Doc Film ‘A Savage Art: The Life & Cartoons of Pat Oliphant’ Trailer
by Alex Billington
July 15, 2025
Source: YouTube
“You haven’t really made it in Washington, until Pat Oliphant has made fun of you.” Magnolia Pictures has revealed the full official trailer for a documentary film titled A Savage Art: The Life & Cartoons of Pat Oliphant, arriving in theaters starting in September this fall. This recently premiered at the DC/DOX Film Festival in Washington DC. A Savage Art film chronicles the incredible life & career of political cartoonist Patrick Oliphant, aka Pat, spanning fifty years and ten U.S. presidents. It features interviews with Pat, his family, friends, and colleagues, alongside archival footage and hundreds of his distinctive cartoons. The film also provides a concise history of political cartoons, illustrating their significance and influence on Pat and other cartoonists. It underscores why, in today’s era of political polarization & corporate media control, political cartoonists like Oliphant remain crucial in holding power accountable. It’s a timely documentary on this renowned political cartoonist – originally from Australia, he’s now 89 years old. Looks like he really was one of the best to ever do it. I want to pause on every last one of his comics just to laugh at them even more.
Full trailer for Bill Banowsky’s doc A Savage Art: The Life & Cartoons of Pat Oliphant, on YouTube:
Patrick Oliphant was a “giant slayer”. In addition to being a fearless stunt pilot, executing dangerous maneuvers just to blow off a little steam, he bravely took on presidents, popes and the American corporate class with his mighty pen. An Australian transplant, Oliphant was America’s most renowned and feared political cartoonist for 5 decades. With his biting wit and masterful drawing skills he attacked individual and institutional corruption, collusion, greed, hypocrisy and arrogance, no matter the size or status of his enemies. A Savage Art is the story of Oliphant’s life and celebrated career, told in interviews with Pat, his family, friends and colleagues, in archival footage, and featuring hundreds of his cartoons. A Savage Art also outlines the history of political cartoons, showing how important and impactful political cartoonists have been throughout the ages, and how, in our current climate of political partisanship and corporate control of the media, political cartoonists like Patrick Oliphant are critical to checking the powers that be.
A Savage Art: The Life & Cartoons of Pat Oliphant, also known as just A Savage Art, is a doc film directed by cinema executive / filmmaker / producer Bill Banowsky, making his feature directional debut with this film; he was previously the CEO of Landmark Theatres. Produced by Paul O’Bryan and Bill Banowsky. This just premiered at the DC/DOX Film Festival last month. Magnolia Pictures will debut A Savage Art doc in select US theaters starting September 5th, 2025 coming up. For more details, visit the film’s official site.
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