The elephant in the room

 

Pat Oliphant dead at 90

Photo by Greg Preston 

I woke up this morning to the news that legendary editorial cartoonists Pat Oliphant died yesterday. He was a giant of the profession who spawned countless imitators.

In lieu of personal memories, here is a selection of articles about him on this blog:

Patrick Oliphant, Master of 'a Dying Art'

"A Savage Art: The Life and Cartoons of Pat Oliphant"

Cartoonist Ann Telnaes on Pat Oliphant

Pat Oliphant Interviewed in "The Atlantic"

Pat Oliphant by Dave Coats in Go Comics

News from Patrick Oliphant in the Santa Fe New Mexican

UPDATES

"The Man on the Trunk of the Tree." by Jason Chatfield

Pat Oliphant, world-renowned political cartoonist dies at 90 obituary in the Santa Fe New Mexican

The quiet man with the loud drawings in The Comics Journal

Remembering Mike Constable

 

It is with great sadness that I learned that cartoonist Mike Constable lost, last Friday, his battle with Alzheimer’s disease.

In keeping with Mike’s preference for informality, and to celebrate him in a place where he spent a lot of time, a memorial get-together will be held, from 3-6 pm, this Sunday at Last Temptation, 12 Kensington Avenue, Toronto.

Here are a few remembrances about a dear friend.

Russian cartoonist Semyon Skrepetsky shot dead in the street

From Cartooning for Peace.

Russian artist and cartoonist Semyon Skrepetsky, also known as Simon Skrepetski, was shot dead in the street on Monday June 15 in Biała Podlaska in eastern Poland, near the border with Belarus.

An exile in Poland since 2021, he used his drawings to criticize autocrats such as Putin, the Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko, and Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov. 

Winners of the 2026 Doug Wright Awards

From the Doug Wright Awards website.

Here are the winners (in bold) of the 22nd annual Doug Wright Awards which were given out on Saturday June 6 at the Arts & Letters Club in Toronto.

Corax 1933-2026

From Syria Cartoon.

Predrag Koraksić Corax was probably the most famous political cartoonist in the former Yugoslavia. 

He was born in 1933 in the village of Gornja Gorevnica near Čačak, and lost his partisan father to the Chetniks during World War II. 

He finished high school in Zemun and studied architecture in Belgrade. 

In October 2004, he was awarded the French Legion of Honor, and he is the recipient of other awards, including the one called New Optimism (2017).

Norwegian Daily Faces Backlash Over Modi Cartoon

From News 18.

Norwegian newspaper Aftenposten faced massive backlash after it published a racist cartoon depicting Prime Minister Narendra Modi as a snake charmer with a fuel-station filling pipe as the snake. 

The image was used for an opinion article titled “A sneaky and slightly annoying man".

Dave Brown loses "Independent" post

 

British cartoonist Dave Brown was laid off, due to budget cuts, after 30 years at The Independent.

Editorial cartoons about the erosion of freedoms displayed in Geneva

Every two years in Geneva, two cartoonists receive an international prize recognizing their commitment and courage.

This year, the winners are Safaa Odah from Palestine and Jimmy “Spire” Ssentongo from Uganda.

Throughout the month of May, their work, along with a selection of topical cartoons, is on display on Quai Wilson.

The 2026 edition is dedicated to three current topics as interpreted by cartoonists from around the world: new empires, the impact of artificial intelligence, and freedoms under attack.

On the Line

Anthony Feinstein in The Globe & Mail.

Strongmen have an extraordinarily thin skin when it comes to laughing at themselves.

It is a striking that these men with enormous power, vast armies, lethal weapons, and apparently limitless self-confidence fear the simple cartoon. 

Is it because they know instinctively that Mark Twain was correct when he had one of his characters observe, “Against the assault of laughter, nothing can stand”? 

Hitler’s fury at being lampooned by the cartoons of David Low pales, however, when compared to the violence unleashed more than half a century later by 12 cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad published by the Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten. 

