He just watches the headlines. He can't point to a particular favorite cartoonist as an influence, but he's always followed the cartoons in local newspapers and notes that there are many good ones. A number of good Louisiana cartoonists are coming along, he observed. We can be completely biased and slanted, misquote politicians and draw them in ridiculous situations. Reporters and even columnists don't have nearly as much leeway.
People understand that they're only cartoons and usually just for a laugh.