These are caricatures I did of the 5 cartoonists killed by terrorists at the offices of the Charlie Hebdo satirical magazine in Paris last Wednesday, January 7, 2015. There were 12 people murdered there that day, but these five individuals were the cartoonists and I felt most strongly connected to them because of that. Also, I wasn't sure that caricatures of the others would be particularly appropriate, but that the cartoonists themselves might approve.
The "Je Suis Charlie" statement, which means "I am Charlie", has become a symbolic statement in support of not only the people killed, but for free speech and freedom of the press! I was very upset by this crime because I despise religious extremists of any persuasion and the fact that they murdered people for publishing cartoons is truly obscene. Perhaps the cartoons printed by this publication and drawn by these men were in poor taste or even "offensive", whatever that means; but their right to criticize or even satirize the hypocrisies and psychotic dogmatic bullshit of any political and/or religious entity should be absolute! Censorship in any form is bad--at gunpoint, it is fascist and can NOT be tolerated! Period.
Anyway, here are the individual pieces as well.
RIP gentlemen. This may not be the most fitting tribute that will be offered to you, but it's the best I have to give.
I enjoyed your early posting of these on the C.L.A.W. facebook page.
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