A Tribute to the Common Man
A VERY Common Man

CooperToons caricatures have often been criticized (boy, have they ever), and chief among the criticism is that they glorify the celebrity, the windbag, the gloryhound, and never, ever do they sing praises to the common man.

As American art responding to just criticism, CooperToons realizes it has neglected to provide a truthful and historically concrete representation of reality. Moreover, the truthfulness and historical concreteness of the artistic representation of reality was never linked with the task of ideological transformation and education of the American Common Man.

No true American today - certainly not the leaders of the country - will disagree with the philosophy of the last paragraph. And so CooperToons now wishes to correct its previous errors.

If there is anything that makes America what it is today, it is the common man, the hoi polloi, the proletariat, the great unwashed. And can there be any better representation than that of the worthy gentleman pictured above and the idyllic scene so depicted?

Although the temptation is great to hide the gentleman's identity behind a pseudonym and so avoid the unwanted attention that comes with celebrity, if CooperToons is to bring the glory that is so richly deserved, it must proudly proclaim the man by name. So today CooperToons sings the praises of the life and times of Mr. William T. Cooper.

What was that name again?

William T. Cooper

William Terrell Cooper, who during his illustrious career has worn the multiple mantle of author, teacher, healer, profound defender of the Second Amendment, and part-time janitor in Pryor Creek, Oklahoma, was born of poor but honest parents of unimpeachable integrity. As the oldest son and heir to the Cooper fortune, Willliam has tried to build on his father's teachings of temperance, piety, morality, love of children, and, above all, of traditional Christian family values.

As befitting a fan of the inspirational films of Russ Meyer, it is Mr. Cooper who passes the truest test of character. Of all those who had obtained their majority during the two turbulent post-war decades, it is Mr. Cooper who has most remained faithful to his youthful ideals. Jerry Rubin became a stockbroker, Timothy Leary an informant, Che Guevara a t-shirt, Jack Kerouac a Republican. All these men failed in their life's mission.

But not William T. Cooper. He is neither a stockbroker, an informant, or a t-shirt. He may not be registered as a Republican, but in his heart he knows they're right. Truly in a world rank with opportunism, where the worship of Mammon is rampant, where (ptui) Bill Gates is the ideal of youth, there is scarcely a man who cares less for material goods than does Mr. William T. Cooper. He cares neither for money nor success nor fame, and the record of his achievements proves this conclusively.

The question naturally asked (that is, a question NATURALLY asked, not to be confused with asking a question au naturelle) is whether there is any connection with the subject of our praise and the author and artist of CooperToons.

Alas, CooperToons must, despite the similarity in names, locality of upbringing, and a two-hundred pound differential in weight, DENY EMPHATICALLY ANY RELATION OR PERSONAL KNOWLEDGE of William T. Cooper. It was purely upon spontaneous and unsolicited recommendations of William Cooper's friends - both of them - that brought this paragon of virtue to the attention of CooperToons. And CooperToons could only respond with the highest praise, and in the manner so richly deserved.

Perhaps the greatest tribute that those who know Mr. Cooper can bestow is to simply remember the words of Dr. Winnnington Ingram, late Bishop of the Church of England, speaking about his own dear friend, the great poet and author, Oscar Wilde.

"I knew Wilde," said Dr. Ingram, "and in spite of his one great vice - which was surely pathological - I never knew a man who united in himself so many lovable and Christian virtues".

So do his friends feel about William Terrell Cooper!