Thomas Nast Influence
Unlike other Jedis, Thomas Nast wielded a pencil instead of a light saber that gave him some pretty awesome super powers. His top super power was his masterful drawings that could sway public opinion. Whether it was a social or political issue, Nast's cartoons could change minds and influence the popular opinion. He did so without having to use the Force. Another awesome super power that Nast possessed was his staying power. Not another political cartoonist is as widely recognized over 100 years later like Thomas Nast is. His images of Santa Claus and Christmas are still traditions today and will likely last for generations to come. The elephant, the Republican party mascot, was introduced by Thomas Nast and he helped to popularize the Democratic donkey. A third super power of Thomas Nast was he had a lot of gumption, more so than most people today. He held true to his convictions and beliefs and refused to draw images that he did not
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believe in. Despite death threats against him and his family, he refused to back done when calling out corruption. He adamantly refused to accept bribes and could not be bought. He would not allow the Dark Side to manipulate or cow him. Thomas Nast had many other super powers but his the one that rounds out the top four was his championing of minorities and immigrants. He had no problem taking on the dangerous Ku Klux Klan and portraying them as the evil people they were. He drew images that supported the end of slavery and voting rights for African Americans. He was not afraid of the Chinese immigrants and took on their cause in his cartoons. He was also a supporter of wildlife conservation, which was not a very noteworthy cause at the time.
Weaknesses Despite being a Jedi Master, Thomas Nast did have some short comings that show the Dark Side's influence on him. Thomas Nast's main weakness was that his drawings often perpetuated stereotypes and his drawings of certain groups of people could almost be considered racist. Irish Catholics were always depicted as rather simian looking, as were African Americans even though he was a proponent of their plight. His depiction and hatred of the Irish Catholics stems from an incident in 1863 where he witnessed them burning down an African-American Orphanage. Nast was definitely toying with the Dark said because Master Yoda said “Fear is the path to the dark side…fear leads to anger…anger leads to hate…hate leads to suffering.” Another of Nast's weaknesses was that he was too stubborn and out of touch with the changing times after the Civil War. Harper's Weekly, Nast's Employer, wanted to appeal more to the general public rather than focus solely on politics after the Civil War. A growing demographic of women and immigrants, both who were becoming more literate, prompted this change at Harper's Weekly. Nast was stubborn in the fact that he only wanted to draw political cartoons not cater to the new demographics desire. For a man that provided Illustrations for more than 100 books at that time, it seems rather pig-headed that he refused to do the same for his employer. Especially considering that when he began at Harper's Weekly, his illustrations, which were more sentimental in nature, were meant to pull at the viewer's heartstrings. Master Yoda would for sure have him standing on his head in Dagobah to soften his stubborn ways.
Origin Story
As a young Padawan, Thomas Nast was born in Landua, Germany on September 27, 1840 to Appolonia and Joseph Nast. Due to his disagreement with the political climate in Germany at the time, Joseph sent his family to America in 1846. Speaking little English, Thomas had a difficult time in school. Early on he became the victim of a prank that would change Thomas' attitude towards school. A boy directed him to the wrong line to wait in, the spanking line. Thomas, who was unable to communicate with the teacher, was spanked, afterwords he ran home and refused to return to the English speaking school. Appolonia enrolled him in a German speaking school but the damage was done. He could have given into hate and became a Sith but instead he found his interest turning to doodling. At age 14, he left school and went to study at the National Academy of Design for a year.
Thomas Nast graduated to the rank of Jedi Knight in 1856 when he began his career as an illustrator and draftsman. He honed his skills for the next five years while traveling around the Galaxy, mainly Europe, covering sporting events and Garibaldi's campaign to unite Italy. He took one step closer to becoming a Jedi Master when he began his work at Harper's Weekly in 1862. It was here that he learned his pencil was truly mightier than the light saber. He visited battlefields of the Civil War, where his drawing were sent back to Harper's Weekly and often given two-page spreads. As his notoriety grew, his illustrations began to highlight social and political issues. President Lincoln credited his re- election in 1864 to one of Nast's political cartoons.
After the end of the Civil War, Thomas Nast had finally become a true Jedi Master. His political cartoons attacked greedy and corrupt politicians like William "Boss" Tweed. Over 4 years, Nast's cartoons attacked Tweed relentlessly showing him as the crooked and sleazy guy he was. Finally in
1873, Tweed was arrested and his crime ring brought down partly because of Nast's cartoons.
