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. Check back here later this year for registration and hotel information!

SPX website



 

CARTOONIST PROFILE

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General

First Name

Clay

Last Name

Bennett

Publication

Primary Publication Name

Chattanooga Times Free Press

Private Info

Work Address

400 East 11th Street, Chattanooga, TN 37403

Profile

Bio

Born January 20, 1958 in Clinton, South Carolina. The son of a career army officer, Bennett led a nomadic life, attending ten different schools before graduating in 1976 from S. R. Butler High School in Huntsville, Alabama.

Served as editorial cartoonist for his college paper and managing editor of the alternative student newspaper while attending the University of North Alabama, where he graduated in 1980 with degrees in art and history.

After working briefly as a staff artist for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and The Fayetteville (NC) Times, Bennett went on to serve as the editorial cartoonist for the St. Petersburg Times (1981-1994) and The Christian Science Monitor (1997-2007) before joining the staff of the Chattanooga Times Free Press in 2008.

A recipient of the 2002 Pulitzer Prize for Editorial Cartooning, Bennett has earned nearly every honor his profession has to offer including the National Headliner Award (1999, 2000, 2004, 2016, 2023), the Sigma Delta Chi Award (2001, 2017, 2019), the Overseas Press Club Award (2005, 2007, 2017), the Robert F. Kennedy Journalism Award (2007), the Berryman Award (2014), the John Fischetti Award (2001, 2005), the National Journalism Award (2002), the Grambs Aronson Award for Cartoons (2013), the United Nations Political Cartoon Award (2011) and the National Cartoonists Society’s Award for Editorial Cartoons (2002, 2017).

Past President of the Association of American Editorial Cartoonists, Bennett is the husband of artist Cindy Procious and the father of Matt, Ben and Sarah. His work is distributed internationally by Counterpoint Licensing and Syndication.

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

CSotD: From the Mouths (and noses) of Babes
CSotD: From the Mouths (and noses) of Babes

Remember that brief moment during the campaign, when progressives began describing Trump and his coterie as “weird”? It had tangible impact, but it seemed unpleasant...


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.