Rob Tornoe Talks Layoffs, Prospects for Editorial Cartoonists in Current Climate

By: E&P Staff Rob Tornoe, who joined Politicker.com last April as a full-time editorial cartoonist, recently found himself among the ranks of those laid off this holiday season. In an e-mail interview with E&P for a story in our January print edition, Tornoe discussed the layoff and the prospects for editorial cartoonists in the current economy.

How did you deal with your own layoff from Politicker?

I feel fine with it. From the start, I knew we were trying something new, and that I'd be the first and only staff cartoonist in the country to work exclusively online. Of course, I was hopeful that it would've lasted longer than it did, but the economy tanked, and they had to reduce.

Everyone at Politicker and The New York Observer have been great, and it's good to know that they value my cartoons enough to keep me on as a freelancer. It was a great opportunity, and gave me tremendious exposure, so I have no complaints.

What do you think about the current prospects for others in your field?

Well, the economy is cyclical, so I'm sure media companies will bounce back. Part of the problem with newspapers isn't that they haven't remained profitable, it's that their corporate owners have saddled themselves with so much debt, they're dragging the industry down. So I feel optimistic that newspapers will bounce back in some shape or form. And editorial cartoons remain popular with readers. So whether it's online or with newspapers, I don't think editorial cartoons are going away any time soon.

In my case, I've had a lot of opportunities presented to me since being laid-off, and for the week before Christmas, that's not too bad. So I'll see what ends up happening. Newspaper and magazine editors love local, original content. But with the economy right now, they can't afford it. As the economy rebounds, I feel like this will change.

What also helps me is I'm relatively young, and I keep my hands in a lot of pots in order to make me more economically viable. Maybe a newspaper won't have a staff cartoonist, but they may hire a page designer that can do cartoons for the paper. It may mean doing more work, but that's coming from the guy that did 15 cartoons a week! The jobs where a cartoonist gets to draw five cartoons a week and that's it, I think are coming to a close. Like everyone in the world of journalism, more will be thrown on their plate.

Will editorial cartoonists soon become a luxury for newspapers?

Perhaps. Syndication makes it cheap for a newspaper to plug cartoons in the hole on their Op-Ed pages. But in the same way a local columnist acts to enlightened local issues, a local cartoonist can really tap into the nerve of the community and give people a reason to pick up the paper every day. Ted Rall called cartoonists the "rock stars of the newspaper," and I agree with him. They bring in readers, can do multiple projects, are great tools in community outreach, and create a brand that the newspaper can market. Used correctly, cartoonists are an invaluable asset to any newspaper.

And as more and more young editors who are tech-savvy and understand the importance of visual journalism take over key positions in the newspaper industry, their visual sense will lend itself to more cartooning opportunities and unique ways to tell stories. Until then, cartoonists will have to bide their time, do whatever work they can on the side -- and eat Ramen noodles.