The SOKOL - Prize for Digital Caricature, Critical Drawing and Satire was awarded on September 20, 2018 together with the state of Lower Austria and patron Annemarie Sokol, widow and executor of Erich Sokol's estate, at the Karikaturmuseum Krems. The SOKOL prize for special achievements (€ 11,000) went to Sebastian Krüger (DE). The US cartoonist Thomas Fluharty received the SOKOL main prize for digital caricature (€ 11,000). The Tunisian artist Nadia Khiari was awarded the SOKOL Sponsorship Prize (€ 4,000). Frank Hoppmann (DE) and Ramize Erer (TR) were honored with AIR - ARTIST IN RESIDENCE Lower Austria scholarships (€ 2,600 each). Governor Johanna Mikl-Leitner, caricaturist Michael Pammesberger, cartoonist Katharina Greve and Gottfried Gusenbauer, Director of the Caricature Museum Krems, presented the awards.

Erich Sokol (March 31, 1933 – February 20, 2003) is regarded in caricature and satire, as well as in his supreme discipline, portrait caricature, as a pioneer of a new Austrian school. From an early age, he drew for Die Presse, Wiener Bilderwoche, and Arbeiter-Zeitung and was considered a visionary and role model for up-and-coming generations. In 1957, he completed a period of study at the Institute of Design in Chicago. There Sokol met Hugh Hefner, the editor of Playboy magazine. The encounter led to decades of collaboration with the American publication. Sokol captured his personal impressions of the so-called American way of life in satirical character studies, the American Natives.

His time in America was a springboard to success for the Austrian cartoonist. Once back in Austria, the Arbeiter-Zeitung (AZ) hired him as an editorial cartoonist. From 1960 to 1967, Sokol created nearly 1,400 caricatures addressing current political events for the AZ. Sokol’s ÖVP-Tant (ÖVP-Aunt) character he created for the paper is legendary.

As a kind of counterbalance to caricature, the artist also worked with photography and painting. Artistic forms of expression and design techniques Sokol had learned during his studies in America formed the basis for his creative work. Once again, he combined techniques and materials, produced photo works with collage-like compositions, and translated these into painting in a similar manner.

1933 
Born on March 31 in Vienna.

1939–52 
Attended elementary school and the Goethe-Gymnasium in Vienna’s XIV district. While still in high school, he took continuing education classes at the Academy of Fine Arts in Vienna. In 1952, he sold his first drawing to the socialist newspaper Kleine Blatt for fifteen schillings. Graduated from high school.

1952–57 
Studied at the business college Hochschule für Welthandel until his first state examination in 1955. At the same time, he produced large-scale drawings and had further sales successes with illustrated jokes and political caricatures for Neuer Kurier, Die Presse, Der Stern, Wiener Bilderwoche, Schweizer Illustrierte Zeitung, Arbeiter-Zeitung, Weltpresse, Die Münchner Illustrierte, and for the British weekly Punch, among others.

1957–59 
Time in America. As part of the Moholy-Nagy fellowship, he studied for two semesters at the Institute of Design at the Illinois Institute of Technology in Chicago (courses in visual design, photography, and typography). He earned his living primarily as an illustrator for the men’s magazine Playboy and The Lion Magazine. He was awarded the Artist’s Guild of Chicago prize for editorial art for his contribution to the Editorial and Advertising Art exhibition presented at the city library. He worked on a collection of satirical drawings depicting American characters. He returned to Vienna in November.

1960–67 
His illustrated collection American Natives was published by Harper & Brothers in New York, and in 1961 by Hamish Hamilton in London. He joined the editorial staff of the social democratic Wiener Arbeiter-Zeitung as a political cartoonist. In 1965, he started freelancing for the Süddeutsche Zeitung. In 1967, he resigned from the Arbeiter-Zeitung.

1967–92 
In December 1967, at the invitation of Gerd Bacher, he started his position as chief graphic designer at ORF. In 1968, he resigned from the Süddeutsche Zeitung. In 1971, he was awarded the Golden Camera for Hör zu. In 1972, he was awarded the State Prize for Advertising by the Federal Ministry of Trade, Commerce, and Industry for his Austrian Airlines campaign. In 1973, he debuted as a director of a television program. In 1975, Sokol’s first cover image for the Neue Kronen Zeitung was published (through 1996). At the same time, he stopped working for Playboy, where he had been a contributor for eighteen years. He was awarded the City of Vienna Prize for Applied Arts in 1977, the Golden Medal of Honor of the City of Vienna in 1982, and the Johann Nestroy Ring in 1986. In 1987, he became art director of ORF overseeing all design areas (graphic design, set design, wardrobe). In 1992, as part of the ORF relaunch, he retired early as art director. 

1992-2003
From 1992 to 2003, he resumed his work for Playboy. At the end of the 1990s, Sokol founded the Erich Sokol Privatstiftung, a private foundation based in Mödling, with his partner Annemarie Höld-Praschl. 

1997
In 1997, he received the Medal of Honor for contributions to art and culture in the City of Mödling. From 1999 on, he created covers for Die Presse. In 2001, he was awarded the Olaf Gulbransson Prize and married Annemarie Höld-Praschl.

2002
In 2002, he was conferred the title of professor (awarded posthumously on his seventieth birthday). Erich Sokol died during the night on Thursday, February 20, 2003, in his house in Mödling. Since his death, his widow Annemarie Sokol has administered his artistic estate.

Other selected awards include: Golden Camera (1971), State Prize for Advertising (1972), Golden Medal of Honor of the City of Vienna (1982), Johann Nestroy Ring (1986), Olaf Gulbransson Prize (2001).