By Hoyt Tuggle
LAWRENCEVILLE, Ga. | Former Art Director for the Gwinnett Daily News, Cal Warlick, passed away on Feb. 14, 2024.
Tuggle
Cal was born in Columbus, Ga. in 1940 and graduated high school in College Park. Cal and his wife, Sue, were married in 1962 and made their home in Lawrenceville. They raised identical twin daughters, Debra and Laurie, both now deceased, in the house where Cal passed away. Cal is survived by his wife of 61 years, Sue and his grandson, Alex Rohrer.
After graduating from high school, Cal went to work for the Atlanta Journal and Constitution (AJC) in the art department. He illustrated advertisements for eight years. While working for the AJC, Cal’s drawing was chosen to be Chik-fil-A’s corporate logo. His compensation, as told by Cal, was a sack of biscuits, as his employment with the AJC excluded any monetary compensation done for advertisers. Cal told Sue, at the time, “Chick biscuits will never make it.”
Warlick
Cal joined WAGA-TV doing various programs, courtroom sketches, and editorial cartoons. While at WAGA Cal received eight Emmys recognizing his outstanding ability to convey stories and situations with his artwork.
Cal was not only an accomplished artist; he was also a brilliant poet. His expertise was the use of a concise metaphor to convey a very complex feeling. His use of metaphor allowed the hearer, or reader, to experience within themselves a deep, almost spiritual, emotion that normal conversation was incapable of achieving.
Later Cal became Art Director for the Gwinnett Daily News and did the majority of the editorial cartoons that ran in the paper.
With the newspaper’s closing, Cal began to do freelance illustrations for magazines, books, advertising agencies and newspapers, including his first employer, the AJC. It was at this time that Cal began creating sports posters. He created a line of collegiate football posters that stretched nationwide. As the popularity of his posters grew, Cal desired more control over the quality of his reproductions and a printer close to home. He partnered with our family firm, Graphic Communications Corporation in Lawrenceville, to be his printer.
Working with Cal for over 20 years. We truly knew the man behind the legend. The man was more impressive than the legend! Cal was a man of deep religious faith. He was a member of New Hope Christian Church in Lawrenceville, where he taught Sunday School, was a deacon, and chaired the Property and Grounds Committee for years.
Cal was soft-spoken and always encouraging to all to whom he came in contact. Cal was trustworthy and never “ran anyone down.” He was forthright in stating his opinion but never in an arrogant or condescending manner. He might have roasted a politician in an editorial cartoon, but he was never personally demeaning to that person.
One of the features of many of Cal’s sports posters and maybe even his editorial cartoons were hidden “jewels.” His bestselling poster was the 2002 UGA SEC Football Championship poster entitled The Big Dawg’s Back!
The poster is printed above. See if you can find the following names in the illustration: Sue (his wife), Laurie (daughter), Deb (daughter), and Alex (grandson) at least twice.
Calvin (Cal) Warlick, 1940-2024: May you rest in peace.
- A celebration of life service for Cal Warlick was held on Saturday, February 24, in the chapel of Byrd and Flanigan Funeral Service, Lawrenceville, with Pastor James Shelton officiating. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations may be made to Creative Enterprises, 701 Hi Hope Lane, Lawrenceville, Ga. 30043.
- Have a comment? Send to: elliott@brack.net
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