R.I.P. cartoonist Mike Lane: ‘rude, vicious, tough’; we wouldn’t have it any other way

For 32 years, from 1972 to 2004, Mike Lane’s editorial cartoons brought wit and humor to The “Sunpaper’s” editorial pages. Though some readers in the early ’90s characterized his work as “unfair, rude, vicious, tough, in bad taste, liberal [and] disdainful of the president,” who was at the time, George H.W. Bush, we’re fairly certain the criticism, recounted in a 1992 profile by The Sun’s reader representative, didn’t faze him. In fact, he likely took it as a sign of a job well done.

Here’s how he described his role then, at 52, “It’s not enough to simply depict opposing factions. It’s good to pick a fight. But it’s not noble or courageous; it’s just my job. Any less is pandering to popular opinion. Too many cartoonists value popularity over doing their jobs. I have a long history of angry letters to the editor. One of my proudest is from the general counsel to the National Rifle Association.”

Mike, who died over the weekend, fought the good fight and didn’t pull any punches. He made us proud.