Comments on: Seattle Times to cut Eric Devericks position (UPDATED)

By: Dawn Douglass

Dawn Douglass — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 18:45:22 +0000

I posted a cartoon today on inkswig that Matthew and I did about newspapers.

A lot of this is their own fault, but much of it isn’t. And in any case, it’s very sad and alarming that so many people are losing their jobs.

Watch my video on the Cloud. This is nothing compared to what’s coming if newspapers don’t create a good way to fight back.
http://inkswig.com/2008/04/11/just-the-facts-maam/

By: Beth Cravens

Beth Cravens — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 18:00:21 +0000

It’s not the editors that you have to watch out for, it’s the greedy publishers out there who would push their own mother’s in front of a bus if they thought it would get them more advertising revenue.

By: Jeff Vella

Jeff Vella — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 23:07:42 +0000

“Sometimes, itâ€™s not just the cartoon itself, itâ€™s the reaction from readers and local politicians that show you how important a local editorial cartoon can be to a newspaper. Thatâ€™s what editors are failing to see.”

I agree with Stacy. As much as I like viewing Cagleâ€™s site, most of those artists draw comics on national headlines. And after a while some of the comics start looking similar to each other.

But a comic drawn on the blunders of the local politician, and state government is what brings in the response from the readers of that particular state. Sometimes the editors just don’t get it.

I work at a mid-sided newspaper in Connecticut, and I’m fortunate to have an editor who does get it. Sometimes he’ll actually request a comic dealing with a certain politician or state problem.

By: Abell Smith

Abell Smith — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 20:18:30 +0000

Anyone hear of any other positions getting the axe at the Times? Any photographers?

How ironic would it be if the P-I were the last man standing in Seattle, after all the talk of its demise over the years…

By: Steve Greenberg

Steve Greenberg — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 17:40:31 +0000

I hope Eric survives, but am not optimistic. A decade ago, the major
newspapers in Washington state had five editorial cartoonists: myself and
Dave Horsey on the Seattle P-I, Brian Basset (later Chris Britt) on the
Times, Steve Benson (later Chris Britt) in Tacoma and Milt Priggee in
Spokane. Looks like it could be just Horsey now.

The loss of local editorial cartooning is a disservice to the readers, and
removes a significant check upon state and local politicians… the
potential embarrassment of a stinging cartoon might keep a state legislator
slightly more on track than just written editorials that not everybody will
read could.

By: Stacy Curtis

Stacy Curtis — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 04:29:29 +0000

Right, Clay.
Eric, if you are reading this, know that we are thinking about you.
Lots of us have been there and are proof you can bounce back.
Hang in there!

>>>Most comic strips and editorial cartoons are not worth reading anyway.

You don’t see the local cartoons challenging the city council, the water commission, the local police, etc. Those are the cartoons, whether they are Pulitzer material or not, that really deserve mentioning. Most of these cartoons are produced by cartoonists who do them for a flat fee and depending on the size of the newspaper (or not) that fee is probably not all that much. But the work they’re doing is important and quite honestly, probably better than any editorial cartoon drawn on airline safety and the economy lately.

I’m not downplaying the role of editorial cartoons on national topics, I’m just saying before you think most editorial cartoons are not worth reading, I’d suggest you look beyond Daryl Cagle’s site and the AAEC site and see what ruckus the local cartoonists are creating in weeklies and small daily newspapers.

Sometimes, it’s not just the cartoon itself, it’s the reaction from readers and local politicians that show you how important a local editorial cartoon can be to a newspaper. That’s what editors are failing to see.

By: Clay

Clay — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 02:55:34 +0000

The Times are giving their readers another reason they should read the Post-Intelligencer if they get rid of Eric.
Eric was always a friend but after our stupid little football wager we became even closer. That guy was going to jump into Puget Sound for me.
I’m going to send him an email to let him know I’m thinking about him.
He’s probably reading this so…hang in there, Eric!

By: Rob Tornoe

Rob Tornoe — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 02:35:36 +0000

I agree completely Stacey. It’s strictly a cost issue. A newspaper doesn’t NEED and editorial cartoonist, b/c they can subscribe to a syndicate for pennies. But if they want good local content in their paper, and not just be a cookie cutter, local cartoonists can provide that edge.

Especially in a market where they’re competing with another big-name daily. Watering down your product is only going to convince people that they should be reading your competitor.

By: Kevin Moore

Kevin Moore — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 23:31:37 +0000

You make a good point, Stacy. One of the casualties of highly concentrated media has been the loss of local relevance. I’m in a mid-sized media market with a lot of demand for local content. But there are so many small towns across the country that get served by giant media corporations with very generic formats. This is largely true of radio. But in cartooning, you see this more and more. As we’ve talked about elsewhere on this blog and other blogs, an editorial cartoonist are becoming less likely to be part of local newspaper, but more likely a part of a nationally syndicated package. Hence the generic quality of so many of those cartoons.

By: Stacy Curtis

Stacy Curtis — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 21:16:00 +0000

I would argue against laying-off a staff cartoonist who produces local cartoons exclusively for that particular newspaper. Most newspapers are pushing local content these days and a local editorial cartoon does carry some weight. It causes readers to respond and come back to your Opinion page every day.

Even editorial cartoonists who ‘double dip’ by providing the occasional illustration for news stories are seen as a luxury.

Unfortunately, most editors would rather keep a pack of columnists around and lay-off their ONE staff cartoonist.