Artist apologizes for Trayvon cartoon

AUSTIN (KXAN) - The University of Texas at Austin student who drew an editorial cartoon in the Daily Texan that refers to slain teenager Trayvon Martin as a "colored boy" apologized for the drawing Wednesday saying that her intended message "fell flat.'

“I apologize for what was in hindsight an ambiguous cartoon related to the Trayvon Martin shooting," cartoonist Stephanie Eisner said in a statement. "I intended to contribute thoughtful commentary on the media coverage of the incident, however this goal fell flat.

"I would like to make it explicitly clear that I am not a racist, and that I am personally appalled by the killing of Trayvon Martin. I regret any pain the wording or message of my cartoon may have caused.”

The cartoon was critical of the way the media is handling the Trayvon Martin story. It appeared on the Daily Texan's website Monday  and was titled "Trayvon Martin and The Case of Yellow Journalism."

The cartoon takes a swipe at the way the Martin story is being reported, saying the shooter is being portrayed as "the big-bad white man (who) killed the handsome, innocent colored boy."

Although the cartoon is causing an uproar, some students on campus didn't see what all the fuss was about.

"They're cartoons, you know they're caricatures of reality and in that respect you should take them with a grain of salt," said David Hagan. "You shouldn't take them so seriously like it's an article in the New York Times."

Pulitzer Prize-winning editorial cartoonist Ben Sargent, whose work has appeared in the Austin American-Statesman for more than three decades, said anyone who pursues a career in the field must mindful of how such satire is perceived.

"When you are working as a cartoonist, it's important to know that the cartoon medium is a very powerful medium," said Sargent, who is a UT alumnus. "It's a weapon that needs to be wielded with some skill, and you want to hit the mark accurately."

The Daily Texan took down the cartoon from its website to keep it from crashing after thousands of people across the country went to check to take a look at the controversial comic.

"You had one person who was trying to be provocative in the market place of ideas, and the response was overwhelmingly, this does not represent the university," said Gregory Vincent, the vice president of Diversity and Community Affairs, at The University of Texas. "I think those responses reflect more accurately who we are as a community."

Nearly 100 students gathered to protest outside of The Daily Texan offices on campus Wednesday to demand answers as to how the image could have been published.

"Our first demand is that they publicly apologize for publishing that comic," said Bernardino Villasenor, a university student and protester. "We'd also like them to denounce Stephanie Eisner and refuse to publish any more of her cartoons."

Demands from students like Villasenor forced The Daily Texan's editors to release the following statement.

"The views expressed in the cartoon are not those of the editorial board. They are those of the artist."

"It is the policy of the editorial board to publish the views of our columnists and cartoonists, even if we disagree with them."

The cartoon, which has now received backlash from websites and media outlets across the country, has students on campus saying they're serious.

"I think people need to come to the realization that someone is dead," said freshman Demetria Lister. "There is an innocent child who died and there is a family who suffered from that death and that is nothing to joke about."