Cartoonist Clay Bennett Joins Washington Post Writers Group

By: Dave Astor Clay Bennett will be syndicated by the Washington Post Writers Group (WPWG) when he joins the Chattanooga (Tenn.) Times Free Press on Jan. 1.

Bennett, who announced earlier this month that he was leaving The Christian Science Monitor after 10 years, told E&P at the time that he was seeking a new syndicate. His CSM cartoons had been distributed by The Christian Science Monitor News Service.

"When we heard Clay might be available, we jumped at the chance to be his syndicate," said WPWG Comics Editor Amy Lago. "He's one of the most inventive, creative, and thoughtful editorial cartoonists out there."

WPWG Editorial Director Alan Shearer added: "I've heard people in our business say editorial cartooning is in decline as newspapers slash and burn, and they are right to a degree. But creatively, editorial cartooning is as strong as ever, and Clay is one of the brightest lights."

Bennett was a 2002 Pulitzer Prize winner as well as the 2005-6 president of the Association of American Editorial Cartoonists.

Among the other editorial cartoonists syndicated by WPWG are Pulitzer winners Nick Anderson of the Houston Chronicle and Signe Wilkinson of The Philadelphia Daily News.

Bennett is replacing Bruce Plante at the Times Free Press. Plante left to join the Tulsa (Okla.) World.