As announced in March 2023, Tillie Walden was named Vermont’s fifth winning cartoonist. A professor at the Center for Cartoon Studies (CCS) in Vermont and the cartoonist behind the graphic novels Spinning, On a ray of sunshine, Clementine: Volume 1And Are you Listengraphic novels I like this part And A city withinthe collection alone in spaceas well as additional work.
“I couldn’t be more honored to be Vermont’s fifth winning cartoonist,” Walden said in a press release from publisher Avery Hill. “I have big shoes to fill after all the amazing cartoonists who have held this position. I look forward to spreading the word around our great little state about the power of comics.
Walden has already received a myriad of accolades. At 22, she received the 2018 Eisner Award for Best Reality-Based Work. Other honors include the Ignatz Award, the Broken Frontier Award, and the LA Times Book Award.
Vermont Cartoonist Winner
Vermont launched its Cartoonist Laureate program, sponsored by the Vermont Arts Council, in 2011. It is the only state that regularly nominates a cartoonist laureate. Previous cartoonists to hold the position include James Kochalka, Ed Koren, Alison BechdelAnd Rick Veitch.
On the CCS website, U.S. Representative from Vermont, Becca Balint, is quoted:
“I’m so happy that Tillie Walden is the next Vermont cartoon winner. She creates richly imagined worlds that take readers on emotional and fantastical journeys and remind us all of the importance of having a deep sense of self. Congratulations on this special achievement and thank you for being part of a unique tradition that sets Vermont apart.
According to the cover of boston globeWalden was crowned in a ceremony in April 2023. She will serve a three-year term as the winner.
Have you had the opportunity to discover Walden’s comics? What’s your favorite (so far)? Would you like your state to have an award-winning cartoonist program?
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