Loon Star State

Matters of Religion

Master of Puppets

Turning Back the Clock

Loon Star State: Shredded

An older man in a Texas flag cap is reading a newspaper, confronted by a dictatorial looking person labeled "Legislature." Man: Wait, you're gutting local control ... Lege: You can't be trusted with local government ... Man: And public education? Lege: Or public education ... Man: Yeah welll ... You just wait 'til th'next election— Lege: ... And certainly not elections.

Loon Star State: Gutting

The people can't be trusted.

A cartoon of humorist Mark Twain sitting up in his coffin, reading the Texas Observer as he declares one of his most famous quotations in a speech bubble: "The report of my death was an exaggeration."

Loon Star State: Reports of Our Death …

The Texas Observer lives!

An image of a mother standing with her back to the door as her son comes back, declaring, "Home from school, Ralphie?" But Ralphie, apparently a middle school age boy, is holding an AR-15 and a bible, and wearing a NRA button and a Ku Klux Klan hood.

Loon Star State: Republican Education

The little Christofascists grow up so fast.

Apr 02, 2023

The Texas Observer Lives!

After a terrifying near-death experience, we live to muckrake another day.

by Gabriel Arana

A cartoon showing two inmates in a dirty prison cell wearing orange inmate jumpsuits. One bearded inmate is painting graffiti on the wall, reading "Nasty Eddie for Texas Attorney General" with a goofy picture of his face. The other inmate says, "You can't run for that Eddie ... You're a perpetually corrupt serial offender?" "So?" replies Eddie.

Loon Star State: Nasty Eddie

Our new endorsement for Texas Attorney General.

A cartoon showing a soldier bringing a box labelled "Rights" to an overflowing trash bin in a squalid alleyway by the "GOP Service Entrance." Already thrown away are "Truth," "Decency," "Law" and "Democracy." As a concerned anthropomorphic elephant leans out, the soldier declares, "Now what? Dumpster's Full!"

Loon Star State: The Dumpster is Full

What happens when you can't sink any lower?

In this political cartoon, a bug exterminator arrives at Uncle Sam's house, his poison tank is labeled Supreme Court. Uncle Sam looks inside to his startled partner, Lady Liberty, as he says, "Hon, are there any other rights we need exterminated?"

Loon Star State: The Rights Exterminator

In his latest political cartoon for the Observer, Ben Sargent considers the Supreme Court.

A cartoon depicting Republicans in the monk's robes, worshipping an automatic rifle on an altar surrounded by smoking incense burners. The text reads, "Moloch ... the ancient and powerful god who brooks no dissent and demands the periodic sacrifice of children ..."

Loon Star State: Moloch

In his latest political cartoon for the Observer, Ben Sargent considers the violent religious beliefs of the modern Republican party.

Loon Star State: Down the Drain

The latest in Texas politics from cartoonist Ben Sargent.