Sensitive Subjects

GAMBIER, Ohio (October 1, 2004) Pulitzer Prize-winning cartoonist Jim Borgman, Class of 1976, will come to the Columbus, Ohio, Thurber House in October to celebrate the opening of "Sensitive Subjects: Ohio Editorial Cartooning." The exhibit, featuring four Ohio cartoonists, will explore how editorial cartoonists provoke reflection and debate through their work.

Borgman has worked for the Cincinnati Enquirer for more than twenty-five years and is the creator of the syndicated comic strip "Zits." Joining him for the free reception on Friday, October 15, from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m., will be Chip Bok from the Akron Beacon Journal, David Catrow of the Springfield News-Sun, and Jeff Stahler from the Columbus Dispatch. The public is invited to meet the cartoonists, buy their books, and view the show.

As an internationally syndicated cartoonist, Borgman has long been considered among the cartooning elite. He got his start at Kenyon, publishing his first political cartoon in the student newspaper, the Kenyon Collegian. He was hired by the Cincinnati Enquirer even before he graduated, making him one of the youngest editorial cartoonists in the country. Borgman has held close ties with Kenyon through the years, lending his talents to a variety of College publications. He credits Kenyon with at least part of his success.

"The most critical factor in political cartooning is having a curiosity about the world and issues in the news," says Borgman. "I'm most appreciative that Kenyon nurtured in me a curious mind."

Aside from winning the Pulitzer in 1991, Borgman was voted Best Editorial Cartoonist four times in seven years and Outstanding Cartoonist in 1993 by the National Cartoonist Society, among numerous other honors.

The Thurber House exhibit is presented in conjunction with the eighth triennial Ohio State University Festival of Cartoon Art, "Deletions, Omissions, and Erasures."