‘Ding’ cartoon of the month
Jay Norwood “Ding” Darling created more than 15,000 editorial cartoons and won two Pulitzer Prizes during his half-century of commentary for the Des Moines Register and nationwide syndication. His conservation-focused works brought him fame that eventually saw him appointed head of the predecessor to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Darling’s themes, however, covered a vast field of political topics, often controversial and prophetic. War and patriotism frequently surfaced, as in this 1942 piece titled “Memories Our Richest Heritage,” in honor of Memorial Day and the Americans who sacrificed their lives to ensure American freedom and democracy. The “Ding” Darling Wildlife Society-Friends of the Refuge owns the copyright of the “Ding” Darling cartoons.