About The Comic News

The print edition of The Santa Cruz Comic News is a monthly journal of progressive editorial cartoons. Each issue features well over 100 cartoons from the nation’s leading political cartoonists. The Comic News is the granddaddy of all cartoon newspapers — established 1984. Publishers: Thom Zajac and John Govsky.

Our online edition features weekly updates of the best progressive editorial cartoons in the nation. Our website also has an archive of thousands of progressive editorial cartoons going back to 2005.

History of The Comic News

ThomSeptember 12, 1984: The first issue of The Santa Cruz Comic News is published. In a rare moment of clarity, founder Thom Zajac had come up wit h the idea of using only syndicated material — primarily editorial cartoons — to create the first newspaper of its kind, and it becomes an instant hit. Over the course of the next ten years, The Santa Cruz Comic News will inspire the creation of over 100 “comic newspapers,” including The Manhattan Comic News, The Eugene Comic News, Funny Times, The Moscow Comic News, Arcata’s Comic Relief, The Boston Comic News, The No Joke News (Chico), The Oslo Comic News, The Tucson Comic News, The Boulder Comic News, Charlotte’s Comic Review, Sacramento’s Comic Press News, The Amherst Comic News, and The Tokyo Comic News.

JohnMay, 1995: The US Postal Service releases the Richard Nixon postage stamp, and The Santa Cruz Comic News quickly follows suit by releasing The Nixon Envelope. Placing the president behind bars, The Nixon Envelope becomes a media sensation gracing the front pages of newspapers across the nation, as well as the pages of Time Magazine and Playboy. Even though the envelopes are not available in stores — and the Internet is not yet commercially viable — over 500,000 envelopes are sold, making The Nixon Envelope the most popular political envelope in history.

August, 2004: John Govsky becomes co-publisher and brings The Comic News into the cyber world. The Web site begins modestly, offering free samples and accepting electronic subscription payments.

