[3] Only two comic strips have been awarded the prize: Doonesbury by Garry Trudeau in 1976 and Bloom County by Berkeley Breathed in 1987.
[4][5] In 2021, with Ruben Bolling, Marty Two Bulls Sr, and Lalo Alcaraz the finalists, no winner was selected, which drew controversy.
"[10] They wrote: "'Editorial cartoons are quick, in-the-moment commentary, whose artists have to educate themselves on complex issues and craft well-informed opinions in a single take that emphasizes clarity under daily deadlines.
Illustrated reporting, or comics journalism, takes days, weeks, or months to craft a story, which can run for pages, and which may or may not be presenting an opinion.
[3] This book chronologically states the awards, displays the artwork, and then describes the cartoon: