1982 Pulitzer Prize winning editorial cartoonist Ben Sargent will be the focus of a new exhibit at the Dolph Briscoe Center for American History in Austin, TX. Ben was the editorial cartoonist for Austin American Statesman for 35 years. The exhibit, entitled Always Hitting a Nerve: Editorial Cartoons by Ben Sargent, contains original art from the Ben Sargent Collection, which Ben and the Austin American Statesman donated to the Briscoe Center.
Divided into seven sections, the exhibit showcases Ben’s satirizing of state government; his “sharp barbs” at various Texas governors; Americans’ love-hate relationship with freedom of the press; the travails of ordinary citizens; the successes and failures of the occupants of the White House; the struggle to attain world peace; and his distinctive portfolio of cartoons that won him the Pulitzer Prize. Sargent’s publications and his personal collection of cartoonist’s tools are also included in the exhibit.
Exhibit runs April 20 through August 31, 2011.
Ben didn’t know me from Adams house cat the day he spent walking around SanAntonio trying to help me find a banded brimmed cowboy hat. Never found one. But met a hell of a nice guy.
Ben drew one of the best versions of Too Much Coffee Man ever.
I have two of his books get them out from time to time pure entertainment. My favorite is one he did back in 70’s or early 80’s showing his rendention of the Tex Leg “Hark, Hark, the dogs to bark…”