By: Dave Astor On July 29, an important position in the nation's capital will be filled after lying vacant since last year.
That position is staff editorial cartoonist of
The Washington Post, where Tom Toles will succeed the late Herbert Block.
"I'm excited and nervous, with excitement predominating," said Toles, whose last day at
The Buffalo (N.Y.)
News is July 19.
The Universal Press Syndicate-distributed cartoonist told E&P Online that he doesn't envision his
Post work having a big impact at first. "I don't expect to set foot in Washington and turn the city around in a couple of weeks," he said wryly. "I hope to initially be another voice. Eventually, I hope on certain issues to drive home a point effectively enough where I make a difference."
Toles reported that he will be doing five or six cartoons a week, with one "local-ish" and most of the others national and international in scope. Plans are for the cartoons to appear in Herblock's old spot (though Toles' work is more horizontal) on top of letters to the editor and to the right of the editorials.
His opinions will probably not be to the right of the
Post's, though Toles said his progressive philosophy has been somewhat tempered by experience. "I'm a chastened liberal," he quipped.
Toles said his cartoons will not be required to reflect the
Post's editorial line, though he believes he and the paper have similar views on many issues.
To prepare for his new job, Toles has been perusing the
Post every day and reading as much as he can about Washington. When he starts at the paper, he plans to tap the knowledge of reporters and others there to help his cartoons.
What about meeting President Bush, members of Congress, and other major Washington players? Toles said there are advantages to getting a firsthand look at people a cartoonist comments on, but also disadvantages when one's personal feelings of like or dislike potentially color the work. Toles will try to find a middle ground by "meeting people at arm's length" -- as he did during his 20 years at the
News (1982-2002) and nine years at the now-defunct
Buffalo Courier-Express (1973-82).
The lifelong Buffalo-area resident said he will miss many aspects of living there -- including regularly seeing friends and enjoying summer weather less hot and humid than in D.C. But the lure of perhaps the most important and influential editorial cartoon position in the country was too much to turn down.
Toles, who was hired by the
Post in April, did delay his start there to allow his 16- and 12-year-old children to finish their school years before the family relocates. His wife, Gretchen, works as a historic-parks-preservation advocate.
When asked about the
News' budgetary decision not to hire another staff cartoonist at this time, Toles replied that he thinks the paper will eventually replace him.
What are Toles' thoughts about replacing Herblock, the multi-Pulitzer-Prize winner whose
Post tenure lasted more than 50 years? Toles, a 1990 Pulitzer winner himself, said Herblock "loomed so large that it's somewhat daunting" to succeed him. But he added that "the stylistic differences are significant enough" to preclude a really close comparison.
Toles concluded that this is a good time to be a cartoonist -- though some of today's major stories, such as corporate corruption and Mideast violence, aren't good for humankind.
"Every year I've been a cartoonist, there have been crucial issues," said Toles. "But anytime there's a higher reader engagement with issues, it's better. Now is one of those times."
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