CARTOONISTS DEMAND ACTION TO END GUN VIOLENCE

I'm so proud to have organized this film, "Cartoonists Demand Action to End Gun Violence," for Mayors Against Illegal Guns (co-chaired by New York City Mayor Bloomberg and Boston Mayor Thomas Menino).

Click HERE to see the video on the Demand Action website, with a slideshow of the artwork.

For myself and many of the contributing cartoonists, this was a unique experience, shedding our badges as humorists, satirists and storytellers, and creating artwork as unabashed advocates. But fighting gun violence has become a singular issue, and I was deeply gratified that this group of incredibly talented artists joined me at the drawing board to demand action.

When I asked cartoonists to create artwork the this project, I was shocked at how enthusiastically and passionately they agreed. And when I thanked them for helping, I was amazed that so many thanked me for organizing the project and for including them.

This issue mobilizes people like nothing I've ever seen. We were able to enlist the Academy Award-winning director/producer Peggy Stern to direct the film, with animation by Brandon Roots and Paul Penczner and their team at Buffalo Pictures. And the music was composed by Ron Sadoff.

And to narrate the film: Philip Seymour Hoffman and Julianne Moore!

Despite all this amazing talent's refusal to accept my thanks, I remain eternally grateful for their brilliant contributions.

Particularly after the recent Senate vote to filibuster even modest, common sense reforms that 90% of Americans supported, we need to fight to keep the pressure on however we can -- to let legisislators and lobbyists know that Americans will not give up, and this issue will not go away.

I hope you enjoy the film, and that it will inspire you to take an active role in this fight against gun violence.

AND PLEASE HELP SPREAD THE WORD RIGHT NOW BY PASSING THIS VIDEO ON, ANY WAY YOU CAN -- EMAIL, FACEBOOK, TWITTER, BLOG, MYSPACE, AOL CHAT, TELEGRAPH, ETC ETC!

The film includes illustrations by:

Lalo Alcaraz

Bill Amend

Ruben Bolling

Jim Borgman

Steve Brodner

Roz Chast

Jeff Keane

Rick Kirkman

Peter Kuper

Mike Luckovich

David Mazzucchelli

Stephan Pastis

Mike Peters

Lincoln Peirce

Dan Piraro

Ted Rall

Dave Roman

Jerry Scott

Art Spiegelman*

Raina Telgemeier

Tom Tomorrow

Garry Trudeau

Mo Willems

(*All artwork is original for this film, except Art Spiegelman's piece, which was originally published on the September 23, 1993 issue of The New Yorker.)