Kevin Hand takes voluntary buyout from Newsweek
Surprising, because Kevin Hand is one of the most talented and inventive folks we’ve ever met. Not surprising, because Newsweek has been slowly gravitating away from an extremely visual presentation style to a text-heavy format. (Seen a copy lately?)
But Kevin posted tonight at Facebook:
Kevin Hand is now a free agent. Thanks for the best years of my life, Newsweek.
Unfortunately, I am now unemployed. But on the bright side, I now have time to surf.
In response to inquires — which, as you’d imagine, were immediate — Kevin replied:
It was a voluntary buyout. Basically, I was paid to leave. Could have stayed, but it was just too good to pass up. The worst thing is leaving the place and people I lived for.
I defined myself by the job. Now, just gonna start looking for a new definition.
Kevin began his newspaper graphics career straight out of high school in 1982 at the Fort Pierce (Fla.) News Tribune. In 1986, he moved to Gannett’s Florida Today and then to the Honolulu Star-Bulletin in 1988.
After nine years in the land of McGarrett, Kevin moved to the Chicago Tribune in 1997, where I had the pleasure of working with him. He became assistant graphics editor at Newsweek in 2000.
A few samples of Kevin’s work (click for a larger view)
Read a glowing tribute to Kevin here. Read about a glowing tribute to a Honolulu cartoonist — a tribute in which Kevin participated last month — here.
Here’s an animated video Kevin made a few years ago — a humorous view of a typical night for him at Newsweek:
March 7th, 2009 at 2:31 am
One of the best. And a great guy. Best of luck to you Kevin.
March 7th, 2009 at 6:14 am
GOOD LUCK KEVIN.
You are one of the best and certainly a pleasure to have had the chance to work together. I am simply amazed at the exodus of talent in newspapers today. I can’t imagine what newspapers are thinking. I am sad and very disappointed at what the words innovation, journalism and reader service means today!!!!!!! But I could talk for an hour on that.
THE BEST TO YOU and let me know if I can be of help.
March 7th, 2009 at 9:15 am
I had the great pleasure of judging the infographics category at the SND competition a couple years back with Kevin. As Chris says, he’s a great guy, and it was a fantastic experience to finally meet someone whose work I had admired for a long time. Kevin, I think you’ll find the world outside is full of incredible opportunities for a talented individual such as yourself.
March 7th, 2009 at 12:38 pm
Indeed, one of the best. Mr. Hand is a maestro with amazing artistic an journalistic talents and a huge source of inspiration and admiration for other graphic people.
Very bad news for Newsweek readers but I’ll be looking forward Kevin’s new projects. Good Luck Kevin!
March 7th, 2009 at 8:33 pm
Kevin, now you can come down and visit us. Maybe teach Charles to surf. . . . .
March 9th, 2009 at 1:23 pm
One of the best graphics artists I’ve ever work with. And truly the most fun. An unforgettable talent and charisma. Man, this sounds like a obituary, Damn! Well, perhaps for Newsweek, it is an obituary. I hope they hire him as a freelance to keep the magazine alive.
Good luck, bro!
March 18th, 2009 at 3:41 pm
This guy is SO what I want to be when I grow up.