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WASHINGTON, January 6, 2006 – After
15 years at The Louisville Courier-Journal, Pulitzer Prize-winning editorial
cartoonist Nick Anderson is packing up his sketchpad and moving to the
Houston Chronicle. “It has been one of the most difficult decisions
my wife and I have ever made,” said Anderson. “But ultimately,
change nourishes creativity and it proved to be too good an opportunity
to pass up.”
Starting Feb. 13, Anderson will replace Chronicle staffer CP Houston,
who is retiring. The move is welcome news at a time when the trend in
newspapers has been to eliminate staff editorial cartoonist positions.
In late 2005, the Los Angeles Times and Baltimore Sun both chose not to
replace departing editorial cartoonists. Earlier in the year, The Durham
(N.C.) Herald-Sun also eliminated its staff editorial cartoonist.To protest
the cuts, on Dec. 12, 2005, more than 80 editorial cartoonists participated
in “Black Ink Monday,” and did what they do best: They drew
cartoons on the subject.
“It’'s nice to see the Chronicle buck the trend and to see a
hard-working, talented guy like Nick get this opportunity. I don't know
of anyone more deserving,” said Alan Shearer, editorial director/general
manager of the Washington Post Writers Group, Anderson’s syndicate
since 1996. “He has been producing cartoons of a consistently high
quality, which has been recognized by editors everywhere.” Shearer
went on to say that Anderson’s client list grew by nearly 50 percent
since he won the Pulitzer in April and predicted, “One day Nick will
be among the top five or six most widely published editorial cartoonists.”
Anderson grew up in Toledo, Ohio. At age 15 he started drawing cartoons
for his high school newspaper and immediately knew his calling. He attended
Ohio State University, and in 1989 he won the Charles M. Schulz Award
for best college cartoonist. During a summer internship at The Courier-Journal,
the newspaper immediately recognized his talent and offered him a job
after graduation. In addition to the Pulitzer, Anderson earned the Sigma
Delta Chi award in 2000, the 1999 Fischetti Award, and first-place honors
for editorial cartooning in the Best of Gannett Awards in 1996, 1997 and
1999.
Joining Anderson in Texas will be his wife, Cecilia Baylon, and their
sons, Colton and Travis. “I am looking forward to exploring Houston
as a place to live and work, and carrying out the ambitious vision that
the editors of the Houston Chronicle have for their staff cartoonist,”
said Anderson.
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