After decades of newspaper cartooning, Nelson Dewey has finally received Ma Murray’s recognition.

Dewey won the best cartoonist award Saturday at the annual Ma Murray Awards, presented by the B.C. and Yukon Community Newspapers Association in Vancouver.

Dewey told the crowd he began hawking his cartoons in 1968 by sending them out to newspapers across the province.

"I'm probably the only one here who has a handwritten rejection letter from Ma Murray," he said, referring to the legendary B.C. newspaper publisher after whom the awards are named.

Freelance cartoonist Wendy Brown was recognized for her efforts with a silver award. Her cartoon tied together the evacuation of Canadians from Lebanon with the stranding of BC Ferries passengers when a ferry left the terminal half-full. The judge, who loved the tying of two news stories together said, "The drawing is great, perfect lettering space, very loose. A great cartoon."

Labels: awards, British Columbia, events, political cartooning, Vancouver