Kal [Cartoonist]

By: Editor | December 15, 2011 | Lifestyle

As a Harvard graduate with honors, Kevin Kallaugher is known to the world as “KAL, The Economist” the editorial cartoonist for The Economist magazine of London. After drawing caricatures of tourists in Trafalgar Square and on Brighton Pier in March 1978, The Economist recruited him to become its first resident cartoonist in its 145-year history. Over the next 10 years, Kallaugher had a literal masterpiece of a career working for such publications as The Observer, The Sunday Telegraph, Today and The Mail on Sunday. Apart from his witty sense of humor and a keen taste for politics, KAL’s work has not only appeared in more than 100 publications worldwide, but he’s received many awards including the 2005 Nast Prize (presented by the town of Landau, Germany), the Gillray Goblet for cartoon of the year in 2004 and several Thomas Nast Awards to mention a few. As Kallaugher’s career progressed, he even completed some small animation projects that made their way onto ABC’s Nightline and CNN’s Lou Dobbs newscast, as well as an award-winning television commercial.

Describe your personality in 10 words or less.
Independent, sociable, curious, creative, playful, quite loud and a little quirky.

If you were reincarnated, who or what would you like to come back as?
A blues musician.

Name your favorite …
Contemporary musician: French guitarist Pierre Bensusan
Comfort food: steak
Wild animal: rhinoceros
Instrument: saxophone
Founding Father: Ben Franklin. Among his many accomplishments, he was also a cartoonist.

What do you consider your greatest professional accomplishment?
Performing with The Second City improv comedy troupe in a show sponsored by The Economist called The Art of Satire. We ended our six-city tour to packed houses in the Lexington Ballroom, Times Square in New York on the Saturday prior to Election Day 2008. Great fun!

What are you pissed about right now?
1.The escalating polarization of political thinking in the U.S.
2.The “climate change is junk science” crowd.
3.The firing of cartoonists by shortsighted cash-strapped newspapers.

What tunes would be on the five-song playlist to your life?
1. “Born to Run” (Bruce Springsteen): a high-octane anthem to hope and possibility.
2. “Take it Easy” (The Eagles): embodies the spirit of youthful good times.
3. “Tightrope” (Stefan Grossman): an energetic instrumental I listen to while trying meet deadlines.
4. “Here’s a Health to the Company” (The Chieftains): a toast to and celebration of loved ones.
5. “Fanfare for the Common Man” (Aaron Copland): an expansive tribute to the good and great in all of us.

What is your greatest fear?
Losing my wife and children.

Who is the most interesting person you have ever met (and why)?
My art teacher at Harvard, Albert Alcalay. He witnessed the dark side of humanity at a concentration camp during World War II. Despite this, he managed to find the beauty in life through his vibrant paintings, ready smile and generous spirit.

Name three things you cannot live without.
Family, freedom and fly-fishing.

You get one wish …
Let no one go to bed hungry for food or love.

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