I am often a cynical, arrogant and misanthropic bastard. That, in my opinion, is part of what makes me a good cartoonist. When the cartoonist emeritus of the Daily's opinion page, Sam Butler, told me "keep it simple, stupid," I couldn't help but resent it. How could people be so stupid as to misinterpret or not understand my more complex cartoons? And even when I did "dumb it down," they were still misinterpreted, so what was the point anyway?

But this attitude has crumbled into joy over the last semester. Sure, I have been smeared all over the editorial page. I have been accused of being a racist. And now that one cartoon (Fetid Chumbucket, 12/08/2005), among all the others I've drawn, has become known - along with Michelle Bien's most famous work (The Bean Archives, 11/28/2005), as "certain cartoons," almost a curse. Yes, at times these developments only made me despise the "stupid masses" all the more. But ultimately, there is only joy. I have accomplished my goal. I have helped to provoke a meaningful debate on this campus. And for that, I am happy.

My goal as a cartoonist has never until now been concrete. Sometimes I sought merely to ape current events. Sometimes I have tried to carefully portray my opinions. But it wasn't until now that I realized that I have always sought to be your devil's advocate. I strive to poke the status quo, inflame it, offend it, provoke it into action. And now I have done that. In doing so, my decaying faith in humanity has, in large part, been restored: People actually do care.

So thank you all very much; now, let's see if I can do it again.

Honkala is a LSA junior and a Daily cartoonist.