Obama Biden 2008 [Miami Vice President]

Barack Obama and Joe Biden recently lit up the Denver mile-high sky with rousing speeches and the "yes we can" squad at the Democratic National Convention. Now the party is over. Turn those fireworks into work for those who were fired! Then America will be fired up and ready to go.

McCain and Palin [Beauty and the Beast]

The Internet is all abuzz with the news that John McCain picked Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin as his Vice-Presidential running mate. With McCain for President and Palin for VP, the Republican Party hopes to attract fans of a classic tale we've heard before.

~With Apologies to Disney

Garrett Caldwell - new PR for GC says ANN

The Adventist News Network reported today that the General Conference tapped Garrett Caldwell to take the job of PR Director for the Adventist Church. I've been tapped before, and being tapped isn't really comfortable. I hope he's alright!

His mug goes up here primarily because he has a wonderfully caricatureable face, and no wonderfully caricatureable face should go uncaricatured. But if you want to know all the juicy details about how he got tapped and why, read the ANN article here.

Just for Fun

The Fighting Continues (UPDATED)

The topic of Gay Marriage has become a religio-political tennis ball being whacked back and forth between various Adventist groups.

First, there was an article on Spectrum Magazine by Jared Wright about "Why Adventists Should Consider Supporting Gay Marriage." It laid out several reasons why Adventists might want to vote against the Marriage Amendment in California.

Then came a rebuttal on Spectrum by Janine Goffar with some friendly one-upmanship in the title, "Why Everyone Should Oppose Same-sex Marriage." Janine did her best to counter the points made by Jared Wright.

Around that time, the North American Religious Liberty Association (NARLA), a Seventh-day Adventist organization came out with an endorsement of the Marriage Amendment saying, "Seventh-day Adventists have an important contribution to make to the public debate about marriage."

Their contribution was to endorse

this initiative, known as the Marriage Amendment, [which] will appear as Proposition 8. The Church State Council, a ministry of the Pacific Union Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, is the oldest public policy organization in the southwestern United States devoted exclusively to issues of liberty of conscience and religion, and the separation of church and state.

The Church State Council’s endorsement of the Marriage Amendment is predicated on two primary factors: 1) the importance of marriage to the social fabric of our nation; and 2) the reality that gay marriage is the most serious threat to religious freedom in the nation today.

That loud, yammering call to arms from the Church State Council and the invitation to all Adventist pastors to support the Marriage Amendment fired up Seventh-day Adventist Kinship, an Adventist fellowship "supporting and advocating for gay Adventists since 1976." They wrote a Religious Liberty Alert on their web site where they say, "Our religious liberty [is] at stake."

Kinship continues, saying that "Although Adventists have traditionally believed in religious liberty for all, including those with whom they disagree, it appears that prejudice against homosexuals is so great they are willing to reverse this stand."

On top of it all, Adventist authors, theologians and ethicists recently wrote a book called Christianity and Homosexuality: Some Seventh-day Adventist Perspectives, which has been circulating among pastors and church leaders around the world.

Man oh man. That is sooooome ping pong (or tennis if you please) match the church has got going on. And it all provides some excellent action for us to watch from the grandstands, cheer about, and make cartoons about.

********UPDATE*******
Now there's another web site for people living in California who oppose Proposition 8. It's called Adventists Against Prop 8. Will the fun never end?

What brings the world HERE

Dear viewer,

I know all about you--where you come from, how long you stay, what city you live in, and even your IP address. That's the beauty of today's stat counters. They also reveal what you're looking for, which is telling...and pretty funny sometimes - a window into your soul. I've compiled a list of some of the popular search terms that have brought people to this blog.

*************************************

"adventist logo controversy old new"
"jan paulson sda infiltrator"
"art blog caricature famous Adventists"
"neil nedley pride"
"Doug Batchelor scandals"
"doug batchelor in Chicago"
"Adventist Women Pioneers"
"Dr. Samuele Bacchiocchi Jesuit"
"shawn johnson tiny"
"clifford goldstein sda blogspot"
"WALL-E Justin Wright (1981–2008)"
("benjamin carson" OR "ben carson") "johns hopkins" -adversity -poverty -journal –book

"Marvin Moore SDA" is the most popular search this week.