Telnaes: Democracy Under Siege Makes Its U.S. Debut May 1st

From The Daily Cartoonist.

For four days, beginning May 1, 2026, Ann Telnaes and Friends are making the Laura Dix documentary Democracy Under Siege available in the United States.

26th World Press Freedom International Editorial Cartoon Competition (Results)

First Prize: Darko Drljevic, Montenegro

The jury, composed of five members of World Press Freedom Canada met on April 8 to select the winners of the 26th World Press Freedom International Editorial Cartoon Competition.

The theme, this year, was "Times are tough".

Michael de Adder wins National Newspaper Award 2025

Michael de Adder of the Globe and Mail is a second time winner in the Illustrated Commentary category at the 77th edition of the National Newspaper Awards.

KAL wins his 6th Overseas Press Club Award

Kevin (KAL) Kallaugher is the winner of the 2026 Overseas Press Club Award for editorial cartooning. 

This is the sixth time KAL since 1998 that KAL has won the award. KAL’s winning portfolio spans cartoons published in The Economist, The Baltimore Sun, and his Substack, KAL Draws the Line.

"His work is pointed yet funny," stated the judges, "balancing sophisticated hard-hitting satire with belly laughs, the true mark of a great editorial cartoonist."

You can see cartoons from his winning portfolio by clicking here to go to his Substack. 

Drawing the Line: An Evening with Political Cartoonists

From Media and Democracy Project.

Since before the founding of the country, there have been political cartoons, often mocking the powerful with sharp humor, capturing the absurdity of the moment, shaping public opinion, and even exposing corruption. 

They say a picture is worth a thousand words, and in today’s fast paced digital world an image can be shared in the blink of an eye, changing hearts and minds.

With censorship and threats on the rise for the press, including political cartoonists, join us for this special evening with three award-winning political cartoonists who will take us behind the scenes on how they distill the news into a single image and the role that political satire plays in defending democracy.

Jack Ohman wins 2026 Herblock Prize for editorial cartooning

From the Herblock Foundation.

Jack Ohman was announced as the winner of the 2026 Herblock Prize for editorial cartooning. 

Pedro X. Molina was named as this year’s finalist.

“Under Pressure”: Report on the Situation of Threatened Press Cartoonists Worldwide (2023–2025)

From Cartooning for Peace.

Niels Bo Bojesen (Denmark)

The new report on the situation of threatened press cartoonists around the world will be released on March 2, 2026. 

It is the result of a joint effort by Cartooning for Peace, Cartoonists Rights and their partners: Freedom Cartoonists Foundation, FORHUM, Columbia Global Freedom of Expression – Columbia University, and Reporters Without Borders.

26th World Press Freedom Canada International Editorial Cartoon Competition

 

The theme of the 26th International Editorial Cartoon Competition is:

Times are tough

Inflation is skyrocketing while wages remain stagnant, artificial intelligence threatens entire sectors of the economy and home ownership is out of reach for younger generations.
The imposition of tariffs and the erratic behavior of the American president fuels uncertainty worldwide.
What was previously alarming becomes normal while we wait for the next scandal, the next court ruling or the next election to turn the tide.

European Cartoon Awards 2025

From Facebook.

The European Cartoon Award has announced the winners of its 2025 contest. 

The first prize was awarded to the Dutch cartoonist Tjeerd Royaards, for his work published in the Dutch outlet Trouw. 

The two Runners-up are cartoonists Emad Hajjaj (Jordan) and Zehra Ömeroğlu (Turkey). 

An Honourable Mention was awarded to Patrick Chappatte (Switzerland):

Editorial Cartoonist Walt Handelsman Retires

From The Times Picayune.

Pulitzer Prize-winning editorial cartoonist Walt Handelsman is putting away his pen and ink after decades of delighting Louisiana with his alternately humorous and poignant takes on the state's peculiar politics, personalities and events.

Handelsman, 69, will retire from The Times-Picayune | The Advocate at the end of December.