He Illustrated Irony

Herblock’s Cartoons Drew Truth to Power

• By Tricia Miller
• Roll Call Staff
• Oct. 14, 2009, Midnight

Washington Post publisher Katharine Graham called working with editorial cartoonist Herbert Block, better known as Herblock, “like having a tiger by the tail.” Fellow cartoonist Mike Peters said, “Herblock is to editorial cartooning what sharks are to body parts.” Whatever the animal metaphor, Herblock certainly left his print on the world of editorial cartooning. A new exhibit at the Library of Congress shows 82 examples of the cartoonist’s best work starting this week, on what would have been Herblock’s 100th birthday.