Mark Fiore
Encyclopedia
Mark Fiore is an American
political cartoonist
specializing in Flash
-animated editorial cartoons, whom the Wall Street Journal recently called the undisputed guru of the form.
Fiore lives in San Francisco, California
, and his cartoons have appeared in numerous American papers and a number of websites. He studied political science
at Colorado College
and was a staff cartoonist for the San Jose Mercury News
. He left newspapers for animated online comics in 2001, and he currently makes animated editorial cartoons for his website markfiore.com, where he also sells DVDs of his cartoons. He is a member of the Association of American Editorial Cartoonists
.
Fiore's comics were included in Ted Rall
's Attitude 3: The New Subversive Online Cartoonists
, along with other web-comics such as Dinosaur Comics
, Diesel Sweeties
, Fetus-X, and The Perry Bible Fellowship
. In their review of Attitude 3, the American Library Association
's Booklist
called Fiore's cartoons a standout for their "unique and personal" vision. He won a Pulitzer Prize
in 2010, the first ever for his genre of editorial cartoons.
He also did a parody
of The Family Circus
, with a child version of Lewis "Scooter" Libby.
and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism
. He won the National Cartoonist Society New Media Award for 2001 and 2002, and was nominated for the same award in 2000. He also won the 2005 Robert F. Kennedy Journalism Award in the category of cartoons.
Fiore won the 2010 Pulitzer Prize
for Editorial Cartooning. He is the first cartoonist to win an editorial cartooning Pulitzer for an entry of entirely online animations (his work appears on SFGate.com, the San Francisco Chronicle
Web site). The Pulitzer Prize committee, in a statement, said that "his biting wit, extensive research and ability to distill complex issues [on the Web site] set a high standard for an emerging form of commentary."
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
political cartoonist
Editorial cartoonist
An editorial cartoonist, also known as a political cartoonist, is an artist who draws editorial cartoons that contain some level of political or social commentary....
specializing in Flash
Adobe Flash
Adobe Flash is a multimedia platform used to add animation, video, and interactivity to web pages. Flash is frequently used for advertisements, games and flash animations for broadcast...
-animated editorial cartoons, whom the Wall Street Journal recently called the undisputed guru of the form.
Fiore lives in San Francisco, California
San Francisco, California
San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...
, and his cartoons have appeared in numerous American papers and a number of websites. He studied political science
Political science
Political Science is a social science discipline concerned with the study of the state, government and politics. Aristotle defined it as the study of the state. It deals extensively with the theory and practice of politics, and the analysis of political systems and political behavior...
at Colorado College
Colorado College
The Colorado College is a private liberal arts college in Colorado Springs, Colorado, United States, in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains. It was founded in 1874 by Thomas Nelson Haskell...
and was a staff cartoonist for the San Jose Mercury News
San Jose Mercury News
The San Jose Mercury News is a daily newspaper in San Jose, California. On its web site, however, it calls itself Silicon Valley Mercury News. The paper is owned by MediaNews Group...
. He left newspapers for animated online comics in 2001, and he currently makes animated editorial cartoons for his website markfiore.com, where he also sells DVDs of his cartoons. He is a member of the Association of American Editorial Cartoonists
Association of American Editorial Cartoonists
The Association of American Editorial Cartoonists is a professional association concerned with promoting the interests of staff, freelance and student editorial cartoonists in the United States, Canada and Mexico...
.
Fiore's comics were included in Ted Rall
Ted Rall
Ted Rall is an American columnist, syndicated editorial cartoonist, and author. His political cartoons often appear in a multi-panel comic-strip format and frequently blend comic-strip and editorial-cartoon conventions. The cartoons appear in approximately 100 newspapers around the United States...
's Attitude 3: The New Subversive Online Cartoonists
Attitude: The New Subversive Cartoonists
The Attitude series of books is a series of anthologies of alternative comics, photos and artists' interviews edited by Universal Press Syndicate editorial cartoonist Ted Rall. The books were designed by J. P. Trostle, news editor of EditorialCartoonists.com. Two sequels and three spin-off titles...
, along with other web-comics such as Dinosaur Comics
Dinosaur Comics
Dinosaur Comics is a constrained webcomic by Canadian writer Ryan North. It is also known as "Qwantz", after the site's domain name, "qwantz.com". The first comic was posted on 1 February 2003, though there were earlier prototypes. Dinosaur Comics has also been printed in two collections and in a...
, Diesel Sweeties
Diesel Sweeties
Diesel Sweeties is a webcomic and former newspaper comic strip written by Richard Stevens III . The comic began in 2000, originally hosted at robotstories.com...
, Fetus-X, and The Perry Bible Fellowship
The Perry Bible Fellowship
The Perry Bible Fellowship is a newspaper comic strip and webcomic by Nicholas Gurewitch. It originated in the Syracuse University newspaper The Daily Orange. The comics are usually three or four panels long, and are generally characterized by the juxtaposition of whimsical childlike imagery or...
