Martin Rowson and Ella Baron – Processes
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Editorial cartoonists tackled the same daunting prompt – “Trump and a world in turmoil” – and the resulting approaches reveal a fascinating contrast in style and technique. The process, documented by one publication, followed both artists as they transformed a concept into finished pieces.
This week, the pair were challenged to draw on the same subject, on the same day, to see what each – with their different styles, tools and perspectives – would come up with. Martin landed on a Shakespearean scene, with a warped “King Leer” flanked by snickering world leaders. Ella proposed him squatting in a dystopian nest, surrounded by his spoils.
Martin Rowson, representing a more traditional approach, describes his process as fundamentally unchanged for millennia.
In the same way humans have for at least 67,800 years, I make marks with something runny on a flattish surface. Despite the growth of digital imaging over the past 40 years, I can’t even do Photoshop…
In contrast, Ella Baron embraces digital tools.
I draw with a Wacom Cintiq tablet and stylus. It’s frustrating when people say this isn’t drawing by hand: I have hands and my stylus is more sensitive to pressure and barrel rotation than an ordinary pen.
A photo gallery of Rowson and Baron at work.
Tillie Walden – Cartoonist Laureate
Northeast U.S. cartoonist Tillie Walden is receiving recognition for her work, recently profiled by Publishers Weekly.
After being sworn in as Vermont’s fifth cartoonist laureate in June 2023, Tillie Walden was approached by Christopher Kaufman Ilstrup, executive director of Vermont Humanities. The Vermont cartoonist laureate is tasked with creating comics depicting noteworthy events in the state, and Ilstrup pitched Walden on telling the story of Charity Bryant and Sylvia Drake, a gay couple who openly shared their lives together in the small town of Weybridge in the 19th century. Upon examining the historical materials about the pair Ilstrup provided, Walden was smitten.
With the cover for a spring comics and graphic novels preview issue, Walden wanted to capture what it felt like to create Charity & Sylvia. “It was really like spring had come again within me,” she says. “One of my goals with this comic was to remind myself why this medium matters to me, and use simple tools to tell a complex story. It’s cheesy, but it did feel like a bloom all around every time my pen touched the paper.”
Will Eisner Comic Awards Hall of Fame for 2026 – Judges Choices
San Diego Comic-Con has announced the selections for the Will Eisner Comic Awards Hall of Fame for 2026, recognizing 19 individuals for their contributions to the medium.
Comic-Con is pleased to announce that 19 individuals have been selected to be inducted into the Will Eisner Comic Awards Hall of Fame for 2026. These inductees include 8 deceased comics pioneers and 11 living persons.
The inductees span the history of comics and range from newspaper and magazine cartoonists and Golden and Silver Age creators to international and underground comix greats and industry innovators.
The deceased choices are Edwina Dumm, Oliver Harrington, Don Heck, Abe Kanegson, Paul S. Newman, Hector German Osterheld, Tom Palmer Sr., and Jimmy Swinnerton. The living choices are Bob Bolling, Gerry Conway, Denys Cowan, Mike Friedrich, Lee Marrs, Go Nagai, Bud Plant, Mike Royer, Dave Sim, Carol Tyler, and Rick Veitch.
In addition to these choices, voters in the comics industry will elect 4 persons from a group of 16 nominees proposed by the judges. Those nominees will be announced next week, and a ballot will be made available for online voting.
At least half of the honorees have comic strip credentials.
An Evening with Mike Luckovich
For those eager to meet a Hall of Fame cartoonist, an opportunity will arise in Carrollton, Georgia, on February 3rd. Two-time Pulitzer Prize recipient Mike Luckovich will be the guest of honor.
The University of West Georgia will host “An Evening with Mike Luckovich” at the Townsend Center for the Performing Arts on Tuesday, Feb. 3. Luckovich, who has served as the editorial cartoonist for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution since 1989, is known for his bold, ink-only style and striking commentary on complex issues. His work has also appeared in publications including Time, Newsweek and The New York Times. During the event, Luckovich will discuss his life and the enduring power of editorial cartoons.
