Herblock
Herbert Lawrence Block, known as Herblock (October 13, 1909 – October 7, 2001), was a leading American editorial cartoonist for seventy years.
His first cartoon appeared in the Dallas Daily News on April 24, 1929. It advocated for the conservation of America's forests. After syndication (1933–43) by the Newspaper Enterprise Association, in 1946 he joined the Washington Post, from which he never retired. Herblock's last cartoon was published on August 26, 2001. He won three Pulitzer Prizes (1942, 1954, 1979) and numerous other awards.
During the 1930s, Block moved left, and he became a staunch supporter of the New Deal and attacked the enemies of Franklin D. Roosevelt. He pointed out the dangers of Soviet aggression, the growing Nazi menace, and opposed American isolationists. He joined the Washington Post after serving in the military during World War II.
Corruption in Washington was always a main theme, as he attacked bureaucrats, the Pentagon, and inept administrators in the name of the common people. In 1950-64, Senator Joe McCarthy was a central target; Herblock coined the term "McCarthyism" in a in March 1950. Since 1948 Herblock vigorously attacked Richard Nixon, consistently featuring dark jowls. When he was inagurated president in 1969 Herblock now drew a barbershop with a sign, "THIS SHOP GIVES EVERY NEW PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES A FREE SHAVE." The honeymoon was brief and the heavy jowls soon returned as Herblock vigorously attacked the political abuses and scandals of the Nixon Administration.
Books of collected cartoons by Herbert Block
- Herblock's history: political cartoons from the crash to the millennium. Library of Congress, 2000.
- Herblock: a cartoonist's life. Maxwell Macmillan International, 1993.
- Herblock at large: "Let's go back a little ..." and other cartoons with commentary Pantheon Books, 1987.
- Herblock through the looking glass Norton, 1984.
- Herblock on all fronts: text and cartoons New American Library, 1980
- Herblock special report Norton, 1974
- Herblock's state of the Union. Simon and Schuster, (1972)
- The Herblock gallery. Simon and Schuster, (1968)
- Straight Herblock. Simon and Schuster (1964)
- Herblock's special for today. Simon and Schuster, (1958).
- Herblock's here and now. Simon and Schuster, (1955).
- The Herblock book (1952)
- Herblock looks at Communism [s.l. : s.n., 1950?]
About Herblock
- Charles Press.
- Joseph Sobran, "Herblock through the Looking Glass." National Review vol 36 October 19, 1984. pp 50+. online edition
External links
- Many of Herblock's works can be found at the Library of Congress
- Enduring Outrage: Editorial Cartoons by Herblock (online exhibition from the Library of Congress)