September 11-14, 2025The 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.
Registration page
The Association of American Editorial Cartoonists has long championed those cartoonists who work for small and local newspapers, and once again in 2025 the AAEC is looking for the best in political cartooning. The Rex Babin Memorial Award for Excellence in Local Cartooning (named after the late Sacramento cartoonist) focuses on state and local editorial cartoons, an […]
This year the AAEC is partnering with the Small Press Expo in North Bethesda, Maryland (just outside of Washington, DC) for our 2025 Convention, September 11-14. Hotel booking is now available at the Bethesda North Marriott. We have a block of rooms set aside for the AAEC at $140 a night. To book your room […]
We have big news about this year’s cartoonist convention! The AAEC is pleased to announce that we will be teaming up with SPX, the Small Press Expo, in September 2025. The Small Press Expo | The Premiere Event for Graphic Novels, the Comic Arts, and Cartooning Many editorial cartoonists are familiar with the long-running cartoon […]
January 8, 2025 Dear Colleagues: As I conclude my second term as AAEC president, I’d like to leave you with a few thoughts as I turn the job over to the very able Marc Murphy. First, the AAEC is in fairly solid financial shape for the next five years or so, depending. I am hopeful […]
Fourth time’s the charm! After years of disruptions from the covid pandemic and other hurdles, the AAEC finally joined the ACC and host Wes Tyrell in Montreal for a 3-day long cartoonist confab in October 2024. It was worth the wait. Michael Peterson did his usual granular on-the-ground reporting from the convention. You can read […]
MONTREAL, QUEBEC — North Carolina cartoonist Dennis Draughon is this year’s recipient of the “Rex Babin Memorial Award for Excellence in Local Cartooning.” The panel of judges also named Kentucky’s Marc Murphy as finalist. The prize was announced Saturday, Oct. 5, at the annual convention of the Association of American Editorial Cartoonists (AAEC). Outgoing judge Matt Davies wrote, “Dennis […]
Our Confab Host Wes Tyrell has sent along a Cartoonist’s Guide to Montreal, which you can download here: The AAEC-ACC Guide to Montreal —or just keep reading: The AAEC-ACC Guide to Montréal Montréal is often considered half European and half American, a multicultural hub where French mingles with the accents of some 80 other ethnic […]
Hello everyone! Our Canadian host Wes Tyrell has released the final final schedule for the 2024 AAEC/ACC Cartoonist Convention. Things kick off this Thursday afternoon with a cocktail party at the Musée McCord Stewart in Montreal. Hope to see you there! If you have any last minute questions about our host city, Wes has also sent […]
Today marks the kickoff of Cartoon Crossroads Columbus, the annual FREE cartoon festival in Columbus, Ohio. CXC runs Sept. 26 through Sunday, Sept. 29 at both the Billy Ireland Cartoon Library and Museum, and other sites around town. This year marks the first year CXC will be hosting the winner of the John Locher Memorial […]
The Association of American Editorial Cartoonists has long championed those who work for small and local newspapers, and once again in 2024 the AAEC is looking for the best in political cartooning. The Rex Babin Memorial Award for Excellence in Local Cartooning (named after the late Sacramento cartoonist) focuses on state and local editorial cartoons, […]
The final schedule for this year’s AAEC/ACC editorial cartoonist convention in Montreal is finally here. Hope to see there, October 3-6! + + + + + + + + Greetings, colleagues! I’m writing to impress upon you the urgency to register for the Montreal AAEC/ACC convention on October 3-6. Our Canadians hosts really need […]
Above: Don Wright and wife Carolyn host the AAEC Convention in Miami in 1969. The news recently broke that Don Wright, the two-time Pulitzer Prize-winning cartoonist, has died at age 90. He drew some 11,000 cartoons during a 45-year career, and while Wright only ever worked for two Florida papers, The Miami News and The […]
If you haven’t used them in a few years, dust off those passports and brush up on your French: This year’s AAEC Convention will be a joint confab with the Association of Canadian Cartoonists in Montreal from Oct. 3-6, 2024. This is the first time the AAEC has been back to Quebec since <checks watch> […]
Above, Elena Steier and comics historian R.C Harvey at the AAEC convention in San Francisco in 2014. Cartoonist Elena Steier died earlier this month after engaging in hand-to-hand combat with cancer for the past two years. She was 66. Elena was an outspoken, self-taught artist whose comic strips and editorial cartoons appeared in newspapers across […]
Two weeks ago, editorial cartoonists from across North America (and a few from Down Under) convened in San Francisco — and the reviews are in! Mike Peterson‘s (now) award-winning coverage of the joint AAEC/ACC convention rolled out over several days on The Daily Cartoonist: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3. Ted Rall & Scott Stantis […]
SAN FRANCISCO, CA — The winners of the 2023 Ink Bottle Awards were announced Saturday, Oct. 7, at the annual convention of the Association of American Editorial Cartoonists (AAEC). The award is given to individuals or groups for their dedication to the spirit of the profession and significant contribution to the art of editorial cartooning. […]
SAN FRANCISCO, CA — Kentucky cartoonist Joel Pett is the 2023 recipient of the “Rex Babin Memorial Award for Excellence in Local Cartooning.” The panel of judges also named Boston’s Sage Stossel as finalist. The prize was announced Saturday, Oct. 7, at the annual convention of the Association of American Editorial Cartoonists (AAEC), in San Francisco. “Famous for […]
This week, political cartoonists from across the country (and Canada too!) will gather in the Bay Area for their annual confab. For those going, the final schedule is here. Our guy on the ground — Parliamentarian extraordinaire Scott Burns — is not only the AAEC’s advisor on all things Roberts Rules of Order, he also […]
If you missed this year’s Cartoon Crossroads Columbus Festival in October, CXC has now posted all of the sessions on their YouTube channel — including the AAEC-sponsored panels. First up was the highly informative “Taking the Pain of Out of Drawing” with former massage therapist Kriota Willberg: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MGocxIGGx6U “Do Awards Still Matter?” was the big […]