Hyveth Williams [Adventist Women]

Thoroughly [Post]modern Clifford (UPDATED)

Clifford Goldstein is quite a character. An avowed atheistic Jew, he gave up everything (that is, swallowed a bit of pride) to become an Adventist, he says. Now, Goldstein is the church's foremost apologist as editor of the adult Sabbath School Quarterly (re-dubbed Adult Bible Study Guide). He also writes books. About dragons and graffitti in the Holy of Holies.

The full title is Graffiti in the Holy of Holies: An impassioned response to recent attacks on the sanctuary and Ellen White. Huh?

Recently, Clifford Goldstein did an interview with the Adventist Church's Centre for Secular and Postmodern Studies (re:frame.info). Now can I just note something that strikes me as ironic? Goldstein was a secular Jew, though I doubt he was ever thoroughly postmodern. But reading his stuff and listening to the guy talk, you get the sense that he would not feel very at home within ten miles of a real-life postmodernist, even though it seems he reads postmodern writers in order to disagree with them.

While he has a loosened tie and messed up hair giving the impression that he's going for the postmodern look, Goldstein is a modernist, through and through. He says so in his interview.

While studying secular and postmodern people is laudable (and it's about time the Adventist Church did so!), Sorry to tell you guys, but Cliff doesn't qualify. So far, the attempts at being edgy and current seem to have amounted to traditional Adventist talking points dressed up with a postmodern hairdo.

But we have to start somewhere.

Screen shots from Cliff's thoroughly [Post]modern interview with re:frame

---------------------------------------------

**UPDATE

Cliff fired back with this email, posted by permission:

Love your stuff, even when you make fun of me. My only complaint is that who has made me the SDA voice for post modernism? Certainly not me. And, yes, I have never claimed to be post modern. Though aspects of it I like, even very much—I reject its foundation premise (if post modernism can have one) which is a rejection of any meta-narrative. Yes, I’m not a post modern but wonder where you got the idea that I was or ever claimed to be, however much I enjoy reading it (and I don’t read it to refute it; I read it to get what I can out of it while rejecting what I don’t agree with) Your stuff is funny, if not exactly unbiased.. Cliff

New Banner!

I finally got around to changing the banner at the top of the blog. It took a while to get something that not only looked decent, but also grabs attention in the most appropriate way possible, while still retaining the fun-ness of the blog.

If you want to know why I had to remove the other banner, click here for a tale of intrigue including lawyers from the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists and more!

It was a sad day when I took down the old banner, and Old Banner, just because you're not at the top of the page doesn't mean I have stopped loving you! I will never forget you, Old Banner. You still have a place in my heart!

Have a look at the banners I had to choose from, and drop me a comment below letting me know which one I should have used (or just let me know that it doesn't really matter which banner I use because I will never be able to do justice to Adventism's first couple anyhow).

Kendra Haloviak [Adventist Women]

Kendra Haloviak, Ph.D., is a professor of Greek and New Testament studies at La Sierra University. She completed a doctoral thesis in Apocalyptic Literature (focusing on Revelation) at Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley, California. She pastored at the Kettering Seventh-day Adventist church in Ohio, the All Nations Church at Andrews University, and the Sligo Adventist Church in Tacoma Park, Maryland.

And get this: Haloviak was the first woman since the days of Ellen White to have an entire week of Spiritual Emphasis and the Sabbath Sermon at a General Conference session! She is a dynamic preacher and a scrupulous scholar.

Shawn Johnson - Beijing 2008 Olympics

More images of the Beijing Olympic Games, 2008. U.S. gymnast Shawn Johnson has won multiple medals during games of the XXIX Olympiad. And her large, toothy grin and tiny but muscular body (she stands at 4'9" and weighs 90 lbs.) make for a terrific caricature!

Michael Phelps - Beijing 2008

Taking a brief break from caricature art to catch the Olympic Games in Beijing and catch up on a few other projects. Seeing the phenomenon that is Michael Phelps in his quest for an Olympic record 8 gold medals inspired this caricature, taken from the 4 x 100 relay. Jason Lezak was the hero of that event with a world record time to beat the French team by the tiniest of margins. Which meant another gold for Phelps.

