Paul Noth has been named the inaugural Cartoonist Laureate by the Museum of Wisconsin Art (MOWA) in West Bend, making him Wisconsin's first holder of the title. The appointment, announced ahead of the October 13 publication of his debut cartoon collection *I Am Going to Eat You … and Other Awkward Truths*, comes with a three-year term, a cash award, a solo exhibition at MOWA, and recognition at the Wisconsin State Capitol. Noth, a *New Yorker* cartoonist with over 400 published cartoons, will serve as an ambassador for cartoon art, teaching workshops and promoting comics literacy.
The Cartoonist Laureate program signals MOWA's growing commitment to elevating cartooning as a serious art form and recognizing Wisconsin's outsized historical influence on the medium—from Sidney Smith's *The Gumps* to Denis Kitchen's Underground Comix movement. By institutionalizing support for cartoonists, MOWA expands the definition of visual art and ensures that comics, often marginalized in museum contexts, gain legitimacy and visibility. The appointment also highlights a broader trend of museums embracing popular and narrative art forms to engage contemporary audiences.