Last month when the Scripps Howard Awards were announced, absent was the announcement for the Colleges M. Schulz Award for best college cartoonist. I’m told by the foundation that the category has been discontinued due to the lack of entries to merit its continuance.
The award was first given in 1980 and several recipients have gone into syndicated comic strips, editorial cartooning and two have received the Pulitzer Prize. The list of winners was difficult to track down, so in the interest of creating a findable list, here are the 29 recipients recognized as the best college cartoonists of their day.
- 2010 John Vestevich
- 2009 Christopher Sharron
- 2008 Grant Snider
- 2007 William Warren
- 2006 Erin Russell
- 2005 Russell Gottwaldt
- 2004 Nathaniel R. Creekmore
- 2003 Nathaniel R. Creekmore
- 2002 Steven Olexa
- 2001 Nate Beeler
- 2000 Barry Deutsch
- 1999 Ryan Pagelow
- 1998 Audra Ann Furuichi
- 1997 Brian Farrington
- 1996 Jody D. Lindke
- 1995 Drew Sheneman
- 1994 Duk Cho
- 1993 John de Rosier
- 1992 No award given
- 1991 Steve Breen
- 1990 Kerry Soper
- 1989 Nick Anderson
- 1988 Christopher Kalb
- 1987 Michael L. Thompson
- 1986 V. Gene Myers
- 1985 Thomas Cheney
- 1984 Richard Orlin
- 1983 Frank Pauer
- 1982 Harley Schwadron
- 1981 Paul Kolsti
- 1980 Richard Codor
No surprise. EW Scripps’ association with the Schulz family was broken when the company sold off Peanuts’ licensing rights for a hefty profit. When United Media was closed last year by the company, Scripps had no reason to continue to recognize cartooning talent. They got out to the business and moved on.
It should be noted that the Schulz was not always awarded to college students only. When I received it in ’83 (’83!), there was no such distinction — anyone could enter, and I’d just turned 30. I believe they changed the entry requirements a few years after that. As for the award, it was a lovely hand-lettered plaque, but more importantly, a check for $2,000. Improvements to the house brushed aside, I took a couple weeks off work, drove East and got to hang out with Milton Caniff, Arnie Roth, Al Jaffee, Edwina Dumm, Mort Walker, Jack Davis, Irwin Hasen, Johnny Hart . . .
Frank, stop gesticulating wildly and step away from the Way-Bac machine.
If I am not mistaken, I think 1994 should read “Frank Cho”, not Duk Cho. ( that may perhaps be his real name but nobody knows him by that)
That’s too bad. But lack of entries? Hmm.