Agenda Takeover: David Fitzsimmons
Agenda Takeover: David Fitzsimmons
An ink-stained wretch goes digital...
David Fitzsimmons is the legendary internationally syndicated cartoonist and opinion writer from Tucson who spent nearly 40 years scribbling and scratching away in the pages of the Arizona Daily Star until his retirement last year.
He is truly one of the weirdest people we’ve ever had the pleasure to know. And his newsletter — The Dave Fitzsimmons Newsletter/Arizona’s Progressive Voice — is just like talking to him. You’ll love it.
Fitz has graciously offered to emcee our combined Arizona Agenda birthday party/celebration of the Tucson Agenda at the Loft Cinema later this month. And we even conned him into plying his trade at the event by cartooning some poor hapless audience members. It’s gonna be fun.
Come join us on Sunday, August 27 from 3-5 p.m. at The Loft Cinema, where we’ll be swapping old reporter war stories and causing a ruckus.
Why do I love Substack? Because nothing gets between me and my readers.
Substack writers are free to follow their intuition, to choose their subject matter and to write as they wish — when they are inspired. And their success or failure depends solely on you, the reader.
How lucky is that for writers and readers at this exciting time of terrible peril?
My lifelong writing idols are Garrison Keillor, Molly Ivins and David Sedaris, and they are present in my writing.
Keillor, Ivins and Sedaris are masters of the art of seductive storytelling that lures readers into their rhetorical lairs with a warm, humorous conversational style that often makes a dark subject or a minority viewpoint palatable and unforgettable.
Keillor, the flawed former host of the Prairie Home Companion live radio variety show, may be a gifted monologist, but it is Keillor’s satirical writing I discovered in the pages of The New Yorker magazine years ago that taught me the power of satirical memoir. I recommend to you “The Keillor Reader.”
I discovered Ivins’ savage satirical political writing when I worked in the midwest. A fiercely brutal Texas liberal, Ivins’ informed and deliciously vicious newspaper columns were laugh out loud brutal takedowns of the bizarre right in Texas and the nation in general. And she popularized the phrase “piss ant.” I met her once and gushed like a fan boy.
Sedaris is a wonderful confessional observer who can wring profundity out of insignificant piffle with fresh charm and brilliance.
Substack frees me to follow these angels as I write about life here in the southwest or Arizona politics or the grandkids or whatever moves my pen.
And readers seem to like what I do.
“Moving, concise description of the American story, David. Thanks for sharing.” -M. Bryan
“Thank you for more inspirational insights in your ongoing battle of wits with the unarmed men and women in the MAGA Army of the Witless. If only humor could vanquish misinformation and hate then I might be more optimistic about the future of our nation. Nonetheless, keep up the great work!” -Chris H
“Your last three pieces have been fabulous.....beyond comments, heartfelt and nostalgic.” -Jessica M
Thank you Substack for helping me to find my wonderful supportive readers.
When I was a kid at Rincon High in the early seventies I drew cartoons for my high school paper the, “Echo,” and I also drew anti-war cartoons for an off campus alternative newspaper called “The Furious Bandersnatch” a creation of the late Hugh Holub, a brilliant satirist who went on to become an attorney in the City Attorney's office and then later in life served as the City Attorney for Nogales.
Most importantly, Baja Arizona, was Hugh’s idea. Viva Baja!
Later in life, Hugh told me he’d learned through the Freedom of Information act the FBI kept copies of his rag and my cartoons in their files.
I had so wished the Master Sergeant had been alive so I might tell the old patriot his son was in an FBI file. And here I am 50-years later still making good trouble.
Because I am a flawed coarse and vulgar man who enjoys franks speech, goddammit, I went independent because I wanted the freest format for free expression I could find for my writing. And Substack was the answer.
I’m proud of my nearly forty-year career working for a mid-sized daily as an internationally syndicated political cartoonist. In 2022, I happily retired from cartooning because I’d been drawing for decades and had begun to repeat themes and recognize repeating historical cycles and my pen simply grew heavy as a boulder after 10,000 cartoons.
About 20-years ago I was blessed to discover writing as a columnist on the opinion pages of the same daily, the Arizona Daily Star, in Tucson. I was judged best in the state by my peers more than once and I loved exploring the new art form.
At 67-years old, I was genuinely delighted when I retired from writing. That state of exuberant delight lasted about 2-weeks. Writers got to write.
Today, this news addict is gleefully proud of my second childhood endeavor: The Dave Fitzsimmons Newsletter/Arizona’s Progressive Voice — which to my immense pleasure and surprise, has been earning new subscribers daily.
“Amen, amen, and amen, Brother.” -Peggy H
“Thanks for a really great column.” -Fred F
“Nailed it.” -Nancy W
But allow this new junkie to tell you about one of my favorite news sources.
This retired journalist admires those independent journalists still in the fight. When I read the stunning news in my email box last month from my friend Hank Stephenson at Arizona Agenda I stood up from my laptop and crowed, “YES!” In a world where good reliable news sources are dying all around us here was a beacon of hope.
“Please welcome the Tucson Agenda.”
When I heard the great news that Curt Prendergast and Caitlin Schmidt were the “veteran reporters” Hank was referring to in the announcement I cheered again.
I cheered for myself because I am honored to know Caitlin and Curt personally. They are extraordinary world-class journalists, wonderful writers and profoundly thoughtful critical thinkers. Their professionalism, brilliance, grit, persistence and talent are world-class. They known southern Arizona better the anyone. They have the sources, the institutional knowledge and the persistence to kick ass.
I cheered for those of us who want to see our institutions held accountable.
I cheered for democracy because another candle is being lit in the darkness.
Come see and hear what I’m talking about on Sunday, August 27 at The Loft where I will introduce you to my friends Hank, Caitlin and Curt. Come see the future of vigorous thriving essential community journalism!
In the meantime give me a read now and then and tell me what you think of my piffle.
“David: A powerful statement of what America is about — and what the current GOP is trying to destroy. Your humor is always welcome, and your insightful commentary presses us to action.” -Monica M
“Heartbreaking, terrifying and hopeful all at the same time. Thank you!” -Mary W
“Thanks for another powerful essay. And also, thank you, or whoever takes care of this website, for making it so much easier to access. So good to just open it, without all the steps, secret code words, and whatever else made it a hassle for a techie idiot such as I, to enjoy. Forgive the hyperbole. Onward and Upward!” -Glenna S
That’s it for now. Stay sane.
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I like David’s writing!
Question for him- wasn’t the UA rag called the Frumious Bandersnatch?
I'm seriously considering subscribing to Fitzsimmons substack! Why? He being a fan of Molly Ivins is one - a woman too cool for Barbie. And two, Hank describing him as weird, because it's weird if you're not weird.