David Rees (cartoonist)
Encyclopedia
David Thomas Rees is a left-wing cartoonist
and humorist whose best-known work combines bland clip art
with outrageous "trash talk
" to incongruous effect. The comic strips, often overtly political, have achieved wide popularity, while baffling or disgusting some readers.
Rees grew up in Chapel Hill
, North Carolina
, where he was an avid reader of Rex Morgan, M.D.
comics. He is a graduate of Oberlin College
, for whose student newspaper he drew some comic strips. His office-cubicle humor is partly inspired by a stint working in a basement for Citicorp
; he was later a part time fact-checker for Maxim
magazine and Martha Stewart Weddings
magazine until laid off.
Rees lives in Beacon, New York
.
Of Rees' comic series, the best known and most controversial is Get Your War On
. He is also the author of the comic strips My New Fighting Technique is Unstoppable, My New Filing Technique is Unstoppable, and Adventures of Confessions of Saint Augustine Bear.
Since May 2005 he has been a contributing blog
ger at The Huffington Post
.
Rees created a comic strip containing a glowing review (written in his characteristic style) of John Hodgman
's satirical almanac The Areas of My Expertise
, which is featured on that book's Internet site.
Cartoonist
A cartoonist is a person who specializes in drawing cartoons. This work is usually humorous, mainly created for entertainment, political commentary or advertising...
and humorist whose best-known work combines bland clip art
Clip art
Clip art, in the graphic arts, refers to pre-made images used to illustrate any medium. Today, clip art is used extensively in both personal and commercial projects, ranging from home-printed greeting cards to commercial candles. Clip art comes in many forms, both electronic and printed. However,...
with outrageous "trash talk
Trash-talk
Trash-talk is a form of boast or insult commonly heard in competitive situations , primarily in the US. It is often used to intimidate the opposition, but can also be used in a humorous spirit...
" to incongruous effect. The comic strips, often overtly political, have achieved wide popularity, while baffling or disgusting some readers.
Rees grew up in Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, North Carolina
Chapel Hill is a town in Orange County, North Carolina, United States and the home of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and UNC Health Care...
, North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
, where he was an avid reader of Rex Morgan, M.D.
Rex Morgan, M.D.
Rex Morgan, M.D. is an American soap-opera comic strip, created in 1948 by psychiatrist Dr. Nicholas P. Dallis under the pseudonym Dal Curtis. It maintained a readership well over a half-century, and in 2006 it was published in more than 300 U.S. newspapers and 14 foreign countries, according to...
comics. He is a graduate of Oberlin College
Oberlin College
Oberlin College is a private liberal arts college in Oberlin, Ohio, noteworthy for having been the first American institution of higher learning to regularly admit female and black students. Connected to the college is the Oberlin Conservatory of Music, the oldest continuously operating...
, for whose student newspaper he drew some comic strips. His office-cubicle humor is partly inspired by a stint working in a basement for Citicorp
Citigroup
Citigroup Inc. or Citi is an American multinational financial services corporation headquartered in Manhattan, New York City, New York, United States. Citigroup was formed from one of the world's largest mergers in history by combining the banking giant Citicorp and financial conglomerate...
; he was later a part time fact-checker for Maxim
Maxim (magazine)
Maxim is an international men's magazine based in the United Kingdom and known for its pictorials featuring popular actresses, singers, and female models, sometimes pictured dressed, often pictured scantily dressed but not fully nude....
magazine and Martha Stewart Weddings
Martha Stewart Weddings
Martha Stewart Weddings is a weddings magazine published by Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia. Martha Stewart Weddings was launched as an annual publication in 1994, and was expanded to quarterly in 1999. It is the second magazine title published by Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, and is primarily...
magazine until laid off.
Rees lives in Beacon, New York
Beacon, New York
Beacon is a city located in Dutchess County, New York, United States. The 2010 census placed the city total population at 15,541. Beacon is part of the Poughkeepsie–Newburgh–Middletown, NY Metropolitan Statistical Area as well as the larger New York–Newark–Bridgeport,...
.
Of Rees' comic series, the best known and most controversial is Get Your War On
Get Your War On
Get Your War On is a series of satirical comic strips by David Rees about political topics — originally the effects of the September 11 attacks on New York City but quickly switching focus to more recent ones, in particular the "War on Terrorism"...
. He is also the author of the comic strips My New Fighting Technique is Unstoppable, My New Filing Technique is Unstoppable, and Adventures of Confessions of Saint Augustine Bear.
Since May 2005 he has been a contributing blog
Blog
A blog is a type of website or part of a website supposed to be updated with new content from time to time. Blogs are usually maintained by an individual with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video. Entries are commonly displayed in...
ger at The Huffington Post
The Huffington Post
The Huffington Post is an American news website and content-aggregating blog founded by Arianna Huffington, Kenneth Lerer, and Jonah Peretti, featuring liberal minded columnists and various news sources. The site offers coverage of politics, theology, media, business, entertainment, living, style,...
.
Rees created a comic strip containing a glowing review (written in his characteristic style) of John Hodgman
John Hodgman
John Kellogg Hodgman is an American author, actor, and humorist. In addition to his published written works, such as The Areas of My Expertise, More Information Than You Require, and That Is All, he is known for his personification of a PC in contrast to Justin Long's personification of a Mac in...
's satirical almanac The Areas of My Expertise
The Areas of My Expertise
The Areas of My Expertise is a satirical almanac by John Hodgman. It is written in the form of absurd historical stories, complex charts and graphs, and fake newspaper columns. Among its sections are a list of 700 different hobo names and complete descriptions of "all 51" US states...
, which is featured on that book's Internet site.
Books by Rees
- Get Your War On. Brooklyn: Soft Skull, 2002. ISBN 1-887128-76-X
- My New Fighting Technique is Unstoppable. New York: Riverhead, 2003. ISBN 1-57322-373-5
- My New Filing Technique is Unstoppable. New York: Riverhead, 2004. ISBN 1-57322-382-4
- Get Your War On II. New York: Riverhead, 2004. ISBN 1-59448-048-6
- Get Your War On: The definitive account of the war on terror, 2001 - 2008. Brooklyn: Soft Skull, 2008. ISBN 1-59376-213-5
Other activities
In July 2010, Rees announced his Artisanal Pencil Sharpening service, where for $12.50 plus $2.50 S&H, people can mail in their own pencils to be sharpened, or receive a sharpened pencil provided by the craftsman. According to the site, "...craftsman David Rees still practices the age-old art of manual pencil sharpening. His artisanal service is perfect for artists, writers, and standardized test takers. Shipped with their shavings and a 'certificate of sharpening', these extra-sharp pencils make wonderful gifts."External links
- MNFTIU - David Rees's site, an initialism for My New Fighting (or Filing) Technique Is Unstoppable
- Artisanal Pencil Sharpening
- Video of David Rees' Talk at Columbia
- David Rees on The Huffington Post
- David Rees interview by Travis Jeppesen
- OUR ART SITE DOT COM Interviews David Rees
- Video of Get Your War On on 236.com
- URL Shortening Service For Twitter