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 Energy (Murray Energy v. Chagrin Valley Times) that went all the way to the Ohio Supreme Court. They won, and their victory underscored the need for SLAPP suit legislation in Ohio. Who says cartoons don't make a difference?

[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, we will be showcasing each cartoonist who entered the contest this year, one or two each day in alphabetical order (more or less), leading up to the AAEC Convention in Sacramento, CA, and the announcement of the award winner on Saturday, Sept. 22.]