Finalist: Newsday, by Matt Davies

Dear Judges,

Matt Davies’ face was ashen as reports of the Charlie Hebdo slaughter unfolded. Fellow cartoonists were being killed for doing their job, a devastating realization regardless of one’s opinion about the magazine’s controversial views.  On this day, his cartoon had to be personal. And his response was defiant.  In “Where’s the Trigger,” Davies pays tribute to the fearlessness of the deceased, who had continued their work despite previous death threats. In this cartoon, a simple pencil is a powerful weapon but only among those enlightened enough to value dissent.

The Hebdo tragedy on Jan. 7, 2015 began a year filled with darkness, much of it unleashed by terrorism and the West’s mostly disheartening response to refugees fleeing Syria. And at home, such harshness flourished in a convulsive year of political discontent. “Muslim Checkpoint” captures the rancidity one candidate’s call to stigmatize a religion to preserve our way of life.

Davies has a super-calibrated hypocrisy detector, and it’s best shown in his take on the Confederate flag controversy that followed the racially charged murders at a church in Charleston, S.C. “North-South” is a brilliant use of the symbol to mirror a legacy of Northern racism in which segregation in housing and schools remains unchanged.

These 20 submissions were chosen to display Davies’ geometric artistry and clever virtuosity. The warm sentiment of “Happy Couple” is a whimsical celebration of the Supreme Court’s decision recognizing gay marriage. There is nothing but ridicule in “Over Inflation” for the NFL’s lack of attention to more serious problems in the league. Only the mind of Davies would contrast the futuristic optimism of the Jetsons with the moral ambiguity of drone strikes.

Matt Davies had a truly original run in 2015, and his humorous point of view helped leaven a tough year for all of us.  His work is most deserving of Pulitzer recognition. Thank you.

Sincerely,

Rita Ciolli