Thursday, June 29, the Hunter Museum of American Art in Chattanooga, TN will host a “Chalk Talk” with Bruce Plant, editorial cartoonist for the Times Free Press.

Scott Adams, the creator of the comic strip ?Dilbert?, will address the Assemblly Technology Expo (ATExpo 2006) as the keynote speaker.Not familiar with Expo? As in years past, it’s where you can discuss everything “from lean manufacturing to adhesive use and wire harness assembly.” Hold me back!

According to this site, a Mercedes-Benz dealership in Atlanta paid for a full-page ad in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution to apologize for an editorial cartoon by Mike Luckovich that compared Al-Qaeda terrorists to the U.S. in torturing captives.

“Stone Soup,” drawn by Eugene’s own Jan Eliot, once again reigns supreme in The Register-Guard of Eugene, Oregon. It was re-elected their favorite strip after also finishing No. 1 in the newspaper’s previous poll in 2000. It was closely followed by “Zits” and “For Better or for Worse.”

Ziggy celebrates 35 years on the comics page, which debuted on June 28, 1971. The comic is distributed to over 600 newspapers by Universal Press Syndicate.

Editorial cartoonist Patrick O’Connor won first-place at the Los Angeles Press Club’s 48th Southern California Journalism Awards banquet Saturday night.O’Connor was honored for his cartoon titled “Undocumented Workers.”

I will be on vacation for through Friday and have turned the reins of power over to a trusted friend and talented and award-winning cartoonist Aaron Taylor.  Aaron is the editorial cartoonist for the Daily Herald in ultra-conservative Provo Utah which makes editorial cartooning too easy most days.

I received and email from Dawn Douglas, the founder of GoGags (not to be confused with Universal Press’ GoComics) who is wheeling and dealing to get more cartoonists to sign up for their mobile cartoon and “My Fridj” products.  These products allow any cartoonist to publish their cartoons on to mobile phones and take a generous percentage of the advertising and direct sales for each cartoon.

On the heals of Steve Benson’s Haditha cartoon comes Mike Luckovich’s cartoon on torture etiquette that has generated 18,000 votes on an online poll (Mike’s cartoons usually generate only 1,000) according to Editor and Publisher.Public Editor Angela Tuck, in a column Saturday, took issue with its timing, and claimed the “symbolism clearly overshadowed the intent.” The cartoon showed a hooded figure holding an American flag while reading a book on torture etiquette to an al-Qaida member.Not by design, it appeared just above photos of two Americans killed by insurgents in Iraq this week, whose bodies were brutalized, probably after they died.Tuck wrote: “Luckovich had that brutality in mind when he drew the cartoon, which was meant to criticize U.S. military leaders for allowing torture tactics, such as waterboarding (making prisoners feel as though they are being drowned) at Guantanamo Bay….’

Awhile ago, I posted a notice that Green Bay Press-Gazette editorial cartoonist Joe Heller was one of 41 artists to create artwork that would be displayed through out the city streets and then auctioned off to raise money for the Einstein Project.  Joe’s work is now on display in the lobby of the Brown County Library at 515 Pine Street.

Rick Stromoski writes in to alert readers that this year’s Reuben division winner for TV Animation, David Silverman, will be on Jay Leno’s Tonight Show tonight (June 23rd) to play his “Flaming Tuba” during a segment called “Don’t Try This At Home.”Check your local listings for time and channel.

Ted Rall will be the officiator at a small wedding between Congratulations to Masheka and Mikhaela!

Daryl Cagle invited readers to email him with their opinions regarding Steve Benson’s Marine Corps cartoon.  He received over 300 responses.We asked for it, and we got it – more than three hundred responses to the Benson cartoon below.

Still more AAEC convention news and photos are being posted.  The AAEC web site lists the stories that were generated from the convention (I think I’ve linked to most of them earlier) – but for those wanting to see photos of the event, they offer two links: Photos by J.P.

Last May, I reported that Chris Brown, “Hagar the Horrible” had got fed up with the over development in Sarasota, Floriday and was moving to a much more peaceful life in Sioux Falls South Dakota.The Argus Leader has a very good Q and A regarding the move.