Some of the Cartoonists Published in The Comic News

  • Aislin (Terry Mosher), The Montreal Gazette, Canada
  • Eric Allie, Pioneer Press, Illinios
  • Wolfgang Ammer, Wiener Zeitung, Vienna, Austria
  • Amorim, Correio do Povo, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
  • Kirk Andersen
  • Don Asmussen, San Francisco Chronicle
  • Tony Auth, Philadelphia Inquirer
  • Rex Babin, Sacramento Bee
  • Pat Bagley, Salt Lake Tribune
  • Angel Dario Banegas, La Prensa, San Pedro Sula, Honduras
  • Brain Barling, Christian Science Monitor
  • Ross Bateup, The Advertiser, Adelaide, Australia
  • Clay Bennett, Christian Science Monitor
  • Joep Bertrams, Het Parool, Amsterdam, Netherlands
  • Hasan Bleibel, Al-Mustakbal, Beirut, Lebanon
  • Angel Boligan, El Universal, Mexico City, Mexico
  • Jim Borgman, Cincinnati Enquirer
  • John Branch, San Antonio Express-News
  • Gary Brookins, Richmond Times-Dispatch
  • Cam Cardow, Ottowa Citizen
  • Daryl Cagle, Cagle Cartoons
  • Patrick Chappatte, International Herald Tribune
  • Gary Clement, National Post, Toronto, Canada
  • Paul Combs, Tribune Media Services
  • Paul Conrad, Tribune Media Services
  • Pavel Constantin, Romania
  • Patrick Corrigan, Toronto Star, Canada
  • Dale Cummings, The Winnipeg Free Press, Canada
  • Herb Dagningen, Lilehammer, Norway
  • Jeff Danziger, CWS/CartoonArts Intl.
  • Dario Castillejos, Imparcial de Oaxaca, Oaxaca, Mexico
  • John Darkow, Columbia Daily Tribune, Missouri
  • Matt Davies, Journal News
  • Frederick Deligne, Nice-Matin, Nice, France
  • Brian Duffy, Des Moines Register
  • Rod Emmerson, New Zealand Herald, Auckland
  • Bob Engelhart, Hartford Courant
  • Arcadio Esquivel, La Nacion, Costa Rica; La Prensa, Panama
  • Aristides Esteban Hernandez Guerrero, Juventud Rebelde (Havana)
  • David Fitzsimmons, Arizona Daily Star, Tucson AZ
  • Manny Francisco, The Manila Times, Philippines
  • Brian Gable, The Globe and Mail, Toronto, Canada
  • Gado, The Daily Nation, Kenya
  • Finn Graff, Dagbladet, Oslo, Norway
  • Rainer Hachfeld, Neues Deutschland, Germany
  • Roar Hagen, Verdens Gang, Oslo, Norway
  • Emad Hajjaj, Al Ghad, Amman, Jordan
  • Walt Handelsman, Newsday
  • Julius Hansen, Horsens Folkeblad, Horsens, Denmark
  • Riber Hansson, Svenska Dagbladet, Stockholm, Sweden
  • Harry Harrison, The South China Morning Post
  • David M. Hitch, Worcester Telegram and Gazette, MA
  • David Horsey, Seattle Post-Intelligencer
  • Sandy Huffaker, Cagle Cartoons
  • Tom Janssen, Trouw, Amsterdam, Netherlands
  • Olle Johansson, Sweden
  • Taylor Jones, Tribune Media Services
  • KAL (Kevin Kallaugher), The Economist, London, CWS/CartoonArts Intl.
  • Mike Keefe, Denver Post
  • Keshav, The Hindu, New Delhi, India
  • Michel Kichka, Telad, Jerusalem, Israel
  • Yaakov Kirschen, Jerusalem Post, Israel
  • Christo Komarnitski, Sega, Sofia, Bulgaria
  • Jeff Koterba, Omaha World-Herald
  • Michael Kountouris, Greece
  • Mike Lane, Cagle Cartoons
  • Sean Leahy, The Courier-Mail, Brisbane, Australia
  • Mike Lester, Rome News-Tribune
  • Laazan Libano, Cagle’s Best of Latin America
  • Mike Luckovich, Atlanta Journal-Constitution
  • Jimmy Margulies, The Record, New Jersey
  • Doug Marlette, Tallahasee Democrat
  • Ricardo Martinez, El Mundo, Madrid, Spain
  • RJ Matson, Cagle Cartoons
  • Gary McCoy, The Suburban Journals, IL, Cagle Cartoons
  • Rick McKee, The Augusta Chronicle
  • Alan Moir, Sydney Morning Herald, Australia
  • Jim Morin, Miami Herald
  • Antonio Neri Licón, Mexico
  • Peter Nicholson, The Australian, Melbourne, Australia
  • Jack Ohman, The Oregonian
  • Pat Oliphant, Universal Press Syndicate
  • Simanca Osmani, Cagle Cartoons, Brazil
  • Pancho, Le Monde, Paris, France
  • Paresh Nath, National Herald, New Delhi, India
  • Jeff Parker, Florida Today
  • Mike Peters, Dayton Daily News
  • Roy Peterson, The Sun, Vancouver, Canada
  • Joel Pett, Lexington Herald-Leader, CWS/CartoonArts Intl.
  • Petar Pismestrovic, Kleine Zeitung, Austria
  • Pep (Jyllands-Posten), Viby, Denmark
  • Ted Rall
  • Mike Ritter, Arizona Tribune
  • Sakai, Kagoshima Pref., Japan
  • Heiko Sakurai, Essen, Germany
  • Oliver Schopf, Der Standard, Vienna, Austria
  • Bas van der Schot, NRC Handelsblad, Rotterdam, Netherlands
  • Peter Schrank, The Independent, London, UK
  • Drew Sheneman, Newark Star Ledger
  • Kevin Siers, Charlotte Observer
  • Heng Kim Song, Lianhe Zaobao, Singapore
  • Stavro, Ad-Dabbour, Beirut, Lebanon
  • Tab (Thomas Boldt), Calgary Sun
  • Ann Telnaes, CWS/CartoonArts Intl.
  • Tom Toles, Washington Post
  • Jan Tomashoff, Dusseldorf, Germany
  • John Trevor, Albuquerque Journal
  • Serguei Tunin, Moscow
  • Martyn Turner, The Irish Times, Ireland
  • Kirk Walters, Toledo Blade
  • Dan Wasserman, Boston Globe
  • Shan Wells, Durango Telegraph, Durango, Colorado
  • Signe Wilkinson, Philadelphia Daily News
  • Monte Wolverton, Cagle Cartoons
  • Don Wright, Palm Beach Post
  • Larry Wright, Detroit News
  • Paul Zanetti, Australia
  • Zapiro, Sunday Times, Johannesburg, South Africa
  • Alexandr Zudin, Obshaya Gazeta, St. Petersburg, Russia
  • Adam Zygus, The Buffalo News

The print edition of The Santa Cruz Comic News is a monthly journal of progressive political cartoons. Each issue features well over 100 cartoons from the nation’s leading editorial cartoonists. The Comic News is the granddaddy of all cartoon newspapers — established 1984. Subscriptions to our print edition support this Web site. Subscribe today!

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