The Cartoon!st - Double Issue, February 2018 by National Cartoonists Society

INSIDE: MORT WALKER (1923-2018)

Financing a Future with

The

Newsletter

Bob Rich

the

National

Cartoonists

Society

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D o u b l e I s s u e – F e b r u a r y 2 011 8

Briefings from the Jovial Office . . . by Bill Morrison

STEPHEN SILVER

Eagles fans excited to receive cartoonists! This double issue of The Cartoon!st is late and it’s all the fault of your free-wheeling president (That’s me!). Our tireless editor has been holding the presses for weeks, waiting for me to turn in this column. I would have had it in much sooner, but to be honest I didn’t have a lot to write about until now. Last issue I teased the Reuben Awards Weekend events, and for a long time our plans were up in the air, waiting for final confirmations and firmed-up details. Well, things have finally come together and I’m excited to be able to share the full schedule of events and seminars with you! You’ll receive the Reuben Brochure in the mail soon, but until then this column should serve to get you fired up about the annual Reuben conclave and aid you in making your plans to attend. First, let’s talk about the seminars. This year we’ll have nine presentations, four on Friday, May 25, and three on Saturday the 26th, and two on Sunday the 27th.

100 clients (and still counting!) Come meet Will and hear how he aims to recreate a world in which kids still collect bugs, fly kites and eat ice cream cones upside down. n EXAGGERATING CARICATURE Caricature gurus Angie Jordan (digital caricatures), Stephen Silver (animation character designer), Ann Telnaes (Pulitzer and Reuben-winning editorial cartoonist) and Sam Viviano (MAD Magazine) will discuss what the art of caricature is all about. Oh yeah, the panel will be moderated by a guy who’s name is synonymous with the word caricature: Tom Richmond. n THE FAMILY CIRCUS TREE Jeff Keane will follow the winding branches that his father Bill’s (two L’s back then) cartoon career took from high school yearbook to WWII in Australia (and meeting the future mommy of The Family Circus), to staff artist at the Philadelphia Bulletin, to having a family and finally moving to Arizona. Jeff will show us how those events shaped the cartoon family we all know and love today. n FROM COMICS TO ANIMATED SERIES AND BEYOND What does it take to transform a comic to a successful tv series for platforms like Cartoon Network, Fox, Nickelodeon, Netflix and Amazon? Creator driven properties are the heart and soul of animated television yet, many comics have yet to make the transition. This panel will explore the why and how of developing a property with multiple platforms — from newspapers to digital to tv to games — in mind. Moderator: C.J. Kettler; panelists to be announced.

Friday’s slate includes: n SPOTLIGHT ON WILL HENRY’S WALLACE THE BRAVE With a Wallace the Brave book from Andrews McMeel Publishing under his belt, cartoonist Will Henry launched the adventures of his six-year-old protagonist into the thick of newspaper syndication earlier this year with more than

Then on Saturday afternoon we’ll have: n JOHN HAMBROCK – Walking the Tightrope Join John Hambrock as he discusses how he uses his newspaper

This issue’s cover is by Bob Rich, a three-time Reuben Silver Award winner for newspaper illustration — though newspapers have little to do with his current efforts; see the profile of Bob that begins on Page 19. The piece comes courtesy of interviewer Tom Stemmle, who pitched this to us out of the blue, for which The Cartoon!st’s copy desk is very grateful.

“The Cartoon!st” is the official publication of the National Cartoonists Society, P.O. Box 592927 Orlando, FL 32859-2927. The views expressed herein do not necessarily reflect those of the NCS. Entire contents ©2018 National Cartoonists Society, except where other copyrights are designated. The Cartoon!st needs your news, opinions, drawings and photos. Address all materials to: Frank Pauer, 53 Beverly Place, Dayton, OH 45419. Phone: 937-296-0502 home, 937-229-3934 days. Email: fpauer1@udayton.edu Deadline for the next issue: April 23

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NCS BOARD

NCS COMMITTEES

NCS FOUNDATION

Honorary Chairman Mort Walker President Bill Morrison First Vice President Jason Chatfield Second Vice President Terri Libenson Third Vice President Carolyn Belefski Secretary Ed Steckley Treasurer John Hambrock Membership Chairman Greg Cravens National Representative Maria Scrivan

The Cartoon!st Frank Pauer 937-229-3934 fpauer1@udayton.edu

President Steve McGarry 714-593-0514 mac@stevemcgarry.com

Ethics Steve McGarry mac@stevemcgarry.com Education Rob Smith Jr. (rob@robsmithjr.com) Greeting Card Contracts Carla Ventresca 615-480-7931

For questions about accounting, membership, database and dues renewals, contact: National Cartoonists Society P.O. Box 592927 Orlando, FL 32859-2927 407-994-6703 info@reuben.org

The National Cartoonists Society Web Site: www.reuben.org.

Please address correspondence to: Frank Pauer, 53 Beverly Place, Dayton, OH 45419, or fpauer1@udayton.edu

comic strip The Brilliant Mind Of Edison Lee to insert humor into political, social and gender issues while at the same time navigating the challenges of striking the right balance for audiences on both sides of the current political divide. n WOMEN PIONEERS OF CARTOON ART Join a “who’s who” of trailblazing women cartoonists featuring Sandra BellLundy (Between Friends), Barbara Dale (Dale Cards), Jan Eliot (Stone Soup), Cathy Guisewite (Cathy), and Lynn Johnston (For Better Or For Worse)! These cartooning luminaries will share their wisdom and wit and talk about their challenges and accomplishments as creators and businesswomen during a time when men dominated the field. Moderated by 2016 Reuben Award recipient Ann Telnaes! n THE GOLDEN AGE OF CARTOONING IN CONNECTICUT For a period of about 50 years, right in the middle of the American Century, many of the nation’s top comic-strip creators, gag cartoonists, and magazine illustrators lived within a stone’s throw of one another in the southwestern corner of Connecticut. Chance Browne (son of Dik Browne), Cullen Murphy (son of Jack Murphy), and Brian Walker and Greg Walker (sons of Mort Walker) grew up in this unique environment. In a tribute to their fathers — and to an extraordinary community of cartoonists — Chance, Cullen, Brian and Greg will recollect notable experiences and observations from this golden era. Sunday morning we’ll present two final seminars: n REINVENTING RUBE GOLDBERG Join Rube’s granddaughter, author Jennifer George, and illustrator Ed Steckley in a lively panel discussion and slideshow with moderator Charles

Kochman (editorial director of Abrams ComicArts) as they discuss their new book and trace the evolution of Rube from point A to point B, using each and every letter of the alphabet. n SALUTE TO MAD MAGAZINE We’ll celebrate the world’s premiere humor magazine and repository of iconic cartoon art with the NCS’s resident Gang of Idiots: Sergio Aragonés (MAD’s maddest artist), Tom Richmond (MAD movie and TV parody artist), Nick Meglin (MAD Executive Editor), Grant Geissman (MAD expert and historian), and Sam Viviano (MAD Art Director)! MAD historian and moderator supreme Mark Evanier will moderate supremely!

n THE GOLD T-SQUARE will be awarded to Arnold Roth for more than 50 years of exceptional work as a professional cartoonist. Arnold is only the third cartoonist to receive this award, joining Rube Goldberg and Mort Walker. n THE ACE AWARD will be presented to Jake Tapper, cartoonist, CNN Chief Washington Correspondent, anchor of the CNN weekday television news show The Lead with Jake Tapper, and anchor of the CNN Sunday morning affairs program State of the Union. n And THE NCS MEDAL OF HONOR will be bestowed upon Lynn Johnston for a lifetime of magnificent achievement in the field of cartooning.

