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Pat Oliphant, at 90, Joins TDC’s Senior Strippers Club

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D. D. Degg Published: July 24, 2025 1 minute 5 comments

Esteemed political cartoonist Pat Oliphant was born July 24, 1935. Australian-born Pat made his fame as a United States editorial cartoonist from the 1960s into the 2000s, becoming the inspiration for generations of cartoonists who followed and revered him.

Oliphant started in the U.S. at the Denver Post in 1964 and within a year was being syndicated nationwide.

By 1966 his incisive cartoons were being nominated for and winning major newspaper awards.

After disrespecting the Pulitzer Board he would never win or be a finalist for that prize again, but he would be honored by other cartooning organizations including the Thomas Nast Prize and the National Cartoonist Society’s Reuben Award as Cartoonist of the Year (along with more wins in the NCS’s Editorial Cartooning division than anyone else).

Pat also received a high honor from cartoonists’ cartoonist Walt Kelly following his Pulitzer win.

Pat’s Wikipedia entry is extensive and seemingly accurate. As does Lambiek’s Comiclopedia.

In 1964, while preparing to move without a job, he learned that cartoonist Paul Conrad was leaving the Denver Post. Oliphant sent a portfolio of work to the Post^[6] and was hired over 50 American applicants.

Less than a year after Oliphant began working at the Denver Post, in April 1965, his work was syndicated internationally by the Los Angeles Times Syndicate.

In 1975, Oliphant moved to The Washington Star, attracted by editor Jim Bellows. In 1980, he switched syndication companies, joining Universal Press Syndicate. The Star ceased publication in 1981.

After The Washington Star folded, Oliphant received offers from other newspapers but chose to remain independent, relying on the earnings from his extensive syndication. He was the first political cartoonist in the twentieth century to work independently from a home newspaper, which provided him with unique independence from editorial control.

GoComics maintains a Pat Oliphant archive from 1980 going forward to 2014, and a few after that.

For six months in 1984 Pat became part of The Sunday Funnies with his Sunday Punk comic strip.

Senior Strippers is proud to welcome Pat, who the New York Times in 1990 called “the most influential editorial cartoonist” of his time, into their club. The Daily Cartoonist wishes Mr. Oliphant a Happy Birthday.