About Jack Ohman

At 19, Jack Ohman was the youngest syndicated editorial cartoonist in the United States, ever. Now he is one of America’s syndicated middle-aged editorial cartoonists.

Born in St. Paul, Minnesota, on September 1, 1960, Jack grew up all over the United States, but settled in Minnesota in 1972. While in high school, Jack worked in several political campaigns, shook Hubert Humphrey’s and Walter Mondale’s hands on numerous occasions, and more. Jack was captain of his high school tv quiz bowl team (he is inordinately proud of coming in third out of 32 teams), and graduated in 1978. He had lots of clothes that reflected the era well.

In 1978, he went to the University of Minnesota and began drawing cartoons for the Minnesota Daily. He was syndicated by what is now Tribune Media Services while in college, completed 38 transferable credits, and went to work for The Columbus Dispatch. He is widely considered to be “nice,” being from Minnesota. Still he hasn’t capitalized on that either, like Garrison Keillor had the foresight to do.

In 1981, Jack took over Jeff MacNelly’s client list when Jeff quit editorial cartooning for nine months. This earned him the enmity of many other syndicated cartoonists who acted like they had never had anything handed to them before. Newsweek called him “Cartooning’s Newest Star,“ and the other cartoonists didn’t like that very much, either. Sigh. He managed to overcome this early career disaster and is now one of the nation’s most widely-read cartoonists. His work appears in over 300 newspapers.

In 1982, Jack moved to the Detroit Free Press, where he lived in a Grosse Pointe townhouse with six bedrooms. Another mistake. He then went to The Oregonian in 1983, which he doesn’t regret in the least bit. Jack does four national and two local editorial cartoons per week, causing his thumb to throb by Friday. Still, he bravely soldiers on.

Jack created and drew the comic strip Mixed Media from 1994 to 1999. He then passed it on to Scott Willis, and it continued in syndication until 2007. Mixed Media was syndicated to 170 newspapers by Tribune Media Services. Since it didn't have any dogs or round-headed children, it wasn't as successful as it could have been. If you would like to buy Media Mania, the Mixed Media collection, or even a Mixed Media original, visit the Store.

Jack is the author of eight books, and a ninth book is forthcoming, with a bit of luck. Jack is also an avid fly fisherman. People always use the word “avid” to describe fly fishermen. Jack wrote three fishing humor books, and a fourth is being penned as we speak. Jack is a widely sought-after speaker in the Pacific Northwest, which is kind of like saying he’s one of the top cellists in Iowa. He wouldn’t live anywhere else, except for money.

In 1999, Jack finally got a degree in U.S. History at Portland State University’s Honors College. He was on the Portland State University Alumni Board. He is an adjunct professor in the Mark O. Hatfield School of Government, and he will eventually get around to actually teaching the class he designed.

Jack does many charitable works and deeds, none of which he remembers to declare on his taxes. His yard is pretty nice now.