When I first heard about this on Twitter I was taken aback. An openly antisemitic cartoon in one of Toronto's largest papers, in 2023? Then I learned it was in the Toronto Sun, a rightwing tabloid-type paper that is similar to the New York Post. Then I looked at the cartoon and saw that it was done by Gary Varvel of Creators Syndicate and it all started to make sense. Varvel describes himself as "Christian, conservative, cartoonist and speaker in that order." Varvel was the longtime cartoonist for the Indianapolis Star before his cartoons ran him afoul of management, with one in particular of Dr. Christine Blasey Ford, the woman who accused Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh of sexual assault earning nationwide criticism and a hasty retirement soon after from Varvel. The Washington Post wrote that Varvel’s “stringently conservative comics have turned heads for years.” Another way of saying he was MAGA before there was MAGA, that's how far right his cartoons are. Often unfunny and just plain offensive.
So, today the Toronto Sun and their editor ran an abject apology and said that Gary Varvel's cartoons would no longer appear in their newspaper.
Source: Toronto Star
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau slammed a newspaper Thursday for running a cartoon perceived as using antisemitic tropes as he raised concerns about the rising number of antisemitic incidents in Canada.
Trudeau said everyone has a role to play to ensure Canadians are there for each other, and treat people with understanding and compassion rather than playing to stereotypes.
“But I also need to make sure we are calling out incidents of antisemitism wherever they rear their heads. And on that, specifically, the Toronto Sun editorial cartoon — which promoted, which published the worst kind of antisemitic content — was absolutely unacceptable,” he said after a housing announcement in Toronto.
The cartoon, by a U.S.-based artist, was published in Wednesday’s Toronto Sun, and depicts Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy who is Jewish, walking alongside U.S. President Joe Biden, with Zelenskyy appearing to pull a wallet out of Biden's back pocket.
The drawing of Zelenskyy exaggerates his facial features in a manner commonly seen in antisemitic caricature.
The cartoon has also been criticized for amplifying Russian propaganda and encouraging the anti-Ukraine sentiment that's now part of U.S. political discourse.
One of the many registering their disgust on Twitter.
The Sun and presumably the editor who okayed it without a second thought later apologized.
Their apology and the subsequent removal of the loathsome Gary Varvel from their editorial cartoons.
Earlier this week, we ran a cartoon depicting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy picking the pocket of U.S. President Joe Biden.
The cartoon did not meet our editorial standards, we were wrong to run it and we apologize.
It falsely implied American aid to Ukraine involves theft.
It was hurtful to Canadians of Ukrainian origin, and to all Ukrainians, fighting an existential struggle against Russian aggression.
It also used anti-Semitic stereotypes in its depiction of Zelenskyy.
It was hurtful to Canadians of Jewish origin, and to the Jewish people, currently under assault from a global wave of anti-Semitism.
We failed them and we failed all of you, our readers.
The syndicated cartoonist behind the cartoon will no longer run in our newspaper.
We promise to do better in the future.
An indignant reader summed it up well.
Shame on The Toronto Sun for depicting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy picking the pocket of U.S. President Joe Biden for necessary aid in its war with Russia (Gary Varvel cartoon, Dec. 20). You’re sounding just like Russian ‘Trumped-up’ stooges.
Gerry Young, Toronto
