Tom Tomorrow

Last updated
Tom Tomorrow
BornDan Perkins
(1961-04-05) April 5, 1961 (age 62)
Wichita, Kansas, U.S.
NationalityAmerican
Area(s)cartoonist
Notable works
This Modern World
Awards full list

Dan Perkins (born April 5, 1961), better known by his pen name Tom Tomorrow, is an American editorial cartoonist. His weekly comic strip, This Modern World , which comments on current events, appears regularly in more than 80 newspapers across the United States and Canada as of 2015, [1] as well as in The Nation , [2] The Nib , [3] Truthout , [4] and the Daily Kos , where he was the former comics curator [5] and now is a regular contributor. [6] His work has appeared in The New York Times , The New Yorker , Spin , Mother Jones , Esquire , The Economist , Salon , The American Prospect , CREDO Action , and AlterNet . [7] [8] [5] [9] [10]

Contents

Career

Perkins was first published in the San Francisco-based anarchist magazine Processed World . He adopted the subject matter of the consumer culture and the drudgery of work, a theme shared by the magazine, and entitled his comic strip This Modern World when it was launched in 1988. (Like many of the magazine's contributors he adopted a pseudonym to avoid retribution from potential employers.) [11]

In 1990, the strip began to be run in the SF Weekly , before being picked up in the fall of 1991 by the San Francisco Examiner . During this time of expanding audiences for Perkins, he shifted the focus of his work to politics. Perkins added papers throughout the 1990s, distributing his comic via self-syndication, a practice he has continued throughout his career. [11] [12]

In 1998, Perkins was asked by editor James Fallows to contribute a bi-weekly cartoon to U.S. News & World Report , but was fired less than six months later, reportedly at the direction of owner Mort Zuckerman. [13]

In 1999, Perkins had an animation deal with Saturday Night Live and produced three animated spots that were never aired. [8] In 2000 and 2001, his online animated series was the top-billed attraction in Mondo Media's lineup of mini-shows, in which the voice of Sparky the Penguin was provided by Jeopardy! champion and author Bob Harris. [14] Perkins has also collaborated with Michael Moore, according to a 2005 interview with the Santa Cruz Metro. [15]

In December 2007, Keith Olbermann devoted the closing segment of an episode of his show to a reading of "Bill O'Reilly's Very Useful Advice for Young People", a two-page cartoon-cover story by Perkins for The Village Voice . [16]

In 2009, Village Voice Media, publishers of 16 alternative weeklies, suspended all syndicated cartoons across their entire chain. Perkins thereby lost twelve client papers in cities including Los Angeles, Minneapolis, New York, and Seattle, [17] prompting his friend Eddie Vedder to post an open letter on the Pearl Jam website in support of the cartoonist. [18] Vedder and Perkins had become friends after meeting at a campaign rally for Ralph Nader in 2000. [19] The collaboration between Pearl Jam and Perkins continued with an invitation to submit cover art for the Backspacer album in 2009. [20] After being selected to provide the cover art for Backspacer, Perkins went on to create a series of Halloween-themed posters for the concerts supporting the album. [21]

In 2015, Perkins was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize [22] and later in the year, ran a Kickstarter campaign that raised more than $300,000 to publish a career retrospective, 25 Years of Tomorrow. [1]

This Modern World

This Modern World is Perkins' ongoing comic strip that has been published continuously for more than 31 years. While it often ridicules those in power, the strip also focuses on the average American's support for contemporary leaders and their policies, as well as the popular media's role in shaping public perception.

In addition to any politicians and celebrities depicted, the strip has several recurring characters:

In September 2001, he began his blog, also called This Modern World.

Personal life

Perkins, a longtime resident of both San Francisco and Brooklyn, lives in New York City according to his Twitter bio. [23]

Works and publications

Anthologies of This Modern World

Children's picture book

Awards

Related Research Articles

Yellow journalism and yellow press are American terms for journalism and associated newspapers that present little or no legitimate, well-researched news while instead using eye-catching headlines for increased sales. Techniques may include exaggerations of news events, scandal-mongering, or sensationalism. By extension, the term yellow journalism is used today as a pejorative to decry any journalism that treats news in an unprofessional or unethical fashion.

