Herblock Prize award amount increased to $15,000

The Herb Block Foundation that awards the yearly Herblock Prize for editorial cartooning has announced they are increasing the cash prize amount from $10,000 to $15,000 according to E&P. They’ve also announced that this year’s judges will include Garry Trudeau, Jules Feiffer and last year’s winner John Sherffius. Additionally, they’ve increased the number of cartoons that can be submitted in the submission entry from 10 to 20 with 10 as the minimum.

12 thoughts on “Herblock Prize award amount increased to $15,000

  1. Rather than give one guy a big payout, I’d rather see them CUT the prize to $5,000, and use the other $10,000 as financial aid to some of the many editorial cartoonists who’ve been pushed out of their positions.

  2. Steve, great idea. I’m going to use the same logic w/ Alan’s web site: I was going to give him a $100 donation but will instead give him $5 and the rest to the Obama campaign. They know better how to “redistribute” my earnings than me. It’s the “neighborly” and “patriotic” thing to do.

  3. Stay on topic Mike, and that was a poor attempt at satire…thus falling into the category of cheap shot.
    Don’t quit your day job.

    Now…ten to twenty submissions? WOW! I do not envy the judges on that one!

    As for Steve’s suggestion…how about $7,500 for the established ‘toonist, and $7,500 for a scholarship for young-uns, to keep the fires burning?

  4. I agree, this is wrongheaded.

    It’s ridiculous to award $15K to first prize, while the second and third prize winners get zero.

    The “Winner Takes All” society strikes again.

  5. The thing that always bothered me about these cartoon contests is, just who are the judges and what do they know about editorial cartooning? Unless the panel of judges is made up of peers, then the award (in my opinion) is meaningless. And, yes, that includes the Pulitzers.

  6. Or, First Prize: drinks w/ Kranky. Second Prize: two drinks w/ Kranky.-ML

    I’ll pop for that, Mike!
    I live in the world’s third largest and fastest growing wine regions. I have a cellar of 300 bottles of great Central Coast Syrahs, Cabs, the oustanding Pinot Noirs, Viogniers, Chardonnays.

    You’re welcome to join….I’ve got some Muscatel somewhere!

  7. Yeah, thanks Rich. The pseudonym developed after I moved out here and wanted to somewhat re-invent myself…so I just expanded on my last name and made it a play on words. It does make me semi-anonymous, except I give presentations on cartooning at schools…so the kids know me as “Kranky”.
    It is fun when I am out in public, and a youngster will turn to a parent quick and say, “There’s Kranky!”. Then the parent thinks the child is being rude and scolds them. I have to then explain.

    The wine angle is another area that I have a project in the works: a collaboration of a book of humorous cartoons concerning wine and the wine industry.

  8. To clarify, how any award or foundation choses to distribute their own money should be their business and theirs alone. For an entrant to suggest or lobby a change in that distribution seems, as my Mother would say, “tacky”.

    We now return you to “Oneophiles w/ clever monikers and the children who love them”.

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