ANOTHER car-crash journalist A HUGE loss

A loss to journalism

By JOSEPH R. SCHWARTZ
Published July 14, 2007

The newspaper world lost one of its most eccentric, courageous and gifted journalists Tuesday when Pulitzer Prize-winning editorial cartoonist Doug Marlette died in a car accident in Mississippi.

Marlette, 57, worked at the Charlotte Observer, Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Newsday, the Tallahassee Democrat and most recently the Tulsa World. In addition to being a widely syndicated cartoonist, he also found time to write books and create the comic strip Kudzu, which was adapted into a musical.

The Florida State University graduate also worked briefly at the St. Petersburg Times in the early 1970s.

In his editorial cartoons, Marlette wasn't afraid to cross the line to make a point, whether taking on religion or politicians. One of his most controversial cartoons showed a Middle Eastern man driving a Ryder truck hauling a nuclear warhead. The caption read, "What Would Mohammed Drive?" The Tallahassee Democrat, where he was working at the time, received more than 20,000 e-mails from Muslims around the world demanding an apology.

As he once put it, cartoonists don't need First Amendment protection to do inoffensive cartoons, something he was never accused of producing.

His work often drew the wrath of readers, but he always met them with a rapid retort.

When a reader called to accuse him of being a "tool of Satan" for drawing Jerry Falwell as a serpent in PTL paradise after Jim Bakker resigned in scandal, Marlette responded, "That's impossible. I couldn't be a tool of Satan. The Charlotte Observer's personnel department tests for that sort of thing ... (it) has a strict policy against hiring tools of Satan."

As for his eccentric side, he once submitted his entry for a Pulitzer Prize in a pizza box and regularly stole the Charlotte publisher's parking space.

He will be remembered for his passion, his humor and his uncompromising defense of the First Amendment, especially against the forces of political correctness.

He once wrote: "The censors no longer come to us in jackboots with torches and baying dogs in the middle of the night. They arrive now in broad daylight with marketing surveys and focus-group findings. They come as teams, not armies, trained in effectiveness, certified in sensitivity, and wielding degrees from the Columbia journalism school. They are known not for their bravery but for their efficiency. They show gallantry only when they genuflect to apologize."

Doug Marlette's death marks a serious loss to journalism.

[Last modified July 14, 2007, 01:27:57]

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Comments on this article
by voxpopuli 07/15/07 01:30 AM
another car crash huh?? Seems mighty odd. God speed Mr. Marlette. Sorry for the loss for your famiy, loved ones and friends.


Once you see my footage of what goes on while I drive the local interstates --- you'll perhaps understand what happens and why I am suspicious of these PILING UP DEATHS OF JOURNALISTS. Some of us haven't drank the koolaid while a lot of you frauds out there seem to have an IV running to the nazi farmland tank. You make me SICK.

I've been run off the road or swerved into at least a dozen times in the last year.

Do they set people up to make it look like an accident?

Would the Pope shit in the woods?

I'm SICK of this and it's time to talk about it. PAST time. I'm sorry for Mr. Marlette's loved ones and admirers and friends. Wish I had spoken up sooner.


As you may recall the Bush family is big on car wrecks.

Which the above link is NOT about. Forgive me, I have early AM H U M O R. Captivating interlude and such.




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Brought to you LIVE from THE TAMPA NAIL HOUSE ... : Proud members of the drive-by media (just like Thomas Paine, father of America)

... located in the midtown desired redevelopment center just one block from the river.
The City of Tampa and it's assorted city-sanctioned gang members need this property because it's in the middle of land they intend to develop for gambling facilities.
LaS VEgas here in Tampa : Ta-Vegas or Tam-Gas.
But it's going to cost YOU a helluva lot of money as they defend their criminal acts in federal court due to what they are doing to my family and I in
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Terrorist,"Cause" and Gang Stalking Perpetrated by Tampa Firemen and other Firemen -- revealed and written about.

Some more threats from Tampa firemen (we'll just drive by your burning house if we know who you are) no kidding? I would NEVER have guessed that !
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More mention of Firefighter and Police participation in gang-stalking
Technorati Tags Joseph Marlette

Technorati Tags: car crash journalist, David Halbertam, revenge, revenge??

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