Entertainment
Two-Time Pulitzer Prize-Winning Cartoonist Dead At 90
Don Wright, a two-time Pulitzer Prize-winning cartoonist best known for his syndicated work in newspapers nationwide, passed away this week at the age of 90.
Don’s wife, Carolyn Wright, confirmed her husband’s passing.
Throughout his career, Wright drew more than eleven thousand cartoons, which were featured in newspapers nationwide.Don’s sketches often revolved around ongoing events, such as his first Pulitzer Prize-winning cartoon in 1966, during the height of the Cold War. The cartoon depicted two men between two massive bomb craters, with one saying to the other,“You mean you were bluffing?”
Wright’s cartoons are a great example of the popular saying “a picture is worth a thousand words.” With minimal colorand just five words, Wright was able to convey a significant amount of information.
Later in his career in 1980, Wright’s second Pulitzer-winning cartoon depicts two Florida State prison guards carrying a corpse away from the electric chair. One of the men asks, “Why did the governor say we’re doing this?” to which the other man replies, “To make it clear we value human life.”
Before his career as a cartoonist, Don started his professional journey by applying for a job in the art department of The Miami News. He was initially hired as a photographer. Despite having no prior professional photography experience, Wright went on to capture images of some of the most influential people of the time, such as Elvis Presley, Cassius Clay, John F. Kennedy, and Fidel Castro.
Don was also the author of three books, such as “Wright On! A Collection of Political Cartoons” (1971) and “Wright Side Up” (1981).
After serving in the Army, Wright returned to his job at The Miami News, where he began publishing cartoons. After being transferred to the art department as a graphics editor, by 1963, his cartoons were being published regularly.
By the end of his career, Wright’s cartoons were syndicated by The Washington Star, The New York Times, and Tribune Media Services.
Rest in peace!
