Sad news to report. Talented cartoonist Mike Ritter, the art director for GA Voice in Atlanta and a former Cagle.com contributor, died suddenly on Sunday after emergency open heart surgery. He was just 48.

After attending college at Arizona State, Mike was hired as the editorial cartoonist for the Arizona Tribune in 1992, where he stayed for 13 years before leaving in 2005. His cartoons were syndicated by King Features, and he won a slew of awards, including the Thomson newspaper chain’s highest award for illustration and a Freedom of Information Award from the Arizona Newspaper Association.

Here’s Mike (right) at the 2004 AAEC Convention. To the left is a smiling Gary Trudeau, the creator of Doonesbury. (Photo courtesy Brian Fairrington)

Most notably was that Mike was an openly gay staff cartoonist at a mainstream daily newspaper in a harshly conservative state. According to former Editor & Publisher reporter Dave Astor, Mike was a former registered Republican, but as time went on his views became more and more libertarian.

Clay Jones, who draws cartoons for the Free Lace-Star, was the first cartoonist Mike told he was gay. Mike wanted Clay to help out him, but Clay refused, only to go on to accidentally out him later in a funny anecdote which includes Pulitzer Prize-winning cartoonist Michael Ramirez:

“I was visiting Los Angeles and I was in the offices of The Los Angeles Times visiting Michael Ramirez.  We were in the midst of a conversation when Mike Ritter’s name came up and somewhere in there I related how Ritter wanted me to out him (I assumed by this point everyone knew).  This was several months after Mike had confided in me (don’t know if “confided” is the right word since he wanted to be out, but didn’t want to do it himself).  Ramirez was in shock and immediately picked up his phone and called Ritter.  I’m screaming no but Ramirez gets on the phone and asks Ritter, “are you gay?  Clay just told me this.”  Ritter laughed and said yes and then the three of us, on a speaker phone had a 20 minute conversation.”

After Mike left the Tribune he fell off the radar, stopped coming to AAEC events and relocated to Georgia, where he would eventually become the art director for the LGBT newspaper GA Voice. He didn’t stop drawing cartoons – here are some of his best from his time at the GAVoice:

“Mike was a dear friend, a great person. He made me laugh. He made me think. He made me a better person and a better editor. He had an encyclopedic knowledge of old music and old movies. A true Renaissance man,” said Dyana Bagby, GA Voice editor. “He kept his great sense of humor until the very end even though he was in pain and uncomfortable. We at the GA Voice are heartbroken.”

Many friends and former colleagues have taken to Facebook and other channels to talk about the impact of Mike’s work:

“He was such an inspiration for me when I started out. And he was extraordinarily kind to me at my very first convention in Lexington. He will be missed.” – Adam Zyglis, Buffalo News

“I don’t think I’ve laughed harder than the year we were in Lexington, when Mike was president of the AAEC. Marshall Ramsey also put in an ultra-rare appearance that convention, and between the two of them in the hospitality suite on the last night, I had trouble breathing.” – JP Trostle, Indy Week

“What a horrible loss. I only really knew him through his work, which was awe-inspiring.” – Rick McKee, Augusta Chronicle

“I’ll forever remember helping a very happily soused Mike (singing show toons) make our way back to the hotel in Chattanooga. The guy was always in perpetual party mode and a super talent.” – Jeff Parker, Dustin

Doug Patton, a beloved columnist who Cagle Cartoons has been proud to syndicate since 2012, passed away on February 27, 2014 in his home in Bellevue, Neb. What follows is an obituary for a voice that will surely be missed by readers nationwide:

Doug Patton

Douglas K. Patton was born on January 18, 1948 in Red Oak, Iowa, the oldest of four children born to Donald and Donna Patton. During childhood, his father worked for several small town newspapers, so Doug spent his formative years living in various Iowa locales. In 1966, he graduated from Abraham Lincoln (AL) High School in Council Bluffs. Doug’s college studies were interrupted by a four year stint in the Air Force. Ultimately, he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Bellevue University.

On July 2, 1969, Doug married Pamela Sharples, and their family expanded to include two sons. The Patton’s have lived in the Omaha/Bellevue area their entire married life. Doug passed away on February 27 in the Bellevue home where he and Pam have resided since 1981.

Doug is preceded in death by his parents. He is survived by his wife of almost forty-five years; his two sons—Chris and Gabe (Angie) all of Bellevue; five grandchildren—Reagan, Tyson, Syres, Ashiyaan, and Aaryan; two sisters, Debbie (Larry) Snyder of Audubon, IA , and Diane (Scott) Frick of Sioux City, IA; and a brother David (Linda) Patton of Jefferson City, MO; and a host of extended family members and friends.

For those of us who were fortunate to share his life, memories of Doug’s humorous pontificating on a variety of subjects will long be treasured, but his passion, and zest for life will be richly missed. Doug was a sentimentalist at heart, and he loved deeply. He routinely referred to his beloved Pam as the bride of his youth and his baby doll. And he delighted in his sons—often recounting to friends how proud he was of their accomplishments and abilities. Doug considered his five grandchildren a great blessing bestowed upon him and Pam by God. He cherished his siblings and extended family; often remarking of Pam’s inseparable relationship with her twin, Penny, that “I didn’t realize when I said I do, I was saying I do, I do.”

His resounding voice, and distinctive chuckle will forever resonate with those he leaves behind. Doug had a commanding presence and a great intellect. A prolific writer, Doug touched countless lives through his syndicated column. However, the right-of-center political observer was not a born conservative. Doug’s political transition was the result of his spiritual conversion to faith in Jesus Christ in 1975.

In an era of ad nauseam political correctness, Doug boldly proclaimed truth without apology. He wasn’t a perfect man, but he served a perfect Savior. Doug was not ashamed of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. As a writer, he knew that it’s man’s words, not God’s that need editing. Doug articulated his beliefs and insights succinctly and with great precision.

As a career, he worked in several political capacities, including serving as the Communications Director of Jon Christensen’s congressional campaign, campaign manager for Brad Kuiper’s congressional race, and serving as district liaison for Iowa Representative Stephen King’s first term. He was also the founding executive director for the Nebraska Christian Coalition during the mid 90s. Although he was retired at the time of his death, he wrote a weekly syndicated column which appeared in both the Cagle Post and GOPUSA. His column was carried by many online websites and newspapers around the country. He was a regular contributor to the Messianic Times which allowed him to interview people about their faith from around the world. Several years ago, Doug wrote and published a series of Christian children’s books, complete with over forty original songs.

Doug enjoyed reading the scriptures aloud to Pam every morning and then discussing the verses. His favorite passage was Matthew 11:28-30. “Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

Doug lived his life as he knew the Lord required: not perfectly, but humbly and without malice. He forgave those who wronged him and loved unconditionally. He knew what was right and what was wrong and in these things he would not be moved.

He lived like a warrior poet, and now he is free.