Capitalist Piglet was a comic strip that appeared briefly inThe Sheaf during 2005–2006, and is best known for a controversial installment depictingJesus Christ performingfellatio on a cartoonpig.
The strip was a collaboration between cartoonist Mark Watson (aka Marq) and Jeff MacDonald (aka Y!ph) and appeared infrequently inThe Sheaf, theUniversity of Saskatchewan students' newspaper.[1]
In the February 22, 2006, issue ofThe Sheaf, pages B1-B4 of the issue were devoted to several lengthy opinion articles and letters addressing theJyllands-Posten Muhammad cartoons controversy.[2]The Sheafeditor-in-chief, Will Robbins, wrote a 1,000-word editorial prefacing the other opinions outlining the reasons behindThe Sheaf's editorial decision not to publish any of the controversial cartoons. Robbins also indicated that the decision not to publish any of the cartoons was not unanimous among the editorial staff. Indeed, in response to this decisionThe Sheaf news editor, Jeremy Warren, resigned from the paper. The nuanced journalistic position Robbins staked forThe Sheaf was brought into question just one week later by the appearance of a controversial instalment of the Capitalist Piglet cartoon.
In the March 2, 2006, issue ofThe Sheaf, a two-panel installment of the comic strip appeared in the paper's "Comics and Humour" section depicting acaricature ofJesus performing fellatio on a top-hatted, monocle-wearing "Capitalist Piglet". The second panel includes the pig saying "It's Kosher if you don't swallow."[3]
The comic had been scanned and laid-out into the newspaper's publication software by the graphics editor. The editor-in-chief reviewed the first draft of the paper and marked the Capitalist Piglet comic for deletion from the issue. It is in dispute whether or not he also verbally instructed the graphics editor to remove it or not; regardless the comic was not removed. The issue went through several more revisions before going to print without the offending comic being withdrawn. The editor-in-chief later claimed this was a mistake and due in part to a staff shortage (ostensibly aggravated by the above-mentioned resignation of the news editor).[4][5]
In a retraction posted on page A2 of the March 9, 2006, issue,The Sheaf stated that Mark Watson was not an author of the March 2, 2006, Capitalist Piglet cartoon. In a letter appearing in that same issue, Mark Watson explained that his colleague, Y!ph, added his name to the installment "because he was using my character".[6] In the same issue, Jeff MacDonald accepted full responsibility for authoring the comic.
On March 3, 2006,University of Saskatchewan PresidentPeter MacKinnon distributed an e-mail to all university staff and students calling onThe Sheaf to apologize.
The Saskatoon daily newspaper,The StarPhoenix, published several stories about the incident, beginning on March 11, 2006.[7][4][8]
SeveralRawlco radio stations also picked up the story, in particular its Saskatchewan AM Radio Talk News stationsCKOM andCJME. Morning talk-show personality, and formerProgressive Conservative Member of Parliament,John Gormley, called on listeners to file a complaint with theSaskatchewan Human Rights Commission.
The comic was reported by other media, including the localCTV station. It gathered national media attention as well, and was heavily debated on many blogs, including the popular Saskatchewan blogSmall Dead Animals.[9]Canadian University Press also ran a wire story detailing the situation.[5][10]
Numerous letters, both supporting and attackingThe Sheaf were published in its subsequent March 9, 2006, issue on pages A11-A15.[11]
Shortly after the March 2 edition came out in print, the "Comics and Humour" section - including the offending comic - was removed fromThe Sheaf's online version.
According to Robbins' comments in aStar Phoenix article, he was invited to a Sunday meeting atThe Sheaf and informed that all the other staff and editors had lost confidence in his ability to manage the paper and asked him to resign.[4]: p. 2 Reluctantly Robbins resigned. Despite many letters of support for Robbins,[12]The Sheaf Board of Directors accepted his resignation and appointed the production manager, Liam Richards, interim editor-in-chief and primary spokesperson during the controversy. In a press release,The Sheaf Board of Directors stated that "while the board is of the view that the 'Capitalist Piglet' comic is not consistent withThe Sheaf's objectives, nor its previous editorial policy, we wish to make clear that our acceptance of his resignation was based primarily on his failure to carry out his duties diligently."[13]
| English |
| ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| French |
| ||||
| Publishers |
| ||||
| Awards | |||||
| Conventions | |||||
| People | |||||
| Shops | |||||
| Books about/D.W. Series | 1987 - D.W. Flips! 1988 - D.W. All Wet1993 - D.W. Thinks Big1993 - D.W. Rides Again!1995 - D.W. the Picky Eater1998 - D.W.'s Lost Blankie1999 - D.W. Go to Your Room!2001 - D.W.'s Library Card2003 - D.W.'s Guide to Preschool2006 - D.W.'s Guide to Perfect Manners | ||||
| TV/Arthur Adventure Series | 1980 - Arthur's Valentine1981 - The True Francine (later republished and retitled in 1996 as "Arthur and the True Francine")1982 - Arthur Goes to Camp1982 - Arthur's Halloween1983 - Arthur's April Fool1983 - Arthur's Thanksgiving1984 - Arthur's Christmas1985 - Arthur's Tooth1987 - Arthur's Baby1989 - Arthur's Birthday1990 - Arthur's Pet Business1991 - Arthur Meets the President1992 - Arthur Babysits1993 - Arthur's Family Vacation1993 - Arthur's New Puppy1994 - Arthur's Chicken Pox1994 - Arthur's First Sleepover1995 - Arthur's TV Trouble1996 - Arthur Writes a Story1997 - Arthur's Computer Disaster1998 - Arthur Lost and Found1999 - Arthur's Underwear2000 - Arthur's Teacher Moves In2011 - Arthur Turns Green | ||||
| Other | |||||
