Famed cartoonist and UI alum dies at age 86
Over the course of the eight decades of his life, Paul Conrad harped on Republicans, criticized Democrats, and continually managed to ruffle political feathers with his cartoons.
The three-time Pulitzer Prize winning editorial cartoonist — who is a University of Iowa graduate and former Daily Iowan cartoonist — died of natural causes Sunday morning at his Racho Palos Verdes home, son David Conrad told the Associated Press. He was 86.
Only two post-Word War II cartoonist have been awarded three Pulitzers.
Paul Conrad was famous for not using many words. With his renowned depictions of Richard Nixon reaching out of a sewer for a bag of money, Jimmy Carter mentally undressing Lady Liberty, and George W. Bush burning the Bill of Rights, Paul Conrad has gone down in history as one of America's best cartoonists.
"He was probably the best political cartoonist in the last 100 years," said Bill Casey, the publisher of The Daily Iowan and a friend of Conrad's for 50 years. "He was an interesting guy, fun to be around."
One of Conrad's favorite targets was President Nixon.
"He always said he was most proud of being on Nixon's enemies list," his son told the AP.
In a 2006 PBS documentary about Conrad's life and career, Drawing Fire, journalists admired his style and fearlessness.
"He was polarizing before it was politically fashionable," Washington Post columnist Harold Meyerson says in the documentary.
By late in Conrad's life, many cartoonists had abandoned the traditional single-frame image for a comic-strip, which he disliked.
"It's dialogue, long conversations, from one panel to another," Conrad told the AP in 2006. "Some have a political point, but when you get finished reading them, you knew that in the beginning. So what am I doing reading 'em?"
Conrad and his identical twin brother, James, were born on June 27, 1924, in Cedar Rapids.
After serving in World War II as part of the Army Corps of Engineers, Conrad enrolled at the UI in 1946.
Conrad joked that his first cartoon débuted on a bathroom stall in elementary school. However, his career as a cartoonist really started when he enrolled at the UI in 1946 and began drawing cartoons at The Daily Iowan.
Conrad was eating lunch and doodling with longtime friend Charlie Carole when Carole mentioned that the DI could use a cartoonist.
The Denver Post agreed to give him a job when he graduated. Conrad often joked about having to beg [former] UI President Virgil Hancher to graduate, Casey said.
The UI now gives out the Paul Conrad Scholarship — which was established in honor of his 80th birthday — to journalism students.
He graduated in 1950 with a B.A. in art, which ultimately led to a job at the Denver Post, where he worked for 14 years before moving to the Los Angeles Times. He was chief editorial cartoonist there from 1964 to 1993. His work was syndicated until his death, Casey said.
Conrad is survived by his wife, Kay, two sons, and two daughters.
Some information in the report was compiled by the AP.
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