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Angus McEachran 03-08-18
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Rest in Peace Angus McEachran 1939-2018
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ANGUS McEAHRAN
1939-2018
I was saddened to hear of Angus McEachran's passing in Memphis on Monday. Angus was only 78 years old. Much too young.
I wrote of his passing earlier:
"He was my boss at the Commercial Appeal for only five years but he was my friend for a lifetime. Angus had a penchant for pushing you to rise to your potential. He could be tough, very tough. He was a formidable editor who demanded quality but a fair man who expected results, and a charitable man who asked for nothing in return for his generosity."
"I remember a few times Angus and I yelled at each other during editorial meetings until he ultimately kicked me out. He made me substantiate my point of view in those meetings and that practice made me a better editorial cartoonist. Angus was fair and he would listen to a good argument. I lost the argument on the editorial page that day but he let me express my point of view in the editorial cartoon. He gave me the freedom to do my job, and that gave me the impetus to do it well. It is the quality of a good editor, secure in their beliefs but open minded enough to allow a contrary point of view to adorn their editorial page."
"Underneath his tough exterior was a shrewd, perspicacious sense of humor and a heart of gold. The Pulitzer I won in 1994 is a tribute to a great editor and a great friend."
It reminded me of another story with Angus. Angus and I shared the same sardonic and mischievous sense of humor. As many of you know, I won my first Pulitzer at the Memphis Commercial Appeal. Angus was President and Editor at the time. It was the most protested Pulitzer ever because of a cartoon I had done on HIV testing.
We arrived in a limo together only to be surrounded by a big crowd and huge picket lines, and they were picketing ME. They rushed the limo. It was a wild crowd with people with brightly colored mohawks and adorned in pink tutus and bright costumes. I told Angus that this was going to be fun and stepped out to confront them, but before I could say a word, they handed me a flyer protesting myself.
They had no idea what I looked like.
Angus, being Angus, grabbed the flyer out of my hand and boldly and loudly proclaimed, "I know this guy. He's an A**HOLE!"
Everyone cheered and we all laughed. I then joined the picket line in my suit with my best friends, Chip Saltsman (Mike Huckabee's presidential campaign manager) and Paul Shanklin (of the Rush Limbaugh show) and we picketed... me.
I may be the only Pulitzer winner who has protested himself, thanks to Angus. We had so much fun.
I spent hours arguing politics and telling jokes in his office. I will miss him. As a colleague of mine said, He one of the last of the great newspapermen." He was one of us. The same can't be said about a lot of editors, newspapermen and the state of journalism today.
I drew a cartoon for him when he retired and it was a spoof of the movie "BRAVE HEART." I changed it to "OLD FART" and we both laughed. He was everything you would expect from a newspaperman, hard charging, in search of the truth, honest, and hilarious. He was bigger than life and deserved the moniker of BRAVE HEART. I submit this new cartoon for my old friend.
I will miss him.
Angus McEachran, rest in peace, my friend.
1939-2018
I was saddened to hear of Angus McEachran's passing in Memphis on Monday. Angus was only 78 years old. Much too young.
I wrote of his passing earlier:
"He was my boss at the Commercial Appeal for only five years but he was my friend for a lifetime. Angus had a penchant for pushing you to rise to your potential. He could be tough, very tough. He was a formidable editor who demanded quality but a fair man who expected results, and a charitable man who asked for nothing in return for his generosity."
"I remember a few times Angus and I yelled at each other during editorial meetings until he ultimately kicked me out. He made me substantiate my point of view in those meetings and that practice made me a better editorial cartoonist. Angus was fair and he would listen to a good argument. I lost the argument on the editorial page that day but he let me express my point of view in the editorial cartoon. He gave me the freedom to do my job, and that gave me the impetus to do it well. It is the quality of a good editor, secure in their beliefs but open minded enough to allow a contrary point of view to adorn their editorial page."
"Underneath his tough exterior was a shrewd, perspicacious sense of humor and a heart of gold. The Pulitzer I won in 1994 is a tribute to a great editor and a great friend."
It reminded me of another story with Angus. Angus and I shared the same sardonic and mischievous sense of humor. As many of you know, I won my first Pulitzer at the Memphis Commercial Appeal. Angus was President and Editor at the time. It was the most protested Pulitzer ever because of a cartoon I had done on HIV testing.
We arrived in a limo together only to be surrounded by a big crowd and huge picket lines, and they were picketing ME. They rushed the limo. It was a wild crowd with people with brightly colored mohawks and adorned in pink tutus and bright costumes. I told Angus that this was going to be fun and stepped out to confront them, but before I could say a word, they handed me a flyer protesting myself.
They had no idea what I looked like.
Angus, being Angus, grabbed the flyer out of my hand and boldly and loudly proclaimed, "I know this guy. He's an A**HOLE!"
Everyone cheered and we all laughed. I then joined the picket line in my suit with my best friends, Chip Saltsman (Mike Huckabee's presidential campaign manager) and Paul Shanklin (of the Rush Limbaugh show) and we picketed... me.
I may be the only Pulitzer winner who has protested himself, thanks to Angus. We had so much fun.
I spent hours arguing politics and telling jokes in his office. I will miss him. As a colleague of mine said, He one of the last of the great newspapermen." He was one of us. The same can't be said about a lot of editors, newspapermen and the state of journalism today.
I drew a cartoon for him when he retired and it was a spoof of the movie "BRAVE HEART." I changed it to "OLD FART" and we both laughed. He was everything you would expect from a newspaperman, hard charging, in search of the truth, honest, and hilarious. He was bigger than life and deserved the moniker of BRAVE HEART. I submit this new cartoon for my old friend.
I will miss him.
Angus McEachran, rest in peace, my friend.
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