Michael P. Ramirez Named Editorial Cartoonist for The Los Angeles Times

Posted on July 14, 1997

The Los Angeles Times has named Michael P. Ramirez, winner of the 1994 Pulitzer Prize for editorial cartooning, its editorial cartoonist, it was announced Saturday by Richard T. Schlosberg III, The Times' publisher and chief executive officer.

Ramirez, an editorial cartoonist since 1990 for the Commercial Appeal in Memphis, Tenn., will join The Times in September. He will report to Janet Clayton, editor of the editorial pages and a vice president of The Times.

"The Times has a long, distinguished history of editorial cartoonists, and Michael Ramirez fits in well with that tradition," said Schlosberg. "He has the talent and style to challenge, entertain, amuse and engage our readers on a wide range of local, national and international subjects."

In addition to winning the Pulitzer Prize in 1994, Ramirez has received several journalism awards, including the 1996 Sigma Delta Chi, Society of Professional Journalism Award for editorial cartooning. His work appears in more than 550 publications around the world through Copley News Service, and he is an illustrator of several books.

"Michael is a dynamic cartoonist who will make a strong contribution to our commentary pages," said Clayton. "His tremendous talent will complement the traditional excellence of The Times."

Ramirez's cartoons are scheduled to appear in The Times three times per week. The Times editorial pages will continue to run other syndicated cartoons, including cartoons by Paul Conrad, who was The Times' editorial cartoonist and three-time Pulitzer Prize winner before he retired in 1993. Conrad's cartoons continue to be syndicated by the Los Angeles Times Syndicate.

Ramirez, 36, began his career as an editorial cartoonist in 1982 at the Baker Communications/Palos Verdes Peninsula News, in Palos Verdes, Calif. In 1989, he moved to The Daily Sun/Post in San Clemente, Calif., where he worked prior to his move to The Commercial Appeal in 1990. Ramirez was born in Tokyo, and is a graduate of the University of California, Irvine.