These fascinating talks will be bookended by two wonderful events. On Friday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. we’ll visit the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia to draw for the kids, deliver goodie bags and bring a little cheer to families who are dealing with devastating childhood illnesses. And on Sunday afternoon, we’ll invade the Philadelphia Free Library to meet the public. Bring your books and prints to sign and sell, sketch for your fans, and feel like the big-shot cartoonist you are! The Philadelphia Inquirer newspaper will be promoting the event, so we expect a terrific turnout! All cartoonists and spouses/significant others are invited, and there are several museums within walking distance of the library.

All of this will be in addition to the opening and closing parties, karaoke, the President’s After-Party and all the usual hobnobbing and carousing! If you haven’t reserved your room yet, we’ve secured a low room rate of $164 per night! That price is good for three days before and three days after our convention dates of May 25-27, based on availability. Make sure to reserve your room before the cut-off date of Tuesday, May 1, 2018 to receive this amazing rate! Just go online to https://aws.passkey. com/go/ncsweeken2018 or call 877-9016632 and mention you are with the National Cartoonists Society to get the low group rate! The Reuben Brochure should be arriving in your mailbox soon, and you should have already received an e-mail with the full schedule of events and registration information. So if you haven’t registered and reserved your room, do it today! I can’t wait to see you all in May! 10/4 Bill Morrison prez@reuben.org

I’m also pleased to announce that during the Reuben Awards Dinner we’ll be presenting four very special awards: n THE SILVER T-SQUARE will be presented to two recipients, Rick Stromoski and Brendan Burford for outstanding dedication and service to the NCS and to the profession.

NCS New Member Profiles

Dan Beyer I grew up between two small towns, Woodstock, Illinois and Lake Geneva, Wisconsin. Turns out, they were both home to some rather famous cartoonists: Woodstock (Chester Gould) and Lake Geneva (Joe Martin and Sydney Smith). The more I learned about these cartoonists and their amazing work, as well as meeting the great Bill Sanders (former editorial cartoonist/Milwaukee Journal), the more I wanted to be a cartoonist. I had my first cartoon published in my high school newspaper. I spent the next several years getting editorial cartoons and comic strips published in weekly and college newspapers, but little to show for it. So I decided to push cartooning aside and get serious about college. I studied art and design and received my BA from Columbia College in Chicago which led to a nice career in advertising as an art director. For a dozen years I created ads for a variety of clients until my twin boys arrived in 2007. Then I became a full-time, stay-at-home dad. During nap time, I discovered New Yorker cartoons and decided to dust off the drawing table and submit gag cartoons to magazines. I had a few sales — first with Reader’s Digest, then with The New Yorker and Playboy. I also started posting my single panel cartoon, Long Story Short, on the GoComics/Sherpa site. During this time, I came across a cartoon contest for amateurs being held by The Cartoonist Studio. The winner would get the opportunity to work with Creators Syndicate to further develop their strip. I entered and — long story short — won the contest. Long Story Short has been in syndication with Creators since 2014. I reside in Hales Corners, Wisconsin with my wife, Tarrah and our boys, Arjin & Jordan.

Jason Katzenstein I am a cartoonist for The New Yorker and MAD Magazine, and I’ve drawn a graphic novel for Image Comics called Camp Midnight, written by Steven T. Seagle. I was a visiting professor in the writing department at Wesleyan University, where I taught a class called Writing and Drawing Comics. I also write for TV animation. My first Ben 10 episode debuted last year, and I’m hard at work on more scripts. Steve and I are also working on the Camp Midnight sequel. I draw for Sotheby’s newsletter, and I write “Shouts and Murmurs” comedy for The New Yorker’s website. I currently live in Bushwick, Brooklyn. I write and draw from home or in coffee shops. I am very excited to be a new member of the NCS!

NCS New Member Profiles

Lonnie Millsap Lonnie Millsap’s cartooning career began when he released a self-published volume of his single panel cartoons in 2010, My Washcloth Stinks!, which was ordered by Barnes and Noble. Art from the book was placed in a year-long exhibition, curated by Gary Panter and Matt Groening, called “What Makes Us Smile?” at the

American Visionary Art Museum. Millsap has followed up with a new collection every year since. His latest release is They Taste Like Chicken!(2017). Millsap’s work has been praised by noteworthy cartoonists such as Sergio Aragonés, Keith Knight, Robb Armstrong, Gary Panter and Dan Piraro. Millsap has been a guest or exhibited at countless book and comic conventions since 2011, including San Diego Comic-Con,

Wondercon, and SPX. In 2016 Lonnie Millsap won the LA NCS Dingy Award and the CAPS Don Rico award. He was also the third participant in the 2017 Wondercon Quick Draw competition with Sergio Aragonés and Scott Shaw! Millsap’s comic, bacön, is syndicated by Andrews McMeel Universal. It currently runs three times weekly on gocomics.com/bacon. www.lonniemillsap.com

Joe Staton Joe Staton decided he wanted to be a cartoonist at 3 years old, when he began tracing Dick Tracy from the funnies. He has been drawing comics professionally since he started working for Charlton Comics in 1971, where he co-created E-Man and Michael Mauser. Though the bulk of his work has been for DC Comics, Staton has worked for at least 30 publishers and 100 different editors. Among his many comics credits are Action Comics, Green Lantern, The Legion, Classics Illustrated, various incarnations of Batman, and over 100 issues of Scooby Doo. With his writer-wife Hilarie, he produces medical comics such as Pete Learns All About Crohn’s and Colitis and Amy Goes Gluten-Free. He has received both the Eisner and Inkpot awards. Since 2011, Joe and writer Mike Curtis have been the regular team for the Dick Tracy newspaper strip. Tracy received Harvey Awards in 2013, 2014 and 2015 for Best Syndicated Strip or Feature. 5

Comics page comings and goings Your daily newspaper comics page has undergone some artistic changes, in case you weren’t paying all that much attention. If you run into any of these cartoonists in Philadelphia, at least now you’ll have something to talk about. So, to bring you up to date:

ast year, Hilary Price turned to a frequent Rhymes With Orange guest cartoonist to move for much of the week. Rina Piccolo, late of Tina’s Groove, began collaborating with Hilary to produce the Monday-Saturday editions of the strip, with Hilary continuing to do the Sunday page. “About a dozen years into creating the strip, I needed a creative outlet from my creative outlet, and started co-writing a play with a friend called ‘Santacide,’” Hilary told The Washington Post’s Michael Cavna. “I realized how much I enjoyed the collaborative process, and that planted a seed in my head.” “In addition to the guest spots, every so often Rina would offer up a batch of gags to Rhymes With Orange. I thought: ‘Here is someone with a similar sensibility. I wonder if she’d ever like to work together?’” Rina, who had written and drawn Tina’s Groove for 13 years, was primed for a change. “You reach a point in your career at which big decisions need to be made,” Rina wrote on her blog. “At the time, I was in my 13th year of my strip. I was working on other things as well: completing my co-authored book Quirky Quarks, drawing cartoons for my Wednesday slot of the single panel daily Six Chix, and also, I was writing some gag ideas for Hilary. It was around this time that Hilary approached me with an idea of her own.” “That idea — a tiny pebble that took 24 months to develop into a boulder— changed my life. Basically, Hilary asked if I would join her in drawing and writing Rhymes With Orange.” Rina added that her first passion 6

