Sarah F. Davidson joins editorial cartoonists Ted Rall (from the Left) and Scott Stantis (from the Right) to check in on the Graphic Novels industry. (Ted has authored numerous graphic novels, including My War with Brian, The Stringer and The Year of Loving Dangerously.)

Sarah is a graphic novelist, colorist, and Professor of Sequential Art at Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD). Creator of the award-winning Jackson’s Wilder Adventures series (ALA Best Graphic Novels for Children), she specializes in middle-grade comics filled with magic, nostalgia, and feel-good vibes. She has colored for major publishers including Random House, Feiwel & Friends, and Webtoon.

Support the show

The DMZ America Podcast is recorded weekly by political cartoonists Ted Rall and Scott Stantis. 

Twitter/X: @scottstantis and @tedrall

Web: Rall.com

How will AI affect (or afflict) cartooning?

Artificial Intelligence is reshaping cartooning, hitting political cartooning especially hard while transforming the broader industry. In political cartooning, AI tools now generate satirical images in seconds, flooding social media with viral memes and caricatures that mimic editorial styles. This undercuts traditional artists who rely on sharp timing, cultural insight, and hand-drawn originality for publications. 

In general cartooning and illustration, generative AI has commoditized routine work. Studies show a surge in AI-generated images on platforms, driving human artists out and reducing commissions for illustrators and comic creators. San Diego Comic-Con banned AI art from its 2026 show, while animation faces massive job disruption—over 100,000 roles at risk. 

Artists adapt by using AI for rapid prototyping and backgrounds, focusing on human storytelling, emotion, and unique vision that machines still struggle to replicate. However, style theft, copyright battles, and market saturation remain major threats, forcing many to rethink careers. 

Editorial cartoonists Ted Rall (from the Left) and Scott Stantis (from the Right) explore the Brave New World of cartooning in the age of AI.

Support the show

The DMZ America Podcast is recorded weekly by political cartoonists Ted Rall and Scott Stantis. 

Twitter/X: @scottstantis and @tedrall

Web: Rall.com

Pat Oliphant, one of the most influential political cartoonists of the 20th and 21st centuries, has died. Considering his legacy on DMZ are editorial cartoonists Ted Rall (from the Left), Scott Stantis (from the Right) and Mike Thompson, a Pulitzer Prize-winning American editorial cartoonist known for his sharp wit and bold, expressive style. Born in 1964, he is widely syndicated. Thompson’s work frequently appears in USA Today and other major outlets. 

Born Patrick Bruce Oliphant on July 24, 1935, in Adelaide, Australia, he began his career as a news illustrator for The Adelaide Advertiser before moving to the United States in 1964.

Hired by The Denver Post, Oliphant quickly gained national attention for his bold, fluid line work and savage wit. In 1974 he won the Pulitzer Prize for Editorial Cartooning. His cartoons appeared in over 500 newspapers through universal syndication, making him a daily fixture in American political discourse for more than five decades.

Oliphant’s signature creation was “Punk,” a small, irreverent, tufted bird who often appeared in the corner of panels delivering a final dry or biting comment. His style blended elegant draftsmanship with ferocious satire, skewering presidents from Lyndon Johnson to Barack Obama with equal glee. He famously said he drew “not to change minds, but to make people angry enough to think.”

Later in life he expanded into sculpture and fine-art painting while continuing to produce cartoons. Oliphant’s work is held in major collections including the Library of Congress. He died in 2026 at age 90, leaving behind a legacy as a defining voice of modern American editorial cartooning.

Support the show

The DMZ America Podcast is recorded weekly by political cartoonists Ted Rall and Scott Stantis. 

Twitter/X: @scottstantis and @tedrall

Web: Rall.com

Why is American editorial cartooning in crisis? Sure, journalism is melting down. But the cartoonists might be guilty too. 

Joining cartoonists Ted Rall (from the Left) and Scott Stantis (from the Right) to discuss is DC-based cartoonist Alexandra Bowman.

