Universal Uclick Editorial Cartoonist Robert Ariail named the 2012 Winner of the Prestigious Clifford K. and James T. Berryman Award

Ariail’s work, published in newspapers from Sept. 1, 2011 to Sept. 1, 2012, was recognized above all other submissions.

Kansas City, Mo. (December 18, 2012) -- Universal Uclick editorial cartoonist Robert Ariail is the recipient of the 2012 Clifford K. and James T. Berryman Award, presented by the National Press Foundation. This award is given to an editorial cartoonist whose work exemplifies a power to influence public opinion, good drawing, a striking effect and an effective use of humor.
This esteemed award has been presented in recent years to a number of other Universal Uclick editorial cartoonists, including Nick Anderson (2011), Matt Wuerker (2010), Stephen Breen (2007) and Steve Sack (2006). Ariail will join this list of outstanding cartoonists on Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2013, when he will receive the award at the 30th annual awards dinner in Washington, D.C.
 
A South Carolina native, Ariail graduated from the University of South Carolina and went on to work as an editorial cartoonist for The State newspaper in Columbia, S.C. In 1985, he was given the Distinguished Alumnus Award by the university, and in 1992 he was honored with the Ambrose Hampton Award for distinguished service to The State newspaper. His cartooning at The State newspaper brought timely political issues to the forefront of community discussion until 2009.
 
Currently, Ariail is the editorial cartoonist for the Spartanburg, S.C., Herald-Journal. His thought-provoking work continues to be published online and in more than 600 newspapers, allowing readers to take a lighthearted approach to oftentimes serious and dire political issues. Ariail has won numerous awards including:

  • • The Elizabeth O’Neill Verner Governor’s Award for the Arts -- 2012 (The annual Verner Awards, established in 1972, are the highest honor the state of South Carolina presents in the arts.)
  • • The South Carolina Press Association award for cartooning -- 2011, 2010 and 2007
  • • The United Nations/Ranan Lurie Political Cartoon Award -- 2009 (Ariail is the first American to win this international award. He also won an Honorable Mention-Citation for Excellence in 2011 and 2010.)
  • • The Society of Professional Journalists’ Green Eyeshade Award -- 2007, 2004, 2001, 1997 and 1991
  • • Pulitzer Prize Finalist -- 2000 and 1995

In addition to his daily editorial cartooning, Ariail has published three cartoon collections. Ariail plans to continue to use his cartooning as well as speaking engagements to make his opinions known and to create public discourse. 
 
To view Ariail’s most recent work, visit gocomics.com/robert-ariail . For more information about the Clifford K. and James T. Berryman Award, visit http://nationalpress.org/awards/detail/clifford_k._james_t._berryman_award_for_editorial_cartoons/archives.
 
About Universal Uclick
Universal Uclick is the largest independent syndicate in the world and a leading digital entertainment provider of humor, comic strips, political cartoons, and other content for print, Web and mobile devices. Universal Uclick provides editorial development, licensing and other distribution services for iconic brands like Doonesbury, Dear Abby, Miss Manners and some of the most significant comics in history, including Calvin and Hobbes, The Far Side, Garfield, Peanuts, Dilbert, For Better or For Worse, Cathy and Ziggy. Recent standout successes include Lio, Cul de Sac, Pearls Before Swine, Get Fuzzy, Big Nate and The Argyle Sweater. A full comic catalog can be found at GoComics.com. For more information on Universal Uclick, visit UniversalUclick.com.