See Comics, Page 18

Among the changes on the comics page, (from top): in collaboration with Hilary Price, Rina Piccolo is drawing the daily Rhymes With Orange; Wayno is producing the daily Bizarro, with Dan Piraro still creating the Sunday page; Bud Grace has bid adieu to his wonderfully wacky cast of The Piranha Club; Eric Reaves, after ghosting Hi and Lois for eight years, is now signing his name to the feature; and Guy Gilchrist has ended his 22-year run on Nancy, with a wedding for Aunt Fritzi and her boyfriend, Phil.

Addison Morton Walker September 3, 1923 – January 27, 2018 NCS president, 1959-1960 International Museum of Cartoon Art founder, 1974 Husband, father, grandparent Beetle Bailey, 1950 – Hi and Lois, 1954 – Mrs. Fitz’s Flats, 1957–1972 Sam’s Strip, 1961– 1963 Boner’s Ark, 1968-2000 Sam and Silo, 1977– The Evermores, 1982–1986 Betty Boop and Felix, 1984–1988 Gamin and Patches, 1987–1988 Cartoonist of the Year, NCS, 1953 “Outstanding Cartoonist,” Banshee Silver Lady Award, 1955 Best Humor Strip, NCS, 1966 Best Humor Strip, NCS, 1969 Il Secolo XIX Award, Italy, 1972 Adamson Award, “Best International Cartoonist,” Sweden, 1975 Elzie Segar Award for Lifetime Achievement, 1977 Fourth Estate Award, American Legion, 1978 Jester Award, Newspaper Features Council, 1979 Inkpot Award, San Diego Comic Convention, 1979 Adamson Award Platinum, Sweden, 1979 Distinguished Alumni Award, University of Missouri, 1991 Golden T-Square, NCS, 1999 Order of Chevalier, French Minister of Culture and Communication, 1999 Elzie Segar Award, 1999 The Connecticut Legend Award, 2005 Gold Key Hall of Fame, NCS, 2007 Sparky Award, Cartoon Art Museum, 2010 Just a partial list, of course

Mort Walker, 1923-2018

{ IN HIS OWN WORDS }

f there is such a thing as being born into a profession, it happened to me. From my very first breath, all I ever wanted to be was a cartoonist. Everything I did or learned or aspired to was for that one goal, to draw cartoons. It was my identity in school and later throughout the world, and it was my door to prosperity. I had many opportunities in other professions, including acting, art, architecture, writing, music, and editing, but I never had any doubts that I was born to be a cartoonist. Strangely enough, all my other pursuits worked to make my cartoons better. Drawing a

comic strip is like producing a little play each day, requiring you to be casting director, author, and set designer, as well as a humorist who observes life and comments on the human condition. Producing a daily comic strip is an allencompassing art. My father, on Sunday, would have me go down to the porch and get the paper and bring it back up to bed. And I’d lie there in bed with him and he’d read me the funnies. And his favorite was Moon Mullins. He would laugh until tears came down his cheeks, and I’d laugh with him. So that became my favorite strip. I began

to try to draw like that, Frank Willard. I also drew political cartoons. From the time that I was 3, I was drawing. My father was a poet. He’d get up every morning and write a poem before he went to work. Every day. And the Kansas City Star would publish them. And when my father would write a poem, let’s say for Thanksgiving or Christmas, my mother would illustrate it, and they would run it on the front page of the Star, a great big picture for Christmas or Thanksgiving or Easter or whatever. My father would take me with

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Sourced from (in no particular order): Mort Walker’s Private Scrapbook, Andrews McMeel Publishing, 2000; Backstage at the Strips, Mason/Charter, 1975; Interview at criticalblast.com; Comics Journal interview with R.C. Harvey, issue No. 297, April 2009; Cartoonist PROfiles; The Best of Hi and Lois, Comicana Books, 1986; Mort Walker Conversations, University Press of Mississippi, 2005

Mort Walker, 1923-2018

him when he went to turn in his weekly poems. While he was talking to the editor, I would go over to the art department. They had a guy who did a comic strip, a guy that did editorial cartoons, and they had another guy that did a cartoon summarizing all the events of the week. Then they had other cartoonists, too. At one time, they hand-lettered all their headlines on the front page, instead of setting it in type. So they had a big art department, and they would let me sit there on the floor and go through all the originals. If I wanted one, they usually let me have it, and my room at home was wallpapered with their drawings. I think that was one of the most generous things that ever happened to me as a kid. All these cartoonists would look at my work, be nice and friendly to me, give me their work. I was a pretty well-respected writer at school. I was editor of the school magazine. I won the Midwest contest on writing and things like that. But anyway, I had this very astute professor who liked my work very much, and he invited me to come back and have dinner with him and his wife. And we talked about writing throughout the whole dinner. Then he pushed his chair back and said, “Well, I guess you’d like to write the Great American Novel.” And I said, “No, I’d like to write the Great American Comic Strip!” And he looked like Ignatz had hit him with a brick. I never had any prestige after that. No, it was the awfulest thing you could have said to a professor. Imagine the thrill I got when I was eleven and sold my first cartoon to Child Life magazine for a whole dollar. “Wow!” I said. “That’s where the real money is!” Within a short time I sold a few others and then more and more. By the time I was fifteen I’d sold more than three hundred cartoons. I was getting between $2 and $7 for each cartoon. I was rich. I can’t ever remember not being a cartoonist. I was drawing almost before I could talk. It was so natural to me that I was a teenager before I realized that some people weren’t cartoonists. I thought it came with

Mort Walker, 1923-2018

{ B E E T L E B A I L E Y, 1 9 5 0 – }

the package, like ears and feet. Somewhere about that time it occurred to me that drawing was only half the job. A good cartoonist needed to be a good writer as well. I began taking writing courses and studying literature. I became editor of our school newspaper and, later on, editor of my college magazine.

