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AAEC - Editorial Cartoon News
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December 20, 2003
Nine AAEC members make Editor & Publishers list of 'Features of the Year'
E&P magazine chose four people in 2001 and four more in 2002 for creating "Features of the Year." But with hundreds of syndicated people out there, a lot of talented ones weren't getting their due. So, this year, we're expanding the pool to cite a larger number of opinion columnists, editorial cartoonists, comic creators, and others who've had a notable 2003.
Prescient prognosticators
As most American media outlets supported the war this March and April, a number of cartoonists bucked the patriotic tide by questioning the wisdom of the U.S. invasion. Their doubts turned out to have merit as no weapons of mass destruction were found and American soldiers, Iraqis, and others continued to die months after President Bush declared the war essentially over. Some of these prescient commentators included "The Boondocks" comic creator Aaron McGruder of Universal Press Syndicate; and editorial cartoonists Scott Bateman of King Features Syndicate, Ann Telnaes of Tribune Media Services (TMS), Ted Rall of Universal, Joel Pett of the Lexington (Ky.) Herald-Leader and Universal, Ben Sargent of the Austin (Texas) American-Statesman and Universal, Steve Benson of The Arizona Republic in Phoenix and United Media, Nick Anderson (above) of The Courier- Journal in Louisville, Ky., and WPWG, and Mark Fiore, who's does political animation for the Web.
Bateman reports getting plenty of flak for his cartoons, but about 60 positive feedbacks. "I think by questioning the war all along, I've tapped into the skepticism that many people felt but weren't seeing expressed in the rah-rah cablenews coverage," he says.
How did Bateman feel seeing his skepticism justified? "I'm actually saddened by how accurate I turned out to be, because a lot of good young Americans have died in this misguided and unnecessary war," he replies.
--E&P, November 26, 2003o