For over 50 years, Herbert L. Block, better known as HERBLOCK, was the voice of sanity and satire in American newspapers. His editorial cartoons were (and remain) legendary both for their wit and their savagery (see above poster for a great example). He won four Pulitzer Prizes and the Presidential Medal of Freedom for his work.
Now HBO has filmed a documentary, HERBLOCK: THE BLACK & WHITE (Premieres on HBO, Monday, January 27th, 9/8C) that traces the life of the man who wielded one of the mightiest pens in America. A number of luminaries are interviewed for the film and they are not the usual assortment of stuffy talking heads – Ted Koppel, Tom Brokaw, Jules Feiffer, Lewis Black and Jon Stewart are numbered among them. For more details, check out the press release and trailer after the jump.
HERBLOCK: THE BLACK & THE WHITE traces the life of Herbert L. Block, who started cartooning in his teens in Chicago and went on to win four Pulitzer Prizes and the Presidential Medal of Freedom during his 55 years at the Washington Post. For the better part of the 20th century, his cartoons were a must read for those in Washington and syndicated across the country. The film features interviews with political and journalism luminaries such as Ted Koppel, David Brooks, Gwen Ifill, Tom Brokaw, Jules Feiffer, Tom Friedman and Bob Schieffer, as well as comedians Lewis Black and Jon Stewart, who describes Block as a “touchstone” for political comics and satirists today. HERBLOCK: THE BLACK & THE WHITE debuts exclusively on HBO MONDAY, JAN. 27 (9:00 p.m. ET/PT).
ABOUT HERBLOCK: THE BLACK & THE WHITE
This feature documentary traces the life, times and influence of Herbert Block, whose career as an editorial cartoonist spanned over 70 remarkable years. Block’s legacy is revealed through reflections from fellow journalists (from both print and television), backstories involving many of his iconic cartoons, and Block’s own words, as spoken through an actor portraying the artist in a recreated Washington Post office overflowing with sketch pads and pens.
Over his 55-year Post career, Block worked tirelessly to meet his self-imposed quota: one cartoon, five days a week. Unlike print journalists whose columns could be dismissed or ignored, Block’s cartoons were the focal point of the paper’s editorial section, and his images spoke to his readers in an immediate, visceral way. He could not be swayed by power or politics, refusing to back down to Sen. Eugene McCarthy, whom he depicted as a boozing bully, or Richard Nixon, whose connection to Watergate was presciently depicted in early cartoons (he shared a fourth Pulitzer with the Post for its work on Watergate). Even presidents he admired (Ike, LBJ, Carter, Clinton) weren’t spared when Herblock felt they failed to live up to their promises or the standards of the office. Above all, Block’s cartoons showed his affection and affinity for the common man, and helped shape public opinion about Civil Rights, nuclear weapons, poverty, education, cigarettes and gun control.
Other HBO playdates: Jan. 28 (4:20 a.m.), 30 (11:00 a.m.), Feb. 2 (9:15 a.m.), 5 (2:15 p.m.), and 15 (3:10 p.m.)
HBO2 playdates: Jan. 29 (8:00 p.m.), 31 (7:50 a.m.), Feb. 6 (9:35 a.m.), and 24 (2:30 p.m.)