<i>This Modern World</i> American comic strip by Tom Tomorrow

This Modern World is a weekly satirical comic strip by cartoonist and political commentator Tom Tomorrow that covers current events from a left-wing point of view. Published continuously for more than 30 years, This Modern World appears regularly in more than 80 newspapers across the United States and Canada as of 2015, as well as in The Nation, The Nib, Truthout, and the Daily Kos.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Art Spiegelman</span> American cartoonist (born 1948)

Itzhak Avraham ben Zeev Spiegelman, professionally known as Art Spiegelman, is an American cartoonist, editor, and comics advocate best known for his graphic novel Maus. His work as co-editor on the comics magazines Arcade and Raw has been influential, and from 1992 he spent a decade as contributing artist for The New Yorker. He is married to designer and editor Françoise Mouly, and is the father of writer Nadja Spiegelman. In September 2022, the National Book Foundation announced that he would receive the Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ann Telnaes</span> American editorial cartoonist

Ann Carolyn Telnaes is an American editorial cartoonist. She creates editorial cartoons in various media—animation, visual essays, live sketches, and traditional print—for the Washington Post. She also contributes to The Nib.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Richard F. Outcault</span> American cartoonist

Richard Felton Outcault was an American cartoonist. He was the creator of the series The Yellow Kid and Buster Brown and is considered a key pioneer of the modern comic strip.

Tom the Dancing Bug is a weekly satirical comic strip by cartoonist and political commentator Ruben Bolling that covers mostly US current events from a liberal point of view. Tom the Dancing Bug won the 2002, 2003, 2007, 2008, and 2009 Association of Alternative Newsweeklies Awards for Best Cartoon. The strip was awarded the 2010 Sigma Delta Chi Award for editorial cartooning by the Society of Professional Journalists and best cartoon in the 2018 Robert F. Kennedy Book & Journalism Awards. His work on the strip won Bolling the 2017 Herblock Prize and the 2021 Berryman Award for Editorial Cartoons, and he was a finalist in the Editorial Cartooning category for the 2019 and 2021 Pulitzer Prize.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ruben Bolling</span> American cartoonist

Ruben Bolling is a pseudonym for Ken Fisher, an American cartoonist, the author of Tom the Dancing Bug. His work started out apolitical, instead featuring absurdist humor, parodying comic strip conventions, or critiquing celebrity culture. He came to increasingly satirize conservative politics after the September 11 attacks and Iraq war in the early 2000s. This trend strengthened with the Donald Trump presidency and right-wing populism from 2017-2020, his critiques of which earned him several cartooning awards.

<i>Red Meat</i> (comic strip) American comic strip by Max Cannon

Red Meat is a weekly three panel black-and-white comic strip by Max Cannon. First published in 1989, it has appeared in over 80 newspapers, mainly alternative weeklies and college papers in the United States and in other countries. It has been available online since November 1996.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tom Toles</span> Retired American political cartoonist

Thomas Gregory Toles is a retired American political cartoonist. He is the winner of the 1990 Pulitzer Prize for editorial cartooning. His cartoons typically presented progressive viewpoints. Similar to Oliphant's use of his character Punk, Toles also tended to include a small doodle, usually a small caricature of himself at his desk, in the margin of his strip.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jen Sorensen</span> American cartoonist, born 1974

Jen Sorensen is an American cartoonist and illustrator who creates a weekly comic strip that often focuses on current events from a liberal perspective. Her work has appeared on the websites Daily Kos, Splinter, The Nib, Politico, AlterNet, and Truthout; and has appeared in Ms. Magazine, The Progressive, and The Nation. It also appears in over 20 alternative newsweeklies throughout America. In 2014 she became the first woman to win the Herblock Prize, and in 2017 she was named a Pulitzer Finalist in Editorial Cartooning.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Matt Bors</span> American cartoonist (born 1983)

