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Grilled Cheese is a product of Village Compute

Version devBuilt at: 2026-10-16 19:33:48 EDT

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@twamburgey.bsky.socialOct 14, 2026, 3:37 PM

Mr. Pocket, three weeks out.

Your election isn't run from Washington. States write the rules. In Ohio, your county board runs it — four members, two parties. The count stays home.

It's sturdy on purpose.

#realcivics #politicalcartoon #satire #editorialcartoon #elections

A tall hand-drawn ink-and-wash civics poster titled "REAL CIVICS: WHO RUNS YOUR ELECTION?", signed T.W. Amburgey. Six numbered panels follow Mr. Pocket, a small navy pocket Constitution with round gold glasses and a red bow tie, and a plain wooden ballot box. 1, STATES WRITE THE RULES — he stands at a lectern beside a giant book reading STATE ELECTION LAW, a statehouse dome behind; caption: Congress can change them, the President can't by decree. 2, THE LOCAL CREW — four ordinary people at a folding table with the ballot box; caption: your county board runs it, four members, two parties. 3, SEALED & TRACKED — two poll workers carry the box while he presses a red seal on it. 4, THE WATCHERS — a man in a suit takes notes behind a velvet rope while poll workers help a voter; caption: federal monitors may watch and report, they don't run the room. 5, NO TROOPS AT THE POLLS — a voter walks into a polling place while he stands at a painted line on the sidewalk, arms spread. 6, THE COUNT STAYS HOME — he stamps a certificate at a county desk; caption: counties certify, the state certifies, it's final.
@twamburgey.bsky.socialOct 2, 2026, 12:20 PM

A heavy lesson from Mr. Pocket. Tennessee: a unanimous jury for death. State Supreme Court review, then the U.S. Supreme Court. State post-conviction. Federal court, federal appeals, the Supremes again. A date.

One last door: the governor.

#realcivics #politicalcartoon #satire #editorialcartoon

A tall hand-drawn ink-and-wash civics poster titled "REAL CIVICS: FROM A DEATH SENTENCE TO AN EXECUTION," signed T.W. Amburgey. A small navy book character with round gold glasses and a red bow tie, the word CONSTITUTION on his cover, carries a manila case file that grows thicker down seven numbered beats. 1, THE VERDICT: a jury in a wood-paneled courtroom. 2, THE SENTENCE, "Death requires a unanimous jury": he stands before the jury box. 3, AUTOMATIC REVIEW: he hands the file up to robed justices at a marble bench marked STATE SUPREME COURT. 4, STATE POST-CONVICTION: he reads the file at a lamp-lit desk under notes reading NEW EVIDENCE, INEFFECTIVE ASSISTANCE and ACTUAL INNOCENCE?. 5, FEDERAL HABEAS: he climbs the steps of a United States District Court with the heavy file. A wooden signpost reads AVERAGE WAIT: ~19 YEARS. 6, THE DATE: he stands before a wall calendar headed EXECUTION with one date circled in red. 7, MERCY, "The last door: the governor alone": he stands small before a tall closed wooden door with light showing beneath it.
@twamburgey.bsky.socialSep 24, 2026, 2:38 PM

Mr. Pocket's first real lesson.

"The projected winner is..." Polls close. The count comes in. A desk asks if anybody can still catch the leader.

And a call isn't the result. Certification is.

#realcivics #politicalcartoon #satire #editorialcartoon #elections

A tall hand-drawn ink-and-wash civics poster titled "REAL CIVICS: HOW A RACE GETS CALLED," signed T.W. Amburgey. A small navy pocket Constitution with round glasses and a red bow tie, Mr. Pocket, guides six numbered scenes. 1, THE POLLS CLOSE: he holds up a hand and checks a pocket watch at a polling-place door at dusk. 2, THE COUNT COMES IN: he pushes a handcart of tally sheets to a county clerk's counter. 3, THE VOTERS ARE ASKED: he stands on a crate beside an exit pollster talking with a voter. 4, THE DECISION DESK: he sits between two analysts studying a chart with one long bar and one short bar. 5, THE PROJECTED WINNER IS: he raises a finger on a TV anchor desk in front of a camera. 6, THEN IT BECOMES OFFICIAL: an official presses a seal onto a ledger while he nods beside it, a calendar of crossed-off days on the wall.
@twamburgey.bsky.socialSep 23, 2026, 8:42 PM

Meet Mr. Publius "Pub" Pocket. He's the new face of Real Civics.

By day he teaches how government is supposed to work. By night he prints what it's actually doing.

Same guy. Same Constitution. Watch his shadow.

#realcivics #politicalcartoon #satire #editorialcartoon #civics

A hand-drawn ink-and-wash editorial cartoon, signed T.W. Amburgey. In a sunlit schoolroom, a small navy book labeled CONSTITUTION, with round gold glasses, a red bow tie, black mitten hands and buckled shoes, waves at the viewer while holding chalk. His speech bubble reads: "Hi! I'm Mr. Pocket. I'll be teaching Real Civics now." Behind him, a desk lamp throws his shadow huge on the wall, and the shadow is a different version of him: a headband on, a printer's apron, and a scowl as he hauls on the bar of a printing press. The caption reads: "He's a teacher. Mostly."
@twamburgey.bsky.socialSep 23, 2026, 12:14 PM

Before a new Congress can do a single thing, the Clerk of the House makes a list. Every certified winner goes on it. Then the roll call. Then a Speaker. Then the oath.

It's boring. It's supposed to be boring.

#realcivics #politicalcartoon #satire #editorialcartoon #congress

A tall hand-drawn ink-and-wash civics poster titled "REAL CIVICS: HOW A NEW HOUSE GETS SEATED," signed T.W. Amburgey. Six numbered beats follow a small, cheerful certificate of election with a red wax seal. 1, THE VOTERS PICK: a hand stamps a state seal beside it. 2, NOON, JANUARY 3: it climbs the Capitol steps under a clock at twelve. 3, THE CLERK MAKES THE ROLL: it stands on a long scroll pointing to its own line. 4, THE CLERK CALLS THE ROLL: it raises its hand in the House chamber. 5, THE HOUSE CHOOSES A SPEAKER: it looks up at an empty Speaker's chair. 6, THE OATH: it raises its hand among members taking the oath.
@twamburgey.bsky.socialSep 17, 2026, 1:48 PM

How the capital is supposed to change.

Congress says yes first. A 1912 law says so. Planners sign off on size and height. The art panel advises. Skip a step and a court can stop it.

That's the design.

#realcivics #politicalcartoon #satire #editorialcartoon #whitehouse

A tall hand-drawn ink-and-wash civics poster titled "REAL CIVICS: WHO GETS TO REBUILD D.C.," signed T.W. Amburgey. Five numbered beats flow down a winding inked path, following the same character: a small rolled-up blue blueprint with wide eyes and stubby legs. 1, CONGRESS SAYS YES FIRST — the blueprint stands on the U.S. Capitol steps beside a stone tablet carved "WITHOUT EXPRESS AUTHORITY OF CONGRESS." 2, THE PLANNERS SIGN OFF — it peeks over a planning table with a city map and a ruler, beside a placard reading PLANNING COMMISSION. 3, THE ARTISTS WEIGH IN — it stands by an easel holding a sketch of a classical building, a placard reading FINE ARTS. 4, THE WHITE HOUSE IS EXEMPT — the main road runs into a checkpoint booth marked HISTORIC REVIEW, while a side path curves around it with no gate toward the White House; the blueprint looks uneasy. 5, SKIP A STEP, A COURT CAN STOP IT — on courthouse steps, a large judge's gavel lies across its path like a barrier.