KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — For over 60 years, Charlie Daniel has used paper and pencils to create his take on the news of the day. He may be retired now, but the beloved longtime editorial cartoonist for the Knoxville News Sentinel has something to say about COVID-19.
"I was beginning really to enjoy retirement. I was meeting with people for lunch every day and meeting old journalist friends, meeting a preacher friend and talking theology now it's all out. Now I'm just sitting here with Patsy," Daniel said.
Like the rest of us, Daniel and his bride of 64 years are waiting out the coronavirus.
"The cartoons that I did over the years when bad things happened the idea was to unite – united we stand divided we fall… now it's a total flip flop. You know, united we fall and divided we stand which is why we are all sitting at home," Daniel said.
Whether tragedy or triumph, Daniel brought headlines to life for six decades.
"Assassinations of Kennedy and Dr. King, they were terrible local ones. Vietnam War and Watergate," he said.
And now, COVID-19.
"But nothing compares to this. Nothing like this has ever happened and who knows where this is going to go," Daniel said.
His latest cartoons capture the world we are living in. They come with a message.
At 90 and a half years old, Charlie still makes us laugh, think and care.