Renowned Cartoonist Michael de Adder Dismissed from The Chronicle Herald

Michael de Adder, a well-known editorial cartoonist, has parted ways with The Chronicle Herald, a historic newspaper in Halifax, after a tenure lasting three decades. De Adder made this announcement on social media, where the news was met with widespread surprise and disappointment.

In a statement posted online, de Adder reflected on the changing landscape of the newspaper industry, noting the decline in independent voices as many publications struggle to adapt. “I saw this coming. These days the better you are as a cartoonist, the more you are kind of a threat,” he remarked.

Most recently, de Adder faced criticism for a cartoon involving Black political candidate Darryl Johnson, who claimed it featured racist imagery. The two later discussed the incident on CBC Radio‘s Information Morning Nova Scotia. De Adder believes that the backlash from this cartoon did not influence his dismissal, stating he received no communication from the paper during the controversy, suggesting that the decision had been made previously.

The Chronicle Herald, established nearly 200 years ago, was acquired by Postmedia. This change comes as media outlets face financial challenges. In a statement, Postmedia refrained from commenting on what they described as “internal personnel matters.” However, they confirmed Bruce MacKinnon will continue contributing cartoons to the publication.

De Adder, whose career began with a comic strip called Walterworld, has faced job losses before, often due to the political stance in his cartoons. His work has appeared in prominent publications, including The Washington Post and Toronto Star. Despite the setback, de Adder remains optimistic, vowing to continue his work through his Substack page and maintaining his current contracts with The Globe and Mail and The Hill Times.

Terry Mosher, a veteran cartoonist, criticized The Chronicle Herald’s decision, labeling it “really, really stupid” and emphasized the importance of satirical voices in media. De Adder expressed resilience, saying, “I’m not going anywhere. I will continue to do this until I die, I suppose.”