Doug Marlette

Doug Marlette (1949-2007) was a celebrated American cartoonist, playwright and novelist. Born in Hillsborough, North Carolina, he began drawing newspaper cartoons when he was 16. At 22 he was editorial cartoonist for the Charlotte Observer. He moved to the Atlanta Constitution, where he won the 1988 Pulitzer Prize for Editorial Cartoon. He later worked for New York Newsday and other newspapers. His editorial cartoons were syndicated in more than 300 newspapers and were featured in the magazines TIME and Newsweek. Beginning in 1981, he also wrote and drew a daily comic strip, "Kudzu," drawing on his Southern heritage. The strip was syndicated around the world, and Marlette later adapted it into a successful stage musical. Marlette's cartoons were collected in 19 volumes. He also wrote a book about cartooning, In Your Face, and two novels, The Bridge, and Magic Time. Doug Marlette died in an automobile accident at the age of 57. This podcast was recorded during the 1991 International Achievement Summit in New York City.