Knoxville is lucky Charlie's cartoons were 'unacceptable' | Sam Venable

Charlie Daniel is a dear friend, personally and professionally. For nearly 50 years, I had the privilege of working alongside him at two Knoxville newspapers, the Journal and News Sentinel. Every writer should be so lucky to share ideas, laughs (and best of all, hate mail) with this quick-witted penman.

I’m not alone in admiration. There’s no telling how many thousands of Charlie’s autographed and framed cartoons adorn walls all over this nation. They hang in offices of the U.S. House and Senate in Washington, D.C., the Tennessee House and Senate in Nashville, corporate boardrooms, restaurants, churches, schools — even a couple in the humble abode of the guy typing these words.

It is fitting that his talents will be honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award during the East Tennessee Writers Hall of Fame ceremonies Friday, March 24, at The Foundry.

This is merely the latest of Charlie’s honors. In 2005, he was named Conservation Communicator of the Year by the Tennessee Wildlife Federation. In 2014, his lifetime’s work was recognized by the National Cartoonists Society. In 2016, he won the Golden Press Card from the Society of Professional Journalists. In 2018, he was inducted into the Tennessee Journalism Hall of Fame. In 2019, he was a recipient of the Governor’s Arts Award. Four books of his best work have been published.

But Charlie’s career didn’t start so rosily. After graduating from the University of North Carolina, he queried 40 editors. Only one took notice: Guy Lincoln Smith of the Knoxville Journal.

Smith hired Charlie in 1958, and K-town has reaped the benefits ever since. When the Journal ceased daily publication in 1991, Charlie was hired by the News-Sentinel. He remained there until retiring — at age 89! — in 2019.

Charlie kept his rejections from newspapers and magazines and made the mistake of sharing them with me several years ago. Naturally, I made copies on the sly for roasting him on a perfect occasion like this.

From Look magazine: “Thank you for letting us see these cartoons which we regret are unacceptable.”

Charlotte Observer: “We are not in the market for a cartoonist.”

Saturday Evening Post: “(Your work) is not quite suited to our needs.”

Sports Illustrated: “We are unable to use your cartoons and are returning them to you.”

Better Homes and Gardens: “The cartoons enclosed didn’t quite hit the bull’s-eye.”

Daytona Beach News-Journal: “We do not employ a cartoonist.”

Winston-Salem Journal: “We will be glad to consider you for staff artist, if we ever create that position.”

Roanoke Times-World: “Hope you get discovered.”

Thank heavens, he did.

Sam Venable’s column appears every Sunday. Contact him at sam.venable@outlook.com.

This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Sam Venable: Knox is lucky Charlie's cartoons were 'unacceptable'