Marshall Ramsey can think of no better place in this country to be an editorial cartoonist than right here in Mississippi.
Ramsey said he survived the late Gov. Kirk Fordice, and now he is surviving Jackson Mayor Frank Melton. In his 10th year as the editorial cartoonist at The Clarion-Ledger, he is a two-time Pulitzer Prize finalist, and his cartoons have appeared in USA Today, Newsweek, U.S. News and World Report, The Chicago Tribune and The New York Times.
Ramsey was the guest speaker at Tuesday’s Laurel Rotary Club meeting.
A native of Atlanta, Ga., Ramsey moved to Jackson from San Diego, Calif., and this state, and its politicians, have provided him with a wealth of material over the years.
“I realize this place is paradise for a cartoonist,” he said. “I’ve been really lucky, because I’ve had some great characters. I feel sorry for cartoonists in other parts of the country.”
Ramsey admitted there is nothing more frightening than staring at a blank screen, but, thanks to the characters that populate Mississippi politics, he is able to produce a cartoon each day. When asked where he gets his ideas, Ramsey had a simple answer.
“I just walk out to the end of the driveway, pick up the newspaper, and there is something stupid to write about.
“And Frank (Melton), bless his heart, he does have a sense for the dramatic,” Ramsey said.
He said the hardest cartoon he has ever drawn was the one he did right after the second tower of the World Trade Center was hit by terrorists. The one of which he is most proud was completed two days after 9/11, and depicts varied faces of Americans, in the shape of an eagle. It is titled “United We Stand.”
Rotary Club member Jim Truesdell invited Ramsey to speak to the group. He said when he first moved to Mississippi, Ramsey’s cartoons provided him with a “perspective on the state that doesn’t often get told.”
“He has a unique understanding of events here,” said Truesdell. “His cartoons ring true, and they’re funny.”
Local News
Related Photos
-
Photo - Murray Bozeman
State provides wealth of material for cartoonist
Politicians especially helpful to Ramsey
- Local News
-
-
Get ready for control burns in the area
Area motorists and residents may notice a lot of smoke coming from some of the county’s heavily wooded areas in the coming weeks.
-
Officials pleased with Chancellor’s appointment
At 12:01 a.m. Wednesday, Lance Chancellor became the new executive director of the Jones County Emergency Management Agency.
-
Heidelberg has a new police chief
A longtime Jasper Countian has been named the head law enforcement official in this Jasper County town.
Huey Powe is now the Police Chief for the Town of Heidelberg. -
Annual Rotary Club Spaghetti dinner Saturday
The Laurel Rotary Club will conduct its annual Spaghetti dinner this weekend at the YWCO.
-
American Red Cross looking for local volunteers
The East Central Mississippi Chapter of the American Red Cross is looking for a few good men, women, boys and girls to join its team of disaster volunteers.
-
Officials put a name with scammer
Jones County officials have now released the name of a man they are seeking in connection with a recent fire scam in the area.
-
Family barely escapes mobile home fire
In the early morning hours of Tuesday, a family of five was awaken by the smell of smoke quickly filling their 28 x 70 doublewide mobile home located at 39 Ellisville Junction Road in Jones County.
-
Farewell and Hello
Well-wishers from near and far gathered in Laurel to say farewell to longtime Jones County Emergency Management Executive Director Don McKinnon, while his replacement — a familiar face among emergency officials — was welcomed earlier in the day Tuesday.
-
Cobb’s bond set at $250K
A $250,000 cash bond has been set for a 19-year-old Jones County man jailed at the Jones County Adult Detention Center in connection with a vicious attack on a woman in the Sharon Community.
-
Laurel man has given over 33 gallons of blood
Local residents gave blood Tuesday at Laurel City Hall as a part of the City of Laurel’s blood drive.
- More Local News Headlines
-
Killer of Fla. Girl Found in Landfill Gets Life
Army Orders Bradley Manning Court-martial
Cancer Charity Revives Breast-screening Grants
Heavy Snowstorm Hits Colorado On Its Way East
2nd Teacher From LA School Arrested on Sex Claim
Prosecutors Close Armstrong Inquiry, No Charges
Sights and Sounds: Football Fans Pour Into Indy
Unemployment Rate Down to 8.3%
Obama: Still Far Too Many Americans Need Jobs
GOP: Jobs Numbers Welcome, Can Do Better
Fla. Man Adopts Girlfriend in Legal Battle
More Deaths As Egypt Clashes Continue
Raw Video: Prince William in Falklands
Egpyt Protesters Blame Police for Soccer Deaths
'Lucky' 9-Year-Old Receives 6-Organ Transplant
Raw Video: Michelle Vs. Ellen in Pushup Contest
First Person: Will Peyton Manning Stay in Indy?
Egypt Shaken After Deadly Soccer Riot
New Suits, New Starts for New York's Unemployed
Hall of Famer Dorsett Speaks Out on NFL Injuries