Cartoonist extraordinaire Steve Sack is this year’s recipient of the Ink Bottle Award from the Association of American Editorial Cartoonists. The award is presented by the AAEC to individuals or groups for dedication to the spirit of the profession and significant contribution to the art of editorial cartooning. Sack, the long-time staff cartoonist for the […]
COLUMBUS, OHIO — South Carolina cartoonist Steve Stegelin is the 2022 recipient of the “Rex Babin Memorial Award for Excellence in Local Cartooning.” The panel of judges also named Seattle’s David Horsey as finalist. The prize was announced Saturday, Oct. 8, at the annual convention of the Association of American Editorial Cartoonists (AAEC), held during […]
This Saturday, Oct. 8, the AAEC is proud to present a free showing of the 2021 documentary on cartoonist Bill Mauldin: “If It’s Big, Hit It.” This feature-length film on one of the most important political cartoonists of the 20th century will be part of the CXC Festival in Columbus, Ohio, from 1-3 pm in […]
The final schedule for Cartoon Crossroads Columbus 2022 is now online, with locations and floor maps. The AAEC will be teaming up with the CXC Festival once again for their annual convention. In addition to “A Night with Keith Knight,” the AAEC is sponsoring panels on “Do Awards Still Matter?” with Clay Jones, Signe Wilkinson, […]
A big congratulations to cartoonist Masha Zhdanova (@mashazart), this year’s winner of the John Locher Memorial Award. The jury noted “her short comics lend insight into authoritarianism and provide intimate viewpoints from the war in Ukraine.” Congrats too to Alexandra Bowman (@scripta_bene) for being named Runner-up for the editorial cartoonist award. Bowman is a recent […]
Hello everyone! We hope you’re doing well and staying safe in another nutty summer. The AAEC has been working closely with CXC on this fall’s gathering in Ohio, and we now have a preliminary schedule for our convention. As we hinted at earlier, we’re going with a slow rollout this year as we come out […]
SACRAMENTO, CA — The Association of American Editorial Cartoonists has long championed those cartoonists who work for small and local newspapers, and once again in 2022 the AAEC is looking for the best in political cartooning. Named after the late Pulitzer Prize-nominated cartoonist, The Rex Babin Memorial Award for Excellence in Local Cartooning focuses on […]
Word broke last week of the untimely passing of Robert C. Harvey. Bob was a prolific cartoon historian and critic who understood cartoonists because he had worked as one early in his career — drawing gag cartoons for girly magazines — before turning his passion and knowledge of the industry into a 40+ career as […]
[Editor’s note: Thanks in part to all the news over the last half of June, we know cartoonists might be, umm, a bit distracted. So the Locher Award is extending the deadline to submit entries to this year’s contest to FRIDAY, JULY 15, 2022.] The AAEC’s John Locher Memorial Award is now accepting submissions […]
The Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum presents a new retrospective in cartoons, “STILL: Racism in America,” opening this Saturday, May 21, at 6pm. The exhibit will run May 21 through October 23, and will be open during the AAEC/CXC convention in the fall. https://cartoons.osu.edu/events/opening-reception-still-racism-in-america/ If you can’t make it to Columbus for this weekend’s […]
Dear colleagues, I hope this finds you safe, healthy, and sipping a winter warmer before a crackling fire. There are several AAEC matters to discuss, so I’ll get right down to business. First, I wanted to let you know about a decision I have reached after much consideration: I will be stepping down as President […]
The AAEC has announced the preliminary lineup for their virtual convention on Oct. 8-9, 2021. https://editorialcartoonists.com/aaec-zoomfest21/ All the events on Saturday, Oct. 9, are free and open to the public, including a discussion with this year’s three Pulitzer Prize finalists on the award’s notorious 2021 non-decision, and a conversation with Keith Knight on the next season […]
This weekend saw the 2020 CXC Festival move ahead — online and virtual as with everything else this year — and the event acted as sort of a de facto gathering for the AAEC, which had to cancel their own convention back in May. AAEC President Kevin Siers made a pre-recorded appearance on Friday evening during […]
“May You Draw in Interesting Times,” the AAEC political cartoon panel at the 2020 CXC Festival, is now on YouTube! The hour-long roundtable with Host Kal Kallaugher, Jen Sorensen, David G. Brown, Eric Garcia, Angelo Lopez and Pat Bagley hits on the, uh, highlights of drawing in this most unusual year. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eGHCJvqqdyQ
The annual CXC Festival arrives this weekend, October 1-4! As with everything else in 2020, the annual cartoonist convention will be virtual, with panels and events streaming live via Zoom and other digital platforms. Everything is free though pre-registration is encouraged for most sessions.* Here is the complete schedule: https://cartooncrossroadscolumbus.org/schedule Of specific interest to […]
Are you a young cartoonist who draws commentary on social topics? Do you know a young cartoonist who’s doing work with a political tinge? The window is now open to enter the 2020 AAEC/John Locher Memorial Award for editorial cartoons and comics. Single panel, multi-panel, and animated editorial cartoons and comics will be accepted from aspiring […]
No surprise — the National Cartoonists Society has announced that the 2020 NCS convention is cancelled. They note, however, this year’s Reuben Awards will still be presented in some form on time and online in June. Details to follow when we get them. https://www.dailycartoonist.com/index.php/2020/04/23/2020-reubens-weekend-convention-cancelled/
3/27/20 UPDATE: The 2020 AAEC+ACC cartoonist convention has been officially cancelled. Wes Tyrell, President of the Association of Canadian Cartoonists, said, “We just heard today from the Canadian Feds, who were hosting a big chunk of the convention, that they must postpone until an undetermined date. We are effectively off with clearly no ability to […]
