Bad Reporter
Encyclopedia
Bad Reporter is a semi-weekly editorial
cartoon
in comic strip
format
that first appeared in the San Francisco Chronicle
on September 25, 2003.
It typically contains four panels, the first a simple black panel with a caricature
of creator Don Asmussen
and the slogan "The lies behind the truth, and the truth behind those lies that are behind that truth". The remaining three are spoofs (parodies) of newspaper articles
containing a mock-up of a prominent newspaper masthead
(such as the Chronicle or the New York Times), a headline, a simulated photograph, and a short text introduction or lead. Images are often obviously doctored file photographs or images from recent newspapers. Often there are humorous sidebars
and other graphics.
The strip grew out of an earlier effort for the paper titled The San Francisco Comic Strip. Its first topic was the recall
of Governor Gray Davis
. It then moved on to cover the 2004 presidential election
and events beyond.
The humor is generally topical and absurdist
, describing one local or national current event in the terms and context of another. The strip often focuses on political scandal
s in San Francisco, California
. For example, a panel from one 2007 strip describes a notorious brawl between students at a local Catholic high school
and a visiting Yale University
a cappella
glee club
in terms usually used with respect to the Iraq War (the 2003 United States
military action in Iraq
), with local celebrities the Brown Twins
humorously portrayed as "warlord
s" who want the college singer "occupiers
" out "right now."
The strip is syndicated by Universal Press Syndicate
.
Editorial
An opinion piece is an article, published in a newspaper or magazine, that mainly reflects the author's opinion about the subject. Opinion pieces are featured in many periodicals.-Editorials:...
cartoon
Cartoon
A cartoon is a form of two-dimensional illustrated visual art. While the specific definition has changed over time, modern usage refers to a typically non-realistic or semi-realistic drawing or painting intended for satire, caricature, or humor, or to the artistic style of such works...
in comic strip
Comic strip
A comic strip is a sequence of drawings arranged in interrelated panels to display brief humor or form a narrative, often serialized, with text in balloons and captions....
format
that first appeared in the San Francisco Chronicle
San Francisco Chronicle
thumb|right|upright|The Chronicle Building following the [[1906 San Francisco earthquake|1906 earthquake]] and fireThe San Francisco Chronicle is a newspaper serving primarily the San Francisco Bay Area of the U.S. state of California, but distributed throughout Northern and Central California,...
on September 25, 2003.
It typically contains four panels, the first a simple black panel with a caricature
Caricature
A caricature is a portrait that exaggerates or distorts the essence of a person or thing to create an easily identifiable visual likeness. In literature, a caricature is a description of a person using exaggeration of some characteristics and oversimplification of others.Caricatures can be...
of creator Don Asmussen
Don Asmussen
Don Asmussen is an American cartoonist working for the San Francisco Chronicle and Universal Press Syndicate.He was born in Rhode Island...
and the slogan "The lies behind the truth, and the truth behind those lies that are behind that truth". The remaining three are spoofs (parodies) of newspaper articles
Article (publishing)
An article is a written work published in a print or electronic medium. It may be for the purpose of propagating the news, research results, academic analysis or debate.-News articles:...
containing a mock-up of a prominent newspaper masthead
Masthead (publishing)
The masthead is a list, published in a newspaper or magazine, of its staff. In some publications it names only the most senior individuals; in others, it may name many or all...
(such as the Chronicle or the New York Times), a headline, a simulated photograph, and a short text introduction or lead. Images are often obviously doctored file photographs or images from recent newspapers. Often there are humorous sidebars
Sidebar (publishing)
In publishing, sidebar is a term for information placed adjacent to an article in a printed or Web publication, graphically separate but with contextual connection.The term has long been used in newspaper and magazine layout...
and other graphics.
The strip grew out of an earlier effort for the paper titled The San Francisco Comic Strip. Its first topic was the recall
California recall election, 2003
The 2003 California gubernatorial recall election was a special election permitted under California state law. It resulted in voters replacing incumbent Democratic Governor Gray Davis with Republican Arnold Schwarzenegger. The recall effort spanned the latter half of 2003...
of Governor Gray Davis
Gray Davis
Joseph Graham "Gray" Davis, Jr. is an American Democratic politician who served as California's 37th Governor from 1999 until being recalled in 2003...
. It then moved on to cover the 2004 presidential election
United States presidential election, 2004
The United States presidential election of 2004 was the United States' 55th quadrennial presidential election. It was held on Tuesday, November 2, 2004. Republican Party candidate and incumbent President George W. Bush defeated Democratic Party candidate John Kerry, the then-junior U.S. Senator...
and events beyond.
Absurdism
In philosophy, "The Absurd" refers to the conflict between the human tendency to seek value and meaning in life and the human inability to find any...
, describing one local or national current event in the terms and context of another. The strip often focuses on political scandal
Scandal
A scandal is a widely publicized allegation or set of allegations that damages the reputation of an institution, individual or creed...
s in San Francisco, California
San Francisco, California
San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...
. For example, a panel from one 2007 strip describes a notorious brawl between students at a local Catholic high school
Catholic school
Catholic schools are maintained parochial schools or education ministries of the Catholic Church. the Church operates the world's largest non-governmental school system...
and a visiting Yale University
Yale University
Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
a cappella
A cappella
A cappella music is specifically solo or group singing without instrumental sound, or a piece intended to be performed in this way. It is the opposite of cantata, which is accompanied singing. A cappella was originally intended to differentiate between Renaissance polyphony and Baroque concertato...
glee club
Glee club
A glee club is a musical group or choir group, historically of male voices but also of female or mixed voices, which traditionally specializes in the singing of short songs—glees—by trios or quartets. In the late 19th Century it was very popular in most schools and was made a tradition...
in terms usually used with respect to the Iraq War (the 2003 United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
military action in Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
), with local celebrities the Brown Twins
San Francisco Twins
Marian and Vivian Brown are American identical twins and icons of San Francisco, known for the appearance in media with their signature identical bright snappy outfits with hats atop their meticulously coiffed hair...
humorously portrayed as "warlord
Warlord
A warlord is a person with power who has both military and civil control over a subnational area due to armed forces loyal to the warlord and not to a central authority. The term can also mean one who espouses the ideal that war is necessary, and has the means and authority to engage in war...
s" who want the college singer "occupiers
Military occupation
Military occupation occurs when the control and authority over a territory passes to a hostile army. The territory then becomes occupied territory.-Military occupation and the laws of war:...
" out "right now."
The strip is syndicated by Universal Press Syndicate
Universal Press Syndicate
Universal Press Syndicate, a subsidiary of Andrews McMeel Universal, is the world's largest independent press syndicate. It distributes lifestyle and opinion columns, comic strips and other content. Popular columns include Dear Abby, Ann Coulter, Roger Ebert and News of the Weird...
.