His attacks on politicians were not just on the local level. He was instrumental in helping get President Grant elected and re-elected with his vicious cartoons depicting Grant's opponents like Horace Greeley. He later went on to help President Hayes and President Cleveland get elected, some had dubbed him the "President Maker." Some of the many social issues he took on as a Jedi Master were supporting African Americans by opposing racial segregation and abhorring the violence committed by the Ku Klux Klan. His popularity began to falter and in 1884 he lost his fortune due to some bad investments in a bank run by a con-man. Unable to regain his previous status, he was given a job as Consul General to Ecuador in 1902 by President Theodore Roosevelt. Despite having the Force on his side, Nast contracted Yellow Fever and passed away on December 7, 1902. His body was sent back to the United States for a proper Jedi burial in Woodlawn
Cemetery.
believe in. Despite death threats against him and his family, he refused to back done when calling out corruption. He adamantly refused to accept bribes and could not be bought. He would not allow the Dark Side to manipulate or cow him. Thomas Nast had many other super powers but his the one that rounds out the top four was his championing of minorities and immigrants. He had no problem taking on the dangerous Ku Klux Klan and portraying them as the evil people they were. He drew images that supported the end of slavery and voting rights for African Americans. He was not afraid of the Chinese immigrants and took on their cause in his cartoons. He was also a supporter of wildlife conservation, which was not a very noteworthy cause at the time.
Weaknesses Despite being a Jedi Master, Thomas Nast did have some short comings that show the Dark Side's influence on him. Thomas Nast's main weakness was that his drawings often perpetuated stereotypes and his drawings of certain groups of people could almost be considered racist. Irish Catholics were always depicted as rather simian looking, as were African Americans even though he was a proponent of their plight. His depiction and hatred of the Irish Catholics stems from an incident in 1863 where he witnessed them burning down an African-American Orphanage. Nast was definitely toying with the Dark said because Master Yoda said “Fear is the path to the dark side…fear leads to anger…anger leads to hate…hate leads to suffering.” Another of Nast's weaknesses was that he was too stubborn and out of touch with the changing times after the Civil War. Harper's Weekly, Nast's Employer, wanted to appeal more to the general public rather than focus solely on politics after the Civil War. A growing demographic of women and immigrants, both who were becoming more literate, prompted this change at Harper's Weekly. Nast was stubborn in the fact that he only wanted to draw political cartoons not cater to the new demographics desire. For a man that provided Illustrations for more than 100 books at that time, it seems rather pig-headed that he refused to do the same for his employer. Especially considering that when he began at Harper's Weekly, his illustrations, which were more sentimental in nature, were meant to pull at the viewer's heartstrings. Master Yoda would for sure have him standing on his head in Dagobah to soften his stubborn ways.
Origin Story
As a young Padawan, Thomas Nast was born in Landua, Germany on September 27, 1840 to Appolonia and Joseph Nast. Due to his disagreement with the political climate in Germany at the time, Joseph sent his family to America in 1846. Speaking little English, Thomas had a difficult time in school. Early on he became the victim of a prank that would change Thomas' attitude towards school. A boy directed him to the wrong line to wait in, the spanking line. Thomas, who was unable to communicate with the teacher, was spanked, afterwords he ran home and refused to return to the English speaking school. Appolonia enrolled him in a German speaking school but the damage was done. He could have given into hate and became a Sith but instead he found his interest turning to doodling. At age 14, he left school and went to study at the National Academy of Design for a year.
Thomas Nast graduated to the rank of Jedi Knight in 1856 when he began his career as an illustrator and draftsman. He honed his skills for the next five years while traveling around the Galaxy, mainly Europe, covering sporting events and Garibaldi's campaign to unite Italy. He took one step closer to becoming a Jedi Master when he began his work at Harper's Weekly in 1862. It was here that he learned his pencil was truly mightier than the light saber. He visited battlefields of the Civil War, where his drawing were sent back to Harper's Weekly and often given two-page spreads. As his notoriety grew, his illustrations began to highlight social and political issues. President Lincoln credited his re- election in 1864 to one of Nast's political cartoons.
After the end of the Civil War, Thomas Nast had finally become a true Jedi Master. His political cartoons attacked greedy and corrupt politicians like William "Boss" Tweed. Over 4 years, Nast's cartoons attacked Tweed relentlessly showing him as the crooked and sleazy guy he was. Finally in
1873, Tweed was arrested and his crime ring brought down partly because of Nast's cartoons.
His attacks on politicians were not just on the local level. He was instrumental in helping get President Grant elected and re-elected with his vicious cartoons depicting Grant's opponents like Horace Greeley. He later went on to help President Hayes and President Cleveland get elected, some had dubbed him the "President Maker." Some of the many social issues he took on as a Jedi Master were supporting African Americans by opposing racial segregation and abhorring the violence committed by the Ku Klux Klan. His popularity began to falter and in 1884 he lost his fortune due to some bad investments in a bank run by a con-man. Unable to regain his previous status, he was given a job as Consul General to Ecuador in 1902 by President Theodore Roosevelt. Despite having the Force on his side, Nast contracted Yellow Fever and passed away on December 7, 1902. His body was sent back to the United States for a proper Jedi burial in Woodlawn
Cemetery.