“FRONT LINES: Political Cartooning and the Battle for Free Speech” is now available online! Published as a companion to the 2019 Billy Ireland Museum exhibit of the same name, FRONT LINES features lots of cartoons, and essays by Joel Pett, Lucy Caswell, Roslyn Mazer, Rob Rogers and Matt Wuerker. $20 gets you the book, poster […]
Per his last wishes, donations of funds in Tom Spurgeon’s name can now be made to the Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum in support of Cartoon Crossroads Columbus (CXC) programming. This annual festival has become a key destination for cartoonists in just 5 short years. The AAEC and its members have been a supporters […]
The votes are in — Congratulations to new AAEC Board members Jen Sorensen (President-elect) and Tim Campbell (Director). Tim has been elected for a 2-year term, and Jen will step up to President in January 2021. Elected to another term and returning to the Board are Mike Thompson (Vice President), Monte Wolverton (Treasurer) and Liza […]
Our Canadian cartoon compatriots have been hard at work on a joint convention between the AAEC and the ACC next spring — May 14-17. Wes Tyrell has just updated the registration and hotel info, and sent along this message: “Season’s greetings! “Please share this update with your members and I ask kindly if you can […]
GateHouse Media, a chain that owns some 156 newspapers, continued its apparent quest to run them all into the ground. Just before Memorial Day weekend, GateHouse announced the purging of reporters and personnel at two dozen or more papers across the country, including laying off what may be the last three staff cartoonists on their […]
The AAEC/John Locher Memorial Award is accepting submission from young cartoonists beginning today, May 1st, 2019. Click here for complete details. The Locher Award is a contest for aspiring cartoonists, ages 18-25, whose work demonstrates both clear opinions and strong artistry on political and social topics. Single panel, multi-panel, and animated editorial cartoons and comics will […]
A new exhibit on freedom of speech opens Saturday, April 20, at the Billy Ireland Cartoon Library and Museum. "Front Line: Editorial Cartoonists and the First Amendment" runs until October 20, and be part of this year's CXC Festival in Columbus, OH. The exhibit, with work from over 70 cartoonists, was curated by Lucy Caswell and […]
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE The AAEC is happy to announce that it has hired Kelsey Maher as our new Association Manager. Kelsey will be taking over for Wanda Nicholson, who is stepping down at the end of this month. The two are currently working together to transfer everything over to the new office in Sacramento, CA. […]
A lot of you know Don Asmussen — he's attended several west coast AAEC conventions over the years, and his Bad Reporter strip is one of the funniest (and pointed) things out there. Anyway, he's been battling cancer for awhile now, with an update that falls in the not-good column. Now the good news — […]
Happy New Year everyone! Here are the results from the AAEC election: By a near unanimous vote, the membership has agreed to change the bylaw regarding the term of office for President from one year to two, effective immediately. Kevin Siers automatically steps up from President-Elect to President, and will now be the chief executive for […]
[AAEC President Pat Bagley will be handing over the mantle to Kevin Siers next week. In the meantime, here is his departing letter] Dear Colleagues, First, the good news. The long-awaited redesign of our new website is nearing launch and should be up sometime in January. (Buy Adam Zyglis a beer next time you […]
Dear Colleagues, You’ll soon be receiving your ballot for the upcoming slate of officers and directors for the AAEC, with a recommended change of tenure for the AAEC President to two years (this will not apply to my current term which ends December 1). This change to two years will bring the term of the […]
The AAEC had two big weekends in a row, first in Sacramento for their annual convention, and then at CXC in Columbus, Ohio, (which is fast becoming one of the best comics art festivals in the country). Several reports came out in the wake of the Sacramento confab: • Graphic novelist Brian Fies ("A Fire Story") […]
Love cartoons? Like meeting cartoonists? In Ohio? Head to CXC — Cartoon Crossroads Columbus— this weekend in Columbus, Ohio! Join the AAEC for two panels on "Cartooning In The Time Of Trump" with Ann Telnaes, Signe Wilkinson, Nate Beeler and Rob Rogers on Saturday, Sept. 29. And on Sunday, Sept. 30, there will be a […]
Join us this weekend at CXC — Cartoon Crossroads Columbus — the cartoon festival in Columbus, Ohio. The AAEC plans to have an exhibitors table at their Marketplace Expo Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 29 and 30, to increase awareness of our organization among the many other kinds of cartoonists who will be there. We welcome […]
SACRAMENTO, CA — Alabama cartoonist JD Crowe is the 2018 recipient of the "Rex Babin Memorial Award for Local Cartooning." The prize was announced Thursday, Sept. 2o, during the opening reception of the Association of American Editorial Cartoonists' convention in Sacramento, CA. The reception was held at the California Museum, which is hosting […]
Or so says the National Review: https://www.nationalreview.com/2018/09/editorial-cartooning-decline-serena-williams-controversy/ This is, what, the 11th or 12th time since 1954 that editorial cartooning has been declared dead? We're like the Doctor Who of cartooning or something. So… if we're dead — LET'S HAVE A WAKE!!! Tonight the 62nd Annual Convention of the Association of American Editorial […]
Signe Wilkinson is as much a part of the Philadelphia landscape as Robert Indiana's LOVE sculpture, Pat's Philly Cheesesteaks, and running up the steps of the Museum of Art just like Rocky does in the movie. While her work for The Daily News earned her the Pulitzer Prize for cartooning in 1992 — the first woman […]
It's here! The annual gathering of the Association of American Editorial Cartoonists kicks off this week in Sacramento, CA. Running from Sept. 20-22, the convention will see three days of cartoonists, satirists and journalists from across the US, Canada and Down Under hobnobbing, panelling and pub crawling. AAEC President Pat Bagley, and co-hosts Jack Ohman […]