When I first came to New York I had $200 in my pocket that I had gotten from my salary when I was editor of the magazine at the University of Missouri. I was submitting cartoons to magazines. I did 200 cartoons before I sold one. I had a little thing at the top of my drawing board that said, “I will not be denied.” I also had another reminder which said, “If I can ever make $10,000 a year, I’ll be happy.” I was determined. I concentrated on The Saturday Evening Post because I had sold them one cartoon when I was in college. And John Bailey, who was the cartoon editor then — very friendly to me, very nice — he said, “Oh, I remember seeing your college magazine, ShowMe.” And he said, “You did great cartoons. I think we can work together.” So he started

buying my cartoons, and one day after looking through some of my cartoons, he said, “You’re not married, are you?” I said no. He said, “You’re drawing family stuff, for married people and their kids. Why don’t you draw something you know about? Why don’t you draw about college?” So I started drawing college kids. And one day he looked at one of the characters and said, “That’s a funny-looking guy. Make a character out of him, and maybe we’ll buy it, like we’ve got Hazel for the back cover — make a feature out of him.” And that’s where Beetle came into being. I did magazine cartoons for only three years. My last year, 1950, was my best, A cartoonist publication delclared that I was the top-selling cartoonist of the year. I made about $8,000 that year and I decided I’d get into a better business. Starting a comic strip is like stepping out into the darkness. Who knows where it will lead you? I didn’t. Few people remember that Beetle Bailey began as a comic strip about college life. The original Beetle also had eyes (closed). Few people remember, because

the strip appeared in so few papers. As a practical matter of survival, the strip was soon given a military theme. All the original characters (except Beetle) were discarded and new ones created. That’s what’s fun about doing a comic strip: You’re not stuck with your first mistake, you’re free to make new mistakes at any time. After I’d started the strip, as a college strip, and it wasn’t selling well. I was very disappointed. No one knew why the college theme didn’t go over. Maybe it wasn’t typical of the experience of most readers. Anyway, King Features (unbeknownst to me) was considering dropping it after a year’s contract was up. In the meantime I was blithely scratching away, loving my work and happy to make the royal sum of $150 a week that King was paying me. We only had about 25 subscribing papers after six months. The editor of the Philadelphia paper — this was the big turnaround — thought that I should put Beetle in the Army. I was against it because after the war, all the Army strips, like Private Breger and Sad Sack and all of them just went down the hill. Some of them just completely disap-

Mort Walker, 1923-2018

peared. I didn’t want that to happen to me, so I resisted putting Beetle in the Army. This Philadelphia editor says, “You’ve got to put them in. They’re drafting guys like Beetle.” So I said OK. Fortunately, I had my four years of the Army experience to fall back on, and all the sketches and drawings and everything like that. I had a big pack of photographs I had saved, so I had research material coming out of my ears. So that was a big turnaround. The minute I put them in the Army, boom! That thing took off. But I was still worried about it, and that’s one of the reasons I started Hi and Lois. To have something to fall back on when Beetle failed. I did have some pressure at times to put Beetle into Vietnam, to get him into the hot war instead of back at basic training, but I really didn’t see anything funny about the war. I intentionally didn’t ever want to get into combat because I think — first of all — it’s not funny. Secondly, it gets controversial. The people who were against the Vietnam War thought that I was attacking the Army. The guys that

were in the Army thought I was representing their experiences. Fortunately, I was on both sides and I survived, because all the old army strips faded right after the war. Nobody wanted them anymore. So, I very carefully orchestrat-

ed how this could be palatable to both sides and survive. It was always boot camp, which everybody experienced. I never took sides. After all these years, I’m still eating. The strip has been through many turmoils —banned by the army, censored by editors, and attacked by special interest groups — but it’s a survivor. Someone said a diamond is just a piece of coal that stuck with the job. To me, the strip is a diamond. I never knew where that first step would take me and there were many rocky times, but a certain amount of fame and fortune was my reward for keeping at it. I don’t even try to be authentic anymore. I’m really writing about people. I’m not writing about the army necessarily. I think that’s why they think it’s so authentic. They recognize the people. I don’t even try to draw a tank that looks like a tank. I’m sure my uniforms are out of kilter. When I see a picture in Soldiers of a soldier the way he is supposed to be dressed, I get a little embarrassed that I haven’t done a little more research. Every now and then I get kind of

{ HI AND LOIS, 1954 – }

{ M R S . F I T Z ’ S F L AT S , 1 9 5 7 – 1 9 7 2 }

{ S A M ’ S S T R I P, 1 9 6 1 – 1 9 6 3 }

{ BONER’S ARK, 1968-2000 }

{ S A M A N D S I L O, 1 9 7 7 – }

{ THE EVERMORES, 1982–1986 }

{ BETTY BOOP AND FELIX, 1984–1988 }

{ G A M I N A N D PAT C H E S , 1 9 8 7 – 1 9 8 8 }

Mort Walker, 1923-2018

frustrated with having to deal with army uniforms and barracks, but at the same time I realize that the real freedom is the fact that I’m drawing human beings. And there’s unlimited depth there — infinite capacity for humor, change, conflict, interplay. I have to keep reminding myself and everybody else that Beetle Bailey is not an army strip. The truth is, it isn’t a military strip. It’s a strip about a bunch of funny guys. They could be policemen, factory workers, college students, whatever. The army is just a convenient setting that everyone understands. The pecking order doesn’t have to be explained, and the role of the poor guy at the bottom of the ladder is a classic everywhere. The main ingredient in humor is the revelation of human nature — its frailties, its reasoning power — and the interrelationships between characters. You can’t have a good story unless you have a conflict. What we do in Hi and Lois is focus on the conflicts between the different family members due to their age differences. You can get a lot of gags out of the way people reason and do things. It’s human nature you’re after.

To create an idea out of thin air, to think of a situation in your mind that becomes a good story line that someone is going to enjoy, is an absolute thrill. You start out with a blank piece of paper, and all of a sudden you’ve got this drawing. I think that’s the way I feel about writing gags. I’m sitting there with a blank piece of paper, I’m thinking of a gag, and I like it very much and I draw it up. That wasn’t there just 10 minutes ago. People are going to be reading that thing maybe for 58 years. Or they’ll be tacking it up on bulletin boards, telling somebody about it, and that’s the thrill of it. This didn’t exist before; now it exists. I’m creating new things every day. It’s fun. I get the biggest kick out of creating gags. It’s one of the things that keeps me working. To put a drawing across, of course, you have to know how to draw in order to put the idea across. I think that if you knew how to draw too well

translation of the word, or something like that. So I try to stay away from that, and have it based on some kind of an activity or a premise that can translate. There, again, I’m just looking for safe material all the time. People like that all over the world. Funny pictures. There’s just no getting away from it; that’s the way to do that.

or loved to draw too much, you might tend to obscure the idea in too much drawing. I will say that I can do better drawing and better work when I’m inspired. But I only say that I can’t count on it, and I can’t wait for it because it might take too long. I like to have my universe with some action in it, some funny pictures. I try to avoid puns because they don’t translate. I’m in 52 countries and if the dialogue in a strip is based on a pun, it’s not going to translate. You’re lost. I’ve noticed a lot of guys do that — the whole joke is a pun, or a mistaken

