PN cartoonist Rich Williams retires after 35 years

Rich Williams has been a constant for Plastics News readers since our first issue published 35 years ago, on March 6, 1989.

But this issue marks his final cartoon. He decided recently to retire his ink and Mac — and his keen ability to find humor in plastics stories.

Starting April 8, we'll introduce a new cartoonist to our readers, Leo Michael. He already does editorial cartoons for several other Crain Communications Inc. brands, including Automotive News and Rubber News.

Rich is one of just five people who were part of PN in 1989 who are still in our staff box today. The others are correspondents Jeannie Reall and Stephen Downer and Crain board members Keith and Mary K. Crain.

To mark his retirement, I asked Rich some questions about his career and what he thinks of plastics after 35 years of cartoons.

Q: How did you end up in journalism doing editorial cartoons?

Williams: I've always drawn. A foot injury as a 3-year-old kept me chairbound one summer. Desperate to keep me occupied, my dad cut out a Masonite desktop, and Mom handed me some crayons. I sat outside and drew. The rest is history. I charged my third grade classmates a quarter to draw their portraits. By junior high, I was drawing satirical comic books, depicting my teachers as supervillains (even they were fans). I got hooked on current events and journalism in high school and ran a comic strip in the student paper.

I went to Ohio University to major in journalism, became the editorial cartoonist for The Post, the school's student-run newspaper, and soon realized it was my visual skill that I should focus on. I switched my major to graphic design and won honors for the top senior portfolio. Despite recognition for serious illustration, cartooning stuck as my first love.

I moved to Cleveland in 1975 to work at American Greetings doing alternative humor cards, then was granted a freelance contract. That allowed me to pursue other freelance outlets, including illustrations for The Plain Dealer. Either by luck, or just by loitering long enough in the hall by their art department, one of the paper's veteran illustrators steered me toward a startup publication in the works: Crain's Cleveland Business. I interviewed and landed their editorial cartoonist gig.

Q: What other work have you done over the years?

Williams: I drew eddy cartoons for Crain's Cleveland Business for about 43 years. Otherwise, mostly greeting cards for American Greetings and various other companies for about three and a half decades. I've done some graphic design and illustration over the years but found the skill that set me apart was the ability to interpret humor and lay down a visual narrative. I've been blessed to have had enough cartoon work to keep that up my entire career.

Q: What's been your favorite job?

Williams: The editorial cartoons, of course! They've sustained me for nearly 50 years. I enjoyed and appreciated the greeting card work — it played a major part in supporting my family — but I've always felt editorial commentary was the better fit and right vehicle for my work.

Q: How did you become the PN editorial cartoonist?

Williams: I owe it to Chris Chrisman, founding publisher of this publication, who knew me from his time at Crain's Cleveland Business and recruited me. I interviewed with former Editor Bob Grace, Promotions Manager Linda Whelan and Managing Editor Ron Shinn and have been on board since.

Q: What were your expectations at the beginning? Could you have imagined you'd do this for 35 years?

Williams: A few of my cartoonist buddies were baffled as to why I would want to take on such a dry, technical topic. I simply explained that if I could come up with gags about polyethylene terephthalate monomers with alternating C10H8O4 units, I could write gags about anything.

The support from the writers and editors was great from the start, and it quickly became an enjoyable challenge each week. Once settled in, I felt I could keep contributing as long as the position was available. I used to joke that I'd be doodling until my forehead hit the drawing table and that my editors would have to pry my pen "from my cold, dead hands." But life changes, a new one beckons me, and I've decided to let go while the fingers still bend.

Q: I've always been impressed with your ability to do funny, insightful and memorable cartoons for the topics we editorialize about. That can't be easy! How do you do it?

Williams: I honestly wish I knew. Starting out, sheer panic from a deadline drove me. After a while, it just became second nature. I was the youngest of three brothers, so I think a sense of humor helped me to survive. I know some of their warped humor rubbed off on me from an early age. I was also influenced by a collection of fairly bright, talented and hilarious friends throughout my life.

