An event that was set to showcase the work of Pulitzer Prize-winning cartoonist Adam Zyglis at the Buffalo History Museum has been postponed due to mounting public backlash and alleged death threats following a controversial illustration he published in The Buffalo News. The illustration, titled “Swept Away,” depicts a man in a red MAGA hat submerged in floodwaters, holding a sign that reads “HELP” while a speech bubble nearby references the Republican belief that “Gov’t is the problem, not the solution.”
The Buffalo Newspaper Guild announced the postponement of the event, titled “Drawing Support for Local Journalism,” citing serious concerns about public safety and the threats directed at Zyglis. The cartoonist has reportedly received death threats over the illustration, prompting an investigation by the Buffalo police Threat Management Unit.
The illustration was a commentary on the devastating flood in central Texas on July 4, which claimed the lives of 120 people with 161 still missing. The event at the Buffalo History Museum was meant to celebrate the closing of a two-decade retrospective of Zyglis’s work and launch the guild’s Protect Local Journalism community campaign.
Despite the postponement, both the guild and the museum plan to reschedule the event. They condemned the individuals responsible for the threats against Zyglis and emphasized the importance of supporting local journalism in the face of growing challenges and pressures on news organizations.
Zyglis and The Buffalo News have yet to comment on the situation. The guild urged the public to speak out against the intimidation tactics directed at Zyglis and to support their campaign to protect local journalism, emphasizing the crucial role of a free press in society.
