Pulitzer Prize Winner Doug Marlette Killed In Accident

Tuesday, July 10th 2007, 1:24 pm

By: News On 6

Tulsa World political cartoonist Doug Marlette was killed Tuesday morning when the truck he was riding in hydroplaned on a wet Mississippi highway. We had the honor of interviewing Doug Marlette this winter for a story on The News On 6. He was kind. He was funny. He was fiercely intelligent, and he will be greatly missed. News On 6 anchor Terry Hood reports he came to town with an office full of awards and a life story that was a page turner in and of itself.

Doug Marlette was a political cartoonist for 35 years and along the way, won every major award in the field, including the Pulitzer Prize. In Tulsa, he wasted no time honing his targets.

Marlette believed a good political cartoon had a sting to it.

â€œPeople can say all kinds of things in print, but if you do it in an image, itâ€™s more upsetting,â€ Marlette said.

But his talents reached far beyond the editorial page. Marlette's comic strip "Kudzu" is syndicated worldwide. He wrote two award winning novels, one of which was purchased by Paramount Pictures for Tom Cruise. He worked in newspapers across the country, but Marlette says he immediately felt he'd found a home at the Tulsa World.

â€œThat's what I say to my friends, itâ€™s like dÃ©jÃ vu,â€ Marlette said. â€œItâ€™s like all the best parts of journalism that I thought were gone, are here.

â€œEditorial cartoonists are a rare breed, and he was one of the rarest,â€ said Tulsa World publisher Bobby Lorton. â€œWe were excited to get someone of his caliber in the marketplace.â€

Lorton says the newspaper is stunned by the loss. He says Marlette was a gentle man, yet had the strength to tackle even the most controversial of issues.

â€œYou want them to be able to make people think, hopefully laugh, but mainly you want them to talk about what the issues are, and he had a way of doing that in his drawings, and that is a gift,â€ said Lorton.

Doug Marlette was returning from his father's funeral in North Carolina when he was killed. He was 57 years old.

He leaves behind a wife, a son and a legacy that will echo for many years to come.

Watch the video: Pulitzer Prize Winning Cartoonist Dies In Auto Accident

Watch the video: Local Cartoonist Killed In Car Accident

Related Video: Interview With Tulsa World Cartoonist

Related Story:

2/12/2007 - A Cartoonist's Unique View Of Tulsa And Oklahoma