Paul Kolsti (1953 - 2003) One of America's most recognizable editorial artists On December 8, after three years of battle with a vicious disease, Paul Kolsti, one of the nation's most recognizable editorial illustrators, died at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City. He was barely 50. As soon as my good fortune brought me together with him in the late 80s, I sensed the radiation of an extraordinary human being. As it later turned out, only his modesty was bigger than his talent. He had a remarkable ability to distill complex political arguments into graphic pen-and-ink drawings, but few people would even suspect that his illustrations and cartoons appeared in more than 100 newspapers worldwide. Early in his career, he won the prestigious Charles M. Schultz Award, named after the creator of "Peanuts," as the nation's best new cartoonist. He regarded this as one of the highlights of his career. By the time his illness forced him to retire from the Parsippany, New Jersey, based Daily Record, he had won the top illustration awards from press associations in three states. Born June 22, 1953, in Hinsdale, Ill., Paul Arthur Kolsti attended public schools in Indianapolis and in Topeka, Kansas. He graduated from Kansas State University, where he majored in fine arts, in 1976. A night job, hosing meat off cutting machines was followed by work as a paste-up artist with a newspaper in Overland Park. In the late 1970s he joined the Kansas City Morning Sun, where he was a photo-retoucher before joining the Dallas Morning News editorial department as an illustrator and cartoonist. It was in Dallas, where he worked for more than a decade, that Kolsti gained national acclaim for his editorial and op-ed illustrations. He attacked difficult and complex national and international issues with powerful, simple images in his own pen-and-ink style. Kolsti turned his wit on everything from political pork to the fate of America's farmers, from health care to household pets and their growing importance in everyday life. Many of Kolsti's drawings are quite funny; others are poetic in their simplicity. "He was a great guy who was really devoted to his job," said Brenda Flatt, a Dallas Morning News editorial assistant who worked with Kolsti. "I think he did some of his best work while he was here." While in Texas, he won four Katie Awards from the Press Club of Dallas. Kolsti's work ultimately appeared in over 100 newspapers in the United States, including The New York Times, The Washington Post and the Philadelphia Inquirer. It also appeared in papers worldwide, including Le Soir in Belgium, Il Nuevo Dia in Puerto Rico, the New Zealand Herald and the Hong Kong Standard. He excelled in things other than art: He was a winner of Michigan's state chess championship, earned his 4th degree black belt in tae kwan do, and did crossword puzzles quickly - the harder the better - and in ink. Paul and I had a great time beating up on each other on the chess board whenever we had a chance. The last time just days before his health turned to the worse. I feel extraordinarily privileged to have had that opportunity. Finally I should mention something he pioneered and which, after his illness prevented him from nurturing it anymore, he generously passed on to me. He believed that WittyWorld would be the perfect place for carrying and further developing what he started well over a decade ago. In 1989 he established Texas International Features; a syndication service of op-ed illustrations. He spent the next six years running the syndicate, freelancing and producing illustrations for major newspapers and magazines. In the early 1990s he changed the name to Pen Tip International. It was then when we first cooperated on promoting and selling international art and cartoons. In 2002 the service became part of WittyWorld. His body of work is still the largest among our offerings and there is much more that we are yet to add. His delightfully clever and remarkably crafted art will undoubtedly keep touching readers across the globe. And so will his spirit. Joe Szabo with contribution from the Daily Record