A photo snapped during a tornado in southern Alberta on June 2, 2017 has garnered international attention, much to the surprise of the family involved.
The latest incarnation was a political cartoon drawn by Matt Wuerker who works for a Washington, D.C. newspaper called Politico.
Wuerker told Global News Thursday while he has had plenty of material to inspire him lately, this past Monday he was drawing a blank.
“But then I thought maybe there is a correlation I could make with this photo I saw on Twitter and (U.S. President Donald) Trump.”
The cartoonist said he was inspired by the simplicity of the photo, “this guy with the lawnmower willfully ignoring this amazing tornado just over his shoulder.”
Wuerker said he actually didn’t think his spoof would resonate with many people, and was surprised with what happened after it was published.
“I knew it hit a nerve immediately.”
Wuerker, who has been producing political cartoons for 40 years, explained his depiction as the man, drawn as an elephant to represent the Republican Party, “seemed like an apt metaphor for the Republican’s reaction to some of the decisions that Trump is making.”
He said there are tried and true metaphors used in political cartoons, like the Titanic hitting an iceberg, and he thinks this lawn-mowing picture could become a go-to for cartoonists in the future.
Among the reactions that surprised him were a few responses from Canadians who expressed their displeasure in an American cartoonist using a Canadian image for political reasons.
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