Customer Reviews

Black & White World II

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I've been following Cox and Forkum for quite a while, and exchanging e-mail with Allen for almost as long (I'm the reader you may find credited on a few pages), so I'll admit I'm a bit biased in favor of these guys. But that's like being biased in favor of the truth - there's nothing wrong with that. Cox and Forkum pull no punches, and owe no allegiance to any political party. Lefties who can't stand criticism might not notice that Conservatives get equally skewered, but Conservatives who see the support for our troops and the strength of their Uncle Sam will be disappointed if they're expecting rah-rah Republicanism. There is no blind patriotism here. Theirs is eagle-eyed. There are things in the world that need to be done to set things right, and Cox and Forkum are just the men to do it, combining razor sharp wit and an instinct for the perfect visual metaphor. You don't need to check for nuance in a C&F cartoon, they brazenly lay it all bare, dissecting issues with the precision of a laser and the brute force of a broadaxe. These are not editorial cartoons for the timid or squeamish. But if you've got the guts to handle the truth stripped raw, this THICK volume will satisfy you like nothing else.

If the potential buyer is not sure what's in the book, check out Cox and Forkum Web site -- Google it up! All conservative viewpoints.

I've been reading Cox & Forkum for several months now via their website. I find their biting satire generally right on target and am frequently amazed at their ability to present complex political or philosophical positions with a single image.

As Objectivists (see Allen Forkum's review) they clearly are capitalists and atheists, thus stating that they represent a fascist or Christian perspective is absurd - they champion a pro-reason, pro-egoism, pro-free market, pro-freedom perspective. I have NEVER found their work to be racist, bigoted, etc. and any representation to the contrary is simply false. Hate them if you must, but hate them for what they actually represent - not some ridiculous straw man.

Bottom line - if you're a mindless leftist or right-wing religous zealot, you'll hate this book. If you are someone who cherishes reason, freedom and America, I highly recommend it.

I've been a faithful reader of Cox & Forkum for... well, a year or two, I guess; I have several times disagreed with their take on the issues, but I've only twice thought any of their cartoons came across as innappropriate. For satire this biting, that's a great record.

If you think the UN has anyone's best interest at heart other than the bureaucrats, if you think Bush is evil incarnate OR if you think Bush is infallible, this book is guaranteed to make you angry. If you're willing to actually think about things, it will change your mind on any of those three points (and probably others as well).

Oh, and I haven't seen any cartoon that was remotely racist, and Cox & Forkum are strongly ANTI-fascist, but hey, never let the facts get in the way of a good insult, eh?

A good political cartoon should make one laugh even if one disagrees with the politics. Although I do not agree with its take on things, I nonetheless am a fan of This Modern World, a political cartoon by Tom Tomorrow. The art is original and it expresses its ideas in an equally original, and funny, manner even though I typically disagree with them.

It would be nice to think that others would feel the same way about BLACK & WHITE WORLD II. The artwork is among the best I have seen in political cartooning and the cartoons express ideas in an original and hilarious way. Cox and Forkum are extremely good at taking some current event, distilling it down to a basic idea and presenting that idea in a visual format that knocks the reader for a loop. As a bonus, many cartoons are accompanied by commentary placing them in context so that they may be appreciated even more.

Cox and Forkum, however, are not blind devotees of conservatism. Forkum is an avowed Objectivist influenced by the philosophy of Ayn Rand and one suspects Cox is as well. Many of their cartoons therefore take shots at the political right over such things as interfering with the free market and introducing religion into the public sphere. I was a little surprised at how many times George W. Bush took it on the chin in this volume.

BLACK & WHITE WORLD II is a good litmus test to determine whether one has a good sense of humor. This is true for conservatives as, again, the authors are not cheerleaders for that cause. But it is even more so for a person on the left as any liberal who cannot crack a smile over this book really, really needs to chill out.

The artwork is absolutely perfect, and the statements they make with their cartoons are often cutting, and right-to-the point. These guys are the best political cartoonists to come along in decades.

I read their stuff everyday, along with Chris Muir's Day-by-Day.

If I had to gripe, its about the number of times they slam Bush, a bit unfairly at times I think.

Cox and Forkum political cartoons are not only a scathing attack on hypocrisy and the enemies of individual freedom but also a keenly honed knife that cuts through the hype and lays bare the essence of the issue. They are just as quick to defend the oppressed and downtrodden or poignantly memorialize the heroes of the past and honor those of today. If you are of the opinion that dictators and terrorists have feelings too, then their work will offend you on a very personal level. I, however, have never encountered in other political cartoons, such emotional investment and fierce sense of pride for who we are as Americans and what this flawed but priceless nation represents. Despite what other reviewers have said, I have never sensed anything other than a reverence for the individual no matter what color/creed/religion/sex is claimed. Their cartoons represent what America is all about; success through merit, protecting what you love, and defending those who cannot defend themselves. I visit their website everyday and own both of their books. I regularly send others to their website and highly recommend that anyone reading this consider checking them out and determining for themselves whether they deserve the tired screech of "bigot and racist" that the fear of the individual seems to elicit.

I have to take exception to an earlier review- I am a "right-wing zealot" and love Cox & Forkum. If you are card-carrying member of the political correctness police, then you might be offended. But if that is the case, you need this book more than anyone.

An antidote to the idiocy of Ted Rall (and other talentless hacks) - insightful and brilliantly drawn.

[...]
WE DO NOT advocate a "Christian America" nor "one faith" (I'm an Objectivist); nor believe in "one race" (the title refers to absolute moral principles and our drawing style, not racism); nor use blackface (Kofi Annan has a goatee); nor blame Michael Moore for failures in Iraq (we blame Bush for quite a few though); nor do we include anything in the book about the supposed "latest round of Geneva Convention violations".

WE DO heap scorn and derision on people who openly despise America for being capitalistic and individualistic; mock the dictatorship-coddling United Nations; advocate a musclebound Uncle Sam "beating up" Islamists (i.e., the fundamentalist Muslim who wage terrorism); agree with Bush when he said "You are with us, or you are with the terrorists" (we just wish he would act on it more consistently, e.g., not funding the Palestinian Authority); and, finally, we do know the difference between al-Qaeda and Saddam (not matter how you spell it).

(I'm forced to rate the book, so I picked a 3-star rating in hopes of not affecting the average posted by customer reviews.)