Canadian Cartoonist Fired After His Trump Cartoon Goes Viral UPDATED

By Ed Scarce — June 29, 2019

I've used 'fired' in the headline, but more accurately de Adder had his contract terminated with the Brunswick News, a privately-held publishing company that operates in New Brunswick, Canada. The sole owner, James K. Irving is one of the wealthiest people in Canada and he and his family have a vast array of interests and holdings, many of them dependent on access to the United States. So, when their little newspapers published a political cartoon that went viral completely excoriating the vile and hateful border practices of Trump something had to give.

Source: Daily Cartoonist

Michael de Adder was born, raised, and educated in New Brunswick province and was a regular presence in its newspapers. Brunswick News Inc., which owns the Saint John Telegraph-Journal, the Moncton Times & Transcript, and the Moncton Daily Gleaner, has now disassociated itself from de Adder.

The above cartoon is apparently the one that went a step too far for Brunswick News Inc.

According to Wikipedia de Adder “draws approximately 10 cartoons weekly and, at over a million readers per day, he is considered the most read cartoonist in Canada.”

Also, according to Wikipedia, de Adder is a past president of the Association of Canadian Editorial Cartoonists. In 2013, he was nominated for the National Cartoonists Society's Reuben Award for the top editorial cartoon in North America for a cartoon that depicted the NRA holding the Statue of Liberty with a gun to her head.

The highs and lows of cartooning. Today I was just let go from all newspapers in New Brunswick. #editorialcartooning #nbpoli #editorialcartooning

— Michael de Adder (@deAdder) June 28, 2019

My cartoons will no longer appear in @TimesTranscript @DailyGleaner @TJProvincial @TJGreaterSJ

— Michael de Adder (@deAdder) June 28, 2019

BTW: I'm not a victim. I just finished a book, that will be out in September and I still freelance for some amazing newspapers. It's a setback not a deathblow.

— Michael de Adder (@deAdder) June 28, 2019

I'm not the type of person who's going to make a career out of being fired.I'm still successfully drawing cartoons for other publications.I just need to recoup a percentage of my weekly income and get used to the idea I no longer have a voice in my home province.

— Michael de Adder (@deAdder) June 29, 2019

UPDATE: And this one--

But in the past 2 weeks I drew 3 Trump cartoons. 2 went viral and the third went supernova and a day later I was let go. And not only let go, the cartoons they already had in the can were not used. Overnight it was like I never worked for the paper. Make your own conclusions.

— Michael de Adder (@deAdder) July 1, 2019

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