Jerry W. Holbert (November 9, 1958 – August 2, 2022) was an American cartoonist best known for his political cartoons. Holbert had a
syndicated editorial comic strip. He received the
National Cartoonist Society
The National Cartoonists Society (NCS) is an organization of professional cartoonists in the United States. It presents the National Cartoonists Society Awards. The Society was born in 1946 when groups of cartoonists got together to entertain the ...
Editorial Cartoon Award for the year 2000.
Early life
Holbert was born in
Long Branch, New Jersey
Long Branch is a beachside city in Monmouth County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 United States census, the city's population was 31,667, an increase of 948 (+3.1%) from the 2010 census count of 30,719, which in turn reflect ...
on November 9, 1958,
and grew up in
Middletown Township, New Jersey
Middletown Township is a Township (New Jersey), township in northern Monmouth County, New Jersey, Monmouth County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 United States census, the township was List of municipalities in New Jersey, the ...
.
Career
Holbert worked for the ''
Boston Herald
The ''Boston Herald'' is an American conservative daily newspaper whose primary market is Boston, Massachusetts, and its surrounding area. It was founded in 1846 and is one of the oldest daily newspapers in the United States. It has been awarde ...
'' newspaper, where he published
editorial cartoon
A political cartoon, also known as an editorial cartoon, is a cartoon graphic with caricatures of public figures, expressing the artist's opinion. An artist who writes and draws such images is known as an editorial cartoonist. They typically co ...
s. In October 2014, Holbert came under criticism for what many people viewed as a racist depiction of United States President
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II (born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who was the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, he was the first African American president in American history. O ...
which used the
watermelon stereotype
The watermelon stereotype is an anti-Black racist Trope (literature), trope originating in the Southern United States. It first arose as a backlash against African American End of slavery in the United States of America, emancipation and econom ...
: Holbert pictured a
White House intruder using the president's bathtub while recommending to Obama the use of watermelon-flavored toothpaste.
After negative public reaction, Holbert and the ''Boston Herald'' apologized. The nationally syndicated version of the cartoon changed the toothpaste flavor prior to the cartoon's release, but the ''Herald'' version was not changed
.
Death
In 2015, Holbert began manifesting symptoms of
frontotemporal dementia
Frontotemporal dementia (FTD), also called frontotemporal degeneration disease or frontotemporal neurocognitive disorder, encompasses several types of dementia involving the progressive degeneration of the brain's frontal lobe, frontal and tempor ...
. As a result, he retired from the ''Herald'' in 2018, but with his wife's assistance, continued drawing for
Andrews McMeel
Andrews McMeel Publishing, LLC (formerly Andrews, McMeel and Parker (1975–1986) and Andrews and McMeel (1986–1997)) is a company that publishes books, calendars, and related toys. It is a part of Andrews McMeel Universal, which comprises AM ...
until November 2020. He was formally diagnosed in August 2020.
Holbert died in
Derry, New Hampshire
Derry is a town in Rockingham County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 34,317 at the 2020 census. Although it is a town and not a city, Derry is the most populous community in Rockingham County and the 4th most populous in the ...
on August 2, 2022, at the age of 63.
References
External links
NCS AwardsBoston Herald Jerry Holbert Cartoon Page
dead link
gocomics.com Jerry Holbert Cartoon Page
Holbert's Obama/watermelon cartoon (reprinted in ArtNet criticism)
1958 births
2022 deaths
American editorial cartoonists
People from Middletown Township, New Jersey
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