When Steve was a sophomore at the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD), he had a cousin who lived in Washington, DC, and sold posters. It was a political year and Steve sent his cousin some copies of his work on the off chance that he might use them in a poster. His cousin showed the drawings to a neighbor who happened to work for The Washington Post. The neighbor showed them to an art director at the Post, and that’s how Steve started to freelance as a political illustrator for the paper. He became a full-time staff illustrator upon graduation.

Steve was a political illustrator, not a political cartoonist. He would be given an article, and it was his assignment to read it and draw a sketch of his interpretation. With the editor’s approval, Steve would proceed to final art. The work of the political cartoonist on the other hand is different. He or she presents a free standing idea that does not depend on an existing article.

Steve left the Post several years ago, but his work is timeless-though the cast of characters is different, many of the issues remain the same war, the Middle East, oil, pollution, and power struggles. Do you agree?