. In their review of Attitude 3, the American Library Association
American Library Association
The American Library Association is a non-profit organization based in the United States that promotes libraries and library education internationally. It is the oldest and largest library association in the world, with more than 62,000 members....
's Booklist
Booklist
Booklist is a publication of the American Library Association that provides critical reviews of books and audiovisual materials for all ages. It is geared toward libraries and booksellers and is available in print or online...
called Fiore's cartoons a standout for their "unique and personal" vision. He won a Pulitzer Prize
Pulitzer Prize
The Pulitzer Prize is a U.S. award for achievements in newspaper and online journalism, literature and musical composition. It was established by American publisher Joseph Pulitzer and is administered by Columbia University in New York City...
in 2010, the first ever for his genre of editorial cartoons.
Recurring characters
In some of his Flash cartoons, Fiore makes use of several characters more than once. Some of the characters include:- Dogboy & Mr. Dan—An anthropomorphic dog chats with his friend Mr. Dan, who is rabidly conservative.
- Buster Bunker The Friendly Nuke—a nukeNuke- Science :* Nuclear weapon* Nuclear power* Microwaving Food* ICBM- Computing :* Nuke , a node-based compositor* Duke Nukem, a series of video games with a protagonist of the same name* Nuke , a damaging attack in a role-playing game...
- Knuckles—a slow man in an executioner's mask who loves torturing Guantanamo prisoners
- Flamey McGassy
- Ouchie—a talking bandaidBand-AidBand-Aid is a brand name for Johnson & Johnson's line of adhesive bandages and related products. It has also become a genericized trademark for any adhesive bandage in Australia, Brazil, Canada, India and the United States....
- Captain Killmore
- Snuggly the Security Bear—a rather sadistic teddy bear who puts a positive spin on domestic spying and wiretaps
- Right-wing Ralphie—a squat lawyer with pixie wings who fights for homosexuals to gain restitution for being "forced" into marriage. After the passage of California's Proposition 8California Proposition 8 (2008)Proposition 8 was a ballot proposition and constitutional amendment passed in the November 2008 state elections...
, he celebrates the "protection of heterosexual marriage". He is a caricature of Ralph ReedRalph E. Reed, Jr.Ralph Eugene Reed, Jr., is a conservative American political activist, best known as the first executive director of the Christian Coalition during the early 1990s. He sought the Republican nomination for the office of Lieutenant Governor of Georgia but lost the primary election on July 18, 2006,...
, the former Religious Right leader. - Buzzie the Fly—a CajunCajunCajuns are an ethnic group mainly living in the U.S. state of Louisiana, consisting of the descendants of Acadian exiles...
fly who updates the nation on the New Orleans reconstruction, especially the living conditions of Hurricane KatrinaHurricane KatrinaHurricane Katrina of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season was a powerful Atlantic hurricane. It is the costliest natural disaster, as well as one of the five deadliest hurricanes, in the history of the United States. Among recorded Atlantic hurricanes, it was the sixth strongest overall...
refugees
He also did a parody
Parody
A parody , in current usage, is an imitative work created to mock, comment on, or trivialise an original work, its subject, author, style, or some other target, by means of humorous, satiric or ironic imitation...
of The Family Circus
The Family Circus
The Family Circus is a syndicated comic strip created by cartoonist Bil Keane and currently written, inked, and colored by his son, Jeff Keane. The strip generally uses a single captioned panel with a round border, hence the original name of the series, which was changed following objections from...
, with a child version of Lewis "Scooter" Libby.
Awards
Fiore was awarded an Online Journalism Award by the Online News AssociationOnline News Association
The Online News Association , founded in 1999, is a 501 non-profit organization made up of more than 1,800 members. Its mission: Inspiring innovation and excellence among digital journalists to better serve the public....
and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism
Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism
The Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism is one of Columbia's graduate and professional schools. It offers three degree programs: Master of Science in journalism , Master of Arts in journalism and a Ph.D. in communications...
. He won the National Cartoonist Society New Media Award for 2001 and 2002, and was nominated for the same award in 2000. He also won the 2005 Robert F. Kennedy Journalism Award in the category of cartoons.
Fiore won the 2010 Pulitzer Prize
Pulitzer Prize
The Pulitzer Prize is a U.S. award for achievements in newspaper and online journalism, literature and musical composition. It was established by American publisher Joseph Pulitzer and is administered by Columbia University in New York City...
for Editorial Cartooning. He is the first cartoonist to win an editorial cartooning Pulitzer for an entry of entirely online animations (his work appears on SFGate.com, the San Francisco Chronicle
San Francisco Chronicle
thumb|right|upright|The Chronicle Building following the [[1906 San Francisco earthquake|1906 earthquake]] and fireThe San Francisco Chronicle is a newspaper serving primarily the San Francisco Bay Area of the U.S. state of California, but distributed throughout Northern and Central California,...
Web site). The Pulitzer Prize committee, in a statement, said that "his biting wit, extensive research and ability to distill complex issues [on the Web site] set a high standard for an emerging form of commentary."