Editorial cartoonist
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
An editorial cartoonist, also known as a political cartoonist, is an artist who draws cartoons that contain some level of political or social commentary.
The most common outlet for political cartoonists is the editorial page of the newspaper, although there have also been a few political cartoonists who have established a presence alongside "mainstream" comic strips. Doonesbury is the best example of this style of editorial cartoon. In recent years, many radical or minority issue editorial cartoonists have found large audiences on the internet. While not carrying the same legitimacy as corporate newspaper cartoonists, self-editing online cartoonists who do not find themselves subject to the conservative constraints of the newspaper industry have often produced valuable and illuminating work. Political cartooning can be a passionate business and a full politcal spectrum, from extreme right through the centre ground to extreme left, is represented in the work of cartoonists from around the globe. This range of extremity has been the cause of riots and death as well as breakfast humour - a diversity which is too often overlooked in western cartoon dialogue.
There is a Pulitzer Prize awarded every year for America's top editorial cartoonist — as decided by a panel of senior media industry professionals and media academics (see Pulitzer Prize for Editorial Cartooning). Other major awards given each year to editorial cartoonists include the Sigma Delta Chi Award from the Society of Professional Journalists, the Thomas Nast Award from the Overseas Press Club, and the Herblock Prize.
[edit] Organizations
The largest organization of political cartoonists is the Association of American Editorial Cartoonists (AAEC) which has over 300 members. The National Cartoonists Society in the United States also welcomes editorial cartoonists.
[edit] Books
There are several North American books that have collected together the majority of cartoonists being published at the time. Attack of the Political Cartoonists, written by J.P. Trostle, was published in 2004 and includes profiles of 150 mainstream American and Canadian cartoonists. Attack was an effort to update the 1962 tome Today's Cartoon, by New Orleans States-Item cartoonist John Chase, which included most of the editorial cartoonists working in the U.S. at the height of the Cold War. And the 3-volume Attitude series includes some of the political cartoonists who have apeared in alternative newspapers and online — see Attitude: The New Subversive Political Cartoonists.
There are also a number of North American annual collections published each year, including Best Editorial Cartoons of the Year from Pelican Publishing, Best Political Cartoons of the Year from Daryl Cagle, and Portfoolio, which showcases the best Canadian cartoons of the year.