I avoided controversy or distasteful stuff. You don’t have to have it; nobody even notices that you don’t have it. Nobody ever writes me and says, “How come nobody farts in your strip?” When I got into this business, the taboos were awesome. You couldn’t draw snakes, skunks, dirty socks, alcohol, nudity, divorce, cleavage, toilets — the list went on and on. My big contribution to progress was the navel. Whenever I put one on a girl in a bathing suit, the editors would cut it out of the drawing with a razor blade. One day I visited our syndicate office and I saw a box on the editor’s desk labeled “Beetle Bailey’s Belly Button Box.” In it were piles of little black dots — the offensive navels! Since the editor seemed to enjoy this exercise, I began by giving my girls several navels, with spare ones in the margins. One day I drew Cookie receiving a big shipment of navel oranges, navels all over the place. The editor gave up the battle. Editors will quake and coil or recoil under the pressure of one letter. You get one angry person writing to you, and the editor will write you a letter and say, “Stop this. Don’t do it anymore.” You have to maintain a certain amount of thick hide about that, because everybody is angry about something. And I find that if you try to mollify them, sometimes it just gets worse. I’m not sexist or anything. I’m showing sexist people acting. If you’re going to write a story about a murderer, it doesn’t mean that you’re recommending murder. I’m writing about

Mort Walker, 1923-2018

these dumb people that act that way. I’m making them look ridiculous. I think that there will always be a place for newspapers. Maybe not three or four newspapers in one city, but I don’t see any substitute for the local high school’s football team scores, or what’s going on at the church, or what the theaters are playing. I just don’t think you can supply all that information over the Internet. I like to sit there with my newspaper in the morning,

Mort Walker, 1923-2018

take it to the bathroom with me, come back and have my coffee, and skip what I don’t want to read about. I always read the paper with my scissors. I almost always find something to cut out. I don’t think the Internet is going to be the same. I think people are going to always come back to newspapers. Maybe it’s not going to be as big a circulation as they’ve had, but I think we’ll always need newspapers. I’m not after the Pulitzer Prize — I’m after the bulletinboard prize. That’s where I want my strips to appear. I want people to tape them to the cash register, put them on the bulletin board, cut them out and send them to their friends. That’s what I’m after. I don’t consider myself an artist. In other words, I don’t wear a beret or live in a garret or anything like that, and I don’t get off on ethereal thoughts and that line of thought as an artist might. I work nine to five everyday. I treat it like a business in the respect that I work while I’m at the desk. I quit at five, right on the dot usually, and my workday is over. I feel like I’ve had a good day when I end up with a full wastebasket. There’s always a tendency to be a little pompous and wise, and try to get wisdom in your strip, that kind of thing. Every now and then I try to remember the advice that Ernie Bushmiller gave me. It was “dumb it down, dumb it down.”

It seems fairly obvious to me that a good comic strip should have a strong main recognizable character with a warm, friendly personality. He should be a friend that you pick up to read about everyday in the paper. I think sometimes it may be a little difficult to achieve this, but it’s fairly obvious that everyone doing a comic strip should work for it. You should create a likable character doing funny things. I think a strip needs a single personality implanted on it, a single direction.

It’s like creating another human being. It needs a single set of genes to make it the unique person it is. A committee can’t design a human being anymore than it can a comic strip. Who knows where ideas come from. I read, listen, sketch, think. When James Thurber’s wife admonished him for staring off into space at a dinner party, “James! You’re writing again.” I identified. I’m always writing, even when I’m sleeping. I think humor is God’s greatest gift to man. Humor saves us from so many lousy situations and disappointments. It makes reality palatable. Humor is

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When I joined the NCS in 1950 I was twenty-seven, and almost all the other members were old established cartoonists I’d read during my childhood. We had monthly meetings. I remember meetings where less than a dozen guys would show up and all we did was sit around and drink and tell stories. The old founders took turns being president. There weren’t any elections. They’d just say, “It’s your turn, Otto [Soglow].” All the work was done by our secretary, Marge Devine. The president would just show up and Marge would hand him the agenda and tell him what to say. One evening I was at home feeding one of my babies when the phone rang. It was Rube Goldberg. They wanted me to be the next president. I told them I couldn’t possibly do it. I had three little children under four years old and two comic strips. I was frantically busy. Rube said, “Here, Milton Caniff wants to talk to you.” They kept passing the phone to the next guy until I gave in. Once I became president I decided to organize the society the way I felt it should be. I had an agenda for the board meetings. I built up the membership and had name tags. I had exhibits and shop talks at every meeting. I became the youngest president NCS ever had. That’s when all the barbs started. Russell Patterson got up and said, “This is the worst administration we’ve ever had!” I was standing right there next to him, you know, and hearing myself belittled like that. That’s because he would come in and he wouldn’t wear a name tag. I had expanded the society because it started, when I got in there were only about 30 guys, I said, “Well, wait a minute, there’s a lot of cartoonists …” I don’t know how well the oldtimers liked it. They were used to their easygoing routine, but I wanted us to be more professional.

sanity, the fearful truth. It strips pomposity to the bone and shakes out the sham. We make friends with laughter.

Humor is used by politicians, ministers, and corporate leaders to win over their audience. I’m not suggesting that cartoonists are doing a public service when they draw their strips, but it’s a hell of a lot better bringing joy to the world than collecting taxes. Humor is a sense of honesty. What you’re trying to do with humor is expose honesty things. You try to get at the truth. When you can reveal the truth, then you’re successful with humor.

I think I’ve always given a lot of employment to people, started a lot of careers. I’ve tried to give advice to anyone who’s asked. I’ve fought for cartoonists’ rights. I don’t know why I should worry so much about what other people think of me. I suppose sometimes I think too much about it. I just like to be liked, a likeable guy who wants to be liked.

The importance of cartooning is that it can do things that art and photography can’t do. Personally, I don’t feel art training is necessary to be a cartoonist — it could even be harmful. Can you imagine an artist trained in anatomy being able to draw an arm like Popeye’s or a mouse like Mickey? There has been a lot of non-art that has come up in the past few years. Some of the people seem to take a great deal of pride in not being able to draw, as though that’s a talent. I look back and I think, “What if Walt Disney had stopped with Steamboat Willie?” There are other ideas, other contributions you can make. Who can possibly tell what can come out of a person if you give him encouragement and an opportunity to work? One thing I worry about is that

there’s possibly a sense of jealousy among other people that I’m filling up the comics pages, taking up space that they would like to fill, trying to hog it all — something like that. I don’t know what to say to those people. But

Although other careers might have made me far richer, I never regretted my choice to pursue cartooning. My life has been full and fun and exciting every day that I sit down to “work” — without the stress that other jobs have. I “commute” to a room in my home, sit down, and draw funny pictures, and they send me money and give me awards. I’m also glad that my work has made other people happy and won me friends around the world. I can’t think of a better way to live.

