Friday, December 14, 2018

Marshall Moves On

Marshall Ramsey is leaving the Clarion-Ledger.  He posted this message on Facebook:


On December 16, 1996 I sat down at this drawing board and drew my first Clarion Ledger cartoon. Today, nearly 7,000 cartoons and 22 years later, I just finished my last one.

It’s my last day at the Clarion Ledger. I am leaving many good friends behind — and I’m leaving by my choice. Yes, I am staying in Mississippi. And yes, you will continue to be able to see new cartoons.

Beginning January 2, 2019, I will be the Editor-at-Large at Mississippi Today. You will be able to see my cartoons on mississippitoday.org and you might even get to meet me as I travel the state interviewing newsmakers. It’s a positive move for my family.

I’ll tell you more about the job in the next couple of weeks and some other exciting new things that are on the horizon.

In the meantime, I’d like to thank Sam Hall for being a great editor, boss and friend. And I’m grateful for the guidance and friendship of Debbie Skipper and Steven Ward, too. I’d also like to thank everyone who has ever worked with me at the Clarion Ledger — present and past. I’ve been blessed to work with so many talented people. And of course, I couldn’t have done it all without you reading my work. Thank you.

For the past two decades, I’ve worked my dream job. Now, it’s time for a new dream.

But I’ll miss this old drawing board. It served me well.

53 comments:

Anonymous said...

Recently they've lost Ron Higgins who was only there couple months, Race Hustler Jerry Mitchell,and now Ramsey. A complete collapse of that paper. But the Democratic Chair Sam Hall is still there.

Anonymous said...

I worked with Marshall for many years at the Clarion Ledger, and he is and always has been a class act. He has an infectious positive outlook, even when life has handed him trials that would cause many to buckle. I sometimes find myself pushing myself to be more like Marshall in that regard. His is a gifted artist and political and social commentator and someone I'm glad to call a friend. He's not the liberal many here inexplicably believe he is. He's an equal-opportunity offender, which is his job, but on a personal level, I have always perceived him to be solidly right of center. Mississippi is lucky to have held on to someone of Marshall's talents for so long, and I'm glad that will continue.

Anonymous said...

Political cartoons are about as modern and relevant as printing presses. Good riddance to another "journalist" who acts like he is somehow completely independent and searching only for the truth while really searching for a "story" whether the facts are accurate or not. Journalists (liberal and conservative alike) feign their "independence" about searching for the truth. In reality, they are simply interested in a bigger and better paycheck like the rest of us.

Anonymous said...

Isn’t that pretty much all that was left?

Anonymous said...

And here I was thinking, well, Marshall has secured a lifetime position with Gannett, after all of his national notoriety over the Bush family cartoons. They've pushed every other talent out, but Marshall can stay as long as he wants... Glad he has an option out of his own choosing and that it is in Mississippi. Hope he keeps shining the positive light on us.
Yeah, the mystery remains about Sam Hall.

Anonymous said...

Actually political cartoons are hilarious and very relevant. If you don't like them, don't read. And Marshall is one of the best in the business. If you follow him on social media and/or listen to him on the radio and/or his TV show, you will see that he brings an ordinary, refreshingly common sense point of view to his audiences. And he attacks or praises left, right, and center equally and on an ad hoc basis, which is about as independent as you can get. Go ahead back to your Fox News bubble/klavern and stew in your own angry juices.

Anonymous said...

Best wishes to Marshall!

Anonymous said...

Well said Marshall @1:27

Anonymous said...

Another Democrat jumps the corporate journalism ship to join the stable of "non-partisan" Donkeys already braying at MT. Let's see, now they have an Executive Director, an Editor-in-Chief, an Editor-at-Large, a Managing Editor, a Web Editor, a Columnist, and TWELVE Reporters. What a bloated joke. Let's hope Jim Hood can handle all the fawning adulation.

Anonymous said...

@1:27PM
Political cartoons have about as much life left as the baby boomers who still "take the paper" so I would day that is less than a decade left.
Young people today are all about subversive podcasts, politically incorrect memes, and infographics that share realist statistics and suppressed history.

Anonymous said...

Mississippi Today is a joke, my sources will still include (1) Drudge Report (2) Jackson Jambalaya (3) Clarion Ledger (4) Sun Herald (5) Times Picayune, in that order. Everything else is just redundant.

Anonymous said...

Nearing the end of the catharsis which is the CL.

Anonymous said...

For someone who thinks MS Today is a 'bloated joke' full of 'donkeys', you certainly have the head count and membership memorized.

If you don't like the publication, don't read it. If you don't like their coverage, don't read it. They are trying to provide quality coverage... don't hate.

Anonymous said...

Is the Clarion-Ledger still in publication?

Anonymous said...

I have one word after working with you for 10 of those years; SALUTE!

Anonymous said...

alas, the final nail in the coffin of the Clarion Ledger.

Anonymous said...

@2:21
You should add ZeroHedge and DailySheeple to your list.

Anonymous said...

They will survive, someone has to translate Twitter.

Anonymous said...

What's poetic is that the CL cut his position several years ago. He stayed on part time, figured out other income streams he could develop, and worked hard to earn a living. He made such a strong name for himself that he can leverage it for better opportunities. What could have been a death nail, he used as a springboard. Well done, bud!

Anonymous said...

Yep, they finally let go of Marshall and Jerry (on their own terms of course). Guess they weren't able to save the rag.

Anonymous said...

Dear Water Carrier, scorn is not hate ... don't conflate.

Anonymous said...

I laugh at liberals (or conservatives) who say, "If you don't like it, don't read it."

That attitude hasn't worked very well for the Clarion Ledger as very few now read it.

Anonymous said...

What's a Clarion Ledger?

Anonymous said...

