Drawn to Greatness Star cartoonists named among nation's best By Kevin Wendt
Northern Star Editor in Chief
Most people who hear voices in their heads tend to be looked upon as a little shaky.
But for Northern Star editorial cartoonist Todd Michaels, the voice in his head led him to a first-place finish Nov. 7 at the National College Media Convention in Kansas City, Mo.
Michaels was tops for editorial cartoons, while another Star cartoonist, Aaron Johnson, placed third for best stand-alone cartoon.
"I try to do local issues by reading the Star, and then I look through something like the Chicago Tribune for national news," said Michaels, a graduate student pursuing a computer science degree. "Then I read the story, and sometimes a voice starts talking in my head -- a smart-allecky type of voice that makes a comment, and I usually end up writing about it."
"I try to take an issue and make it funny but also make people think," Michaels said.
Johnson, a junior visual communications major, feels proud to be recognized for fulfilling his goal.
"I feel happy because it means I must have made at least one person laugh," he said.