# Doug Marlette

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American editorial cartoonist

Doug Marlette Born Douglas Nigel Marlette (1949-12-06)December 6, 1949 Greensboro, North Carolina, U.S. Died July 10, 2007(2007-07-10) (aged 57) Marshall County, Mississippi, U.S. Area cartoonist Notable works Editorial cartoons, Kudzu

**Douglas Nigel Marlette** (December 6, 1949 – July 10, 2007) was a [Pulitzer Prize](/source/Pulitzer_Prize)-winning American [editorial cartoonist](/source/Editorial_cartoonist) who, at the time of his death, had also published two novels and was "finding his voice in writing long-length fiction."[1] His popular [comic strip](/source/Comic_strip) *[Kudzu](/source/Kudzu_(comic_strip))*, distributed by [Tribune Media Services](/source/Tribune_Media_Services) from 1981 to 2007, was adapted into a musical comedy.

Born in [Greensboro](/source/Greensboro%2C_North_Carolina), [North Carolina](/source/North_Carolina), Marlette was raised in [Durham, North Carolina](/source/Durham%2C_North_Carolina); [Laurel, Mississippi](/source/Laurel%2C_Mississippi); and [Sanford, Florida](/source/Sanford%2C_Florida).[2]

Marlette began his cartooning career while a student at [Seminole Community College](/source/Seminole_Community_College) where he worked on the student newspaper. He then went on to [Florida State University](/source/Florida_State_University) where he drew political cartoons for *The Florida Flambeau*, from 1969 to 1971.[3] He illustrated the 1970-71 FSU yearbook, *Tally Ho*, including a wraparound cover.[4]

Marlette was the cartoonist for *[The Charlotte Observer](/source/The_Charlotte_Observer)* (1972–1987), *[The Atlanta Journal-Constitution](/source/The_Atlanta_Journal-Constitution)* (1987–89) for which he won a [Pulitzer Prize](/source/Pulitzer_Prize) in 1988, *[New York](/source/New_York_City) [Newsday](/source/Newsday)* (1989–02), *The Tallahassee Democrat* (2002–06) and *The [Tulsa World](/source/Tulsa_World)* (2006–07).[2]

In 2002, he drew criticism from Islamic groups for drawing a cartoon depicting Mohammed driving a Ryder van with missiles pointed out the back and the caption, "What would Mohammed drive?"[5]

## *Kudzu*

He wrote and drew the internationally syndicated comic strip *[Kudzu](/source/Kudzu_(comic_strip))*,[2] which launched June 15, 1981.[6] Marlette collaborated with Bland Simpson and Jack Herrick of the [Red Clay Ramblers](/source/Red_Clay_Ramblers) on a musical comedy adaptation of the strip, *Kudzu, A Southern Musical*.[2]

His work appeared in *[Time](/source/Time_(magazine))* and *[Newsweek](/source/Newsweek)*, along with newspapers such as *[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times)* and *[The Washington Post](/source/The_Washington_Post)*.[2]

## Awards and honors

In 1981, Marlette became the first cartoonist ever awarded a [Nieman Fellowship](/source/Nieman_Fellowship).[7] He won every major award for editorial cartooning, including the 1988 [Pulitzer Prize for Editorial Cartooning](/source/Pulitzer_Prize_for_Editorial_Cartooning), the National Headliner Award for Consistently Outstanding Editorial Cartoons (three times) and first prize in the [John Fischetti Memorial Cartoon Competition](/source/Fischetti_Award) (twice). In 1997, he won his second [Robert F. Kennedy Journalism Award](/source/Robert_F._Kennedy_Journalism_Award).

Two days after Marlette's death, North Carolina Governor [Michael F. Easley](/source/Michael_F._Easley) awarded him the honor of membership in the [Order of the Long Leaf Pine](/source/Order_of_the_Long_Leaf_Pine), the highest civilian honor bestowed by the governor of North Carolina.

## Books

*Kudzu* and his editorial cartoons are collected in 19 volumes, including *Faux Bubba: Bill and Hillary Go to Washington*, *Gone with the Kudzu*, *I Feel Your Pain!*, *What Would Marlette Drive?* and *A Town So Backwards Even the Episcopalians Handle Snakes*.