Comics, from Page 6 was for single panel gags, and even after she became syndicated with Tina’s Groove, she continued to work on single panel pieces on the side. “I simply could not let it go.”

had been published online through the GoComics platform.

ebruary 3 marked the last appearance of Bud Grace’s Piranha Club. The strip, begun as Ernie 30 years ago, was noted for its cast of “wackos, misfits, well-meaning he beginning of the year saw a screwballs, incompetent scoundrels refresh for Dan Piraro’s Bizarand a long list of surreal and anthroro, as Wayno began drawing pomorphic oddballs” — with even an the Monday-through-Saturday occasional appearance by the artist, panels, with Dan still producing the who may or may not fit into one of Sunday page. those categories. January marked 33 years of the fea“When I started in the business 40 ture, an anniversary that Dan noted years ago, I believed the key to sucon his blog. cess was being funny,” Bud wrote The “That’s over 12,000 cartoons. Cartoon!st. “At the beginning I drew Writing and drawing that many gags magazine cartoons. The good thing consistently over time is every bit as was that you could target your humor challenging as you might imagine,” for the readership of a particular perithe Reuben Award winner wrote. odical. There was Playboy humor, sci“Somehow, though, I managed to ence humor, Lampoon humor, Ladies’ make my deadlines through illnesses, Day humor, children’s humor and so the deaths of loved ones, two divorcforth. As Sam Gross used to say, ‘I try es, several moves, and the loss of my very hard to be funny.’” favorite sunglasses back in ’92.” “It turns out that newspapers are “All those years, through good different from magazines. Ladies who times and bad, I told myself that read The Saturday Evening Post do not one day I would retire and become a read Playboy. But all types of people painter.” (except young people these days) read On Jan. 1, Dan’s newspapers. Good long-time friend humor is like good ‘I was thrown out of Wayno began drawliterature. There is a lot of newspapers ing the dailies. He an antagonist and and Wayno previa protagonist, a during my thirty years ously collaborated winner and a loser. of syndication, but I on some 150 gags Many people who over the years, and identify with, or find was never thrown out Wayno handled some connection because I wasn’t funny.’ with the loser don’t two separate weeks of Bizarro as a like it. Many people —Bud Grace “guest cartoonist.” who identify with “Some of the gags will be his, some the segment of society being parodied, mine, and some will be collaborations don’t like it.” between us but he’ll be handling the “How many comics strips can make finished product that you’ll see online you laugh out loud consistently? Not and in the newspapers,” Dan wrote. many, I’ll wager. This is partly because “It’s overwhelming, particularly some cartoonists don’t know how to when I think about how widely write jokes, but more probably because Bizarro is distributed,” Wayno told they don’t want to lose their jobs. I Pittsburgh’s Tribune-Review. “Dan and was thrown out of a lot of newspapers I have nearly identical comic sensibiliduring my thirty years of syndication, ties, which enables us to bounce ideas but I was never thrown out because I and details back and forth to edit and wasn’t funny.” refine the work. We both want each cartoon to be as good as we can make s noted in the last edition of it, so our process is highly collaboraThe Cartoon!st, Eric Reaves, tive, not to mention fun.” after having drawn Hi and Wayno, who is also chair of the Lois for the past eight years, Pittsburgh chapter of the NCS, ended is finally able to add a signature for his his own Waynovision comic, which efforts.

“After 17 years of drawing Garfield and now 8 years of drawing Hi and Lois, I am no longer a ‘ghost!’” he writes. “I am so grateful to Chance Browne for allowing me the opportunity to sign the work that I lovingly pour myself into each day. It’s really cool to be able to draw a comic strip for a living, but creating one that was first drawn by one of the greatest comic artists of all time, Dik Browne — are you kidding? That’s simply amazing!” “If ever I feel a little too proud all I have to do is glance through the archives of Dik’s work. It is both a humbling and inspiring thrill. I feel I’ve gotten better and better each year since I started drawing the strip — but then I peruse some of Dik’s work and realize it’s a long way to greatness.” “Hopefully, I can be to a younger generation of artists what Dik Browne has been to me. Dik won the Reuben in 1963; that was two years before I was born. If I could win the Reuben two years before the next guy to draw it is born that would be beyond awesome — lol!” “I want to pay homage to the entire Hi and Lois team: Mort Walker and Dik Browne for creating such an enduring family comic, Brian and Greg Walker for continuing their father’s legacy with funny, timely copy, and Chance for entrusting me with drawing these wonderful characters that I’ve grown to know so well.”

fter 22 years, Nancy cartoonist Guy Gilchrist has stepped away from the strip to concentrate on creating animated television shows, movies and perhaps a Broadway play inspired by characters he’s worked on for nearly five decades. “It’s a very, very strange thing,” he told the Tennessean. “I’m being pulled into television and all of that, and I’m leaving the strip. It’s very, very odd.” The finale for the feature appeared Feb. 18, a Sunday page that united Aunt Fritzi and her boyfriend, Phil, in holy matrimony. Gilchrist told the newspaper he got inspired to do more with TV and movies when he created a character, “Little Dolly,” for a series of children’s songlyric videos for Dolly Parton. Since then, he and a friend have written several songs for a possible Broadway production.

B ob After years at newspapers, finds himself in the money Rich In a career that’s spanned more than 35 years, Bob Rich has been an multiple-award-winning editorial cartoonist, illustrator, art director and graphic artist for newspapers in Connecticut, Massachusetts and Tennessee. While he may still work in pen and ink, his cartoons now appear online, as the in-house cartoonist for Hedgeye, a Stamford, Conn., investment research and financial-media company. Fellow NCSer Tom Stemmle recently talked to the three-time Reuben Award category winner about drawing macro economics, Krazy Kat, and his three-hour commute to the office.

From print to pixel

Tom Stemmle: Bob, you have a wonderful new job these days. You are the financial cartoonist for Hedgeye, a Stamford financial firm, and you’ve been there since 2014. How’d that happen? Bob Rich: I was working for a paper up in Springfield, Massachusetts. They were having a buyout, and I decided it was probably time. So I started looking online for freelance or even staff positions. In my search this ad popped up where this company that did research and analysis for institutional investors and hedge funds was looking for a cartoonist to

draw cartoons on financial subjects. At first I wasn’t sure I was interested, but the ad kept popping up, and I decided it wouldn’t hurt to apply. I sent some samples in, had a callback and interviews and the next thing I know is that I’m doing a daily cartoon on macro economic themes. After you sent the samples in, how long did it take for the phone to ring? Not very long. My immediate boss had thought that they probably would have a hard time finding anybody. It’s such

an esoteric, niche type of subject matter for a cartoonist. Cartoonists are artists — what do cartoonists know about finance? When you went in for the interview they knew you came from an editorial position. As you said you didn’t know anything about finance — that sort of fish out of water aspect about it. What did they do to see if in fact you could be that person? One of the things they did before the interview was that they wanted to see what I could do with the type of subject matter they had, so they sent me an

analysis piece. Actually they sent me several pieces. They wanted me to do an illustration for one of them; I ended up doing two over a weekend. I wasn’t real sure how happy I was but they seemed to like it very much, and called me in for the interview.

Editorial and illustration samples from Bob’s newspaper days.

You did a finish? Yes. About the same size that you’d worked in? Originally when I started working there, there weren’t any size limitations. But it appears online and they’ve since decided that they want a certain ratio to fit the template. It has to meet that criteria to fit a particular area. And so you went in for the interview. When I went in I still wasn’t 100 percent convinced that I was a good fit, which took a lot of pressure off me. I was like well, let’s see how this goes; I didn’t have many expectations. But I was very impressed with them. I think I talked to about 14 people, but I was really at ease. Later, I was told one of the sector heads was asked what he thought about the interview. He said that I was the best cartoonist he’d ever interviewed, only to be reminded that I was the only cartoonist he’d ever interviewed. (Laughter) What they were able to see was your expertise at the metaphor, which was exactly what you were doing in your editorial cartoons. But you’ve had a long career, both in illustration and editorial, which began in Knoxville in 1979. Well it began in the upper peninsula of Michigan, where I was born. We moved around a lot as my father was in sales but my formative years were in Ohio. I always liked doing art. Growing up there, though, I didn’t know any artists; I didn’t know any cartoonists for sure. So cartooning wasn’t really on my radar.

