Emboldened by their 2012 Excellence in Journalism Award from the Milwaukee Press Club, the words-and-pictures duo Jon Lyons and Alan Talaga have done it again: political/social commentary in graphic form.
For that Best Illustration or Cartoon award they imagined "The Twelve Signs of the Madison Apocalypse." This time they've anticipated the oft-speculated Scott Walker presidential run. I won't comment on the prospect, since that's what Lyons and Talaga do. I can only wonder at how plausible their scenario could turn out to be.
Turning toward more immediate matters of transition, we wish to say goodbye and good luck to departing digital director Jason Joyce, who has accepted the position of news editor at The Capital Times. His last day at Isthmus is July 12. He is assuming the position previously held by Isthmus' news editor, Judith Davidoff, before she joined us in the summer of 2011.
Joyce began his involvement with Isthmus as an intern while still at the UW and working on the Badger Herald. He came to work with us for real in December of 1998. He's had nearly 15 years of varied accomplishments and innovations.
Though we will miss his helmsmanship of our online activities, including mobile, the Forum and TheDailyPage.com, not to mention his weekly sports commentary, we will endure. He is not the first to be hired away by other local media. We like to regard these recruitments as our contribution to the raising of Madison's general journalistic standards. And while it is a temporary loss for us, we also see the opportunity.
Turnover gives us the occasion to reassess our structure, our division of labor, even the content we produce. It creates space for new voices in the mix. It gives us license to consider alternatives. So we thank Joyce for his contributions and hard work over the years, and for the fresh start we have for considering our digital involvement.
