Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: TUESDAY, March 6, 1990                   TAG: 9003061698
SECTION: EXTRA                    PAGE: E1   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: YOLETTE NICHOLSON STAFF WRITER
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

NINE YOUNG ARTISTS TAKE HOME THE CASH IN CARTOON CONTEST

Dellinger's depiction of deposed Panamanian leader Manuel Noriega won him one of three $50 first prizes in an editorial cartoon contest for Southwest Virginia middle and high school students, sponsored by the Roanoke Times & World-News. His cartoon was the winner in the category for students in grades 11 and 12.

Dellinger said he'd been told he's good at drawing and entered the contest to prove it to himself. He got the idea for his cartoon from the news.

"There was a lot of talk about Noriega being conquered, and I thought a political cartoon would be good for an editorial since that was what was going on at the time," he said. "I wanted to symbolize that."

Dellinger, a 17-year-old Christiansburg High School student, said he drew the cartoon in half an hour and was surprised he won.

"I've won recommendation certificates, but I've never won a competition or anything," he said.

Geoff Seamans, associate editor of the Roanoke Times & World-News' editorial page, said he and two other judges evaluated the 154 entries by the same criteria they use to critique professional work.

"We were looking for the characteristics of a good cartoon, the quality of the drawing, a sense of humor and beyond that, cartoons that can explain themselves," Seamans said.

Roger Wilkerson, 12, a student at William Byrd Middle School, said he entered the contest because he likes drawing. Besides, he said, he wanted the money.

Wilkerson's winning cartoon for grades 7-8 depicts a Roanoke River flood pouring through the Explore project site.

"My mom's friend had an idea for a flood and something to do with the Explore project, so I just got it from there and and changed it around," Wilkerson said. "I worked on it on and off for maybe about a month," he said.

Aaron Snyder, 15, the winner of the competition for grades 9-10, said his idea was sparked by a recurrent image of President Bush's fishing exploits.

"I just kept seeing Bush in a boat all the time," he said.

Snyder, who attends Lord Botetourt High School, said he had the idea for his cartoon before he even heard of the competition.

\ Second place winners ($35 each):

Category 1: Cricket Powell, Benjamin Franklin Middle School, Grade 7, "Beating Around the Bush." Category 2: Mark Skelley, Salem High School, Grade 9, "Salvador Dali." Category 3: Karla L. Miller, James River High School, Grade 12,"Heaven Panels."\ Third place winners ($20 each):

Category 1: Ginger Bond, Carlisle School, Grade 7, "Fish Bowl" Category 2: Ian Hambrick, Covenant Christian School, Grade 9, "Education Funding." Category 3: Rick Moligue, Giles County High School, Grade 12, "New Kids On the Block."\ Honorable Mention:

Virginia Dillon, Benjamin Franklin Middle School; Marie-Louise Cremer, Blacksburg Middle School; Justin Limoges, Blacksburg Middle School; Brian Brindle, Staunton River Middle School.