You knew that cartooning was a viable way of doing art. Well I knew there were people who did it and I thought it was wonderful but the idea of doing it for a living was something that didn’t enter my mind. While I was in high school there was an art director in Dayton who was offering art

lessons. So I signed up and he gave me a good foundation and introduction to art. It was something I enjoyed, but after high school I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do and went off to college at Ohio University. What was your major? I was in general studies; I didn’t know what I wanted to do. At the end of my freshman year I decided to take some art courses. I wanted to take a little more advanced class, but I had to take an art appreciation course — the basics. The basics were just a little too basic. I was still always drawing, cartooning, and I had some friends who thought I should be a cartoonist. But it was still outside the realm of possibility that could be you. Yeah, the suggestion that I should do this didn’t describe anybody in the reality that I knew. And then there was

an exhibition of Krazy Kat cartoons that happened to be on campus. And I was like, “Whoa!” The first introduction to original cartoon art and it’s George Herriman. Boom. And so I decided I wanted to major in art. I was still in the basic ones, though, and I wanted more. I got frustrated and ending up dropping out.

Looking back at my samples I’m not sure what they saw, but they seemed to like them and the next thing I know is that I am a staff artist there. I was a one-man art department, but it was a great learning opportunity. I was doing everything. I like to quip how they had me doing lots of maps and charts. When I interviewed I told them I wanted a job like Jeff MacNelly, but they thought I said Rand McNally. (Laughter)

And then? And then I had a period of unemployment. Through some friends in Knoxville I heard they had an opening at the Knoxville Journal, and I got hired. Unfortunately, they were pulling out of a joint operating agreement. They thought they were gong to be viable, but their finances went south. I had started The rudder is still not in the right direcColumbus Day, and they ceased publication. tion New Year’s Eve. A very short time, I got a factory job. It’s nothing like a but again it was a good learning curve. job that you hate to focus your attention. But still no editorial cartoons. Macintosh computers were starting to I reconnected with that art director in Yeah, and I really wanted to draw be used in the newsroom and I built up Dayton and he told me about a commereditorial cartoons. An opening appeared my skills. We hadn’t sold our house in cial art technology program at the local at the New Haven Register in ’82. I applied Connecticut, so on Christmas Eve they community college. So I started driving but didn’t hear anything for the longest told me to just go back home and enjoy down to Dayton, which was about 30 time. But then I got called in and the the holiday. Not too long after I got back miles away. In the mid-1970s, there was next thing I know I find myself the editoI found out there was an opening at what an exhibit in Dayton of original editorial rial cartoonist for them. was then called the Bridgeport Post, later cartoons about Watergate, and I went the Connecticut Post. Now that I had the several times to see it. My formative years So there you are. You’re confident in your computer skills plus my other newspaincluded Johnson, Nixon, 1968, the own abilities and you proved yourself right per experience I was able to get a staff assassination of Bobby Kennedy — they off the bat, yes? artist position. [Longtime NCS member] were very turbulent times. So the idea of Well, yeah, there was a learning curve Gill Fox was doing one or two editorial being part of a dialogue — the political (laughter). There were times of, “What cartoons a week and they had the other give and take — I found really appealhave I gotten myself into?” But I was days open so I also did editorial cartoons. ing. It was a time that was very easy to young, I was enthusiastic. Eventually they made me art director, have strong opinions. During this period with a staff of three other artists. And I I started freelancing was doing three or four doing yellow pages ads. editorial cartoons per So suddenly I’m doing week; Gill was doing artwork, all day long, the Sunday ones. So I and I’m getting paid. was there until 2001, and I found myself So what was your job hunting again. I editorial cartoon intro? was out of work for I was trying to juggle quite a while, but I going to school, workwas getting freelance ing — and then dating jobs, freelance editorial Gloria. We got engaged, cartoons. That kept me and then married. I was going. Then I heard doing some grocery about a job opening in ads, when we saw Bob Springfield, MassachuEnglehart, who was in setts. So I applied and Dayton at The Journal interviewed, and then Herald, on TV and didn’t hear anything. Gloria suggested that I Didn’t hear anything. call l him up and show Then I get a call just him some cartoons. I before Christmas — A pair of Bob’s comic strip attempts: Balloon & Daisy (top) and Swashbuckle. screwed up my courage to see if I could talk This was 2001? to him, and he was the first cartoonist How long do you think it took for you to This was 2001. A call wanting to know I met. He was very encouraging, and I hit your stride? if I was still interested in the job. Shortly decided I wanted to work at a newspaper. It was one of those things where you after the first of the year I get a call I sent my samples around to newspapers have your good days and it’s like, “Oh that they now had a hiring freeze, and in Ohio, and a couple of the papers were yeah, I know what I’m doing.” And then wouldn’t be able to fill the position for owned by Scripps-Howard. My samples bad days where it’s, “I’ve bitten off more five or six months. So again I’m freelancfound their way down to their corporate than I can chew.” ing and scraping by. headquarters in Cincinnati, and the Knoxville News-Sentinel was looking for You were there until . . . You were not just freelancing editorial a cartoonist. An illustrator. A staff artist. 1990. cartoons, you were doing —

Whatever I could find, yeah. Magazine things and other stuff. About six months later they wanted to know if I was still interested. And I said, “When do I start?” Living in southern Connecticut it was a good hour-and-a-half drive up to work. They hired me as an illustrator. One of the things I enjoyed about that job was that I usually had a little more time to work on an illustration. I had time to experiment. I wasn’t tied down to a single style. I would also do an occasional editorial cartoon, but that wasn’t something high on their priority list. Did they have an in-house editorial cartoonist? No. But I was having a lot of fun playing around, seeing how far I could push things. You know, everyone at a newspaper is really busy, and once they figure out they can trust you then they don’t have to worry about you. I was given a lot of freedom. There’s no pressure. You know what your limits are, which are limitless if you’re given the go-ahead. For a lot of the more experimental things I usually had a back-up plan. If there was an epic fail I could go to plan B so we’ve got something usable. Something you could knock out. Yeah, once you reach a certain level you know you can create something that’s going to be passable. My son went to art school. I think one of the more sage pieces of advice I gave him was to pick the piece of art you’re most proud of. And that’s your bar. Once you do something better, that’s the new bar. You want to come as close to that every single time. Hopefully you want to surpass it. You know that’s the level you’re capable of; that’s what you expect from yourself.

paper wasn’t paying for it. And then I’m nominated, so I gotta go. I was thrilled. And I’m there and I’m meeting all these heroes of mine — and I’m a member of the club. And lo and behold, I actually won. I was in shock I got nominated, and then that happened. You’re at the paper until 2013, and in that time you not only won that one but two other newspaper illustration awards. Yeah. All told I had like 5 nominations.

