A local online type is reaping heavy praise after the Pulitzer Prizes were announced this afternoon. SFGate's animated political cartoonist Mark Firoe won for editorial cartooning, cited for his "animated cartoons appearing on SFGate.com, the San Francisco Chronicle Web site, where his biting wit, extensive research and ability to distill complex issues set a high standard for an emerging form of commentary" won him the pretty medal and a cool $5,000. What's more, SFGate notes, this is also the first time "an online artist has received the Pulitzer Prize since the category of editorial cartooning was created in 1922."

A tip of the laptop to you, Mr. Fiore.

If you're not yet familiar with Fiore's work, go here, here and here.

In related news, Tom Kitt (the orchestrator and arranger of Berkeley-based American Idiot) won this year’s Pulitzer for drama for his work on Next to Normal, a jarring rock-musical about a bipolar/manic depressive mom.