Matt Bors is a nationally syndicated American editorial cartoonist and editor of online comics publication The Nib. Formerly the comics journalism editor for Cartoon Movement, he was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in 2012 and 2020, and became the first alt-weekly cartoonist to win the Herblock Prize for Excellence in Cartooning.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tony Auth</span> American cartoonist (1942–2014)

William Anthony Auth Jr. was an American editorial cartoonist and children's book illustrator. Auth is best known for his syndicated work originally drawn for The Philadelphia Inquirer, for whom he worked from 1971 to 2012. Auth's art won the cartoonist the Pulitzer Prize in 1976 and the Herblock Prize in 2005.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ted Rall</span> American cartoonist, born 1963

Frederick Theodore Rall III is an American columnist, syndicated editorial cartoonist, and author. His political cartoons often appear in a multi-panel comic-strip format and frequently blend comic-strip and editorial-cartoon conventions. The cartoons used to appear in approximately 100 newspapers around the United States. He was president of the Association of American Editorial Cartoonists from 2008 to 2009.

Henry Payne is an American editorial cartoonist for The Detroit News. He also writes articles for the National Review. In 1987, Payne was a finalist for a Pulitzer Prize in Editorial Cartooning, and he won the Society of Professional Journalists' Excellence in Journalism Award in 2019 and 2022.

The Herblock Prize for editorial cartooning is an annual $15,000 after-tax cash prize, and a sterling silver Tiffany trophy. Designed "to encourage editorial cartooning as an essential tool for preserving the rights of the American people through freedom of speech and the right of expression," it is named for the editorial cartoonist Herblock and sponsored by The Herb Block Foundation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lalo Alcaraz</span> American cartoonist (born 1964)

Lalo Alcaraz is an American cartoonist most known for being the author of the comic La Cucaracha, the first nationally syndicated, politically themed Latino daily comic strip. Launched in 2002, La Cucaracha has become one of the most controversial in the history of American comic strips.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Comics journalism</span> Journalism in comics form

Comics journalism is a form of journalism that covers news or nonfiction events using the framework of comics, a combination of words and drawn images. Typically, sources are actual people featured in each story, and word balloons are actual quotes. The term "comics journalism" was coined by one of its most notable practitioners, Joe Sacco. Other terms for the practice include "graphic journalism," "comic strip journalism", "cartoon journalism", "cartoon reporting", "comics reportage", "journalistic comics", and "sketchbook reports".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ken Tucker</span> American journalist

Kenneth Tucker is an American arts, music and television critic, magazine editor, and non-fiction book writer.

The history of American comics began in the 19th century in mass print media, in the era of sensationalist journalism, where newspaper comics served as further entertainment for mass readership. In the 20th century, comics became an autonomous art medium and an integral part of American culture.

