacKay one, emigrated to Canada from Scotland in 1885. That's 1885. He'd be 129 if he were still alive. Needless to say I'm pretty far removed from the Celtic world. So if we ever bump into each other in person don't be surprised when you don't see me in a gaelic kilt and speaking with a heavy Scottish brogue.

...And these are just the waterfront proposals. There's a whole bunch more which could be recognized in, say, a downtown proposaleum. A new city hall, a rebuilt Lister Block, a new market, a naturopathic college, a downtown casino. All types of bold headline making ideas with splashy architectual/conceptual sketches that have gone no where.

Today's cartoon is actually a revision of a cartoon I did way back in 1999:

This is not to say all new ideas for advancing innovative plans for Hamilton are stupid. I actually like Bob Bratina's idea after you get past what sort of lake smell will be wafting down-breeze from the fountain, and maybe some more pressing needs like actually doing something about the toxic goo laying in the harbour's Randle Reef. And while Councillor Bratina sounds very worldly pointing out Geneva's Jet d'eau as an example, he needn't look further than Peterborough's own Centennial Fountain. So before he and a couple other councillors venture off on a fact finding trip to Switzerland they might instead consider a day trip to Peterborough.

Yeech! Doesn't that look awful. Like a badly printed illustration from a 1950's Bible comic book. Unfortunately that's what happens when:
1) The weather people announce that a huge ice storm will be hitting your city at 3:00 in the afternoon;
2) Everyone around you at work is scurrying to get out of the office;
3) Managers are giving up to the minute reports on when the ice storm is going to hit;
4) You hear your wife, who happens to be the family chauffeur of the family's only vehicle, is picking up the kids early to go home;
5) You opt to have her pick you up for fears of having to take shelter at work for the night;
6) You email the line drawing home and finish it off using a clunky PC with an older version of Photoshop;
7) You email it back to work in as a JPEG image rather than in the EPS format that you're accustomed to.

Oh well, I guess. Here's how I intended it to look:

Today's cartoon is local, pertaining to the appointment of the retiring bishop of the local Anglican diocese. He's well known for his huge flag collection and his knowledge of badges, seals, and coats of arms. Ralph Spence is Canada's leading Vexillologist, and the Governor-General even bestowed upon him the title Heralds Extraordinary last year. Today's cartoon is a bit of a roast. I don't know the man personally but given the fact that I'm a fair-weather parishoner of the Anglican Church I can poke fun at my Anglican authority figures.