and rick mcgee has been the editorial cartoonist for the augusta chronicle since 1998 although he did start in atlanta journal constitution in a capacity years before. his cartoons are syndicated to 400 newspapers across america. he's won numerous awards for his cartoons including first place of cartooning and the georgia press association's better newspaper contest. so what we're going to do is ask a bunch of questions. i'll start off with a couple. and then please formulate your own and we'll pick the brains of people who are able to look at world events and distill them to simple pictures and make us laugh or have an epiphany or think deep thoughts. >> i wanted to -- i want to know, rick didn't get a microphone. he deserves one. >> he does. >> there's one. >> right here. >> okay. all right. >> he gets a little one there. >> okay, well, there's an extra. sorry. okay. >> first off, you're talking to the press club which has endured a bitter few years. and i'm wondering if you could all come in about the current state of editorial -- editorial cartooning is. has it paralleled that of

rick mcgee has been the editorial cartoonist for the atlanta -- for the augusta chronicles since 1998. although he did start at the "atlanta journal constitution" in another capacity years before. his cartoons are syndicated to more than 400 newspapers across america. rick has won numerous awards for his cartoons, including first place for editorial cartooning, and the georgia press association's better newspaper contest. what we are going to do is ask a bunch of questions. i'll start off with a couple. then please formulate your own. and we'll pick the brains of people who are able to look at world events and distill them to simple pictures and make us laugh or have an epiphany or think deep thoughts. >> i want to know, rick didn't get a microphone. i think he deserves one. > he does. >> first off you are talking to the press club which has endured a bitter few years, and i'm wondering if you could all comment about what the current state of editorial cartooning is. has it paralleled that of newspapering? or has it been spared? >> i'll start with that one. i think the cartoonist mayb