I try never to make a cartoon "walk on all fours." But this has more depth and truth than seen at first blush. A beautiful Occam's Razor cartoon that tells--painfully--the cost and the cost to come.

Thanks very much. I had to look up Occam Razor! Glad I did. What an interesting concept;

Liza, it's only a matter of time. Rated for irony.

WOW! This one will stop you in your tracks!

bbd ~ making us work ... I had to look it up too!

I like that you placed only a postage stamp of blue skies ahead at the top of the illustration. Did you see the Harry Bliss video about the New Yorker cover I sent Michael?

Bob, no. Where is it?

yes, I did see that a while back. You sent this to Michael?

The video is pretty recent (the 24th).

Yeah, Michael writes back, "Thanks for sending–watched it with sound off." Well, alot of good that does!

Thought it was old...didn't watch this whole thing just now because it appears to be like something he did a while ago.

Pretty haunting.

Pretty haunting.

Lea, you were right repeating "pretty haunting" for a haunting effect. Three times would be silly.

Liza, this is simple, powerful, and hits at the heart.
I love the thread it has inspired also......It was great Bob drew attention to the patch of blue.......it's like a hope-filled punctuation in a way, but also an object of longing.
thank you!!....

Gary, thanks! Not that I get down to Wall Street often, but that's what I feel when down there. Surrounded by concrete and cold. I do feel hope, like a patch of blue sky.

I love this cartoon, and admire your wry sensibility. Though I am not a New Yorker and never buy the magazine, how wonderful to get the best part of it on OS!!!

Brilliant. I can hear the echoes in the canyons...

rated for too real for comfort.... This could be almost any street in America right now... I know it has happened here.

"Any street"--yes, you are right! That is what was/is so horrible about Trickle Down. I hope it hasn't infected people's brains so much that they can't undo it and lose the greed. thanks, all.

Yes, trickle down, that tired old Republican myth. Never worked, never will.

Your cartoon looks wonderful on the cover!

Thanks, Steve!

Pictures really ARE worth a thousand words. But maybe somebody who just got a bonus will come buy a hot dog. I hope the hot dog guy charges him $500.00 for it.

Okay Fan Girl speaks: I bought a copy of Cartoon Marriage a few weeks ago, and I LOVE it. =o)

Thanks, Shiral! Love hearing that. Glad to make people happy (although the above cartoon isn't exactly happy!)

We simply MUST get the financial system back to normal. "Normal," according to Michael Lewis ("Liar's Poker"):

"The firm made money and the broker made money. Two outa three ain't bad."

Grim, but not without hope. Thanks for pointing out the postage stamp of blue Bob E. To me, the vendor, the poor little guy at the bottom of the ladder, he is still hopeful, look at his umbrella, even his clothes are cheery. He is out there, still trying to sell something, anything. Not without hope.

What a wonderful response. Thank you for being so observant. I love hearing how people respond.

Excellent. Your illustration could be interpreted in two ways, at least for me (this OS got to speak like a lawyer and use weasel words).
One: No business for the hot dog vendor since Big Business can't use its bail-out money on eating out.
Two: It's all left up to the little guy. You know the small businessman who worked 14 hours a day on his dream of making it big.
I like #2.
J.D. Power Rated.

love it! it just says it all.

I like this cartoon. First glance - urban desolation. Then the vendor, then the street sign - economic desolation. The sale sign explains the effort the small guy is making in spite of the forces weighing against him, and ties the viewer to that frustration we're all beginning to experience.
A fine example of a picture with two words telling a much larger story.
My son is a budding editorial cartoonist working for his college newspaper. I'm sending him this one as a great example of expressing much by saying little, and the layering of thoughts; the 1,2,3 ah- ha! revelation.
I'm not sure that's cartoon science, but that's how I see it.
good'n.

These responses are great. I love the interpretations, thanks so much. I feel for the little guy...perhaps you can tell. Perhaps he symbolizes many of us.

I appreciate the feedback!!

Yep. This is brilliant. I love the ones, like this, that have a lot of meat on them.

And BTW – that video Bob and you traded above is hysterical. Thanks (to Bob, too) for letting us in on that interesting world of cartooning.

A melancholic skewering.

What we have now is trickle up economics. Robbing the middle class to save billionaires and their gambling debts.

I missed this speechless cartoon.
This reminds me of Wall Street.
A hotdog vender selling franks.
He doo scratches his butt hole.
Then he sell frank hound dog.
Hot dog salesman sell buns.
Oy! First he itch a butt hole.
He sell to Wall Street CEO.
The stale bun smell nasty.
Wall Street cooks books.
They eats scat on buns.
They seem to like crap.
They got `_hit grins.

Boy 'um make Ya ill!
No wonder we ache!
'um gut brain mush!
O belly chew a dung!
Oy! What foul creep!
CEO will sit in craps!
Ya gotta tell a Truth!
O subsidize organics!
Oh toss money away?
Invest in pure fruits.
We will become alive?
Not with a- Plutocrat!