From Graeme gallery on Substack.
Over the weekend I found out that I won first prize in a prestigious award given by the Association of American Editorial Cartoonists.
The Rex Babin Memorial Award for Excellence in Local Cartooning also recognizes work that reflects state and provincial issues.
While the scope of my work no longer includes much in terms of urban issues, my provincial cartoons, particularly those attacking our own Doug Ford, caught the attention of jurists.
There is no category for editorial cartoons at the Ontario Newspaper Awards.
I have discovered that provincial issues fall outside the criteria outlined by jurists in Canada’s National Newspaper Awards, as well as in Canada’s World Press Freedom contest.
So it took an international award to finally recognize the results of much of my work related to subnational issues.
For this I thank the AAEC (soon to be renamed, as voted last weekend, the Association of Political Artists).The irony of a Canadian receiving this recognition from my American colleagues is not lost on me.
This shows that no matter what short-sighted changes are being made on the world stage, our mutual support and friendship will always be tariff-free.I wish I could have been there in Sacramento in person to receive this prestigious award from the 2025 winner. Clay Jonesas I witnessed several years ago in 2018 JD Crowerecognition, and Dennis Draughons virtual acceptance at the Montreal convention in 2024.
I am in very good company with them, among all the other talented Rex Babin Award winners.
I want to recognize the other finalists, Steve Greenberg, phil hands and Marlin Lavanhar like tough competition.I won this by absentee.
Yes, I’m one of those idiots, but they totally understand about travel boycotts, etc.
Unfortunately, no Canadians attended this year’s meeting.
Later this week, an AAEC envoy will present me with the cool surfboard trophy when we gather for our own Canadian cartoonists convention in Niagara Falls.