Cartoons

In the upper righthand corner of this page is a cartoon, but it's not like most of those which appear on The Herald-Mail's comics pages. This is a political cartoon. The point of most of these is to make a political point with humor. This year, more than in any other political year in recent memory, we've gotten regular reader complaints about the cartoons we've used. Because anyone who purchases a product is allowed to complain about it, we listen to those complaints.

FREDERICK, Md. - Uncut versions of vintage Daffy Duck, Bugs Bunny and other Looney Tunes cartoons will be shown Saturday for the Cartoon Festival at the Weinberg Center for the Arts in Frederick. The show, comprised solely of Looney Tunes, starts at 2 p.m. and will last about 90 minutes. The oldest 'toons date back to the '30s, said John Healey, Weinberg's executive theater manager. "The cartoons were often edited for television, for various reasons," said Healey, adding that he had reviewed all of the tapes.

Kids of all ages enjoy children's film festival By MARLO BARNHART marlob@herald-mail.com It's never too early to introduce children to the classics - Mozart, Rembrandt, Goofy! In that spirit, the Washington County Museum of Fine Arts sponsored a children's film festival Sunday afternoon that drew grandparents, moms, dads and youngsters from as far away as Baltimore. A collection of Goofy and Pluto cartoons from the Walt Disney archives was shown on a big-screen television to the delight of all ages.

Protests harm Islam more than cartoons To the editor: There are fewer things more offensive than speeches, threats and actions aimed at forcing free peoples to change the way they live. At present, the most basic of freedoms - namely, that of speech and of the press - is facing just such a foe. Radical Islamofascists are watching the current brouhaha regarding the dreaded Mohammed cartoons, waiting to see if the West is willing to compromise on this issue. That's why, in my opinion, it's imperative for those who understand that even sacred religious articles can be mocked and criticized to take a stand.

"Before you cheat on your spouse, how about communicating with your spouse and working on the marriage? There is a lot of help out there for troubled marriages, and a lot of hurt out there in divorce. " "Ever since the Dubai ports deal was announced, The Herald-Mail has run many political cartoons about it, mostly showing Bush giving up the country's security to foreigners. I find it amazing that even The Herald-Mail apparently doesn't have a clue as to what this ports deal really is. The cartoons are lies.

As this is being written, there are 49 reader letters in the computer-storage files of Herald-Mail's editorial page editor. This number doesn't include letters that have arrived here, but have not been edited or typeset. By the end of the week, the backlog could easily could be up to 60 or 65. For letter writers, it means waiting, on average, at least two weeks to see their letters in print. By that time, they say, the immediacy of their letters are often lost and the topic they were commenting on has faded from the public's memory.

Manga are Japanese comics, but can also be American or Korean as well. Manga started in the 1950s with the most legendary anime/manga of all, "Astro Boy. " It's a story of a robotic boy made by a scientist. The robot boy helps save people and becomes a hero by defeating huge foes. After that, manga exploded and throughout the years it became international. Now everyone around the world can enjoy manga. In Japan, manga is a form of art. In manga, characters tend to have bigger eyes and have more expressive emotions that are outrageous and vivid.

FREDERICK, Md. - Uncut versions of vintage Daffy Duck, Bugs Bunny and other Looney Tunes cartoons will be shown Saturday for the Cartoon Festival at the Weinberg Center for the Arts in Frederick. The show, comprised solely of Looney Tunes, starts at 2 p.m. and will last about 90 minutes. The oldest 'toons date back to the '30s, said John Healey, Weinberg's executive theater manager. "The cartoons were often edited for television, for various reasons," said Healey, adding that he had reviewed all of the tapes.

Elsewhere on this page are a couple of letters criticizing my decision to use a political cartoon on the late President Gerald Ford on Dec. 29. We've also gotten phone calls with the same message - the cartoon was insulting to a man who stepped into the presidency at a crucial time in our nation's history. If you didn't see the cartoon, it showed the late president, his legs tangled up in a golf bag and a lamp cord, leaping to catch a vase President Nixon was knocking off a pedestal.

Here are some of the calls we have received lately: "In response to the complaints about the cartoons on Channel 39 late at night, it's called 'Adult Swim' for a reason. They play these cartoons late at night so that kids won't see them. 'Adult Swim' has been around since I was a kid, so I'd suggest you get used to it. " - Hagerstown "I was really upset reading all the horrible things that people are writing about animals. I moved from the city to come out here to the wonderful country and enjoy the animals and the scenery.

This outrageous act ought to be ignored To the editor: To attack a person who is revered by more than a billion people as the Prophet of Islam with cartoons depicting him as a terrorist cannot be taken as a freedom of expression any more than pornography. It is one thing to make fun of a political figure but to degrade a prophet who lived 1,400 years ago is the most sinister act imaginable. There is no other way to interpret this act but a deliberate insult to the very core of the religion and associate its adherents with terrorism as well.

Friday, Dec. 10 8 p.m. on HBO "Reverse of the Curse of the Bambino" Last year, when it was common knowledge that the Red Sox could never win the World Series, HBO made a documentary explaining the folklore that surrounded the team's futility. But, as you may have heard, that Emmy-winning film was overtaken by events. This updated version shows the limits of the "curse" and the joyous reaction that came when it was finally lifted. Starting at 8 p.m. Holiday animation If you're hooked on Christmas specials, these days there's hardly any waiting for the next one to come on. Tonight's choices include "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" on the WB at 8 p.m., followed at 8:30 by "A Scooby Doo Christmas.