The Bangor Daily News in Maine has now apologized for publishing the comic strip Close to Home, which showed the Native American character Tonto apparently drunk.
In late February, the Calgary Herald apologized for the cartoon.
The Bangor Daily News‘ apology, from director of print operations Michael J. Dowd, called the cartoon “an especially ugly version of the bigoted Lone-Ranger-and-Tonto imagery” and “racist.”
“It offended many of our readers and us. We apologize for publishing it,” Dowd wrote. “The BDN will review its screening process of comics and be more sensitive.”
The Daily News also published an apology from the cartoon’s creator, John McPherson, and a note from the syndication company that released the cartoon saying it would be “more sensitive” moving forward.
iMediaEthics has written to the Bangor Daily News.