"1981 Retrospective” by David Simpson

1981.12 “1981 Retrospective”
David Simpson (ca. 1948-)
17 x 24 in. ink on art board

David Simpson was the editorial cartoonist for the Tulsa Tribune from 1971 to 1992 and the Tulsa World from 1992 to 2005. The advent of the internet sleuth was not kind to Simpson. On November 11, 2005, Simpson was accused of plagiarism for the first time. A number of other swipes were uncovered through 2011, at which point he retired.

This cartoon, with its sprawling collage of pop culture, politics, sports, and international affairs, is a year-in-review piece from 1981. Harrison Ford as Indiana Jones – Raiders of the Lost Ark was released June 1981. Mark Hamill as Luke Skywalker – The Empire Strikes Back was released in 1980; he remained highly visible through 1981. Burt Reynolds in cowboy hat keeps him familiar; Cannonball Run was released in 1981. Paul Newman (?) likely present as a pop-culture icon rather than from a specific 1981 release, though Absence of Malice came out in 1981.

The popular Superman II was released in 1981, and the joke about Superman being grounded is a satirical reference to the 1981 PATCO strike, when Reagan famously fired over 11,000 striking air traffic controllers. The Khadaffy (Muammar Gaddafi) being declared unintelligent by a space probe likely refers to the Voyager missions (Voyager 2 made its landmark survey of Saturn and its moons in 1981) and reflects Gaddafi’s growing notoriety in US foreign policy. Libya took down two US jets in 1981.

Sugar Ray Leonard defeated Thomas Hearns in the “Showdown” on September 16, 1981. John McEnroe was at the height of his fame in 1981 after winning Wimbledon and the US Open, and his bad-boy antics were front-page news. The LA Dodgers pitcher is likely Fernando Valenzuela, whose breakout 1981 season with the LA Dodgers (and their World Series win) made him a phenomenon.

The cartoon shows Reagan having “roped” Congress—a reference to his initial legislative success in 1981 despite a Democratic House led by Tip O’Neill. Ted Kennedy and other liberal figures were vocal critics that year. The Mediterranean fruit fly crisis hit California hard in 1981, resulting in pesticide controversy and tension under Governor Jerry Brown.

The image of Kissinger clinging to Nixon and Ford, and Carter upside down is not particularly easy to pin down. It could be a retrospective take on 1970s foreign policy and economic confusion, a common target of Reagan-era cartoons. Given the apparent sympathy of the artist to Reagan, these antecedent figures crowding out the upside Carter might make sense, although it is a lot more abstract than the rest of the scenes. The year 1981 marked the first full post-Carter year. With Reagan taking office in January, editorial cartoonists and commentators were already comparing and contrasting the four previous administrations, especially in light of economic turmoil, Middle East policy, and the Iran hostage crisis.

Pac-Man debuted in 1980 and became a craze by 1981. Space Invaders was earlier (1978–79), so we get the generational turnover in gaming. The inclusion of the Israeli plane dropping bombs refers to one of the major Israeli airstrikes from 1981, which were widely covered and controversial. The pilot “Menny” is the nickname of Menachem Begin.

Even though Elvis Presley had passed away in 1977, he remained a prominent figure in the popular culture. In March 1981, Elvis's version of "Guitar Man," a song originally recorded by Jerry Reed, reached the #1 spot on the Billboard Country Chart. The documentary "This is Elvis" premiered in March 1981. A vinyl LP titled "W.C. Fields – The Original Voice Tracks From His Greatest Movies" was released in 1981. This suggests a continued interest in his comedic works and recordings, indicating his lasting presence in popular culture.