The Association of American Editorial Cartoonists applauds the Urban Tulsa Weekly for removing David Simpson as it's Editorial Cartoonist following overwhelming evidence of plagiarism. David Simpson was not a member of the AAEC. Still, we believe that his long history of stealing material from our members, including the late Jeff MacNelly, and his previous firing for plagiarism provides cause for us to challenge his being given another chance to occupy space that might otherwise be filled by one of the many talented and original editorial cartoonists available today. Cartoonists must respect copyright laws and the individual creativity that makes the work of each cartoonist unique. This incident highlights the importance of outstanding, original, political cartoons and reaffirms their essential position in journalism and Democracy.
