From political jabs, social commentary, and absurdist musings, to the narrative and visual grace of graphic novels, cartoonists have long been among the great observers and critics of human behavior. Animated cartoons, once the domain of Saturday-morning kids programming, now command high-profile time slots on network and cable television. Disney, The Simpsons, and their many progeny have built entire industries on games, apparel, toys, and the like. In many ways, we are in a golden age for cartoonists, but what does the demise of the alternative newspaper mean for the future of cartoons?