Editorial Cartoonist Ann Telnaes Says She's Leaving TMS

By: Dave Astor Ann Telnaes, who won the 2001 Pulitzer Prize for editorial cartooning, says she's leaving Tribune Media Services effective April 1.

"The relationship wasn't beneficial to either party," Telnaes told E&P. "We didn't see eye-to-eye on the sales effort."

The syndicate's response? "TMS has heard from Ann Telnaes, but we are still in contract with her and have no further comment at this time," Walter Mahoney, vice president of worldwide sales for TMS and Knight Ridder/Tribune Information Services, said in a statement.

Telnaes said she hasn't joined another syndicate as of today, but will continue to draw three or four editorial cartoons a week and hope many of the 150 clients she had via TMS will continue to use her work.

In addition, Telnaes will continue to do a weekly cartoon for Women's eNews and remain a contributor to the "Six Chix" comic distributed by King Features Syndicate.

Telnaes joined the Los Angeles Times Syndicate about five years ago -- not long before that syndicate was merged into TMS after the Tribune Co. purchased the Times Mirror Co.

The cartoonist was chosen as one of E&P's syndicated creators of 2004 (see the November print issue). Among last year's highlights for Telnaes was a Library of Congress exhibit of her work.