“First be right; then, be effective; then, be a good artist.” - Herblock [2]
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Herblock was responsible for informing readers with the right information. He showed an inclination to grasp key issues before his counterparts. The takedown of the imperial presidency still shows its effects today. Herblock’s Watergate cartoons exposed the dealings of Nixon and his crew - he was not only groundbreaking but truthful. Herblock was the first to comment on the detrimental impact of business and pollution on the environment. He presented the events correctly despite the lack of scientific data; trees were being cut down, nature was being turned into a wasteland, a condition still present today. His most memorable accomplishment was the establishment of the term “McCarthyism.” His creation of this term was true to the climate that McCarthy created - unwarranted fear and suspicion. His ventures were new, but the accuracy of his causes was long-lasting.
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"He thought about these issues, he didn't simply take stuff out of the headlines..." |
"Reporters Bob Woodward, right, and Carl Bernstein, whose reporting of the Watergate case won them a Pulitzer Prize, sit in the newsroom of the Washington Post in Washington May 7, 1973." (AP Photo)
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“Mr. Block believed in the right of freedom of speech.” - Marcela Brane [5]
In addition to being factual, he upheld his right to publicize the truth and the responsibility to inform the people of it. He used his freedom of speech not only as a just way to uphold our laws, but also to publicize who was breaking them. Despite attempts from Herblock’s superiors to control his views, he maintained his right to publicize his opinions through his dedicated readers. Censorship was eliminated in favor of his truth; he was in accordance with morality by resisting pressure to conform his views to his agency. Herblock upheld facts, and his right to speak them.
"In opposing corruption, suppression or rights and abuse of the government office, the political cartoon has always served as a special prod- a reminder to public servants that they ARE public servants." ''I never thought of him either as a liberal or as a conservative but as a satirist with a satirist's conviction that because this is America, there is always room for improvement. That kind of idealism and hope never waned over the decades.'' |
Cartoons courtesy of The Herb Block Foundation
Photographs courtesy of Associated Press
Photographs courtesy of Associated Press