Political Cartoonist George Fisher Dies At Age 80

Political cartoonist George Fisher, who criticized Arkansas political figures for decades but consistently won their respect, has died. He was 80. Fisher`s partner of 14 years, Judi Woods, said this morning she found Fisher dead at his home late yesterday afternoon after not being able to reach him on the phone. Fisher`s signature cartoon was the outline of the profile of Governor Orval Faubus within the branches of a farkleberry tree, which he penned after Faubus claimed he stopped workers from cutting down a giant farkleberry. Fisher was born in 1923 just outside Searcy. Arrangements are pending, but Woods says Fisher will be buried in Beebe. Fisher was still hard at work until the end of his life. Woods said Fisher met his Monday deadline for a cartoon for the Arkansas Times and had completed a cartoon for Christmas Day, but had not written the caption. In Woods words, "All these politicians that he took shots at loved him," Woods said. "He never got personal, he kept it professional." ------ In an interview for an oral history of the Arkansas Gazette newspaper, Fisher said he`d been drawing since his early youth and was inspired by his father. Fisher said he started a school newspaper while in the eighth grade, the Beebe Grammar School News, where he published cartoons. He kept drawing into the 21st century. In addition working for the Arkansas Gazette and the Arkansas Times, Fisher got his start at North Little Rock Times.