Editoon - George Bush and the Evangelist

For Spectrum Magazine

Jaime Jorge [work in progress]

Andy Hanson

Andy Hanson is a professor of Education at California State University, Chico, and graduated from Pacific Union College in 1963. Hanson is a blogger most famous for his regular reviews of Adventism's major periodicals including the Adventist Review, Adventist Today, and Spectrum Magazine. Hanson shares his perspectives at Adventist Perspective (that's the name of his blog) and claims sole responsibility for what is posted there. I think that is because he is the only one who posts there.

But that is not the only place he posts - Hanson also contributes to Re-inventing the Adventist Wheel and Spectrum Magazine. And for some reason or another, he's wearing Hawaiian shirts in nearly all photos of him. Most importantly, Andy Hanson shares an appreciation for the lighter side--he posts cartoons regularly that have religious, sometimes Adventist, themes. Hooray for humor!

*Look closely at the image - you'll see that it is a digital painting. What you won't see is that I made it with Microsoft Digital Image Pro (that's only because I can't afford professional grade digital drawing software right now...but some day!).

Sherman Haywood Cox, II

Sherman Haywood Cox, II. That's the longest name of any person featured on this site thus far! And the name could not apply to a more dynamic preacher / author/ blogger. Cox is a graduate of Vanderbilt University and shares all sorts of helpful homiletical stuff at his web site. It's called Sherman Haywood Cox Ministries (surprise!). He's also got lots of materials celebrating preaching in the black tradition at SoulPreaching.Com. Check it out!

Listen to his preaching, his philosophy on selecting texts to preach from, which version of the Bible to use, how to create a sermon and a whole lot more.

Sherman commented on the previous post (about some negative feedback on this blog):

Well I for one hope that one day I will see myself as worthy of being caricatured...LOL...one day we will say...'you know you made it when you been caricatured on the Caricature blog...' lol....God bless..."

To which we said, a caricature of Mr. Cox? Sure, man! (You made it)

Alternate version - Sherman's other site, the Sabbath Pulpit:

Sad news and some negative feedback (finally)

Well it was only a matter of time before someone who cares about this sort of thing noticed that the Caricatures of Adventists banner contained something that looked pretty similar to the SDA Church logo.

I received an email message from Dionne A. Parker, legal counsel for the GC, informing me that while she is not offering any opinion about the content of the blog, she does have to request that I remove the offending image. Sad news is that I'll have to remove that lovely banner that I spent a lot of time making.

But seriously now folks, is the Adventist Church's logo, identity, mission, message to the world, etc. really in danger of being diluted by my image? I didn't think so, but obviously my thoughts on the matter are secondary to the thoughts of the legal counsel. Oh well. New banner on the way that will not water down the church's logo.

--------------------------------------------

In other news this week, I finally received some negative feedback! The response to this blog (by those who have bothered to comment) has been quite positive. But I have JoAnn to thank for bringing me back to earth. At the Spectrum blog, JoAnn responded to my mention of a caricature of Doug Batchelor and Neil Nedley (Amazing Facts + Weimar). She said:

"Caricature as an encouragement? Wierd. 'Adventists of many faces' by a man of many faces? I understand backhanded compliments -- remember, I have been in public school teaching for over 30 years with union tactics aplenty which included caricatures to push their viewpoints about administration/parents/government/conservatives in a 'I am nice' way portraying caricatures as "nice." Caricatures are not nice."

She then went on to say,

"Caricatures are like acid -- not good for digestion. An entire site devoted to indigestion. That's a wow. I may have to go to Weimar for help with the indigestion -- and take Amazing Facts training while I'm there. Sounds fun to me. My nephew, who has found the Adventist health message a great help, wants to vacation at Weimar. He is a dirt biker who could lift most Adventists with one arm. So, new people are coming in with more zeal than those who have been in the church for centuries -- hum, that sentence . . . seems like I have seen it somewhere before . . .
JoAnn ;)"

The thing that impressed me most about JoAnn's comments was how caricaturish they were. "An entire site devoted to indigestion..." A wonderful caricature of this blog! A dirt-biking nephew that can lift most Adventists with one arm? That's a great caricature!

See, everyone loves a good caricature. I guess that's the good news!

Dionne Parker [Adventist Women]

I received an email today that began, "Hello: I am one of the attorneys in the General Conference Office of General Counsel..."

