Jay Norwood Darling (October 21, 1876 – February 12, 1962), better known as Ding Darling, was an American cartoonist who won two Pulitzer Prizes. He was an important figure in the 20th century conservation movement and founded the National Wildlife Federation .

Eleven thousand cartoons are currently represented in this collection, which also features selected audio recordings of Darling’s dictation – a chance survival documenting his voice, vigor, and attitudes.

In 1999, the Foundation released a CD-ROM: The Editorial Cartoons of J.N. “Ding” Darling: The Cowles Collection, Drake University 1912 – 1962. The images from the CD-ROM are presented here. Browse or search through the cartoons. Hint: A popular way to search is to type in a year or name or keyword. Browse the collection. Search the Collection.

After joining the Des Moines Register as a cartoonist in 1906, he began signing his cartoons with the nickname "Ding" – a contraction of his last name. A top-ranking political cartoonist syndicated in 130 daily newspapers, Darling reached an audience of millions with cartoons noted for their wit and political satire.

The selection of political cartoons by J.N. “Ding” Darling presented here cover the period from when Calvin Coolidge first took the office of the Presidency after President Harding’s death in 1923 through Coolidge’s first election in 1924.

Jun 10, 2016 · "Ding" Darling was a Pulitzer Prize-winning cartoonist and an accomplished conservationist from Iowa. As a cartoonist, he worked for the Des Moines Register for nearly half a century and was nationally syndicated.

Mar 17, 2025 · Although Pulitzer-winning editorial cartoonist Jay Norwood “Ding” Darling wasn’t alien to whimsy and humor in his front-page cartoons in the Des Moines Register for nearly half a century, he was known most for his hard-hitting and controversial commentary on …

May 15, 2012 · Jay N. “Ding” Darling (1876-1962) was regarded by many as America’s greatest political cartoonist during the first half of the twentieth century. A two-time Pulitzer winner, Ding repeatedly topped popularity polls throughout the Twenties and Thirties.

"Ding" Darling's editorial cartoons are unrivaled in their ability quickly to convey the complex political issues of the 1920's. Abstract policies like tax cuts and farm subsidies come to life through Darling's art and wit.

May 7, 2020 · The political cartoons of Jay Norwood (“Ding”) Darling (1876–1962) in the Des Moines Register were nationally syndicated and won him two Pulitzer prizes. Like millions of Americans, Thone laughed at Darling’s adroit lampoons of bureaucratic actions, and his lively drawings of anthropomorphized ducks who lugged little suitcases as ...