Pat Oliphant

Pat Oliphant (b. July 24, 1935 at Adelaide, Australia) is the most widely syndicated political cartoonist in the world, described by the New York Times as "the most influential cartoonist now working." His trademark is a small penguin character named Punk, who is often seen making a sarcastic comment about the subject of the panel.

Related Topics:
July 24 - 1935 - Adelaide, Australia - Syndicated - Political cartoonist - New York Times

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Oliphant's career, which spans over fifty years, began in 1952 as a copyboy with the Adelaide News. He continued in the newspaper business in Australia until he emigrated to the United States in 1964.

Related Topics:
1952 - United States - 1964

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Once in the US, he first worked at The Denver Post. His strip was nationally syndicated and internationally syndicated in 1965. He won the Pulitzer Prize for Editorial Cartooning in 1967 for his February 1, 1966 cartoon They Won't Get Us To The Conference Table . . . Will They?

Related Topics:
The Denver Post - 1965 - Pulitzer Prize - 1967 - February 1 - 1966

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Oliphant moved to the now defunct Washington Star for six years, until the paper folded in 1981.

Related Topics:
Washington Star - 1981

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Oliphant is the nephew of Sir Mark Oliphant, the Australian physicist who worked on the Manhattan Project during WWII and later became Governor of South Australia.

Related Topics:
Mark Oliphant - Australia - Physicist - Manhattan Project - South Australia

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

On November 17, 2004, Oliphant sparked controversy with a cartoon widely considered (by Republicans and blacks) to be racist. It depicted US National Security Advisor and then Secretary of State nominee Dr. Condoleezza Rice caricatured as a parrot.

Related Topics:
November 17 - 2004 - Republicans - Blacks - Racist - US National Security Advisor - Secretary of State - Dr. Condoleezza Rice - Caricatured - Parrot

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee has also expressed concern some of Oliphant's caricatures are racist and misleading. http://www.adc.org/index.php?id=2415

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Oliphant's work has appeared in several exhibitions, most notably at the National Portrait Gallery. He has also crafted a series of small sculptures based on his caricatures of various political figures, which have been displayed alongside his drawings in some exhibitions.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

In addition to winning the Pulitzer Prize, Oliphant won the Reuben Award twice and the Thomas Nast Prize.

Related Topics:
Reuben Award - Thomas Nast

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~