Article: Artist John Deering Visits 6th Grade

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Posted Thursday, May 19, 2016
The Anthony School was honored to have John Deering, local and nationally recognized senior editorial cartoonist for the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, as our visiting guest artist today.

Not only providing examples of his work and sharing his background of the subject of cartooning, Mr. Deering surprised us with quickly drawing a few of of our students. We learned he loves what he does, particularly creating editorial cartoons surrounding the presidential campaign and being the sole creator of his comic strip, Strange Brew. He enjoys painting when not cartooning.

With the sixth graders just finishing up their caricature self portrait lesson in the art room, this was a perfect ending to the year. Thank you John Deering for taking the time to visit us and share your enthusiasm and creative genius behind your cartoons! Student caricatures are on exhibit now in the upstairs hallway in the main building.




Artist Bio:

John Deering is senior editorial cartoonist for the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, the state's largest newspaper. Five times a week, his cartoon comments entertain (or sometimes enrage) readers throughout Arkansas, in Washington, D.C., and across the country.

Winner of the National Press Foundation's 1997 Berryman Award, Deering also gained top honors in the 1994 national John Fischetti Cartoon Competition and was the seven-time winner of the Arkansas Press Association's Best Editorial Cartoonist award.

Deering's work is collected in two books: Deering's State of Mind (1990) and We Knew Bill Clinton ... Bill Clinton Was a Friend of Ours (1993, with Vic Harville). He is a 14-year member of the American Association of Editorial Cartoonists.

Born in 1956 in Little Rock, Deering has been drawing since his childhood fascination with science fiction and dinosaurs -- subjects he made into comic books. After studying art with Truman Alston, Deering focused on commercial and fine art at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. Along the way, he found his strength in interlocking art with comment.

At the Democrat-Gazette, Deering advanced from layout artist to editorial cartoonist in 1981-82. His promotion to chief editorial cartoonist in 1988 made his cartoons the state's best-known. Deering also creates the comic panel Too Much Coffee.

He and his wife, Kathy, have a daughter and two sons, and live in Little Rock. He still draws dinosaurs.

Check out his comic strips, Zack Hill and Strange Brew.