Mike Thompson is an award-winning cartoonist for the Detroit Free Press who has actually given up national syndication to focus on state and local issues. "Michigan is home to the likes of Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, self-proclaimed political expert Ted Nugent and the thuggish John Engler, a former governor who made headlines for his inept leadership […]
Scott Burns is one of our AAEC co-hosts on the ground in Sacramento, and has the following transportation advice for getting around town during the convention. This is the guide that will be in the welcome packet, but we're posting it here so those cartoonists attending can plan accordingly. You can also download a map […]
Pennsylvania is often described as "two liberal enclaves with Alabama in between." [Editor's note: I'm originally from Central PA and can mock my home state.] Enter Tom Stiglich, who provides a conservative take on progressive Philadelphia politics for Media News Group. Stiglich, whose national work is carried by Creators Syndicate, still relishes taking on such local topics […]
Sage Stossel is a long-time contributing editor for The Atlantic, where she also produces cartoons addressing national stories of the moment. Outside of her day job, she draws cartoons about life in Boston and addresses local issues she cares about. "In two cases I was told the cartoons themselves have become instrumental in furthering a […]
Kevin Siers may have won the Pulitzer Prize for his work at The Charlotte Observer, but he knows first hand the effect local cartoons can have. "I’ve followed an issue and kept hammering at it, and felt those cartoons contributed to change in the community. And, at least in one instance, drove the target of those […]
V.C. Rogers — known to his friends as Cullum — is a paradigm of local cartooning, having spent his career working for a trio of regional newspapers covering the triangle of Raleigh, Durham and Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Recently pushed into early retirement by the elimination of his position at the alt-weekly Indy Week, at least […]
Rob Rogers didn't want the job, but he is now the poster cartoonist for How to Get Fired. After a protracted battle with an increasingly pro-Trump publisher, Rogers was unceremoniously dumped this summer by his long-time newspaper, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, for failing to toe the toady line laid down by a new editor. With the […]
Marshall Ramsey is an exemplar of the local cartoonist who has not only managed to survive but thrive in a collapsing newspaper environment. A long time staffer for Mississippi's The Clarion-Ledger, Ramsey writes columns, does a weekly statewide radio and TV show, makes frequent public appearances, and interacts with his readers on a daily basis […]
Joel Pett is a nationally syndicated cartoonists who has won numerous awards, including the Pulitzer Prize. But Pett takes great pride in his local work for the Lexington Herald-Leader, and sees it as his mission to take the corrupt, cynical politicians of Kentucky to task. "Kentucky politicians rarely address the real problems of the commonwealth. […]
When you talk to editorial cartoonists about the power of the local cartoons, one name keeps coming up: George Fisher. The Arkansas native drew for a number of newspapers from the late 1940s until his death in 2003, and while he was never syndicated nationally, his work had a huge impact — most notably in its […]
We are 10 days out from our gathering in California, but it isn't the only AAEC event happening this month. Immediately following the Sacramento convention (the very next week) is CXC — Cartoon Crossroads Columbus — the cartoon festival in Columbus, Ohio. The AAEC plans to have an exhibitors table at their Marketplace Expo Saturday […]
Kevin Necessary is another cartoonist who's found a home at a TV station, drawing local editorial cartoons for the website of WCPO in Cincinnati. "When it comes to local toons, I've lucked out," he writes. "'Cincinnati' encompasses not just what's on the Ohio side of the river, but also Northern Kentucky and Indiana. We have […]
Terry Mosher — better known by his pen name Aislin — is a Canadian legend. He has won just about every award you can in the Great White North, and chalks up his much of his success to his favorite city. "Montreal is a very interesting market for satire of all sorts. We are home […]
If Jimmy Margulies seems to have submitted national cartoons for a local cartoon contest, it is only because New York City is his backyard. He was the staff cartoonist for 22 years at The Record in northern New Jersey, and his commentary on The Big Apple appears regularly in amNew York. A multiple award winner, […]
A.J.B. Lane brings an webcomic sensibility to his cartoons for the Boston Globe, alternating between the traditional single panel and longer form commentary. His editor writes, "Adam chose to give local figures and issues the scrutiny they deserved. Our pages were better as a result." [Throughout his life, Rex Babin championed those who focused on state […]
Shane Johnson got his start at the Indianapolis Business Journal seven years ago, and told his editor he was only interested in covering local issues. "I have covered then-Governor Mike Pence, mayors and politicians, and things truly important to the people of Indiana — cold beer sales and basketball." [Throughout his life, Rex Babin championed those who focused on state […]
Russell Hodin is another long-time purveyor of hyperlocal content. He has produced a weekly political cartoon for 26 years for the alt-weekly New Times in San Luis Obispo, known for its local investigative pieces, commentary, and the Shredder, its anonymously-penned editorial. ("The founding editor strongly believed in developing fearless local voices," says Hodin.) In recent years his efforts […]
Cleveland caricaturist and illustrator Ron Hill draws one cartoon a week — for six different weekly community papers. His work tends to be hyperlocal, though he does occasionally venture into regional and state issues. In 2013, one of Hill's cartoons embroiled him, his editor and his publisher in a much-publicized lawsuit brought by Robert Murray of Murray […]
Cartoonist Matt Davies recalls his first encounter with John McCain. The Senator's short but memorable visit to the AAEC's 2002 convention in Washington DC left a deep impression. John McCain had an eye for detailBy Matt Davies Anyone who has followed my cartoons over the years knows John McCain’s policy positions and mine weren’t harmonious, and […]
