Glenn McCoy, longtime editorial cartoonist for the Belleville (IL) News-Democrat and co-creator of The Duplex and The Flying McCoys, is stepping away from cartooning to focus on his animation career. 

McCoy worked at the News-Democrat for 22 years, but the McClatchy-owned newspaper recently decided it could no longer keep an editorial cartoonist on staff due to budgetary concerns. The News-Democrat confirmed McCoy's departure in this May 21 article. McCoy's editorial cartoons, which often took a conservative point-of-view, nevertheless skewered politicians on both sides of the aisle, including Barack Obama, John Boehner, and imprisoned former Illinois governor Rod Blagojevich. The nation's current chief executive--who shares Blagojevich's taste in unique hairstyles--has also taken a few shots from McCoy's pen. 

McCoy stated on his Facebook page that he plans to take a break from cartooning and focus on his animation work, which has included storyboarding for the hugely popular Despicable Me and Minions movie franchises. 

While his editorial cartooning career comes to a close, both The Duplex and The Flying McCoys--comics that McCoy created with his brother, Gary McCoy--will continue their runs as features on GoComics.