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Cartoonist Decries Charlie Hebdo Killings With Defiance

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Political cartoonist Gary Varvel of The Indianapolis Star is one of many who are responding to the attacks on the Charlie Hebdo offices with their pen and brush.

Varvel told Here & Now's Robin Young about his illustration and why he will not allow the attack to stop him from exercising his right to freedom of speech.

"I'm not walking in fear today; I came into the office. It was just like a normal day," he said. "I don't plan on changing anything that I'm doing."

Interview Highlights

On how cartoonists should respond to these attacks
"They cut down some of us but now more of us need to rise up and take a stand. I personally am not trying to provoke people, but at the same time, if they're attacking our freedom of speech, the worst thing that we can do is to stop doing what we do... because that just encourages more people to make those kinds of threats."
On supporting Charlie Hebdo's mission over its content

"European standards are a lot different. They publish stuff over there and their language and imagery is a lot coarser than what any mainstream newspaper would print... I saw one that was drawn about Jesus Christ that as a Christian I was personally offended by. But there again, I'm not gonna say they can't print that because if I start dictating to other people about what they can print and what they can't, then it's gonna come back on me as well. At some point, people are going to say, 'Okay, you can't do this either.'"

14 Cartoons In Response To The Attack On Charlie Hebdo






"Oh no... not them..."

"This is a tragedy for France..."



"I am Charlie"

"Wholeheartedly with Charlie Hebdo."

Guest

This segment aired on January 8, 2015.

More cartoons in reaction to the attack in Paris:

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