Northern Nevada isn't the first place you think of when you think of a political cartoons, but then you remember the money and gambling and guns, and think — their must be corruption about. Jeff Hickman has been drawing for the Reno Gazette-Journal since 2002, editorializing on the problems stemming from the legalization of marijuana, […]
Wisconsin's Phil Hands says the only reason he's employed today is because, like Rex Babin, he has a passion for local editorial cartoons. "The State Journal hired me because I got engaged in local politics, and provided them unique content they couldn’t get anywhere else. I only really started drawing national cartoons when local politicians […]
Jacksonville cartoonist Ed Hall is distributed nationally through Artizans Syndicate, but it is his local work in The Baker County Press and The Herald he feels is most effective — and have landed him a bevy of state journalism awards. "I have found that the cartoons that garner the most attention are those that affect people in […]
Mark Fiore is best known for being the first editorial cartoonist to fully switch to animation for his political commentary, and, in 2010, for being the first animator to win the Pulitzer Prize. A few years ago, he returned to doing daily static cartoons for the website of KQED News in San Francisco — all while continuing […]
Peter Evans may be the local cartoonist at its most fundamental. Drawing for The Islander News, "a highly-subscribed" weekly newspaper on the island of Key Biscayne in Metro Miami, Peter only covers what happens on the jot of land south of Miami Beach. "Cartoons, generally, do not advocate action," says Evans. "But many issues that […]
Deadline to submit work for consideration to the 2019 Billy Ireland Cartoon Museum exhibit is this FRIDAY, AUGUST 31 "The Front Line: Editorial Cartoonists and the First Amendment" will run for six months in the Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum at The Ohio State University, and be part of next year's CXC and […]
Dennis Draughon is one of several former-newspaper cartoonists now working for a TV station, where his commentary appears on the WRAL.com website. Draughon notes, "Rex and I both started in this business at roughly the same time, both of us employed full-time at dailies in the Northeast; Rex in Albany, NY, me in Scranton, PA. We […]
The 2018 Sacramento AAEC Convention is less than a month away and this is your last chance to reserve rooms at The Citizen Hotel at our convention rate. The good news is that the rate is exceptionally good ($159/night) but the bad news is that they'll only give us that rate for Sept. 20-22. That's […]
No, not country/western dude, but Charlie Daniel of the Knoxville News Sentinel, who has drawn 15,000 cartoons over a 55-year career, and who was recently inducted into the Tennessee Journalism Hall of Fame. [Throughout his life, Rex Babin championed those who focused on state and local issues in editorial cartoons, a field that he and other cartoonists […]
It may be grossly unfair (accent on the gross) for JD Crowe to have the embarrassment of riches that is Alabama to draw on, but he has made the most of it in his 18 years at the Alabama Media Group/AL.com. As he says, "My primary job is to keep our state’s goobers from jumping the […]
John Cole is a stalwart of local journalism, having worked as a reporter, graphic designer and cartoonist for newspapers in Kentucky, North Carolina and Pennsylvania. Of his current job at The Times-Tribune, Cole says "Scranton and environs present a target-rich environment for political cartoonists, given the region’s history of official corruption, mismanagement and flat-out incompetence." […]
Matt Bodkin is, according to his profile, "a strange visitor from another planet who came to Long Island, New York with powers, abilities, and debt far beyond those who didn’t go to art school. Disguised as a mild-mannered IT technician, he fights a never-ending battle for truth, justice and suburbia." His work appears every Saturday […]
[Editor's note: Throughout his life, Rex Babin championed those who focused on state and local issues in editorial cartoons, a field that he and other cartoonists felt was regularly overlooked by journalism contests. The "Rex Babin Memorial Award for Excellence in Local Cartooning" was launched in 2017 to celebrate those working in this niche. To that end, […]
[Editor's note: Throughout his life, Rex Babin championed those who focused on state and local issues in editorial cartoons, a field that he and other cartoonists felt was regularly overlooked by journalism contests. The "Rex Babin Memorial Award for Excellence in Local Cartooning" was launched in 2017 to celebrate those working in this niche. To that end, […]
[Editor's note: Throughout his life, Rex Babin championed those who focused on state and local issues in editorial cartoons, a field that he and other cartoonists felt was regularly overlooked by journalism contests. The "Rex Babin Memorial Award for Excellence in Local Cartooning" was launched in 2017 to celebrate those working in this niche. To that end, […]
Last week a new retrospective of the life and times of editorial cartoonist Rex Babin opened in Sacramento, CA. Focusing on Babin's state and local work, the California Museum launched "Drawing Caleeforneeya" with a special reception on Friday, August 17, on the late artist's birthday. Sactown Magazine has a look at the show, which runs […]
Today is the birthday of the late cartoonist Rex Babin and the LAST DAY to enter the "Rex Babin Memorial Award for Excellence in Local Cartooning." Submissions must be received by midnight tonight EST. For details, click here: https://news.aaecrebuild.wpengine.com/aaec/2018/07/the-return-of-the-rex-babin-local-cartooning-award.html
Cartoonist Ed Hall needs to make more room on his shelf after winning this year's Sunshine State Award from the Society of Professional Journalists, and First Place in two different categories from the Florida Press Association. Congrats too to AAEC member Peter Evans on landing Second Place for Editorial Cartooning in Division C, and cartoonists Steve Borggren and Clay […]
Love cartoons? In Sacramento? Check out "Drawing Caleeforneeya: Political Cartoons Of Rex Babin." The retrospective of the late great editorial cartoonist opens today, Aug. 14, and runs thru Oct. 14. https://www.californiamuseum.org/rex-babin The AAEC will also be holding a special opening reception at the exhibit on Sept. 20 to kick off this year's convention.
