Ariail take on Tenenbaum makes RT-D

Robert Ariail, the political cartoonist who became legendary during his time at The State, was a Pulitzer Prize finalist twice. He won a bevy of awards. But, when the paper acted like a pro sports team offloading talent to clear up salary cap space, he had to set out on his own.

Recently, WIS wrote this: “Inez Tenenbaum went from South Carolina to Washington to help keep our nation’s products safe. Her new job took her in Asia this week and that landed her in the comics section of a Richmond newspaper.”

We don’t have the print edition of the Richmond Times-Dispatch laying in front of us, but we’re pretty sure that illustration was on the editorial page(s), not slipped in next to Get Fuzzy. We haven’t had the top of respect for TV reporters, mostly over things like in WIS’ story on the cartoon, it fails to mention that Ariail was the cartoonist or anything about him. The entire missive could be shrunk to a tweet, “Cartoon about Inez in Va. paper. Cute! twitpic.com/g1a2h3″

So the fact that it was drawn by a hometown guy who happens to be among the best in his profession isn’t newsworthy? OK.