Dionne A. Parker, Associate General Counsel for the Seventh-day Adventist® World Headquarters recently left a high-intensity job at a Washington D.C. law firm to serve the General Conference as human resources and intellectual property matters czar for the General Conference, ADRA, Pacific Press, Review and Herald, North American Division, and Adventist Risk Management.

Part of that job is sending emails to bloggers like me and David Hamstra informing them that they are not allowed to use the church's logo or name. They're copyrighted, trademarked, registered, and protected by tanks and helicopters.

In an interview with the Adventist Review (reg. required), Parker stated that she became serious about law at Columbia Union College, and went on to receive a law degree from George Washington University.

Dionne Parker's position as protector of the copyrighted corporate church name is evidence that the church has come a long way from the Adventist pioneers who opposed organization and finally agreed to take an official name only to assure that members of the Adventist community could be pacifists with legal protection by belonging to an official organization opposed to war on moral grounds. As I've said, we have come a long way.

Ella Simmons [Adventist Women]

Dr. Ella Louise Smith Simmons, former provost at La Sierra University, is the first woman ever to hold the title of vice president of the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists. Hers is the highest position ever attained by a woman in the Adventist Church. While many in the church hailed the day when administration at the highest levels became more inclusive, others have responded with ruffled feathers.

In talking with Adventist media, Simmons said, "I think that the church really is ready for women, at all levels, and in all roles, to fully accept God’s call on their lives, and to function in those roles, officially sanctioned by the Church."

Great Controversy dot Org (which describes itself as "a positive place on the web for the three angels’ message") called the statement "troubling" and "apparently defiant". The folks at Great Controversy evidently feared a church-wide rush to ordain women, a right exclusively granted to men at present. Women cannot become president of the General Conference because the president must be ordained, and women are not ordained.

Concerning women and equality, Great Controversy (dot) org states: "God still has His hand on His church. If this is a trial balloon for Women’s Ordination, then let it be shot down." So much for a positive place on the web...

Nevertheless, we join those who welcome the election of Dr. Ella Simmons as vice-president of the General Conference!

Robert Folkenberg

Robert S. Folkenberg was president of the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists from 1990 - 1999. Folkenberg was born in Puerto Rico and attended school in Cuba. He studied at Atlantic Union College, Andrews University, and Newbold College. Pretty International chap, which is a good trait in a General Conference president. A less good trait is getting mixed up in allegations of financial impropriety. Folkenberg resigned as president because of allegations, though his resignation had to do with not wanting to mar the reputation of the church by cooperating with an investigation. His resignation did not include an admission of guilt.

Folkenberg today is very involved in worldwide evangelism. He is director of Global Evangelism for the Carolina Conference of SDA.

This is a digital painting of Robert Folkenberg I've been working on for a while. I may decide to touch it up more later if time allows it.

Valdis Zilgalvis

Valdis Zilgalvis is the president of the Baltic Union Conference of Seventh-day Adventists. Did you know there is a Baltic Conference? I didn't. Until now. And Valdis Zilgalvis is its president. That's all I know about Valdis Zilgalvis except that he is also a pastor.

This is a digital painting of Zilgalvis I've been working on for a while.

Zippy the (SDA) pinhead

Tip o' the hat to Lance for pointing out this funny little strip.
(Click to enlarge)


From Zippy the Pinhead.

Missing the Boat [Editoon]

Recent editoon for Spectrum. A bit of role reversal in Adventism vis-a-vis the larger society. We may not be speaking prophetically, but at least we're not legalist anymore, right? Right?

Weimar and Amazing Facts Join Forces

Amazing Facts and Weimar College have made buzz online recently with the announcement that they will join together. Weimar, in Northern California, closed its doors after dealing with financial inviability. Amazing Facts stepped in and gave Weimar a Fannie Mae / Freddie Mac-like bailout. Pastor Doug Batchelor, head honcho at Amazing Facts, recently announced that Dr. Neil Nedley, a relatively well-known Adventist doctor would assume the role of president of the newly reincarnate Weimar College.

Commenting on Nedley's acceptance of the Weimar presidency, Batchelor said, "I can’t imagine a more thrilling development for the future of Weimar! His addition to this new partnership between Amazing Facts and Weimar is a match made in heaven."