'San Antonio Express-News' Lays Off One of Its Cartoonists

Posted Thursday, August 23, 2007 12:00 am

By: E&P Staff Leo Garza, who did the local "Nacho Guarache" cartoon for the San Antonio Express-News for 20 years, has been laid off by the Texas newspaper.

"Throughout those 20 years, the Express-News has enjoyed the rare luxury of two staff cartoonists," said Editorial Page Editor Bruce Davidson in a post on the paper's Web site. "But the changing economic environment confronting newspapers across the nation has forced us to make the difficult decision to discontinue 'Nacho Guarache.'"

John Branch is the paper's remaining staff cartoonist. He will be hosting the 2008 convention of the Association of American Editorial Cartoonists, which has frequently discussed the problem of cartoonist layoffs.

The conservative NewsBusters blog wondered if Garza was let go partly because his politics were to the right of Branch's. Davidson denied this. Branch, who joined the Express-News in 1981, does have seniority over Garza and is nationally syndicated via King Features.

Garza's departure was also mentioned on Tom Spurgeon's Comics Reporter blog and Alan Gardner's Daily Cartoonist blog.

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'San Antonio Express-News' Lays Off One of Its Cartoonists

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