To see the full artwork for this cartoon, you will need to refer to the print editions of newspapers that publish my work--assuming that there are any with the guts to do so. Due to its almost certainly controversial content, my syndicate declined to post it online.
My editors have always been exceptionally understanding. (They'd have to be!) They respect free speech and give me a lot of freedom. Given the content and the risks involved, I understand why they didn't want to distribute this cartoon. If given the choice, however, I would have sent it out because, well, it's a great cartoon.
Those who want to see it in its full glory should catch me at one of my upcoming public appearances.
Here's hoping the Pittsburgh City Paper has some guts. It sucks that medieval religions still have so much power. Organized religions disgust me. I think all of them should be ridiculed into obsolescence, but that's just my opinion. Judeo-Christianity and Islam (and Hinduism to a somewhat lesser extent) are responsible for 95% of the suffering in world history, and the sooner they disappear, the better.
ReplyDeleteIf you find out which papers ran this uncensored, could you list them on your blog?
ReplyDeleteWow... my curiosity is quite piqued. First, I want to see this badly. Second, is this the first time you've been censored down? (Not counting abject removals like the TW incident. I mean actual alteration of content.)
ReplyDeleteYeah I get it... drawing Muhammed is abusing freedom of expression - mocking living people and dead US soldiers is speaking truth to power...
ReplyDeleteSouth Park has put all their episodes online for free at southparkstudios.com,and the episode Super Best Friends still has Muhammad as a character and hasn't censored him out.
ReplyDeleteKindle format HA! nice.
artsy funny freedom and stuff.. the west gets all pissed off when Chris Ofili uses elephant poo to paint the Virgin Mary...then again I don't remember hearing about any riots because of it.
also what's with the times new roman text, what happened to your lettering?
I smell a fatwa coming.
ReplyDeleteIf Ted Rall get a Jihad declared on him I don't know what the world is coming to.
ReplyDeleteLOL! dude, you're so totally gonna get fatwahed...
ReplyDeleteI thought the original cartoon was great, when I received it from Ted's paid direct subscription service. But I had seen the Mohammed cartoons before, so it was not at all shocking to me.
ReplyDeleteThe CENSORED version is actually much more shocking than the real one, because the censored version highlights how much mainstream America is willing to bend to avoid controversy.
I could easily criticize overly sensitive Muslims. But I think the real target here and now should be the overly sensitive American press. When will we grow up, and stand up for free speech?
I hope you like fatwas. Armeggedon is gonna look great in HD. Larfffff.....
ReplyDeleteI don't understand. The syndicate won't publish it on their websites, but does that mean you can't publish it on your own blog? Who owns the cartoon?
ReplyDeleteGoing to the zoo to poke bears? I do believe that Ted Rall has the largest yarbles possessed by any cartoonist ever!
ReplyDeleteThe only place which publishes your cartoons in my area is the weekly Pittsburgh City Paper - and they only choose one out of the three per week you produce (this week's was "3AM and Obama's magical powers"). I doubt they have the guts to publish this cartoon uncensored and will probably simply choose a different one for next week.
Can those on the Ted Rall subscription service get it uncensored? Because, if so, I'm kicking myself for neglecting to sign up - time to shift the finances around so that I can experience the full hit of this wonderfully offensive cartoon.
I was expecting someone else to've said this already, but this is an April Fool's joke, yes?
ReplyDeletePerhaps if drawings of Muhammad were done tastefully, and respectfully, Muslims would get over it. I'm all for trashing organized religion, but this type of stuff is hurtful and offensive to human beings.
ReplyDeleteWow, I thought the censoring was intentional, like a really clever comment on the nutlessness of the media...
ReplyDeleteYou are a coward who is hiding comfortably behind the so called "free speech".
ReplyDeleteCan you make a cartoon rediculing the jews or blacks or just critisizing Israel??!!
I like it, and I agree with Bruce, the censored version totally works.
ReplyDeleteAs far as elephant dung goes, a nun told me shit is considered cool, even sacred in India, where it is dried and burned for fuel. Painting an icon with it could be considered an extravagant form of artistic veneration, akin to gold leafing.
Hey David, who actually gets pissed about the elephant shit painting? Seriously, was there like one white haired old lady on the news or something?
ReplyDeleteThere's zero equivalence there.
Is it too late to subscribe and get this one uncensored?
Perhaps if drawings of Muhammad were done tastefully, and respectfully, Muslims would get over it. I'm all for trashing organized religion, but this type of stuff is hurtful and offensive to human beings.
ReplyDeleteActually, this cartoon mocks the European papers who re-ran the Danish Mohammad cartoons.
You are a coward who is hiding comfortably behind the so called "free speech".
ReplyDeleteCan you make a cartoon rediculing the jews or blacks or just critisizing Israel??!!
Um, I think it's fairly obvious from this cartoon that free speech is less than a 100% proposition.
As my regular readers know, I have never criticized Israeli policy or defended the interests of Muslims in my work. This is because I am a famously gutless coward, and I am very sorry.
well, while it appears we can get teh uncensored version via a $25 subscription, perhaps this is an ideal candidate for a "direct-to-ebay" piece.