Alexandra Bowman is a versatile American political cartoonist, illustrator, satirist, journalist, and fine artist based in Washington, D.C. Born in March 2000 in Sierra Vista, Arizona, she graduated early from Georgetown University with a BA and MA in English while double-majoring in Art. 

Bowman served as editorial political cartoonist for The Hoya (Georgetown’s student newspaper) and has created work for The Lincoln Project, Our Daily Planet, World War Zero (John Kerry’s climate initiative), Voice of America, BBC Books, and the National Wildlife Federation. She is known for live political cartooning at events like the MSNBC Climate Forum and her role as Director of the Association of American Editorial Cartoonists. Her syndicated work appears via Cagle Cartoons. 

A multi-medium artist skilled in traditional pen-and-ink, digital tools, murals, and fine art painting, Bowman also illustrates children’s books, designs costumes, and hosts The Hilltop Show, a student political comedy series. Her sharp, witty style blends cultural commentary, environmental advocacy, and satire, establishing her as a rising voice in editorial cartooning.

Support the show

The DMZ America Podcast is recorded weekly by political cartoonists Ted Rall and Scott Stantis. 

Twitter/X: @scottstantis and @tedrall

Web: Rall.com

As America turns 250, where are we now? DMZ America co-hosts and history buffs Ted Rall and Scott Stantis compare the state of the nation today to where we stood at year zero (1776) and at the previous 50-year benchmarks: 1826, 1876, 1926, and 1976. 

Join the guys for a fascinating trip down memory lane through our country’s history—its triumphs, struggles, and everything in between!

We discussed:

1776 – Revolution & Independence: The founders were divided roughly one-third each for independence, loyalty to Britain, and indifference. The war was a prolonged guerrilla effort aided by home advantage, French support, and British distraction with more valuable Caribbean colonies.

1826 – Era of Good Feelings: Marked by westward expansion, prosperity, and the simultaneous deaths of rivals-turned-friends John Adams and Thomas Jefferson. Slavery debates simmered beneath surface harmony under President Monroe.

1876 – Centennial & Stolen Election: Celebrated 100 years amid Reconstruction's end. The disputed Hayes-Tilden election led to the Compromise of 1877, withdrawing Union troops from the South and enabling Jim Crow segregation and violence.

1926 – Roaring Prosperity: America boomed under popular President Coolidge with economic growth, innovation, and the Sesquicentennial Exposition. Women had the vote, but storm clouds of socialism and labor unrest loomed.

1976 – Bicentennial Recovery: Post-Vietnam, Watergate, and stagflation, Americans embraced commercialized but unifying celebrations with tall ships, fireworks, and the Freedom Train during a civilized Ford-Carter election year.

2026 & 2076 Outlook: America faces imperial decline after losing wars including to Iran, eroding patriotism, truth decay, and capital flight. Speakers foresee climate devastation, possible balkanization, and deepening rich-poor conflict or socialist pressures.

Support the show

The DMZ America Podcast is recorded weekly by political cartoonists Ted Rall and Scott Stantis. 

Twitter/X: @scottstantis and @tedrall

Web: Rall.com

Andrew Farago Upskirt Scandal: The curator of the San Francisco Cartoon Art Museum was arrested for secretly recording up to 20 people (including children) in his bathroom at a birthday party using a hidden phone. Farago admitted the act in an email as a “tremendous lapse in judgment” and has been fired. 

Broader Scandals in Cartooning: Discussion of multiple past incidents including Al Capp’s predatory behavior, Darrin Bell’s child pornography charges, Ben Sargent’s indecent exposure arrest, Mike Lester’s domestic violence case, and the Superman artist secretly drawing S&M comics. 

Why Cartoonists Behave Badly: Exploration of whether the solitary nature of cartooning, arrested development, abusive childhoods, and lack of socialization lead to higher rates of weird or destructive sexual behavior among cartoonists. 

Separating Art from the Artist: In-depth debate on whether immoral or criminal behavior by creators (Picasso, Woody Allen, Hitler’s paintings, etc.) should affect enjoyment of their work. Hosts largely agreed the art stands alone, especially after death. 

