“The Mysterious Islands” Premiere

I had the privilege last night of attending the Durham, NC premiere of “The Mysterious Islands”, a fantastic documentary/adventure film that looks at the Galapagos Islands and the work of Charles Darwin through the lens of Creationism. I have been honored to work with Doug Phillips, the film’s executive producer, and his son Joshua by contributing my cartoon talents toward promoting the film (Visit “Doug’s Blog” to see my cartoon promotions and other news related to the film http://tiny.cc/rrXOd).

“The Mysterious Islands” is a wonderful work, demonstrating both the beauty and genius of creation and the importance of appreciating this creation through a God-honoring perspective. The photography, music, and production quality of this film are breath-taking. Visit the film’s website at http://www.themysteriousislands.com/ to find out more.

Joining the Twitterpation Nation

I said I would never do it. But I am forced to announce that several weeks ago I finally joined the Twitter bandwagon and got a Twitter account. You can follow me now at http://www.twitter.com/benlansing

Find out the instant new cartoons are uploaded to benlansing.com… get my running commentary on current events… subject yourself to my random bablings about movies, music, history, books, and more. I have to admit I found Twitter to be kind of creepy initially. I mean, seriously, do I really want people to be ‘following’ my thoughts and actions on a moment by moment basis? But now, after several weeks of ‘tweeting’ (a word I will always find stupid and repugnant) I must say there are many benefits to Twitter……… and it’s kinda fun. So join in! I’m now part of the Twitter cult. There’s no reason you shouldn’t be either.

Now Available: The First "Out of Order" Cartoon Book

It’s official: the first printed collection of Out of Order cartoons is now available. Compiling the greatest moments from the past three years and a half years of cartooning, “Out of Order: Cartoons 2005-2009″ is a great retrospective of all of the cultural, social, political, and just plain crazy topics addressed by Out of Order over the years. Click the button below to learn more and get your copy today!

VPA Awards

Many thanks again this year to the Virginia Press Association and my friends at the Southside Messenger and the Central Virginian. This year my art received a total of four awards from the Virginia Press Association, including: - 1st Place in Informational Graphics (Southside Messenger)- 1st Place in Illustrations (Southside Messenger)- 1st Place in Editorial Cartoons (Southside Messenger)- 2nd Place in Editorial Cartoons (The Central Virginian)God has blessed me so much with this incredible opportunity to share my drawings with readers on a regular basis. Thanks to all my readers for another great year as a cartoonist/illustrator!

Inauguration Cartoon

Some have said that my 1/19 cartoon about Obama’s inauguration was a bit… harsh. A bit insensitive to the historic day that Obama’s inauguration represented. I just can’t see how, with all that Obama has said about the Constitution, he can swear an oath to uphold it. The words that I inserted into Obama’s oath are his actual words. Watch this clip to hear Obama’s words for yourself.I sincerely hope that Obama turns out to be a great president, and I’m praying that the Lord gives him wisdom. But if Mr. Obama is consistent with the policies and beliefs he has expressed in the past, I’m afraid he’s going to be about as friendly to the constitution as… well… George W. Bush.

My Thoughts on the Election

With election day only a few short days away, I thought I would give a final wrap-up of my thoughts about the decision Americans must make. In February 2007, I expressed my concern that Americans were clinging to labels, foolishly accepting words and symbols, rather than taking the time to truly analyze ideas and beliefs (click here to read this post). In the following months, I let my cartoons express my opinion about the election and, as you can probably tell, I’m not a fan of either Obama or McCain. Both candidates have demonstrated an unwillingness to uphold the constitution and protect liberty. In my opinion, the decision about the direction of our country will not be made on election day. It has already been made by the two main political parties. May God have mercy on our nation. …But on a brighter side, mind-boggingly frustrating national and world events generate some great cartoon ideas. The scarier, more frustrating things get, the more I feel inspired as a cartoonist. Sure, Obama and McCain may both want to end our nation as we know it and take it to some scary places… But who says we can’t laugh along the way? So be sure to read benlansing.com regularly… Because it looks like the joke fodder is only going to get better from here on out.

Newseum News

My thanks to John Seigenthaler, Sr. for nominating my work for the Pulitzer this year. I was proud to see that one of my favorite editorial cartoonists, Mike Ramirez, received the award this year. Ramirez is, without a doubt, one of the most talented cartoonists in his field.

In other news, The Newseum, the national museum of the news in Washington D.C., opens today. Featured among the archives in this amazing new Pennsylvania Ave. building will be my Pulitzer-nominated “Today, We Are All Hokies” cartoon along with some of my original sketches.