ReplyDeleteor are you keeping it for yourself, Ted?
Perhaps if drawings of Muhammad were done tastefully, and respectfully, Muslims would get over it. I'm all for trashing organized religion, but this type of stuff is hurtful and offensive to human beings
ReplyDeleteBeing murdered for drawing a crap cartoon is even more hurtful and offensive. You crackpot.
Well, now you know, Ted. It's not just about "free speech" or being "offensive" - if you do a cartoon these scumbags don't like, they will try to kill you. Censorship by terrorism.
ReplyDeleteIt makes me want to film myself setting fire to a Koran, TBH. Ironically the only reason I haven't done this so far is that I don't want to offend any real people (rather than the bigoted trogolodytes who have made themselves spokesmen for Islam, or should I say Islam, Incorporated?)
Admittedly, the Danish cartoons weren't even funny, but I think they were re-published as a reaction to the uncovering of a plot to kill the cartoonists. For that reason, they probably should be re-published anywhere and everywhere, by as many outlets as have the guts to do it. Not to sound too Hitchensian (coined a word, you can have it 'cause I don't want it), but monotheistic religions forfeited any rights they had to ask for "tolerance" or "respect" around the 8th century, and that's being generous.
ReplyDeleteMoving on to your cartoon, I think the red blocks work just fine (after getting over the shock of finally seeing you censored) except for one thing: I'm dying to know what the new "blank" version of the koran is. Also, I'm originally from Richmond, VA, earthly home of Jeff MacNelly so obviously I'm a huge Pluggers fan. Here's an idea for a future cartoon: In order to solve the Palestinian problem and make nice with the moslem world, the US decided to give them a homeland in the sand-blasted, scorched-Earth landscape of the Utah salt flats. I'll let you make funny with the "getting to know the mormons" possibilities the idea contains.
In my humble opinions all religions
ReplyDeleteare bunch of fairy tales that have
served their purpose and now do more harm than good.
With that said, for each his own, and other peoples' beliefs should be respected.
Freedom of speech is not a license
to insult other people religions and kick them when they are down.
Also, there are sizable christian
minorities in the Middle East and
the current hysteria in the West
against Moslems is putting in them
in a tough spot.
The Moslem religion is just a religion and is not an ethnicity or a race or a nationality. There a Moslems who are blonds with blue
eyes and there are Moslems who are
%100 black and all the shades and hues in between.
Ted,
ReplyDeleteI descend from a Muslim family but don't practice myself. I disagree with most tenants of the religion, hate the hijab, and think the prohibition on showing the prophet is silly.
But during a time when Islam and Muslims are under attack and acutely subject to prejudice, why undermine one of their beliefs to make your point (even if your point is to criticize those who started this whole Mohammed cartoon craze)?
Way to kick'em while they're down.
well, while it appears we can get teh uncensored version via a $25 subscription, perhaps this is an ideal candidate for a "direct-to-ebay" piece.
ReplyDeleteor are you keeping it for yourself, Ted?
It's a pretty good idea. We'll see what happens with it; sometimes the more controversial cartoons end up in gallery shows and stuff.
But during a time when Islam and Muslims are under attack and acutely subject to prejudice, why undermine one of their beliefs to make your point (even if your point is to criticize those who started this whole Mohammed cartoon craze)?
ReplyDeleteNo American has defended Muslims as loudly as I have since 9/11. And this cartoon is a continuation of that.
But cartoons are a graphic medium. You can't talk about something without showing it--it makes a lousy cartoon. Furthermore, I am not governed by Sharia law.
The point of this cartoon is two-fold: first, the Europeans should stop obsessively poking sticks at Muslims. Second, I'm not afraid of offending them to make an important point.
Probably too complex.
Ted-
ReplyDeleteYou overestimate the intelligence of your audience. Your humor in this case is way too subtle. Sean Hannity will love this because he doesn't understand it. Many Muslims will be offended because they don't understand it. And most of your far Left fans will think you're making a stand different than what you're actually making.
In the future, please keep in mind the average American IQ hovers just shy of 100.
it was not too complicated.
ReplyDeleteWhen diferences brought on by global inequality and class struggle lead to violence, religion and "race" are the whipping boy. It is annoying when people set out to bash a religion because it totally misses the point.
He didn't set out to "bash" a religion, though.
ReplyDeleteTed, keep fighting! Hard to understand that your syndicate won't even let it appear on their site.
ReplyDeleteAfter the death of Chicago's first Black Mayor, Harold Washington, a painting of Harold in women's underwear at the Art Institute of Chicago was stolen in broad daylight by a Black Chicago Alderman. It doesn't have to be a white-haired old lady doing the censorship. In fact, I think white-haired old ladies magnificently trump Black Chicago aldermen in tolerance and intelligence and appreciation of the spirit of free expression. The Black Chicago Alderman could not erase the image from the memories of people who saw the painting, nor the rumor that Harold Washington might have been gay. Either way, it doesn't diminish Harold Washington, the person. But smaller minds, MUCH smaller minds, prevailed.
ReplyDeletebadnewswade said...
ReplyDeleteHe didn't set out to "bash" a religion, though.
Who? Ted? I know.