His 1991 book, *In Your Face: A Cartoonist at Work*, was his personal account of the cartooning process.

In 2001, his first novel, *The Bridge*, was published by [HarperCollins](/source/HarperCollins). *The Bridge* won the 2002 [SIBA Book Award](/source/SIBA_Book_Award) (Best Book of the Year Fiction) sponsored by the [Southern Independent Booksellers Alliance](/source/Southern_Independent_Booksellers_Alliance) (SIBA).[2]

In 2006, his second novel, *Magic Time*,[2] was published by Sarah Crichton Books/[Farrar, Straus & Giroux](/source/Farrar%2C_Straus_%26_Giroux) and received critical praise, including a positive review in *[The New York Times Book Review](/source/The_New_York_Times_Book_Review)*.[8]

## Academic life

Marlette served as distinguished visiting professor in the School of Journalism and Mass Communication at the [University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill](/source/University_of_North_Carolina_at_Chapel_Hill) in the 2001–2002 academic year and was inducted into the UNC Journalism Hall of Fame in 2002. In 2006, he was appointed a Gaylord Distinguished Visiting Lecturer at the College of Journalism and Mass Communication at the [University of Oklahoma](/source/University_of_Oklahoma).

## Personal life

Marlette and his wife, TV producer Melinda Hartley Marlette, split their time between residences in [Tulsa, Oklahoma](/source/Tulsa%2C_Oklahoma) and [Hillsborough, North Carolina](/source/Hillsborough%2C_North_Carolina).[9] Their son, Jackson, studied art in France. Marlette had a brother, Chris, and a sister, Marianne.[9] His nephew, Andy Marlette, worked for 15 years at the *[Pensacola News Journal](/source/Pensacola_News_Journal)* in Florida as a columnist, illustrator and cartoonist. As of September 2022, he no longer worked at the *News Journal* but was distributed by [Creators Syndicate](/source/Creators_Syndicate).[10]

Marlette was a close friend of author [Pat Conroy](/source/Pat_Conroy), speaking to him daily.[1]

## Death

Marlette died in [Marshall County, Mississippi](/source/Marshall_County%2C_Mississippi), a passenger in a [Toyota](/source/Toyota) pickup truck that [hydroplaned](/source/Hydroplaning_(road_vehicle)) and struck a tree in heavy rain; Marlette died instantly.[2] He was traveling from [Memphis International Airport](/source/Memphis_International_Airport) to [Oxford, Mississippi](/source/Oxford%2C_Mississippi) to help students at [Oxford High School](/source/Oxford_High_School_(Mississippi)) prepare for their performance of *Kudzu, A Southern Musical* at the [Edinburgh Fringe Festival](/source/Edinburgh_Fringe).[1][11] Marlette died less than a week after he delivered the [eulogy](/source/Eulogy) for his father, Elmer Monroe Marlette,[1] in [Charlotte, North Carolina](/source/Charlotte%2C_North_Carolina).[2] He was buried at Walnut Grove United Methodist Church near Hillsborough on July 14, 2007. Conroy and [Joe Klein](/source/Joe_Klein) eulogized him at the funeral, before an overflow crowd.[12][13] There were ten eulogists in all, and Conroy called Marlette his best friend[9] and said, "The first person to cry, when he heard about Doug's death, was God."[14]

## References

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-AP_1-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-AP_1-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-AP_1-2) [***d***](#cite_ref-AP_1-3) [Cartoonist Doug Marlette dies in pickup truck crash](http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/07/11/marlette.obit.ap/index.html) [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20070715032234/http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/07/11/marlette.obit.ap/index.html) 2007-07-15 at the [Wayback Machine](/source/Wayback_Machine), an [Associated Press](/source/Associated_Press) story via [CNN](/source/CNN)

