[media-credit name=’AJ Maclean’ align=’alignnone’ width=’648′][/media-credit]Matt Davies, a Pulitzer Prize-winning editorial cartoonist, has been at the University of Wisconsin throughout the week speaking to students and faculty as part of a series titled “What Matters to Me and Why.”

Davies, a daily cartoonist for the Journal News in New York, spoke to students in several UW classes.

He addressed a crowd in the Chadbourne Residential College Wednesday afternoon, beginning his talk with a brief description of how he became a political editorial cartoonist.

“I had always been, ever since I can remember, a wiseass,” Davies said.

Growing up in London, Davies said he always had an eye for political cartooning. When he was seven years old, he drew a cartoon involving the Queen of England and a toilet.

While Davies was in high school, his family moved to Connecticut. After graduating from high school, Davies attended the Savannah College of Art and Design and then the School of Visual Arts in Manhattan.

After meeting a political cartoonist in college, Davies decided he wanted to try his hand at editorial cartooning.

He quit school and got a job drawing political cartoons in Westchester, N.Y., where he continues to work today. He described his decision to become a political cartoonist as incredibly naíve.

“Some of the most successful things that have happened have been the product of some naivety,” Davies said.

After working just a month at his new job, Davies had a steady salary and benefits and was selling his cartoons to other papers.

Having worked in editorial cartooning since 1993, Davies said he now has a good sense of what his editor wants, adding it is easy to find creative material in the political world.

Addressing the issue of whether he was more of a partisan or bi-partisan cartoonist, Davies laughed.

“I like to think of my political ideas as anti-stupid,” he said.

As a political cartoonist, Davies said he has to stay abreast of all current political issues to remain fresh and on topic. He said he reads often, mainly magazines and newspapers, and watches CNN to keep himself informed.

“I’m looking for the metaphorical pebble in the shoe,” Davies said.

He also noted his job comes with the responsibility of backing up his ideas with facts. He said political cartooning is “99 percent opinion” and “humor is secondary.” He added it is important to stand by one’s opinions when challenged.

“I can’t just skip into work and make shit up,” he said. “I learned very early on you’ve got to be ready to defend your ideas.”

Davies spoke about the enjoyment he gets from being an editorial cartoonist.

“I love the way you can, with a few strokes of a pen, just rip a political figure down to our level,” he said.

Davies said he enjoyed his time in Madison and observing the political atmosphere, adding he noticed more political advertisements in Madison than in New York.

“All the political ads you guys are getting is nuts,” he said.

Davies attended one of UW senior Chad Zdroik’s classes Wednesday.

Zdroik, who is interested in editorial cartoons, said he liked hearing Davies explain how a “Frankenstein you’ve been creating” comes to life.

“It was interesting that he was so unassuming about it and really upfront about how he confronts his subjects,” Zdroik said.