Chris Says Goodbye and Jim Says Hello

Cartoonist Chris Wildt, who for decades has supplied local editorial cartoons for the Lewes, Delaware Cape Gazette and its readers, has amiably resigned from that position.

This week marks the end of an era for readers of the Cape Gazette and for all of us who produce it for you. Chris Wildt, our longtime cartoonist, has stepped aside.

For decades, our editorial page has been anchored by his work, which also appears in national publications and consistently wins awards. Yet, twice a week, every week, Chris has taken a look around our neighborhoods and zeroed in on the issues and ideas that matter.

 

Chris is a long-time gag cartoonist whose hometown political cartoons were only a part of his career.

above left: Funny Times; above right: one of 1000s from CartoonStock

 

Anyway…
An editorial cartoonist for a smallish twice-weekly newspaper retires
and that’s it for cartoons on the opinion page there, right?

Wrong! While mega-news organizations like Gatehouse/Gannett are throwing away cartoonists, the Cape Gazette didn’t skip a beat. Chris’s last cartoon appeared September 6, 2019, and the very next edition, September 10, 2019, saw the debut of new political cartoonist Jim Paterson!

This week we also welcome to our editorial page James Paterson, an accomplished writer and editor who lives in Lewes with his family.

Jim has worked at both local and national newspapers and magazines, and has also operated his own marketing and design company. An award-winning illustrator whose work appears in national publications, including the Washington Post, he has recently focused on writing about education and energy – and doing cartoons.

 

above: the last Wildt cartoon (Sept. 6); below: the first Paterson cartoon (Sept. 10)

A big and sincere tip of the hat to the Cape Gazette, and publishers Dennis Forney and Trish Vernon, for continuing their decades long tradition, and a century and a half of newspaper tradition.

The Cape Gazette offers a fond farewell to Chris and a warm welcome to Jim.

More: the Cape Gazette maintains a cartoon archive going back years.

 

Top