Q: With all your experience, do you feel like you have expertise on plastics issues?

Williams: I wouldn't call myself an expert, but I've read and learned much over the years. I'm always impressed with the knowledge of our writers and grateful for their work.

Q: Do you ever get into conversations about plastics with friends or family?

Williams: I do, especially when I hear the industry unfairly trashed. I argue for the many benefits of plastics over other materials and respect serious efforts to resolve its issues. I keep saying the material is relatively young and breakthroughs will surely continue. My wife thinks I'm obsessed with plastic products. A few misguided friends just think I'm nuts.

Q: Are there any topics that we cover that you like the most, or are the most inspiring for cartoons?

Williams: Recycling and sustainability cartoons are always a worthy topic. Recruiting and developing the next generation of leaders is also vital. It's a big challenge, affected by many social factors, and failure to do so holds broad implications for the future.

Q: Almost all daily newspapers used to have editorial cartoonists, but that's changing, unfortunately. I don't think it's because readers don't like cartoons; I think it's just cost-cutting. What are your thoughts on cartoons disappearing from editorial pages?

Williams: You're right, it's a sorry trend. When people turn to the editorial page, I think most would say the cartoon is the first thing that catches their eye. The visual image can be an instant and powerful means to capture and define an issue, as well as pique the reader's interest to learn more about it. One columnist credited editorial cartoons as the reason he would pick up a newspaper as a kid, which led to his interest in current events and eventually his decision to become a journalist. It is a real credit to PN that they are continuing to provide this feature for its readers when so many other publications are not.

Q: With technology, your job changed a lot. Can you describe how it's changed from your perspective?

Williams: We all can relate. The fax machine changed my life. Email and the world wide web changed it again, and Photoshop yet a third time. My earliest freelance days of physically delivering drawings are gone. Visual reference for landmarks, people, etc., no longer require searches at the library. The frequent runs to the art supply store are gone, all thanks to the internet and digital art.

I resisted digital art at first because I worried it would alter my style or give it a manufactured look. But I still physically render my line art on paper, which keeps it human. I never found a digital stylus and tablet that could duplicate my brush stroke, or not lag behind the speed of my hand. But once I've inked my drawings by hand, I scan them on to my Mac and add the color digitally, now and forevermore.

Digital art applications are just tools like any other, another bow in the quiver. The fear has always been that old master skills will be lost. But I think there will always be a desire within people to keep those natural skills alive. The need for self-expression is a force that will not fade.

Do I worry about AI cartoons? Do we really want wise-guy robots giving us their two cents? Hopefully I'll be pushing daisies by the time HAL is doodling anything that consistently makes sense. But seriously, the day we rely on machines to elicit laughs is the day we lose our humanity.

Q: I don't think you've ever missed a deadline, and only very rarely have you taken a week off and required us to get you a cartoon topic well in advance. How did you manage to be so dependable?

Williams: You're too kind. Good parenting, I guess.

Q: I think a lot of readers have favorite Rich Williams cartoons. What are some of your favorites?

Williams: Out of about 1,400 to 1,500 or so? If I have any faves, they're probably the ones I received the most feedback on.

Q: Why are you retiring now? What are your plans for retirement?

Williams: A good question. I really enjoy doing the cartoons and could keep going … but we're all living on borrowed time, and I have so many other things to do, places to see, projects to finish, a family to torment, putts to sink. The time is right.

Q: Do you think you'll miss doing editorial cartoons?

Williams: I know I'll miss it. But I also know it can't last forever, and it's better to let go now while I can still work on other passions. I have to thank everyone on the staff, past and present, and this publication's readers, for my years here. It's been a fun run and a great gig. I've enjoyed every minute of it.

Q: You know Leo Michael, our new cartoonist. What should our readers expect from Leo?

Williams: I couldn't be happier that Leo is the one taking over the reins — I know he will fit right in, and I'm sure the readers will quickly take to him. Your weekly cartoon is in great hands.