Pat Oliphant (b. 1935) was a highly- respected syndicated political cartoonist, who was awarded a Pulitzer Prize for his work. His political cartoons offer powerful commentary on national politics in the US, along with major world events. Oliphant was especially active as a cartoonist in the 1970s through the early 2000s. According to Wikipedia, by the 1970s, he had become nationally recognized, and by the 1980s, his work was appearing in ~500 newspapers.

Oliphant's art is distinctive and his caricatured subjects are always recognizable. His perspective on political figures of the day is often biting; he says in drawing things that few would dare to say in print in local newspapers.

"An Informal Gathering" collects political cartoons from 1973 through 1977 -- a time period that can be labelled as late in "the Nixon years" through the early years of the Carter presidency. Most of the cartoons deal with issues and events that will be remembered by US citizens who spent their adulthood during this period. Nixon is recognizable as a dark, brooding figure, and Jimmy Carter, as a lightweight nincompoop out of his depth in the presidency. (See the cartoon that graces the front cover as an example).

I highly recommend this collection. Even many years after the events portrayed, its political cartoons range from amusing to acerbic, commonly thought provoking, and often powerful. If freedom on speech is ever lost in the US, it would be political cartoonists of Oliphant's talent and vision who would be among the first to go. ( )

Oliphant was the first political cartoonist that I loved. A breath of fresh air, he rescued cartoons from the old dreary editorial style and brought wit and imagination. ( )

More excellent editorial cartoons by Pat Oliphant, nearly unequalled in his field, and probably the most sheerly funny at his craft. These are from 1973 to 1977. ( )