Drawing Swords: War in American Political Cartoons

Whether they’re lampooning the enemy, celebrating the troops or questioning the government, political cartoons have been a potent force in America for the past two centuries. “One-Man Army” and “Dr. Seuss Wants You!,” two ongoing exhibitions at the Holocaust Museum, explore the importance of anti-Nazi cartoons during World War II through the work of artists Arthur Szyk and Theodor Seuss Geisel. But as the enemy isn’t always so easily encapsulated and public opinion not always so unified, the museum has summoned Lucy Shelton Caswell, founding curator of Ohio State University’s Cartoon Library and Museum, for a lecture entitled Drawing Swords: War in American Political Cartoons. Caswell will talk about patterns in the depiction of the enemy, wartime cartoons as propaganda and a host of other topics that should appeal to both the artist and the activist in us all. 7 p.m. 5401 Caroline. For information, call 713-942-8000 or visit www.hmh.org. Free.
Wed., Jan. 7, 7 p.m., 2009