Another Cartoonist Leaves Staff Position



This time it's the Pulitzer Prize-winning Ben Sargent, who has been at the Austin-American Statesman for 35 years this calendar year. I guess the positive is that Sargent accepting a buyout seems like it'd be the kind of veteran fairly near standard retirement age you'd want to see accepting such a package, and that makes it a better outcome than some 32-year-old get unceremoniously dumped.

The alternate view, of course, is that it's Ben-Freakin'-Sargent we're talking about, one of the nation's super-solid practitioners of a profession now in a state of near-collapse. Sargent has one of those direct and measured voices that's allowed him to do the humorous stuff and the occasional step-back-and-think cartoon with equal aplomb. He'll continue to bring his skills to work with various syndication and freelance clients, clients that may soon include his former employer on some sort of contract basis.

I always liked the way Sargent would subtly change his approach to the art depending on the cartoon. It always looked different than what I remembered, until I'd cast around and see a cartoon that was more like the mind's eye Sargent. That's a rare gift. At any rate, I would imagine he'll certainly be missed in all the ways he ends up not being involved or published the same way he is right now.

Sargent won the Pulitzer in 1982.
 
posted 7:25 am PST | Permalink
 

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