Cartoonist Marty Riskin has passed away.
Martin S. (Marty) Riskin
November 26, 1936 – July 9, 2020
When the computer came along setting the graphic art’s world into a tailspin, Marty was left behind, [son] Gregg said.
“It turned him into a prehistoric relic … he did not adapt,” he said.
While it caused some hard time for Riskin it also lead to his second act as an editorial cartoonist and illustrator.
“He really went out and reinvented himself as a cartoonist, which was really his love,” Gregg said.
Riskin’s work graced the pages of the Marblehead Reporter and dozens of other papers for decades. Former Reporter editor Kris Olson called him a rare and precious gift to all the newspapers that benefited from his talent and to the communities they served.
But editorial cartoons and illustrations weren’t Riskin’s only talents.
“He was a pretty damn good fine artist,” said his friend and companion Bette Keva.
Funny, clever, irreverent, cranky and stubborn was how Keva described her friend, “he had the spirit of a young guy, he was always ready to do anything, he was very adventurous and always creating and it’s one of the things I absolutely loved about him.”
Bette and Marty’s Pickles in the Mist columns with Marty illustrations.
Art Director and Illustrator of more than 250 books, greeting cards, calendars, games, and the promotional literature to support the products in the marketplace. Designer of countless advertising campaigns for national companies.
Editorial cartoonist for several local and national newspapers, winner of several annual New England and Massachusetts Press Association awards plus four time inclusion in Pelican Publishing “Best Editorial Cartoons of the Year” in 2002, 2008, 2010, 2012 .
Marty’s Penspeak panel seems to have been used for editorials, gags, or whatever popped into his mind, national or local.