Forgiveness, Firing & Judgment: Should Farago have been immediately fired before conviction? Discussion of presumption of innocence, redemption, Jean-Paul Sartre vs. Ted Lasso philosophies, and how people are often judged by their worst actions. 

Editorial cartoonists Ted Rall (from the Left) and Scott Stantis (from the Right) bring you up-to-date on this bizarre case rocking the American cartooning world.

Support the show

The DMZ America Podcast is recorded weekly by political cartoonists Ted Rall and Scott Stantis. 

Twitter/X: @scottstantis and @tedrall

Web: Rall.com

Robert Kuzovkov, 44, an exiled Russian political cartoonist whose work criticized President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia and other leaders, was assassinated in eastern Poland. He was shot five times in the head and torso on Monday outside his house in the city of Biala Podlaska. Kuzovkov “engaged in public artistic activities, using the pseudonym Simon Skrepetski, among others, through which he expressed criticism of the current policies of the Russian authorities,” the prosecutor’s office said. Police detained two men from Belarus near the Belarusian Consulate in Biała Podlaska, but officials did not offer further details aside from their ages, 33 and 37. The city is less than 20 miles from the border with Belarus.

It’s another reminder that political cartoonists are in physical danger—and rarely protected. Cartoonists Ted Rall and Mr. Fish (filling in for Scott Stantis) discuss the Kuzovkov killing and the news through their cartoons.

Support the show

The DMZ America Podcast is recorded weekly by political cartoonists Ted Rall and Scott Stantis. 

Twitter/X: @scottstantis and @tedrall

Web: Rall.com

Sarah F. Davidson joins editorial cartoonists Ted Rall (from the Left) and Scott Stantis (from the Right) to check in on the Graphic Novels industry. (Ted has authored numerous graphic novels, including My War with Brian, The Stringer and The Year of Loving Dangerously.)

Sarah is a graphic novelist, colorist, and Professor of Sequential Art at Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD). Creator of the award-winning Jackson’s Wilder Adventures series (ALA Best Graphic Novels for Children), she specializes in middle-grade comics filled with magic, nostalgia, and feel-good vibes. She has colored for major publishers including Random House, Feiwel & Friends, and Webtoon.

Support the show

The DMZ America Podcast is recorded weekly by political cartoonists Ted Rall and Scott Stantis. 

Twitter/X: @scottstantis and @tedrall

Web: Rall.com

Acclaimed Iranian-French cartoonist and filmmaker Marjane Satrapi, a prominent advocate for women's rights, has died at 56, the French presidency said Thursday.

“Her passing marks the loss of a leading figure of French culture and an artist devoted to freedom, whose work carried a universal message and earned her immense international acclaim,” the French presidency said in a statement.

French media reported Satrapi has “died of sadness” a little over a year after the death of her husband, Swedish film producer and actor Mattias Ripa, according to a statement from people close to the artist.

Cartoonists Ted Rall and Scott Stantis break down Marjane’s legacy, her political influence and share their personal memories.

Support the show

The DMZ America Podcast is recorded weekly by political cartoonists Ted Rall and Scott Stantis. 

Twitter/X: @scottstantis and @tedrall

Web: Rall.com

Politics is what happens when members of a society identify problems, determine which ones are most pressing, and debate proposed solutions to those priorities. It’s a messy process that, over time, hopefully leads to progress. But what happens when members of society live in completely different realities, in which the major problems that afflict one half of the population doesn’t exist, much less matter, to the other half? Politics don’t happen at all—and there’s no hope for building a better world. That’s where America is today.

Editorial cartoonists Ted Rall (from the Left) and Scott Stantis (from the Right) disagree on quintessential issues like whether God is real, capitalism or communism is better, and whether Gregorian chants are more listenable than the Dead Kennedys. But they’re best friends, so those disagreements come from a place of mutual respect. Check out the conversation that is giving hope to more and more Americans!

Support the show

The DMZ America Podcast is recorded weekly by political cartoonists Ted Rall and Scott Stantis. 

Twitter/X: @scottstantis and @tedrall

Web: Rall.com