Cartoonist Tim Campbell has been a fixture in Current Publishing newspapers since Current in Carmel’s debut in October 2006.
“It was the second issue I was in the Current,” said Campbell, adding Current was the first newspaper to publish his cartoons.
The Carmel resident earned the top three spots in the 2020 Indiana Pro Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists Best in Journalism Awards June 14 in a virtual ceremony.
“I’m very honored to have won the award for Best Editorial Cartoon in the state again,” Campbell said. “It’s the ninth time I’ve won it in the last 12 years, but this is the first time I’ve swept all three places in the category. One strange angle to all of this is that the Pulitzers chose to not give an award for Editorial Cartoons last week. I think the people in our profession did their most outstanding work in 2020. I guess that makes winning the Indiana SPJ award even more special.”
His first place cartoon was Top Ten Moments of 2020, his second place cartoon was Facebook Grip and third place was Beware of Dog.
“We’re ecstatic for Tim,” said Steve Greenberg, executive vice president of Current. “He has the perfect combination of outstanding talent, awareness and sharp wit, and the judges obviously concurred. These awards are very well deserved.”
Campbell said he always submits five cartoons and agreed Top Ten Moments of 2020 was his best. Campbell is syndicated through Washington Post News Service and Syndicate. The SPJ awards are judged by journalists from another state.
The number of editorial cartoonists employed by newspapers have declined through the years with most picking up syndicated cartoonists.
“As far as staff cartoonists, I think there are probably just a couple dozen left around the country who are employed full time by newspapers,” he said.
