The Finch Formerly Known As Gold

11 November 2005

Dave's not here

Dave Simpson, picked up as editorial cartoonist by the Tulsa World after the closing of the rival Tribune in 1992, was sacked by the World this week: a June cartoon he drew was apparently a blatant copy of a 1981 Bob Englehart cartoon published in The Hartford Courant.

Simpson said he had a copy of the cartoon in his files, unsigned, and thought it was one of his own.

World publisher Robert Lorton said that the paper would begin a review of its journalistic standards; Tulsa political writer Michael Bates is expected to stop laughing by mid-December.

Posted at 9:15 PM to Soonerland


You have got to stop doing Firesign Theatre schtick since it's only me and one other guy who gets it.

Posted by: Mr. Snitch! at 2:16 AM on 12 November 2005

"No man, this is Dave!"

Posted by: Andrea Harris at 9:02 AM on 12 November 2005

Wow - I had no idea Simpson had been sacked. I can't say that I blame Lorton, considering the offense, but that is a big blow to the World. Considering the lame-beyond-lame Jim Lange in The Oklahoman, Simpson was the only true edotiral cartoonist working in the state, and one of the more talented editorial cartoonists in this part of the country. Wow.

Posted by: Chase at 10:32 AM on 12 November 2005

Ironically, the Oklahoman has won exactly one Pulitzer Prize: in 1939, for editorial cartooning. (Charles G. Werner, then a relative rookie at Fourth and Broadway, scored for an attack on Germany's annexation of the Sudentenland.) The continuing presence of Lange makes that award seem that much more remote.

Posted by: CGHill at 10:47 AM on 12 November 2005

Lange is a cartoonist? I thought he was an illustrator.

Posted by: MikeH at 12:08 PM on 12 November 2005

I have enjoyed Mr. Simpson's editorial cartoons in the Tulsa paper for over 25years. I am sure many other readers will miss his talent and hope to see his work in another periodical shortly.

I am sorry The Tulsa World sacked Mr. Simpson over the allegations that came up around the time he had been inducted into the Oklahoma Cartoonist Hall of Fame. The picture in the paper of the accusers 24 year old cartoon was unsigned! In my opinion the two cartoons were different. The Tulsa World stated that Mr. Simpson said he made a mistake thinking the unsigned piece in his archive was his own. I am sorry no one was happy with the apology.

Has anyone in the news business ever made a mistake about something that happened 24 years ago or even a year ago? The Hartford Courant said in a following story they only suspended a reporter for allegation of plagiarism!


Posted by: H. Scott at 1:29 PM on 14 November 2005