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-raleigh_2-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-raleigh_2-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-raleigh_2-2) [***d***](#cite_ref-raleigh_2-3) [***e***](#cite_ref-raleigh_2-4) [***f***](#cite_ref-raleigh_2-5) [***g***](#cite_ref-raleigh_2-6) [***h***](#cite_ref-raleigh_2-7) [***i***](#cite_ref-raleigh_2-8) ["Cartoonist Doug Marlette dies in wreck"](https://web.archive.org/web/20070713131622/http://www.newsobserver.com/105/story/632517.html). *Raleigh News and Observer*. Archived from [the original](http://www.newsobserver.com/105/story/632517.html) on July 13, 2007. Retrieved July 16, 2007.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** [FSU alum, nationally-known cartoonist dies - News](http://media.www.fsunews.com/media/storage/paper920/news/2007/07/16/News/Fsu-Alum.NationallyKnown.Cartoonist.Dies-2923682.shtml) [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20070928021900/http://media.www.fsunews.com/media/storage/paper920/news/2007/07/16/News/Fsu-Alum.NationallyKnown.Cartoonist.Dies-2923682.shtml) 2007-09-28 at the [Wayback Machine](/source/Wayback_Machine)

1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** *Tally Ho*, Volume 24, 1971, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** [Rytkonen, Helle](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Drawing_the_Line:_The_Cartoons_Controversy_in_Denmark_and_the_US&action=edit&redlink=1) (2007). Nanna Hvidt & Hans Mouritzen (ed.). [*Danish Foreign Policy Yearbook 2007*](http://www.diis.dk/graphics/Publications/Books2007/Yearbook2007/yearbook07_hole.pdf#page=99) (PDF). Danish Institute for International Studies. p. 99. Retrieved June 10, 2013.[*[permanent dead link](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Link_rot)*]

1. **[^](#cite_ref-6)** [*The Chronicle-Telegram* (Elyria, Ohio), June 15, 1981.](http://www.newspaperarchive.com)

1. **[^](#cite_ref-7)** [Class of 1981 photo](http://www.nieman.harvard.edu/people/classphotos/class81.html) [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20060908034931/http://www.nieman.harvard.edu//people/classphotos/class81.html) 2006-09-08 at the [Wayback Machine](/source/Wayback_Machine) from the website of the [Nieman Foundation for Journalism](/source/Nieman_Foundation_for_Journalism) at [Harvard University](/source/Harvard_University)

1. **[^](#cite_ref-8)** [Christopher Dickey](/source/Christopher_Dickey) in *[The New York Times Book Review](/source/The_New_York_Times_Book_Review)*, October 27, 2006

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-wral_9-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-wral_9-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-wral_9-2) [*WRAL*, "Friends Remember Doug Marlette as Staunch Defender of Free Speech" July 14, 2007](http://www.wral.com/news/state/story/1593544/)[*[dead link](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Link_rot)*]

1. **[^](#cite_ref-10)** Degg, D.D. (September 3, 2022). ["Andy Marlette & Pensacola News Journal Part Ways"](https://www.dailycartoonist.com/index.php/2022/09/03/andy-marlette-and-pensacola-news-journal-part/). [The Daily Cartoonist](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=The_Daily_Cartoonist&action=edit&redlink=1). Retrieved January 25, 2023.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-11)** ["*Fox News*, "Pulitzer Prize-Winning Cartoonist Doug Marlette Dies in Car Accident" July 10, 2007"](https://www.foxnews.com/story/pulitzer-prize-winning-cartoonist-doug-marlette-dies-in-car-accident). *[Fox News](/source/Fox_News)*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20070712152250/http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,288839,00.html) from the original on July 12, 2007. Retrieved July 10, 2007.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-12)** ["*Independent Weekly*, "Goodbye, Doug Marlette" July 18, 2007"](https://web.archive.org/web/20160214184512/http://www.indyweek.com/gyrobase/Content?oid=oid%3A157244). Archived from [the original](http://www.indyweek.com/gyrobase/Content?oid=oid%3A157244) on February 14, 2016. Retrieved July 19, 2007.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-13)** [*CNN*, "Requiem for a cartoonist"](http://www.cnn.com/2007/SHOWBIZ/books/07/15/marlette.appreciation/index.html)

1. **[^](#cite_ref-14)** Klein, Joe (July 15, 2007). ["In Memorium...and a Touch of Class"](https://web.archive.org/web/20071224140305/http://www.time-blog.com/swampland/2007/07/in_memoriumand_a_touch_of_clas.html). *Swampland*. Time Inc. Archived from [the original](http://www.time-blog.com/swampland/2007/07/in_memoriumand_a_touch_of_clas.html) on December 24, 2007. Retrieved December 30, 2015.

