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January 14, 2020 11:13 AM   Subscribe

From the depths of a roiling Sea of Division rises the purple octopus of Intolerance and the sea-dragon of Bigotry, swimming headlong into a sailing ship of Accomplishment, which is also being engulfed by crashing Squalls of Hate, upon which a squid of Government Incompetence surfs. Looking down upon this chaotic parable, just above a rainbow—sorry, above The Arc of the Moral Universe—is Governor Andrew Cuomo of New York State. He is smiling as if to say, “I feverishly drew this at my dining room table at 1 a.m.”
posted by everybody had matching towels (19 comments total) 4 users marked this as a favorite
 
Excelsior, True Believers!
posted by tobascodagama at 11:25 AM on January 14, 2020 [2 favorites]


I think the details are appropriate for an actual governor’s announcement. The designers saying it should look like the simple Fairey posters are missing the difference between campaigning and government, I think.
posted by clew at 11:50 AM on January 14, 2020 [3 favorites]


What the fuck is Cuomo smoking?
posted by Homo neanderthalensis at 11:53 AM on January 14, 2020


This is a regular thing for Cuomo, no?
posted by Harry Caul at 11:58 AM on January 14, 2020


I totally dig this and I want one on my wall. I love the Progressive Era feel of it.
posted by backwards compatible at 12:16 PM on January 14, 2020 [5 favorites]


Well that was... certainly... something.

(You can find the Leonard Cohen song here.)
posted by sjswitzer at 12:18 PM on January 14, 2020




Finally, the Fearless Flyer is running for office!
posted by heurtebise at 12:42 PM on January 14, 2020 [4 favorites]


I'd originally pegged Cuomo's bad design sense on his relationship with Sandra Lee of Kwanzaa Cake fame (which she didn't actually create, but whatever.) But they split up last year, and he's still shitting up our subways with garish stickers and blue/yellow color schemes. This stupid thing is the corn nuts, pumpkin seeds, and popcorn on top of the already gross cinnamon/cocoa/vanilla frosting and apple pie filling.
posted by SansPoint at 12:42 PM on January 14, 2020


A triple-pan ("Racial," "Economic," "Social") scale, footed, labeled Justice.

Rusty Zimmerman was Vote #Nixon in 2018.
posted by Iris Gambol at 12:46 PM on January 14, 2020 [1 favorite]


While the execution could be better and I do not approve of the governor, but I certainly approve of this style of illustration and hope to see more. Also bring back making a pseudo-classical god out of everything, e.g. the goddess Columbia.
posted by save alive nothing that breatheth at 1:23 PM on January 14, 2020 [2 favorites]


I read a newspaper from a hundred years ago today whenever I can (and so can you). This style of cartoon ages really poorly, if it conveys anything at all. I mean, what the pants is this about? Or this?

It's historically interesting, especially since this visual tradition's heirs are still straggling along in newspapers producing mostly toothless political cartoons and FATHER, I CANNOT CLICK THE BOOK laments. But I guess this poster is what graphic designers mean when they express dread about the client's ideas.
posted by Countess Elena at 1:33 PM on January 14, 2020 [1 favorite]


Proto memes from days of yore. They're more efficient and humorous these days, evolution works in strange ways like that...
posted by Redhush at 2:23 PM on January 14, 2020


This poster would be perfectly fine if it was in addition to an existing, already popular design (like Obama's logo and HOPE poster) because it would be a fun spinoff. For most people, this is one of the first materials promoting Cuomo and without context or counterpoint it makes him seem kinda deranged.
posted by ardgedee at 2:35 PM on January 14, 2020 [1 favorite]


I find this bonkers, but in a comforting way. Soothingly bonkers. Like my colleague who always goes off on the same unhinged rant and you know you can just let the crazy wash by without paying too much attention.
posted by medusa at 2:43 PM on January 14, 2020 [1 favorite]


Cuomo and Zimmerman have been working together since 2010; "The New New York" poster, with similar imagery, from 2012. "For Holidays, Cuomo Shows His Successes in 1900 Style" (NYT City Room blog, Dec. 19, 2012)
posted by Iris Gambol at 4:22 PM on January 14, 2020 [1 favorite]


To be honest, it is kind of neat to see a modern politician in an oval frame with two flanking flags. But for maximum effect, it should all be very careful, literal drafting with heavy crosshatching.
posted by Countess Elena at 6:12 PM on January 14, 2020


Here's my pitch for a book. Someone please put it together because I'm sure not going to. Title is "I don't get it" and when you turn a chapter you see (maybe a content warning on the chapter heading) and a date, time, and place.

On the facing page, you get a real historical political cartoon with no explanation. When you turn the page, you get the explanation including the context and who would have thought it was funny and how it all turned out. Your choice when to end it but I figure right around Reagan. It'll sell like hotcakes and get this bizarre political art out there.
posted by blnkfrnk at 6:13 PM on January 14, 2020 [6 favorites]


It's strange, in spite of being a WaPo political cartoon hater and a lover of Dada and punk graphics, I kind of like this. It's obviously a historicist pastiche, and like it says in the article: it references the former age of robber barons. It's a message to those who are attuned to that. But it is also a fun poster to explore for those who don't get the reference. It would be a nice poster to look at in a waiting room, or at a bus stop. In the article, it looks badly done, but in the tweet Iris Gambol posted, it looks quite good in the details.
posted by mumimor at 8:16 AM on January 15, 2020 [1 favorite]


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