AAEC 2026: Editorial Cartoonists Vote for a New Identity

Held from September 17 to 20, the convention brought cartoonists together for meetings, panels and public events at several venues across Sacramento. The weekend ended Sunday with AAEC events at CrockerCon.

The biggest news came from the association’s business meeting: members voted to change the name of the Association of American Editorial Cartoonists to the Association of Political Artists.

From AAEC to the Association of Political Artists

The proposal was discussed during Friday’s AAEC Business Meeting, led by president Marc Murphy and devoted to the future of the association.

Cartoonist Angelo Lopez, who attended the convention, later described the discussion in an account cited by The Daily Cartoonist.

According to Lopez, AAEC members have found that many younger people producing political art do not identify with — or sometimes even recognize — the term “editorial cartoonist.” With the number of editorial cartoonists declining, the proposed change would allow the organization to reach artists working in areas such as graphic novels, posters and other forms of political visual satire.

After debate, members voted in favor of the new name.

They also voted for the organization to become an adjunct to the Society of Illustrators, a move Lopez said was intended to help stabilize membership.

The change has not yet appeared on the AAEC website, which continues to operate under the Association of American Editorial Cartoonists name. For now, it is more accurate to describe the decision as a vote to become the Association of Political Artists rather than a completed name change.

It is nevertheless a significant shift for an organization historically associated with newspaper editorial cartooning. The new name would give it a much broader definition of political visual art.

AI, Press Freedom and Life After the Newsroom

Much of the convention program dealt with the practical problems facing cartoonists.

Friday opened with Life After Armageddon, a discussion moderated by David Horsey about how AAEC members are surviving what the program described as “troubled times.”

Later that morning, Chip Bok discussed the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press and his experience dealing with a disgruntled publisher, while Steve Artley spoke about retirement.

Artificial intelligence was on Saturday’s program with AI, AI, OH!, featuring cartoonist Mark Fiore and attorney Scott Burns.

In a conversation with Jenny Robb, Ann Telnaes discussed editorial cartooning and the free press. The AAEC’s description of the session pointed to corporate self-censorship, layoffs, online harassment and physical threats among the pressures cartoonists now face.

Telnaes later joined Steve Brodner and Joel Pett for Anger Management: The Power of Art to Inspire, moderated by Jack Ohman.

Veteran Texas cartoonist Ben Sargent, who won the Pulitzer Prize for Editorial Cartooning in 1982, was also a featured artist at the convention.

Graeme MacKay Wins the Rex Babin Memorial Award

The AAEC Awards Reception was held Saturday evening at the Sacramento History Museum.

Canadian editorial cartoonist Graeme MacKay won the 2026 Rex Babin Memorial Award for Excellence in Local Cartooning.

The other finalists were Phil Hands, Steve Greenberg and Marlin Lavanhar.

Named after longtime Sacramento Bee editorial cartoonist Rex Babin, the award recognizes excellence in cartoons dealing with local and regional issues.

Clay Jones Receives The Ink Bottle

Clay Jones received The Ink Bottle, an AAEC award presented “for dedication to the spirit of our profession.”

Jones currently serves on the AAEC Board of Directors.

Steve Brodner to Become President

Another change announced during the convention concerns the leadership of the organization.

Political illustrator Steve Brodner will become its next president, succeeding Marc Murphy.

Brodner’s arrival comes as members prepare for the proposed transition from AAEC to the Association of Political Artists.

A Final Day at CrockerCon

The convention weekend finished Sunday at CrockerCon, the Crocker Art Museum’s annual festival devoted to comics and cartoon art.

Joel Pett and Lalo Alcaraz joined a conversation moderated by Jack Ohman on the future of political cartooning and the role of editorial cartoonists in art, culture and politics.

Later in the afternoon, Jack Ohman, winner of the 2026 Herblock Award and a Pulitzer Prize-winning editorial cartoonist, gave a live drawing demonstration.

The convention is over, but related events in Sacramento are continuing.

Drawing Democracy, an exhibition at the Sacramento History Museum, brings together historic and contemporary political cartoons exploring democracy, politics, free speech and the changing role of the editorial cartoonist. Further public events connected with the project are scheduled after the convention.

A Wider Definition of Political Cartooning

The awards, panels and public events made for a busy convention, but the vote on the organization’s name may have the longest-lasting consequences.

The AAEC was built around a profession closely tied to newspapers and their editorial pages. Its members have now voted for a name that no longer refers to either editorials or cartoons.

That does not mean the editorial cartoon is being abandoned. The explanation offered during the meeting was more practical: the association wants to include a wider group of people producing political art and attract younger artists who may not call themselves editorial cartoonists.

Whether the Association of Political Artists becomes the organization’s permanent new identity will become clearer as the transition proceeds.

For the moment, the Sacramento vote offers a telling snapshot of a profession trying to work out what — and who — comes next.