Express yourself!

Loved the Monday strip. Thanks for sticking it to a pompous, arrogant jackass. I've noticed that a lot of them are pompus and arrogant.

The cartoon on Ted Rall is right on the money. Way to go!

You go, boy.

I'm quite amused by Monday's crack on Ted Rall. I know you get mixed reactions when the strip gets political, but I think if you're going to comment on life, you'll have to address politics periodically. Thank you for making an attack on egomania and tastelessness rather than any sort of partisan jabs. After all, intelligent Americans of both parties are anti-idiot.

Thanks for the jab at that Rall guy.

I greatly appreciated your comic concerning Ted Rall and Pat Tilman. I have wondered for years why no one calls to task the cartoonists that spew hatred day after day from their assumed positions of authority. Great work!

So unfunny it's not even funny. Don't quit the day job!

I disagree with you about politics. I'm anti-war. I think we unambiguously made a mistake in going into Iraq, and I think the current administration has reached Nixonian levels of dishonestly. But, like you, I find Mr. Rall's cartoons moronic and offensive.

However, I can't help but wonder: why give this guy any publicity? How many of your users are going to read your cartoon, having never heard of Mr. Rall, only to type his name into a search engine and find his site at the top of google's listings.

If Pat Tillman's death causes people to re-consider some of the choices our govenment has made, that's fine. If some see it as a noble sacrifice and a reminder of the costs of even a just war, that's fine, too. And it a better world we'd be able to talk about this things in a civil manner. Civil disagreement is, after all, one of the foundations of democracy.

But Mr. Rall is clearly not interested in civil disagreement. Why give him publicity he neither needs nor deserves?

Anyway, we considered that. After all, there are a lot of odd sites on the web saying far worse things than what Rall said, and we're not parodying them. However, with Rall's cartoon we didn't think we'd add too much to the controversy. It was already a big story since that cartoon had been pulled from MSNBC, and the amount of traffic we get wouldn't even register to a site that big.

Ultimately, we decided to do it just because Rall is a big public figure. A lone nut standing on the street corner shouting obscenities at the president is harmless. Everyone knows he's a lone nut. For that matter, even Rall shouting obscenities at the president is harmless, because everybody knows that's how he leans. But as a big public figure, Rall has a bit of responsibility to not attack people who can't defend themselves.

Rall didn't attack the president with that cartoon. He didn't even really attack the military. He attacked one, single, dead soldier by calling him racist, homicidal, and an idiot. As often as Rall claims to support the little guy, we find it appalling that this is the path he'd take. So in essence, we did it because we just wanted to vent at Rall for being so tasteless, and we thought the other side needed to be heard.

Brian,

I think you do a great job and I hope you know how many folks enjoy your art.

I had a brother and a friend both serve time in Iraq. We've been blessed enough to have them both back safe and sound. But there are many who won't return. I can't help but get emotional when I hear about new casualties because I know how easily I could have been in the position of mourning.

For Rall to attack a man who served his country, and died for those of us who have the benefits of freedom is despicable. I may not agree with Bush on having gone to war but now that we are over there I support our service men and women one hundred percent. Supporting our troops is not equivalent to agreeing/supporting Bush.

The bottom line is our troops need to not only be supported but also know that we support them whatever our political tendencies.

I think the media has taken advantage of the fact that Tillman was well known and wealthy before enlisting to make him into bigger hero but EVERY man and woman who serves in the military is a hero. The attitude Rall displays is disrespectful not only those who have died in this war but those who still serve.

However, I don't think Rall's actions are treasonous because of course we are privileged to live in a country where we have the freedom to speak our opinions and disagree with each other and the government. These are freedoms many have died for in the past continue to die for.

Rather a sad irony.

--Mikki

P.S. I thought the mini Rall was hilarious.

Here's the latest. Please feel free to link --

Death of Nick Berg

I saw him!!!! Or is it "it?" Chilling under the bar with Snoop-dog. I can tell Snoopy just arrived because he has a worried face, while his counterpart looks mighty "relaxed!"