A small flash of hope

There seems to be no bottom to the continued layoffs that have decimated the ranks of editorial cartooning for the past few years, so when a bit of good news comes along it's worth mentioning.

After nine years of searching for a replacement for the late Jeff MacNelly, The Chicago Tribune announced earlier this week that it would hire Scott Stantis, who currently works for The Birmingham News. Stantis makes sense as a replacement: he's a conservative with an independent streak that works in a traditional style. He and the Trib seem excited to get local cartoons in the mix, an attitude I hope more newspapers adopt in the coming years.

In addition, The Birmingham News announced they will hire another staff cartoonist to replace Stantis. Let's hope it doesn't take nine years.