President Trump recently announced that Kristi Noem will take on a new role connected to the “Shield of the Americas,” a hemispheric security initiative focused on stopping the forces destabilizing the Western Hemisphere: cartels, fentanyl trafficking, and organized violence. That speech was SO GOOD, it immediately sparked an idea for a political cartoon. In classical mythology, the Aegis was the legendary shield associated with Zeus and Athena. At its center was the head of the Gorgon a terrifying symbol meant to turn enemies to stone and protect civilization from chaos. It wasn’t meant to represent evil. It was meant to frighten those who threaten order. So I illustrated Kristi Noem as the Aegis itself the protective shield of the Americas. In the drawing, President Trump raises the shield while declaring: “WE WILL ERADICATE THE CARTELS.” BEFORE the shield, figures representing fentanyl, traffickers, and violence are literally turning to stone. The idea is simple: when civilization stands firm, the forces that prey on it lose their power!! Symbolism has always been central to political cartoons. I love classical imagery. Always have. The Aegis represents deterrence, protection, and strength…a warning to enemies rather than a criticism of the protector. Kristi Noem. I also experimented with a new font for this cartoon Caslon, a historic serif font closely associated with early American printing. It gives the piece the feeling of an old political broadside! Political cartoons work best when they combine current events with timeless symbols. That’s what I aimed for here.
