Two of America's best-known political cartoonists arecurrently being honored with public exhibitions in the nation's capitol. PatOliphant has been producing humorous sketches of Washington's most powerfulfigures for 53 years. His work is prominent in newspapers across the UnitedStates. Oliphant's contemporary, Herbert Block - better known as"Herblock" - died in 2001, but not before etching himself into thehearts of millions with his cartoons. VOA'sGeorge Dwyer recently took in tributes to these two popular Americancartoonists.

Adrienne Jamieson

Politicalcartoonist Pat Oliphant is best known for his satirical portraits ofWashington's most powerful figures. Now a new exhibit called "Leadership:Oliphant Cartoons and Sculpture from the Bush Years" is putting the fullrange of his talent on display.

Adrienne Jamieson is Director of StanfordUniversity's Stanford in Washington program, which is hosting the exhibit. "Ithink Pat Oliphant, like a handful of other great political cartoonists in thiscountry and elsewhere, is an equal opportunity satirist," Jamieson said."I have always found it very interesting that you can talk to folks ineither party at the full range of the ideological spectrum and they will alltell you that they admire his work, even if they have been the subject sometime of his satire."

The exhibit features everything from notebook sketches towall murals and even sculpture - like a bronze sculpture of former U.S.Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld. But it is his political cartoons that havemade Oliphant famous.

Jamiesonsays that - far from being offended - most politicians welcome the attention,"If you are somebody who has been depicted by Oliphant - either in one ofhis cartoons or sculptures, or one of the wonderful large panels in thisexhibit - you know that in some sense that you have made it. You are on theradar screen in the Washington community," Jamieson said.

Political cartoon

Eachcartoon offers a distinct political insight into U.S. policy. And that is alsotrue of another exhibit now on display at Washington's National PortraitGallery. The original drawings by the cartoonist known as Herblock spanseven decades of American history - sketching out the sometimes-inflated egosof presidents from Franklin Roosevelt to Bill Clinton. Curator Syd Hart saysHerblock was consistently respectful of the office of President, if not alwaysthe occupant.

"Block(Herblock) is in that long tradition of cartoonists who poke fun at governmentofficials, are critical of government officials if they feel that they aredoing something wrong or not doing what they ought to do," Hart said.

In fact hesays, Herblock felt it was his duty to point out the personal shortcomings ofAmerica's most powerful political figures.