Go Check It Out: Richard Crowson's Christmas Cards

Former Wichita Eagle Cartoonist Talks About Life After Layoff

Cutbacks among editorial cartoonists this year has been dramatic (myself included). They're part of the larger wave to layoffs and reductions experienced by most major media companies due to the economic recession.

Richard Crowson, the former cartoonist for the Wichita Eagle, was let go back in September after spending 21 years at the paper. But he's not letting all the sour news keep him down.

It was announced earlier this week that Crowson will now be cartooning for the Wichita Magazine on a monthly basis. Beginning in January, he'll have free reign with the inside back page of the magazine, and plans to fill it with a satirical view of the city drawn as a prairedog town called Wichidog Town.

Richard is also busy playing his banjo, volunteering, and he's even started his own website and blog, located at http://www.richardcrowson.com.

Despite losing his job, Crowson told Alan Gardner over at The Daily Cartoonist that things seem to be very optimistic:

This layoff thing has been just the kick in the butt I needed to explore some of these possibilities that I’d wanted to get involved in for years. After some 30-odd years of editorial cartooning (some of which were very odd) I’m due for a change. The experiences I’ve had drawing for The Wichita Eagle for the last 21 years, and for The Jackson Sun (in Jackson, Tennessee) for 9 years prior to that, have been rewarding and a real blast, but now I can stretch out a little and it feels good!

Recently he talked with KMUW's Frank Dudgeon, which you can listen to here.

Wichita Eagle cartoonist latest to be shown the door

The Wichita Business Journal is reporting that Wichita Eagle editorial cartoonist Richard Crowson has been laid off, the latest in about a half dozen staff cartoonists let go in recent months, and one of dozens of cartoonists jettisoned in recent years as newspapers continue to struggle with declining revenues, an economic downturn and online competition.

“I understand the circumstances newspapers are having to deal with, economically with the Internet,” Crowson told the Wichita Business Journal.

"They're just wanting to tighten down a little bit on the budget and adjust to the new economic realities."

On Sept. 16, the Wichita Eagle announced six of its employees were being laid off and another 16 had accepted voluntary buyouts, representing a 6 percent reduction in the newspaper’s workforce. The Eagle said it already had laid off about 2 percent of its workforce in 2008.

Its parent company, The McClatchy Co., announced it would reduce its workforce company-wide by 10 percent, or 1,150 full-time employees.

Crowson had been with the Kansas newspaper since 1985, working first as a newsroom artist doing illustrations, maps, and graphics. In 1987, the paper created the cartoonist job for Crowson.

Crowson says he isn’t sure what’s next for his career. He says he will take time off and enjoy not having a daily deadline. But he also is looking into other types of art and illustration projects.

“I like to keep my options open."

To view a video about Crowson's process of creating cartoons, click here.