Nationality American Spouse Cindy Procious (m. 2001) | Area(s) Editorial cartoonist | |
 | ||
Clay Bennett (born January 20, 1958 in Clinton, South Carolina) is an American editorial cartoonist. His cartoons typically present liberal viewpoints. Currently drawing for the Chattanooga Times Free Press, Bennett is the recipient of the 2002 Pulitzer Prize for Editorial Cartooning.
Contents
Graduating from the University of North Alabama in 1980, Bennett briefly served as a staff artist at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and the Fayetteville Times (NC). He worked as editorial cartoonist at the St. Petersburg Times for 13 years (1981–1994) but was fired in 1994. While Bennett's editor Phil Gailey denied the firing was politically motivated, many observers saw it as part of the traditionally liberal newspaper's trend towards becoming more conservative. Bennett said "Many saw the termination as political because I was out there on the far left. Obviously expressing your point of view can cost you your job." He later worked for The Christian Science Monitor (1997–2007) and now draws five cartoons a week for the Chattanooga Times Free Press, having joined its staff in 2007.
Reaching at least the finalist stage for the Pulitzer Prize for Editorial Cartooning seven times, Bennett won this Pulitzer in 2002. He's also the recipient of the Sigma Delta Chi Award, the National Journalism Award, the National Cartoonist Society Award for Editorial Cartoons, the Robert F. Kennedy Journalism Award, the John Fischetti Award, the National Headliner Award, the Thomas Nast Award from the Overseas Press Club, the Berryman Award from the National Press Foundation, and the Ranan Lurie/United Nations Political Cartoon Award.
A past president of the Association of American Editorial Cartoonists, Bennett lives in Chattanooga with his wife, artist Cindy Procious. His work is syndicated internationally by The Washington Post Writers Group.
Awards