References

  1. 1 2 "Tom Tomorrow's omnibus book tops $310,000 on Kickstarter". LA Times. Retrieved 4 June 2017.
  2. "Tom Tomorrow". The Nation . Retrieved 2017-11-26.
  3. "Tom Tomorrow". The Nib . Retrieved 2017-11-26.
  4. "Cartoons". Truthout . Retrieved 2017-11-26.
  5. 1 2 Cavna, Michael (March 30, 2011). "Rebel With A 'KOS': Tom Tomorrow ends Salon run to become 'comics curator' at the Daily Kos". The Washington Post .
  6. "Personal Blog". This Modern World. June 2017.
  7. 1 2 "Tom Tomorrow". Spitfire Tour. Archived from the original on 2008-07-04. Retrieved 2009-05-04.
  8. 1 2 "Tom Tomorrow (the Progressive Interview)". The Progressive. Retrieved 2005-11-02.
  9. "CREDO Action - Comics". Working Assets. Archived from the original on 2009-03-23. Retrieved 2009-03-05.
  10. "Stories by Tom Tomorrow". AlterNet . Retrieved 2017-11-26.
  11. 1 2 Rhodes, Steve (December 1992 – January 1993). "Tomorrow Never Knows". Mediafile. Retrieved 4 June 2017.
  12. Lincoln, Ross A. (2016-10-08). "Animated Series Based On Acclaimed Underground Comic Strip 'This Modern World' In Works". Deadline. Retrieved 2017-12-30.
  13. "No Mort Tomorrows". The Village Voice. Retrieved 2009-05-02.
  14. "Let's Get Animated". Online Journalism Review. Retrieved 2009-05-02. See http://thismodernworld.com/animation-and-film
  15. "Here Today, Tom Tomorrow". Santa Cruz Metro. Retrieved 2009-05-02.
  16. "Runnin' Scared". The Village Voice. Archived from the original on 2008-10-11. Retrieved 2009-05-04.
  17. "Oy". thismodernworld blog. Archived from the original on April 13, 2009. Retrieved 2009-05-02.
  18. "This Modern World Needs Your Help". Pearl Jam website. Archived from the original on 2009-07-15. Retrieved 2017-06-05.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  19. Sisario, Ben (7 September 2009). "Bad Luck Turns Good: That's Rock 'n' Roll". The New York Times. Retrieved 4 June 2017.
  20. Tom Tomorrow (2009-06-02). "Now it can be (partly) told". Tom Tomorrow. Archived from the original on June 5, 2009. Retrieved 2009-06-02.
  21. "Pearl Jam Concert Posters by Tom Tomorrow". TheBlotSays.Com. Retrieved 4 June 2017.
  22. Cavna, Michael. "Pulitzer". The Washington Post. Retrieved 4 June 2017.
  23. " @tomtomorrow " on Twitter Retrieved 2022-09-01
  24. "The Very Silly Mayor" . Retrieved 2009-05-01.
  25. "Paley, Perkins leave Examiner for weeklies". Mediafile. Retrieved 2009-05-04.
  26. "Freedom of Information Award Winners". Society of Professional Journalists. Archived from the original on January 22, 2009. Retrieved 2009-05-04.
  27. "30th Annual Awards - 1998 (for 1997 coverage)". Robert F. Kennedy Memorial. Archived from the original on 2009-01-02. Retrieved 2009-03-05.
  28. "Tom Tomorrow wins PF&R Award" (PDF). Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2004-09-08. Retrieved 2009-05-04.
  29. "James Aronson Award for Social Justice Journalism Recipients". James Aronson Award. Archived from the original on 2007-06-12. Retrieved 2009-05-13.
  30. "35th Annual Awards - 2003 (for 2002 coverage)". Robert F. Kennedy Memorial. Archived from the original on 2009-01-02. Retrieved 2009-03-05.
  31. "35th Annual Awards: 2003 (for 2002 coverage) Archived 2011-07-27 at the Wayback Machine ", Robert F. Kennedy Center for Justice and Human Rights.
  32. 1 2 "Tom Tomorrow". Association of Alternative Newsweeklies. Archived from the original on 2010-06-15. Retrieved 2009-03-05.
  33. "Dan Perkins, aka Tom Tomorrow, announced 2013 Herblock Prize Winner". The Herb Block Foundation. February 26, 2013. Archived from the original on March 1, 2013. Retrieved 2013-02-26.
  34. Byers, Dylan. "Tom Tomorrow wins Herblock prize," Politico (Feb. 26, 2013).
  35. Gardner, Alan. "SORENSEN, TOMORROW, ROGERS WIN ASSOCIATION OF ALTERNATIVE NEWSMEDIA AWARDS," Daily Cartoonist (July 14, 2014).
  36. "2015 AAN Awards Winners Announced". Association Of Alternative Newsmedia. July 18, 2015. Retrieved 2015-07-18.
  37. Zaragoza, Jason. "2015 AAN Awards Winners Announced," Association of Alternative Newsmwedia website (JULY 18, 2015).
  38. "Society of Illustrators announces award winners". CBR. 2015-02-27. Retrieved 2018-01-02.
  39. Cavna, Michael (April 25, 2015). "What Does It Mean when a True Outlier is a Pulitzer Prize Finalist". The Washington Post. Retrieved 4 June 2017.
  40. Ryce, Walter. "Tom Tomorrow's political cartoon strip This Modern World earns him a Pulitzer finalist spot," Monterey Country Weekly (Apr 21, 2015).