San Fernando Valley : Cartoons No Laughing Matter for Teen-Ager

Matthew Levine, a former sixth-grader at the Oakwood School in North Hollywood, isn’t a real talkative 13-year-old. But he has a lot to say.

In the spirit of Thomas Nast or Garry Trudeau, Matthew makes some of his most pointed statements with cartoon sketches.

“I like drawing people,” he said. “I like to deal with real issues.”

One topic Matthew confronted last winter was the passage of Proposition 187. His political cartoon--protesting the overwhelming victory of the measure restricting public services for illegal immigrants--has been named the first prize winner among 10,000 entries in a nationwide contest sponsored by Knowledge Unlimited, a Wisconsin-based educational consultant group.

Matthew won a $100 savings bond and the honor of having his artwork displayed in a magazine read by students from all over the country.

His winning entry depicts the Statue of Liberty wearing a paper bag mask with the words “Prop. 187” written above.

“It’s saying that most Americans are now turning their heads away from immigrants,” Matthew said.

As part of an annual project directed by Knowledge Unlimited to make students more aware of events affecting their world, Matthew and his classmates thought about major issues throughout the school year. During the contest portion, they drew satirical sketches of the topics they had discussed: O.J. Simpson, affirmative action, the new Republican Congress.

Matthew is already gearing up for next year.

The sketch shows “Uncle Sam squeezing a guy in a suit. He’s supposed to be a taxpayer.”