[Dean's World] Scott Kirwin: Cox and Forkum Call It Quits

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Posted by Scott Kirwin:
Cox and Forkum Call It Quits
http://www.deanesmay.com/posts/1191438448.shtml


   I thought I'd pass the news along just in case I'm not the only one
   who missed this story. [1]Cox and Forkum are quitting their editorial
   cartoon writing as of 9/30/2007. [2]Cox and Forkum have been a staple
   of my online antics since I discovered blogs after 9-11. During that
   time they have provided some of the best political humor around, and
   their creativity easily matched the medium's greats including Herblock
   and Pat Oliphant.

   Cox and Forkum's wicked sense of humor coupled with their libertarian
   ethos [3]created some of post 9-11's most memorable images, including
   this one: [05.07.20.RealSuicideBomb-X.gif]

   Although they don't mention it directly, I can't help but feel that
   money played a part in their decision. Had their blogosphere support
   translated into cash, I wonder if they would be quitting the business.
   The Internet is a terrible place to make a living on, but given the
   pay scales I've seen for freelance articles and for journalism jobs in
   general, it's perhaps not just the Internet that's suffering.

   The end of Cox and Forkum leaves a void that won't easily be filled.
   It also raises concerns for journalists like [4]Michael Totten, and
   cartoonists like [5]Chris Muir. How long will they be able to continue
   to do what they do so well without a wide and deep revenue stream to
   support them?

   The economics of the Internet have to change to help support the
   efforts of artists like these men. It's not just an issue for those on
   the Right - I'm sure that Lefty journalists and artists aren't faring
   much better. Even [6]my experience fighting against offshoring taught
   me that internet popularity did not translate into financial
   stability.

   Perhaps the long term solution is a system of micropayments where
   people would pay a dime or a quarter to view [7]Day By Day or fifty
   cents to read [8]Totten's latest dispatch. If people are getting used
   to paying for songs, maybe they will begin to recognize the value of
   paying for other content as well. Google and Paypal are perhaps the
   best placed to institute such a system. When will they?

   In the meantime we risk losing these voices. Looking back over the
   past six years, the greatest online loss I felt was the end of [9]USS
   Clueless, Steven Den Beste's posts. Another big loss was the end of
   [10]Zach Barbera's Voice From the Commonwealth. Both men provided
   intelligent and unique takes on events in the world, and were well
   worth paying for (SDB's musings remain book worthy IMO). [11]Cox and
   Forkum now join their ranks. It is truly a sad day for those of us in
   the blogosphere, and one worth noting.

References

   1. http://www.coxandforkum.com/archives/001211.html
   2. http://www.coxandforkum.com/
   3. http://www.therazor.org/index.php?s=forkum
   4. http://michaeltotten.com/
   5. http://www.daybydaycartoon.com/
   6. http://www.itpaa.org/
   7. http://www.daybydaycartoon.com/
   8. http://michaeltotten.com/
   9. http://denbeste.nu/archives.shtml
  10. http://zbarbera.blogspot.com/
  11. http://www.coxandforkum.com/