On Friday several people sent this cartoon to PZ Myers the well-known cephalopodophile, not only because of the subject matter (Donald Rumsfeld leaving) but most especially because of the octopuses (octopi?) that greet Rummy as he descends the stairs.
Don’t miss the comments thread: PZ confessed that he just didn’t get why The Guardian’s cartoonist Steve Bell drew this cartoon in this particular way, and that cued the commenters to jump in with a little history lesson. Steve Bell based his “Donald Rumsfeld’s Departure” on a famous John Tenniel cartoon titled “Dropping the Pilot” which shows Kaiser Wilhelm watching the exit of Chancellor Bismarck.
More about Steve Bell:
The Guardian- Steve Bell archive
More about Sir John Tenniel:
Bell always rocks.
I think he uses an eight-foot whale harpoon for a pen; the way he skewers his subjects.
The only discrepancy between Rummy and Bismarck is that Bismarck worked to prevent the narcissistic idiot child at the top from screwing up the ship of state.