Annual Convention

Annual Convention September 11-14, 2025

The AAEC will be joining the line-up at this year’s Small Press Expo as part of our annual convention in September 2025. Registration is now open.

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Cartoonist making readers mad, part I

ICYMI — A cartoon by Michael Ramirez made a lot of people angry last week. The epicenter of the shockwave was the Southeast Missourian, a newspaper in Cape Girardeau some 100 miles southeast of St. Louis, but it soon went national and was picked up by NBC.

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/cartoon-depiction-mlk-s-i-have-dream-speech-missouri-newspaper-n1237478

The cartoon, drawn in reaction to a single quote by a BLM protestor in Chicago, showed Martin Luther King Jr. delivering his “I have a dream” speech — but twisting the words to support looting — and was quickly condemned as racist. Defenders said Ramirez’s commentary was taken out of context and should be read as a reaction to a call for violence. Angry letters and threats flooded into the paper over the next few days as other media outlets picked up the story as it went viral.

https://www.semissourian.com/story/2829622.html

https://thegrio.com/2020/08/21/martin-luther-king-jr-cartoon-missouri-racist/

https://www.ksdk.com/article/news/local/some-readers-call-cartoon-featured-in-southeast-missourian-racist/63-7e8fde62-cc80-44ee-960f-f59456ed327a

 

 

 

 

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OUR MISSION

The mission of the AAEC is to champion and defend editorial cartooning and free speech as essential to liberty in the United States and throughout the world.

The AAEC aims to be an international leader in support of the human, civil, and artistic rights of editorial cartoonists around the world, and to stand with other international groups in support of the profession.


The Daily Cartoonist

Adam Zyglis Points to Boot Strap Hypocrisy, MAGA Clutches Pearls – Update (Death Threats)
Adam Zyglis Points to Boot Strap Hypocrisy, MAGA Clutches Pearls – Update (Death Threats)

A recent cartoon by Adam Zyglis involving natural disasters and the MAGA philosophy has right wing voices objecting to the “rules for thee, not for...


LOCHER FELLOWSHIP

The AAEC John Locher Memorial Fellowship is awarded each year to one early-career cartoonist whose work demonstrates clear opinions and strong artistry on political and social topics. Deadline to be considered is the end of March.

The Locher Fellow will receive a one-year Regular membership in the AAEC, be a guest of the CXC Festival — held every fall in Columbus, Ohio —  and have the opportunity to meet with editorial cartoonists during the year of the Fellowship for portfolio reviews and career advice.


CARTOONS FOR THE CLASSROOM

Cartoons in Education

Every two weeks throughout the year, The Learning Forum and the AAEC offers CARTOONS FOR THE CLASSROOM, a free lesson resource for teachers discussing current events.  Visit NIEonline.com for more lesson plans.