Cox & Forkum have produced some of the most powerful right-leaning political cartoons of the last seven years. Their art had a bold style, and their point was often simultaneously clever and blunt.

So why are these two talented and successful political cartoonists quitting?

Allen: I wrote about my reasons on our site. In short, it's mainly because I need to focus more attention on my publishing business, which is how I make a living, and focus less attention on daily politics. I no longer want to expend so much creative energy on the negative aspects of life. My hat is off to all the cartoonists, columnists and bloggers who can do it year in and year out.

John: I'll miss working over ideas with Allen, but ultimately I've been more interested in my paintings and other less political projects. In fact I'm working on a project comic-book project with writer Jeff Racho that'll probably be out in November. Lots of fun stuff to do out there that doesn't involve divisive subject matter.

And on their site, John Cox also adds:

We're fairly well known on the Internet, we have a few newspaper and magazine clients, we've self-published four books, and we've made some money, if not a living. But lately, for reasons I won't go into here, I can no longer afford to divert so much time and attention away from my publishing business and other personal concerns, such as my family.

In short, they both value other things more highly than politics; they both find minimal joy in needing to put "creative energy" into "negative aspects" of life, into "divisive" topics. Who can blame them?

I'm citing this as yet another illustration that conservatives are generally the kind of people who would rather being doing other things than politics. We don't view politics as the end-all be-all of life -- even those of us who wade into it somewhat frequently. In the case of Cox & Forkum, they felt, in the wake of 9/11, that they had to make a number of points and influence the debate. Now, they want to get back to their nonpolitical art, their business, and their families.

Their "Final Bow" cartoon shows their oft-used "Uncle Sam" character taking a curtain call. A few roses from supporters are present, yet bullet holes riddle the wall behind him, and there are knives, rotten eggs and other spoiled foods strewn across the stage floor.

A picture, as they say, is worth a thousand words.