Tandberg at the launch of The Premier and the Pen cartooning exhibition at the State Library in late 2016
The legendary Ron Tandberg – whose brilliant “pocket” cartoons enlivened The Age newspaper for almost half a century – has died after a brief but spirited battle with cancer.
Tandberg, who joined the newspaper in 1972, was still drawing until shortly before his death on January 8 – including a series of cartoons lampooning his struggle against oesophageal cancer.
“Sometimes you feel so bad you don’t feel like laughing, but then you find it again,” he said, shortly before Christmas.
Tandberg won more industry awards than any cartoonist, or journalist, in Australian history - including 11 Walkley awards. He is the only person to have won the Gold Walkley twice.
He was inducted into the Melbourne Press Club’s Australian Media Hall of Fame in 2014.