This year's gathering of the Association of American Editorial Cartoonists will take place Sept. 20-23 in Sacramento, CA. Hosts Jack Ohman and Pat Bagley released the convention's schedule today. Highlights include an reception at the California Museum to celebrate the life and work of the late cartoonist Rex Babin, and the return of cartoon deathmatch, […]
The Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum will be hosting a major exhibition on cartoonists and the First Amendment in 2019. Co-curated by Lucy Caswell and Ann Telnaes, "The Front Line: Editorial Cartoonists and the First Amendment " will run for six months in 2019 in the lead-up to CXC and the AAEC Convention at The […]
Calling all cartoonists! Here are your deadline reminders for August 2018! TWO WEEKS & COUNTING: The 2018 Rex Babin Memorial Award for Excellence in Local Cartooning. Deadline is FRIDAY, AUGUST 17. THREE WEEKS & COUNTING: Reserve your hotel room for the 2018 AAEC Convention in Sacramento. Deadline is FRIDAY, AUGUST 24. FOUR […]
A mash of cartooning news for your Friday afternoon reading. So crack open a cold one and kick back… If you're in Oregon, you still have time to make it to the annual Homer Davenport Community Festival in Silverton, OR this weekend, Aug. 3-5. The annual celebration of hometown hero cartoonist Homer Davenport […]
The 2018 AAEC Convention is Fast Approaching! This year’s gathering of the nation’s editorial cartoonists and political junkies in Sacramento — Thursday, September 20th to Saturday 22nd — promises to be a blockbuster. Our featured guest is Atlantic staff writer McKay Coppins, who extensively covered the Trump campaign and was called “a dishonest slob” via Twitter by […]
There are two big AAEC announcements to make today. First up, congratulations to Charis Jackson Barrios, the winner of this year's John Locher Memorial Award. Barrios recently received a BFA on a full scholarship from The Cooper Union in NYC. While a student, the cartoonist did design and illustration projects with places like Frederator Studios and BuzzFeed. She has made comics […]
We are now less than 2 MONTHS out from the 2018 AAEC convention. If you're a political cartoonist, comics journalist or satirist, join us Sept. 20-23 in Sacramento, CA.! Click here to register today: https://www.aaeccartoonists.org/
In 2005, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, left, tours an exhibit of California political cartoons with AAEC President Matt Davies and Rex Babin. Photo courtesy of Mary Locher. CALL FOR ENTRIES: The 2018 Rex Babin Memorial Award for Excellence in Local Cartooning SACRAMENTO, CA — The Association of American Editorial Cartoonists is once again looking for […]
I want to let you know where we are with the 2018 convention. The AAEC is currently in the midst of planning our 2018 convention, which is scheduled for September 20–23 in Sacramento. We have contracted with The Citizen Hotel, famous for having prints of political cartoons decorating every room, for a block of rooms […]
Calling all cartoonists, calling all cartoonists… The Front Line: Editorial Cartoonists and the First AmendmentBilly Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum, April 20 — October 27, 2019 Lucy Caswell and Ann Telnaes are co-curating a major exhibition on cartoonists and the First Amendment. It will run for 6 months 2019 in the lead-up to the AAEC […]
Are you an aspiring cartoonist, age 18-25, who draws political & social cartoons, editorial commentary or comics journalism? You have one month left to enter your work for consideration for the 2018 John Locher Memorial Award. Deadline is June 15! Details: https://locheraward.org/
The Association of American Editorial Cartoonists launches a new icon, updating its venerable ink bottle for the digital age DURHAM, NC — The AAEC has a new look. The Association of American Editorial Cartoonists, a professional organization that promotes the interests of political cartoonists and comics journalists in the U.S., Canada and Mexico, has […]
The website the 2018 Association of American Editorial Cartoonist confab is now online, including registration information and a link to the hotel to make your room reservations. Click here for details: https://aaeccartoonists.org/ AAEC 2018 Annual Convention September 20-23, 2018 Sacramento, California Hosted by Jack Ohman, The Sacramento Bee and AAEC President Pat Bagley, Salt […]
Making Faces: Editorial Cartoonists and the First Amendment [working title]Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum, April 20 — October 27, 2019 Here's the big one! Lucy Caswell and Ann Telnaes will be co-curating a major exhibition on cartoonists and the First Amendment. It will run for 6 months in the lead-up to the 2019 AAEC […]
We can now confirm that this year's AAEC Convention will take place Sept. 20-23, 2018. The cartoonists will be staying at The Citizen's Hotel at 926 J Street in lovely Sacramento, CA. President Pat Bagley is signing the contract as you read this, with a room rate of $159 a night, and you'll be able […]
