Mike Keefe, Matt Wuerker & Ann Telnaes are honored

UPDATE: Mike Keefe responds Friday to winning the award.

Over at The Daily Cartoonist, Alan Gardner reports that Denver Post political cartoonist MIKE KEEFE has just won the Berryman Award.

So first let us say: Huzzahs, because Comic Riffs has long been an admirer of Keefe's, who has been plying his craft for more than three decades.

On Friday, Keefe shared with Comic Riffs his reaction to winning the award: "It's a rich environment for cartoonists today. [There's] plenty happening on the local, national and international scenes. I applaud the diminishing number of newspapers that value cartooning enough to keep a full-timer on staff."

Runners-up for the Berryman were Politico's Matt Wuerker (who was a Pulitzer finalist earlier this year) and our Post colleague Ann Telnaes, the Pulitzer winner who draws animations for washingtonpost.com.

Former Memphis Commercial Appeal cartoonist Bill Day received a "certificate of merit" for his cartoons on child abuse.

A hearty congratulations to all the honorees. In these tough times for newspaper cartoonists, such recognition is as necessary as ever.

THE RELATED READ:

THE PULITZER: Matt Wuerker responds to being named a 2009 finalist.

THE 'RIFFS INTERVIEW: As newsroom security watches him pack up his things, Bill Day discusses being pink-slipped by the Commercial Appeal.

To see MIKE KEEFE's most recent cartoon, click below.

MIKE KEEFE GALLERY:

See Cartoons by Cartoon by Mike Keefe - Courtesy of Politicalcartoons.com - Email this Cartoon