Cartoons contribute an important voice

Posted on by Jessica Newton

I have been disappointed by recent letters to the editor that bemoan the lack of taste and humor in the cartoons carried by the Mountain Xpress [“Brent Brown and Xpress Should Apologize,” March 13].

I honestly never laugh at the Xpress cartoons, but I always read them because they are an important voice — even if they are mocking a demographic that includes me, or if the imagery references painful events in American history. It's part of the beauty of the genre that cartoonists can evoke a deep well of history and take a strong stance with just the sweep of a line.

I think it's understood that that line will alienate some people. Even when cartoons are not laugh-out-loud funny, they're built upon the basic understanding of comedy, which is that someone, somewhere, will likely be offended. It's a risk to draw a cartoon, and a risk to read one. I'll gladly engage in this risk any day, and I thank Mountain Xpress for continuing to publish cartoons.

— Jessica Newton
Enka

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We share your inclination to get the whole story. For the past 25 years, Xpress has been committed to in-depth, balanced reporting about the greater Asheville area. We want everyone to have access to our stories. That’s a big part of why we've never charged for the paper or put up a paywall.

We’re pretty sure that you know journalism faces big challenges these days. Advertising no longer pays the whole cost. Media outlets around the country are asking their readers to chip in. Xpress needs help, too. We hope you’ll consider signing up to be a member of Xpress. For as little as $5 a month — the cost of a craft beer or kombucha — you can help keep local journalism strong. It only takes a moment.

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