To end the first official week of the 2008 presidential campaign, I offer a sampler of current and forthcoming events devoted to picturing politics.
    Tonight, September 12, the reception for "Politcs 08" opens at The Museum of American Illustration at the Society of Illustrators (through October 4). The exhibition showcases the original art from contemporary illustrators focusing on this year’s long campaign--and there is a lot of it. Curated by Edel Rodriguez, the show features the work of Steve Brodner, Philip Burke, Tim O'Brien, Hanoch Piven, Stephen Kroninger, Luba Lukova, and Barry Blitt (he of the New Yorker cover fame).
    On Monday, September 15, the first of three roundtables in the "Art and Science of Politics" series begins at the Philoctetes Center in New York, focusing its discussion on Left and Right: What Neuroscience is Revealing About Political Thought. October 22 will be devoted to "The Design of Influence."
    On November 15, the Illustration Program, Parsons the New School for Design, and the Politics Department, New School for Social Research, present a daylong symposium, "Picturing Politics," featuring Eisner award-winning comic artist Rutu Modan (Exit Wounds), as well as Peter Kuper, Steve Brodner, Luba Lukova, and Barry Blitt (he of, well, you know), among others.
    If you happen to be in Berlin next month, the exhibition "Arthur Szyk: Drawing Against National Socialism and Terror" on view at the German Historical Museum (below) celebrates one of the most brilliant political satirists of his day.
    However, if you can't attend any of these events, you might want to play with the latest crop of candidate dolls (including the Sarah Palin doll above). Bring your own campaign to life in the privacy of your own home--it's like being there, only different.