Back in 1954, an article in the Saturday Review titled “The Rise and Fall of the Political Cartoon” wondered if editorial cartooning was dead. The author of the piece complained that cartoons weren’t as good as they used to be, and that they — and newspapers— were losing ground and influence to competition from “radio, […]
We need to change. For several years now we have complained, bemoaned, and raged over the disappearance of our traditional home, the print newspaper. And the loss of newspapers is not just affecting our profession but is having an impact as well on how we’ve traditionally funded our annual conventions. Fewer and fewer of […]
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE DURHAM, NC — North Carolina cartoonist Dwane Powell is the first recipient of the "Rex Babin Memorial Award for Local Cartooning." The award was announced Saturday, Nov. 4, during the closing banquet of the Association of American Editorial Cartoonists' convention at Hofstra University in Hempstead, NY. Powell was surprised with the news […]
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE HEMPSTEAD, NY — Cartoonist Joel Pett is the recipient of this year's "Ink Bottle Award" from the Association of American Editorial Cartoonists. The award was announced Saturday, Nov. 4, during the closing banquet of the AAEC's convention at Hofstra University in Hemstead, NY. The Ink Bottle is given annually to an individual […]
Last week's annual Association of American Editorial Cartoonists Convention at Hofstra University on Long Island was one for the books. A big congratulations to host Matt Davies and President Ann Telnaes for pulling off a memorable gathering! It was a fitting 60th anniversary celebration for our organization. The weather was delightful for this time of year […]
The prolific Mike Peterson will be posting every day from this year's gathering of the Association of American Editorial Cartoonists. Catch his opening night notes here. Here's Pat Bagley in his hand-drawn smoking jacket:
Miss the Monday panel on "Protecting Cartoonists & Satire" at Columbia University? Watch it here https://www.kaltura.com/tiny/iicvo Follow the twitter feed at #CartoonistsHofstra.
The 2017 gathering of the Association of American Editorial Cartoonists is here! Follow all the events via the AAEC's feeds: https://www.facebook.com/editorialcartoon/ https://www.instagram.com/editorialcartoonists/ https://twitter.com/AAEC_Cartoonist https://aaecrebuild.wpengine.com/ Posting comments & photos yourself? Use #CartoonistsHofstra
Good day — and welcome to the first day of the AAEC convention! Some of you have been asking where to pick up your name tags and registration packets, so here you go! Registration Desk Open:Wednesday, Nov. 1 2:30pm–5:30pm (Hotel Lobby, left side) 6:30pm–7:30pm (Cradle of Aviation) Thursday, Nov. 2: 7:30am–8:30am (Hotel Lobby, left side) 9:00am–11:00am (Hofstra) 5:30pm–6:30pm […]
A quick tweak to yesterday's transportation note: Turns out the Hofstra buses will only take you from the Hempstead or Mineola Station to the University itself. Not the hotel. Those of you arriving Thursday during the day can still catch a university bus to the convention events on campus. If you want to get to […]
Hello all! The time of the gathering is here! Below is some suggestion on traveling to Hofstra University, in Hempstead, NY, once you get to New York FLYING INTO JFK?Once you've deplaned, take the AIRTRAIN —- a handy rail link taking you from your terminal to Jamaica Station, a major hub where one can transfer […]
We all know cartoonists only respond to deadlines, so here it is — TODAY is the final day to register for this year's AAEC Convention at Hofstra University! Seriously, if you are thinking of coming to this year's gathering in Long Island, you need to register by TODAY. If you're only planning on going to […]
Here are the street addresses for your GPS/driving/Lyft needs. Hofstra University900 Fulton Ave., Hempstead, NY 11550.• Driving directions can be found at www.hofstra.edu/visitors/visitors_info_hofdirect.html • Public transportation info can be found at www.hofstra.edu/visitors/visitors_info_publictrans.html •Most of the events will take place at the Mack Student Center in the heart of Hofstra's campus:https://www.hofstra.edu/visitors/visitors_info_dirmaps.htmlhttps://www.hofstra.edu/visitors/visitors-info-studentcenterdirections.html The Long Island Marriott […]
We all know cartoonists only respond to deadlines, so here it is — You must register for this year's AAEC Convention by WEDNESDAY, OCT. 25. That's two days, people. Seriously, if you are thinking of coming to this year's gathering at Hofstra University, you need to register by Wednesday. If you're only planning on going […]
We are now just one week out from the first event of the 2017 Political Cartoon & Satire Festival! Join us Monday, Oct. 30 at Columbia University for the pre-convention panel: “Protecting Cartoonists and Satire.” Pulitzer Prize-winning cartoonists Ann Telnaes, Matt Wuerker and Nick Anderson will join Patrick Chappatte and David Schulz, Director of the Media Freedom […]
Save the Date! The 2017 AAEC convention will be held Nov. 1-4 at Hofstra University in Hempstead, New York (short trip to NYC). More Info to Come!