Glad he is going! I am tired of his almost daily ridicule of President Trump! I have yet to see one of his cartoons about how good the unemployment rate is, how there is the lowest unemployment among minorities in 50 years and how wages are going up. Where are the cartoons about the dirty FBI and DOJ, Comney and pay for play Hillary! NONE!

Anonymous said...

I know Marshall and like him. He is extremely talented and is a wonderful person. But he is not nonpartisan and never will be. He leans way left and his work reflects that.

Kingfish said...

Editorial cartoons are perfect for a ritalin generation.

Anonymous said...

Mostly Ramsey has been a non-descript political person until the last few years when he moved to the far left. It started when he got fired at Supertalk and later went to work at NPR. Liberals love him. His Twitter followers have gone way up.

Andy Hack said...

He's leveraging for better opportunities at Mississippi Today? Huh? What?

Anonymous said...

6:19, you clearly do not know Marshall

6:28, you clearly don’t understand that one media outlet is sinking and the other is incredibly well funded.

Anonymous said...

I have met Marshall Ramsey, very nice guy, family man and he is true to his beliefs. I'm just not much of a political cartoon kind of man. I find them irksome and like I'm being taunted in some way. I guess that's the point: to make me think and feel.

Anonymous said...

8:48, so well funded they are passing a hat begging for contributions.

Anonymous said...

Financialy, MT won’t be around for long. Glad to see Marshall making more money but it won’t last.

Anonymous said...

Do I understand that Jerry Mitchell has left the Ledger? Has he opted for a more liberal rag? My God! Where? His brand of racism doesn't sell anymore. At least 15 years ago we all stopped running scared when a liberal hollered 'RACIST!'

Anonymous said...

My political views are about 179 degrees opposed to Marshall's, but his cartoons are very effective at getting his point across.

Anonymous said...

Marshall Ramsey is the most narcissistic part-time employee in the history of Mississippi ... that lame news outlet should bring back Patsy Brumfield instead of overpaying for Dr. Death

Anonymous said...

The only thing left in the Clarion-Liar worth reading is the obituaries and they don’t always get them right.

Anonymous said...

Ron Higgins and the CL was never going to work. He is a pro. There is no room in that newsroom for a pro!

Anonymous said...

I know a Mississippi Today reporter. She said she gets paid more and works less. What's not to like about that? Hard to see anyone here turning down that sort of opportunity.

Anonymous said...

Higgins was by far the best reporter that the C-L has had in the last 40-50 years. I was shocked when he came there and not surprised at all when he left. I was not surprised that Ramsey and Jerry hung on as long as they could, doing little and being paid a lot.

Anonymous said...

December 14, 2018 at 9:01 PM
So, his cartoons make you "feel" like you're being "taunted". Exactly what useful purpose did that cartoon serve? To solidify in your mind that you're inferior? What a maroon.

Anonymous said...

Funny to see an anonymous poster on a blog telling everybody what is relevant and not relevant while Marshall continues to get national recognition. Hmmmm

Anonymous said...

Marshall is no different from any other “journalist” whatever that means in the modern era. He is trying to make as much money as possible. That means chasing the stories that are most interesting regardless of the underlying facts. Reporters/Journalists of today say, “Tell me a good story that I can report regardless of what the facts are.” Marshall is no different. He is not corrupt for doing this, but he is also not some great searcher of the truth. He is just another business man conning his customers to make money.

Anonymous said...

Marshall’s talent is only exceeded by his ego.

Anonymous said...

If you think Ramsey is far-left you probably wear white hoods.

Anonymous said...

@9:24, do you know Marshall?

Anonymous said...

They are political cartoons.

People and policies of both parties have been targets over time.

We you don't agree, you take it personally? Really?

So one of you met him and know all there is to know from one meeting?

Catty people making much ado about nothing.



A lot of catty people making much ado about nothing.

Anonymous said...

Marshall’s No Longer Here, He is Waiting for a Bush to Die at Mississippi Today.

Anonymous said...

What the hell is 'Mississippi Today'?

Ophelia said...

Well, there’s still fat boy Robert St. John, who probably writes his self-serving, repetitive stuff without pay,and gladly: free advertising for his books and restaurants. I don’t know why they don’t get rid of him, except then they’d have to pay someone to fill that space.

Anonymous said...

Really, really enjoyed the very short time Ron Higgins was with CL. Didn't know who he was before, but will continue to follow on twitter to hopefully read any future columns. I always enjoy Marshall Ramsey's cartoon and columns but don't always share his opinion - and that is okay. Everyone doesn't have to think the way I do for me to appreciate the work or opinion. Political cartoons are still run on the editorial page. I think I remember opinions are welcome there.

Anonymous said...

All of these snarky comments! Ridiculous! I wonder how Marshall and Mr. Mitchell will exist without your critique and insults. This all sounds like sour grapes of jealousy to me. Would love to see you snarky commentators try to do Marshall's and Mr. Mitchell's past C.L. jobs; and put up with all of this smart-a$$ griping, insulting, and holier-than-thou comments about your abilities. You naggers probably would be fired within 2 weeks. Who cares what political leanings that they have. Marshall's commentary and cartoons were on the OPINION page....thus the opinions. True, the opinion page is full of differing opinions. =-0 Such is the life of a newspaper opinion page. Sheesh!

Anonymous said...

The real sad thing is that the Clarion Ledger's best reporter, Anna Wolfe, and now Mr. Ramsey, who was another bright spot, will now be working for an organization that is unknown to most Mississippians. The CL's flaws are legion, but they were doing good work and a lot of people were actually seeing that work. MS Today is mostly read by the rich folks propping it up.

Anonymous said...

Could do without his liberal agenda. Wish he we keep it at the collapsing CL



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