Tony Auth Leaving The Philadelphia Inquirer



There aren't three other editorial cartoonist staff position changes possible that would be bigger than Tony Auth leaving the Philadelphia Inquirer, the latest in an ongoing, multi-year run of concrete, not-to-be-stepped-away-from changes in that world of cartoon expression. Auth has been at the Inquirer since 1971, and won the Pulitzer in 1976. He is also a past Herblock Prize winner (2005).

The linked-to article suggets that Auth has already found another position, at a web site with a link to public radio. That's good news. I'm still not sure how this isn't best seen as yet another blow to the idea of editorial cartooning staff positions. One take I suppose would be to point out Auth's age (he has to be about 70) and suggest this makes it slightly less shocking than if a younger cartoonist with Auth's weight and pull had been pushed out the door. The article makes clear that this is part of staff-reduction changes at the newspaper, though, so you kind of have to take it in that light. I wish Mr. Auth all future enjoyment and success and I hope there's some attention paid to his significant run with the publication in the weeks ahead in addition to the necessary analysis of what it means in the wider context of what's happening to his profession.
 
posted 6:00 am PST | Permalink
 

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