John Tinney McCutcheon, Sr. (May 6, 1870 – June 10, 1949) was an American newspaper political cartoonist, war correspondent, combat artist, and author who won a Pulitzer Prize for his 1931 editorial cartoon, "A Wise Economist Asks a Question," and became known even before his death as the "Dean of American Cartoonists." The Purdue University graduate moved to Chicago, Illinois, in 1890 to work as an artist and occasional writer for the Chicago Morning News. He was an avid philatelist which attracted collectibles from worldwide politicians and notables to him while working at the Tribune.

His first front-page cartoon appeared in 1895 and his first published political cartoon was published during the U. S. presidential campaign of 1896. McCutcheon introduced human interest themes to newspaper cartoons in 1902 and joined the staff of the Chicago Tribune in 1903, remaining there until his retirement in 1946. McCutcheon's cartoons appeared on the front page of the Tribune for forty years.

As a war correspondent and combat artist, McCutcheon covered the Spanish American War, the Battle of Manila Bay and the Philippine–American War, and the Second Boer War in South Africa. He also reported from Europe during World War I, beginning with his eyewitness account of the German invasion of Belgium. In addition, McCutcheon, made several trips to Asia, Mexico, Africa, and the Bahamas, where he owned Salt Cay, which they nicknamed "Treasure Island" which is currently known as the Blue Lagoon Island. He and his wife traveled aboard the Graf Zeppelin, Hindenburg, RMS Lusitania, RMS Queen Mary, biplanes and even by camelback.