THE BEST OF JIM THOMPSON.

Byline: -- Tom Hoffarth

For the past quarter of a century, Jim Thompson has been the featured editorial sports cartoonist at the Los Angeles Daily News.

His cartoons and sports illustrations have been collected internationally, and by sports personalities such as former Dodgers owner Peter O'Malley, Clippers owner Donald Sterling, former Atlanta Braves owner Ted Turner and former baseball commissioner Peter Ueberroth.

As Thompson remembers it, his run at the Daily News started with an unscheduled visit to convince then sports editor Joe Jares that an editorial sports cartoon would make the sports section stand out.

Jares, a collector of many famous sports cartoons, was hooked by the idea and began incorporating them into the Sunday edition.

As Jares later became a columnist and then a copy editor for the Daily News, he continually said one of his best hires was Thompson.

The Westlake Village resident, a lawyer by trade, found a way over the years to pinpoint much of what was good, hypocritical and down-right silly about the sports world, to prod when prodding was needed, and add a soft touch during moments when some of the giants of the sporting world passed on.

As sports editors changed, Thompson remained a regular part of the sports section. Regrettably, his run ends today.

As a tribute for all he has presented to the Daily News over the past 25 years, we present some of his most memorable cartoons.

For more of his work, visit Thompson's Web site at www.thompsonsportsart.com

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(1 -- 10) Jim Thompson cartoons