Tom Tomorrow wins 2013 Herblock Prize award

For the second year in a row, an “altie” has won the Herblock Prize for editorial cartooning. The 2013 winner announced today goes to Dan Perkins (AKA Tom Tomorrow) creator of This Modern World. Judging this year’s entries were last year’s winner Matt Bors, Jenny Rob of the Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum at Ohio State University and Steve Brodner, satirical illustrator for Esquire, The Progressive, The New Yorker and others.

Dan will receive a after-tax prize of $15,000 on April 25th in a ceremony held at the Library of Congress.

Jack Ohman, the editorial cartoonist for The Sacramento Bee, was named this year’s finalist and will receive a $5,000 after-tax cash prize.

From the press release:

The judges felt there were many strong portfolios in this year’s contest, including several animated-only entries and other alternative multi-panel submissions.

Bors said Tom Tomorrow’s portfolio included “hands down, some of the smartest political cartoons of the year.” Subjects included “consistently hilarious takedowns of women-bashers, gun culture and the president’s abuse of executive power.”

“Tom Tomorrow is both fearless and funny, two qualities that make him a first-rate editorial cartoonist,” Robb said. “He has developed a unique graphic style that perfectly suits his wry and clever assaults on politicians, political parties, and bad policies while also making his work instantly recognizable.”

Brodner said, “Dan Perkins’ output for the year was consistently strong, intelligent and witty. The work discussed the most important issues in a way extremely compelling and illuminating. The sequential political cartoon is a vivid and powerful form in his hands.”

The judges also had strong praise for the work of Jack Ohman, the finalist.

Robb said, “In addition to producing strong traditional editorial cartoons, Jack Ohman has developed a unique and effective multi-panel strip that is part journalism, part memoir and part satire. He courageously used the format and his platform at The Oregonian to effect change in his local community and to focus attention on issues of both local and national importance.” Brodner added that Ohman’s work is “politically brave, formalistically daring and artistically free, while retaining great design and draftsmanship.”