If just a week ago I left a story with a happy ending related to the Canadian cartoonist Michael de Adder, now it's a different story with a very different outcome because he has been fired.
The cartoonist told it this way in his X account:
"I just got let go from the Halifax Chronicle Herald after almost 30 years".
And he added what would be the last cartoon the newspaper would publish the following day.
He also gave his opinion on the company's decision with some interesting reflections:
"It used to be the better you were, the safer you were at a newspaper. Now the better you are the more terrified they are.".
"I've worked with 36 editors and only one would say I was difficult. But truthfully I wasn't difficult even to him. He was an asshole.
"Post Media has no concept of the importance of editorial cartooning in Nova Scotia that has lasted since before the Second World War."
"Newspapers avoid challenging Trump, who has become a symbol of conservatism for many in the world. Instead of delivering the truth people need, they focus on normalizing his outrageous behaviour. This is the third time for me".
In fact, in 2019, de Adder was fired from New Brunswick newspapers shortly after one of his cartoons featuring Donald Trump went viral.
Brunswick News Inc (BNI) then issued a statement denying that the cartoon about Trump had anything to do with the cartoonist's dismissal. Hardly anyone believed it.
Michael de Adder, who less than two months ago won the National Cartoonists Society's Silver Reuben for his editorial pieces and has won Canada's National Newspaper Award several times, began 2024 by losing his freelance job at The Washington Post.(Source).
But it's not all bad news. The author, who still publishes for two other Cadadian dailies on a weekly and bi-weekly basis, has increased his activity on Substack, where he has seen his income increase.
On a positive note, thanks to all my new Substack subscribers.
My Substack income has gone from 15% to 25% in two days. The work I normally did for the Chronicle Herald, I will do exclusively on Substack. Free subscriptions have also doubled. Both paid and free subscriptions help me. https://deadder.substack.com
The Halifax Chronicle-Herald newspaper was part of the Saltwire network. Saltwire filed for bankruptcy earlier this year and a month ago Postmedia bought most of the group.
Post Media is Canada's largest newspaper publisher and is majority owned by US hedge fund Chatham Asset Management.
Chatham is also the largest shareholder in the 29 newspapers of the US-based McClatchy Company, which last year laid off its three editorial cartoonists on staff and has given up publishing political cartoons in the opinion pages of its newspapers.
Humour in trouble, a collection of cases
Cases of cartoonists who have had problems of some importance because of their cartoons or satirical illustrations. There are also some stories of other people who, without being cartoonists, have got into trouble for sharing them.
