Minneapolis StarTribune editorial cartoonist Steve Sack has created more than 8,000 drawings in his 36 years with the newspaper. Of those thousands, Sack said, maybe three or four were rejected for being a little too “edgy.” He added, “I draw five cartoons a week. If I get a good cartoon done in the morning, I try for a better one in the afternoon. I never leave work early.”
Sack appeared Nov. 30 at the 331 Club to narrate a slide show of cartoons featured in his recently-released collection, “The First and Only Book of Sack,” published by the Star Tribune as part of the paper’s 150th anniversary. After the show, Sack answered questions from the audience and signed copies.
Members of a local chapter of Drinking Liberally, Aaron Klemz and Tony Petrangelo, organized the event. According to their website, Drinking Liberally is “an informal, inclusive progressive social group. We began as one-part support group and one-part strategy session, playing with slogans and ideas we thought Democrats needed to be saying.” Founded in New York City in 2003, the group now has 247 chapters in 45 states. The 331 Club has hosted them every Thursday evening for over ten years. Speakers at previous meetings include Rep. Keith Ellison, former mayors RT Rybak and Chris Coleman, and DFL gubernatorial candidates.
Sack noted that of the 300-plus cartoonists employed by print media when he began in 1981, there are around 50 left. “The reason there are fewer now is because of newspaper consolidations and mergers and budget cuts, and so I’m one of those final 50 who hasn’t been fired or retired or expired. It’s been a wonderful experience working at the StarTribune; I have great praise for my employers. They’ve been very good to me, and they have never told me what to draw or what not to draw. That is not the typical situation for many cartoonists, and I really appreciate that.”
Sack said he began drawing as far back as he could remember. “Some of my first memories are drawing pictures and showing them to my mom; I think that’s what got me started. I came from a family of six kids, and drawing pictures was the only non-violent way to get attention. My grandfather worked for the Great Northern railroad, and he brought home many tablets of blank paper. I used those to draw, and I appreciated having the opportunity. If any of you have young people in your lives who are interested in drawing, I strongly encourage you to steal office supplies: paper, pens, computers, whatever would help them in their work.” Sack himself began drawing with pen, brush, paint and ink, but now creates his cartoons on an iPad.
Sack won a Pulitzer Prize in 2013. He said most cartoonists enter the competition every year, but, he writes in the book’s introduction, winning is “a combination of skill and luck and your personal gods being in a good mood that day. Plus more luck.” In an interview before going on stage, Sack remembered the announcement of the award in the Star Tribune newsroom as “surreal, a shock, and more than a little uncomfortable.” Despite his description of himself as “not the most demonstrable person,” he admitted he enjoyed the chance to address his colleagues at the paper that morning.
He said when he began drawing editorial cartoons in the mid-1970s, the giants of the industry were Pat Oliphant, Jeff McNally and Mike Peters, among others. Asked who he follows now, Sack mentioned Paul Bagley of the Salt Lake Tribune, Rob Rogers of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, and Tom Toles of the Washington Post. He admires all of the cartoonists who brought a bit of irreverence and humor to the seriousness of the subject matter.
In his book, Sack wonders whether his editorial cartoons are effective. While he’d like to think so, he concludes, “Truth be told, I don’t think editorial cartoons have much real power to effect change or sway opinion. At most, they rally those already on the cartoonist’s side. I’ve probably seen more cartoons than most people…and I can’t recall one that changed my mind about an issue. More likely, they presented an argument I hadn’t considered, or framed an issue with useful clarity, or brought some cause attention it deserves.”
Sack’s book is available online only from the Star Tribune: shop.startribune.com/product/the-first-and-only-book-of-sack/.
Below: Steve Sack spoke to the local Drinking Liberally chapter, which has met Thursday evenings at the bar on 13th and University for more than ten years now. Sack’s audience matured with his political cartoons. (Photos by Mark Peterson)