A Savage Art: The Story of Pat Oliphant Hits Theaters
New film documents how a cartoonist from Down Under became America’s most feared political cartoonist.
A Savage Art: The Life and Cartoons of Pat Oliphant peels back the curtain behind one of the most successful editorial cartoonists who could make politicians sweat with a just stroke of a pen.
Hitting theaters on Sept. 5, the documentary offers exclusive footage from legendary editorial cartoonist Pat Oliphant’s storied career, behind-the-scenes intel of his artwork, and a deep dive on the sharp (and often ruthless) world of political cartooning, past and present.
Oliphant’s Pulitzer Prize-winning work is nothing short of legendary. Over his five-decade career spanning ten U.S. presidents, he earned a reputation for his sharp wit and fearless commentary. Back in 1990, The New York Times called him "the most influential editorial cartoonist now working." He retired in 2015, but his mark on the editorial cartooning sphere is here to stay.
According to the Australian Media Hall of Fame, Oliphant refused to work in color or use a computer, and introduced a raw freehand style, that of which shaped the course of editorial cartooning. "The cartoon dictates the way you work," he said. "The line has to be in tune with the image. I could be using a brush on this and get it all black, but I want to have daylights through it and I want it to look scraggly and tattered and torn."
Oliphant’s big break came in 1965 when he landed a job at The Denver Post, and then his cartoons went national soon after when he became syndicated by The Los Angeles Times.
Catch up on the Pat Oliphant archives, and look out for Puck, a sassy penguin that is said to represent Oliphant’s alter ego, in every cartoon.
A Savage Art: The Life & Cartoons of Pat Oliphant hits theaters on September 5.