A panel of American political cartoonists confront a new reality after the terrorist attack in Paris, with an in depth discussion of free speech, cultural sensitivity, and publishing for a global audience.
“Free Speech or Hate Speech: Drawing the Line After Charlie Hebdo” was held in September 2015 at the annual gathering of the Association of American Editorial Cartoonists in Columbus, Ohio, and is provided courtesy of the Columbus College of Art and Design, and the Billy Ireland Cartoon Library and Museum at Ohio State. View it here: https://vimeo.com/141021943
It’s time to make plans to come to this year’s AAEC Convention in Columbus, Ohio! It will be held Thursday, Sept. 3, through Sunday, Sept. 6, and hosted by the OSU Billy Ireland Cartoon Library and Museum and the Columbus College of Art and Design (CCAD). Day programming and public sessions will be held at CCAD, with separate events at the Billy Ireland, which will open up its cartooning treasure vault for the convention. There will be a sit-down banquet and awards ceremony Saturday evening. We will update you soon with an outline of the convention schedule.
The AAEC’s Satire Fest is coming to San Francisco on October 9, 10, 11.
Mark your calendars! The 2013 AAEC Convention will be June 27-29 in Salt Lake City. Click for details — more to come!
Exploiting the fervid political turbulence of the election season, this year’s convention was deliberately scheduled to take place September 13-15, after the nominating conventions of the two political parties, when the antics of editoonists at their drawing boards could become a public spectacle in the form of “A Festival Celebrating the Political Cartoon.”
In mid September I attended the 56th annual convention of the Association of American Editorial Cartoonists in Washington D.C. It was an enjoyable event and I managed to meet many cartoonists whose work I deeply admire. Two years ago I had attended an AAEC convention in Portland, Oregon, and had a good time. This year it seemed very appropriate for the convention to take place in our capitol as it is an election year. It was my first time in Washington D.C. and I had time to visit the great monuments and talk to other political cartoonists from across the country.
Armed with a bullhorn, cartoon placards and the right to assemble, the Cartoonists Rights Network International, AAEC cartoonists (Pat Bagley, Drew Rogier-Chapman, Nik Kowsar, Jeff Parker, and Matt Wuerker), and local Amnesty International members, held a small protest in front of the Malaysian embassy in Washington, DC as a show of solidarity with Malaysian editorial cartoonist Zunar, one day before the AAEC convention kicked off.
AAEC conventions are marked by an atmosphere of warm collegiality. Cartoonists of all philosophical persuasions are welcome, and although the individual members are possessed of an array of strong political points of view, there is very little in the way of heated arguments at these events. There are no blood feuds, no screaming matches, and most surprisingly, no drunken punch-outs over politics.
The 2012 AAEC Convention will be here before we know it, so start planning now. This year's convention is scheduled for September 13-15, in Washington, DC. Complete details are being organized and will be made available over the next few weeks. Know however that this is one convention you really don't want to miss! In […]
Set aside the dates! The Association of American Editorial Cartoonists' 2012 convention will take place Thursday through Saturday, September 13-15, in George Washington University's Jack Morton Auditorium. Exact details regarding hotel selection and panels are currently being worked out. Registration for the event will be $250 for members. This year's convention will follow a somewhat […]
The AAEC has created a bank account to pool donations from its members for contribution later this year to the Sacramento Bee's Sebastian Babin Education Fund. Sebastian is the 10-year-old son of Rex and Kathleen Babin. Rex, who was the Sacramento Bee’s staff cartoonist and served as 2010-11 AAEC president, died March 30 following a […]
The 2011 AAEC Convention will be held at the Poynter Institute and the Hilton St. Petersburg Bayfront, in downtown St. Petersburg, Florida, July 6 – 9, 2011. There is tons to do around Tampa Bay — beaches, museums, historic sites, shopping, hiking, kayaking. And Disney World is just two-hours up I-4. Start planning and saving […]
Rex Babin sums up his year as AAEC president.
Milt Prigee presents the award to Rob Rogers.
Today we link to convention coverage by Angelo Lopez, an article about the cartoonist who won an award for courage from Cartoonists Rights Network International, and an interview with Dick Locher of Dick Tracy fame.
A radio interview, a web interview, and best of all, convention photos by JP!
Alan Gardner posted another report to Daily Cartoonist, complete with photos, about the topics covered at the convention on Friday here.
Alan Gardner weighed in with a report (with photos!) on Thursday's panels and Cartoonapalooza at Powell's Bookstore. Read all about it on the Daily Cartoonist
The first coverage from this year’s AAEC confab has begun trickling out of Portland.
The AAEC is now exactly 4 weeks out from its next convention — this year in Portland, Oregon. As of today you can log on to the AAEC site and register online, or print out your form to mail in. Deadline to register is Wednesday, June 9. You can also download a PDF of the […]
A look at this year’s editorial confab in Seattle, with photos and video links.
Thank you for making me president during the worst year for American editorial cartooning in history. That was awesome. You’re the best. I love you.
You all owe me drinks.
The Society of Professional Journalists has announced the recipients of the 2024 Sigma Delta Chi Awards for excellence in journalism. In the Editorial Cartooning category...
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.
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.