## External links

- [Doug Marlette Papers](http://www.lib.unc.edu/mss/inv/m/Marlette,Doug.html#d1e524)

- [Toonopedia: *Kudzu*](http://www.toonopedia.com/kudzu.htm)

- [Requiem for a Cartoonist](http://www.cnn.com/2007/SHOWBIZ/books/07/15/marlette.appreciation/index.html)

- [Doug Marlette Memorial site](https://www.tulsaworld.com/webextra/content/2007/marlette/they.asp)

- [Appearances](https://www.c-span.org/person/?2368) on [C-SPAN](/source/C-SPAN)

v t e Pulitzer Prize for Illustrated Reporting and Commentary Previously the Pulitzer Prize for Editorial Cartooning from 1922–2021 1922–1950 Rollin Kirby (1922) Ding Darling (1924) Rollin Kirby (1925) D. R. Fitzpatrick (1926) Nelson Harding (1927) Nelson Harding (1928) Rollin Kirby (1929) Charles R. Macauley (1930) Edmund Duffy (1931) John T. McCutcheon (1932) H. M. Talburt (1933) Edmund Duffy (1934) Ross A. Lewis (1935) C. D. Batchelor (1937) Vaughn Shoemaker (1938) Charles G. Werner (1939) Edmund Duffy (1940) Jacob Burck (1941) Herbert Lawrence Block (1942) Ding Darling (1943) Clifford K. Berryman (1944) Sergeant Bill Mauldin (1945) Bruce Alexander Russell (1946) Vaughn Shoemaker (1947) Reuben L. Goldberg (1948) Lute Pease (1949) James T. Berryman (1950) 1951–1975 Reg (Reginald W.) Manning (1951) Fred L. Packer (1952) Edward D. Kuekes (1953) Herbert Lawrence Block (1954) Daniel R. Fitzpatrick (1955) Robert York (1956) Tom Little (1957) Bruce M. Shanks (1958) William H. (Bill) Mauldin (1959) Carey Orr (1961) Edmund S. Valtman (1962) Frank Miller (1963) Paul Conrad (1964) Don Wright (1966) Patrick B. Oliphant (1967) Eugene Gray Payne (1968) John Fischetti (1969) Thomas F. Darcy (1970) Paul Conrad (1971) Jeff MacNelly (1972) Paul Szep (1974) Garry Trudeau (1975) 1976–2000 Tony Auth (1976) Paul Szep (1977) Jeff MacNelly (1978) Herbert Lawrence Block (1979) Don Wright (1980) Mike Peters (1981) Ben Sargent (1982) Richard Locher (1983) Paul Conrad (1984) Jeff MacNelly (1985) Jules Feiffer (1986) Berkeley Breathed (1987) Doug Marlette (1988) Jack Higgins (1989) Tom Toles (1990) Jim Borgman (1991) Signe Wilkinson (1992) Stephen R. Benson (1993) Michael Ramirez (1994) Mike Luckovich (1995) Jim Morin (1996) Walt Handelsman (1997) Stephen P. Breen (1998) David Horsey (1999) Joel Pett (2000) 2001–2025 Ann Telnaes (2001) Clay Bennett (2002) David Horsey (2003) Matt Davies (2004) Nick Anderson (2005) Mike Luckovich (2006) Walt Handelsman (2007) Michael Ramirez (2008) Stephen P. Breen (2009) Mark Fiore (2010) Mike Keefe (2011) Matt Wuerker (2012) Steve Sack (2013) Kevin Siers (2014) Adam Zyglis (2015) Jack Ohman (2016) Jim Morin (2017) Jake Halpern and Michael Sloan (2018) Darrin Bell (2019) Barry Blitt (2020) Fahmida Azim, Anthony Del Col, Walt Hickey and Josh Adams (2022) Mona Chalabi (2023) Medar de la Cruz (2024) Ann Telnaes (2025)

Authority control databases International ISNI VIAF FAST WorldCat National United States France BnF data Artists ULAN Other IdRef SNAC Yale LUX

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Doug Marlette](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doug_Marlette) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doug_Marlette?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.