Cartoonist Clay Bennett named finalist for Herblock Prize

Wednesday, March 5, 2014

photo Clay Bennett

CARTOONS

See Clay Bennett's cartoons here.

Clay Bennett, editorial cartoonist for the Chattanooga Times Free Press, this week was named the finalist for the 2014 Herblock Prize.

The national prize is awarded annually by the Herb Block Foundation for "distinguished examples of editorial cartooning that exemplify the courageous independent standard set by Herblock," the pen name of three-time Pulitzer prize winning cartoonist Herbert Block, who died in 2001. For most of his career, Block worked at The Washington Post.

Jen Sorensen, a Texas-based cartoonist, won first place in the Herblock Prize contest, and, as finalist, Bennett placed second.

The judges noted, "Clay Bennett is a master of the surprising visual metaphor. His clean, elegant drawings convey his strong opinions with deceptive simplicity."

Bennett won the 2002 Pulitzer Prize for editorial cartooning, and has been a finalist for the Pulitzer seven times.

Before joining the Times Free Press in 2007, Bennett had previously worked at the Pittsburg Post-Gazette, the St. Petersburg Times and the Christian Science Monitor. He is a past president of the Association of American Editorial Cartoonists.

For being named the finalist for the Herblock Prize, Bennett will receive a $5,000 after-tax prize.