Laughing all the way down

How to measure cartoonists’ confidence? Here’s a clue: Forget red -- the more black ink spilled, the bleaker the outlook. Scott Stantis used a barrelful while resurrecting a classic disaster metaphor. Steve Kelley opted for a lighter but still dark touch, co-opting another comic classic. But Signe Wilkinson hungered for something that captured the holiday spirit, and she delivered. So relax. The “fun”-damentals of satire are sound. -- Joel Pett