While you were at that paper, you joined the NCS, and some nice things began to happen. It was interesting. I’d been to a number of chapter meetings but I wasn’t a member. While I was in Bridgeport, Gill got me connected in going to chapter meetings.

You meet all these wonderful people every year at the Reubens. There’s that wonderful camaraderie that makes you wonder if other organizations get the same. I’ve been a member of other organizations, and in the NCS you’re more likely to get a hug than a handshake.

And in 2003 you win your first Silver Reuben, the category award for newspaper illustration. It was the first time I’d entered the competition. At first I wasn’t planning on going, as I was still kind of new and the

You won also won in ’05, you won in ’11 and you’re with the newspaper until 2013. What happened? By that point, out of the original four artists in the art department it was just me.

Budget constrictions? Budget constrictions, people had left and positions not filled. Layoffs. In previous years, when I prepared for the Reubens, I’d whittle down my body of work to the 12 that I felt were the strongest. By the end there, it was like, do I even have 12 pieces to send in? I was doing less and less illustration. I hadn’t gone through all the things in my career to not do cartoons. But it comes to an end there. They offered a buyout, and were encouraging people to really consider it. I wasn’t doing that much art anymore — which is why I was there to begin with. Were you doing layouts or other things without the creative angle? Oh, yeah. Some of the layout and charts and things — some of that stuff they could have gotten a copy clerk to do if they’d had any copy clerks left to do it. It was just the direction the newspaper business had been going. They weren’t any more happy about it than I was. I

Recent cartoons from Hedgeye

right there. I had a couple economic courses in college. I understodd some of the basics, but these are Ivy-League-educated guys deep into economics. But they’re so good at explaining it that even I could understand this stuff. They do research and analysis — they don’t handle the money. They do the analysis pieces that people who do invest find very useful. Where my work starts is with their morning newsletter. This goes to — Subscribers. There are different products that Hedgeye has that you can subscribe to. One of them is that morning one. There might be certain economic themes that they might be talking about that day. This is the morning cup of coffee for people. It’s very concise. That starts the juices flowing and gives me an insight. And then they have a morning program called the Macro Show, where they’ll have analysts talking about the top three things, or go into a deeper dive on some aspect. They try and make it as objective as possible — they’re just really into crunching numbers. And that can be a little dry at times, which is one of the reasons they wanted a cartoonist, to make it a little more approachable.

really just wanted to get back to doing more artwork. At the newspapers where you’d worked, were you expected to conform to the paper’s editorial slant — even if it might not have been your own? Or were you lucky enough to work where everyone’s views nicely lined up? I had to tow the newspaper’s editorial line but would find areas where we overlapped. We may not have totally agreed on a subject but there was usually some aspect of a subject where we could find some common ground. There were also several excellent editorial page editors who I worked with who made the process easier. You also made some effort to syndicate a comic strip. I tried a number of comic strips. The first one, Chips and Fish, was a collaboration with my friend Charlie Daniel, editorial cartoonist at the Knoxville NewsSentinel. There were several other ideas I came up with that, looking back, weren’t the greatest (laughter). I had one called

Swashbuckle, which didn’t go anywhere, but after a few years I dusted off and revamped. That came close to being syndicated; it had some potential. But it would have been a 10-year contract. Unfortunately at the time, I was doing editorial cartoons and art directing and had a full plate. The strip itself was pretty labor intensive, and unless it made it big enough that I could quit my day job it was going to kill me. It was something I really wanted. I believed in the strip, and only if I’d had a less crazy day job I definitely would have signed on. Returning to this decade, you’d left the paper and as you said you kept seeing this one ad popping up from a place that had nothing to do with newspapers. It wasn’t a newspaper; it wasn’t a magazine. I didn’t know anything about this. But it dawned upon me that I had nothing to lose. They were looking for a cartoonist to do cartoons on macro economics. Which is really a foreign phrase to me

Before you sit down to work, tell us about the schedule you have. In the beginning you went by train. I actually took it from another town over. So I had to drive over there, and hop on a train. Two-hour train ride to Stamford, and then a shuttle to their office on the other end of town. About a three-hour commute, one way. I would usually leave the house before 5, and get home about 7:30. Long day. I really needed to be there to get up to speed, and they wanted to keep an eye on me. After a while, once they got comfortable with me my boss said that I didn’t need to come in every day. So I came in three days a week. Then two days. Then one. It’s such a long commute. If you’re trying to draw, a moving train is not the place to do artwork. I found that by working at home I could spend more hours on what they needed and still have time for myself. When they do need me in the office, though,

The commute has gotten much easier. I commute in from the bedroom to the living room. I get my coffee and a little breakfast. I listen to their morning analysis and take notes, trying to spin up some ideas. I’m creating a daily cartoon, plus cartoons for some of their analysis pieces. Once I get six or eight thumbnails I scan those and send them to the guys on the media team. Since they have a greater understanding of the subject matter I rely on their guidance on whether I’m on track or not. Every once in a while they’ll feed me an idea. When I was doing editorial cartoons I never accepted other people’s ideas; It was my opinion. It’s your byline. Yeah. But with Hedgeye, their depth of knowledge about their work is much greater than mine so I will bow to them, as far as the facts of it. As far as conveying those facts in a visual form they give me lots of leeway. It’s a mutual respect. So everything is set. You have the idea for the day — I’ve sent the roughs, usually between 9:30 and 10. And they’ll come back with well, we like these, or we don’t like this one. Every once in a while they’ll ask me to focus on different subject matter. And every once in a while they’ll have an idea they like. If we all agree I’ll be well, OK. When I do the cartoon I’ll sign it, but I’ll also include the initials of whoever gave me the idea. At Hedgeye, what’s their take on commenting directly on how politics and politicians influence — for better or worse — the financial markets? Hedgeye is generally agnostic when it comes to politics, focusing mostly on how the markets will react rather than if a piece of legislation is good or bad in their opinion. Unless it has a direct impact — such as interest rate hikes. The interest being in a broader macro economic view and how things fit in relation to other economic factors and where we are in the economic cycle.

What type of materials are you using? Strathmore smooth bristol, mechanical pencil. Ink with Rapidiograph. I have a certain dimension — 8 inches by 4-anda-half. I use that size because it fits on my scanner well (laughter). Depending on the deadline and how well the drawing is

going I generally hand-letter. I also have a font on the computer of my hand-lettering that I’ll use if there’s a large amount of text or if I’m running late. And then I’ll use Photoshop and color it.

of your comfort zone, and it’s like, “Yeah, this works.” Or it’s, “Oh man, that was a mistake.” Speaking of mistakes, if you had to do it over again . . .? There are probably a few things I would have done differently. Not more focused, but better focused. I’ve been extremely lucky in my career. There’s talent and there’s hard work. I always say that people who become professional artists tend not to know when to quit. A sane person would have gone off and done something else earlier. But there’s a certain amount of luck involved. You need a bit of all that rolled in together — the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.

I’ve kidded you for years, calling you king of the crosshatchers, the tight crosshatch, the loose crosshatch. But did you ever go with another technique, like using any screens? I tried screens early, early on when I was in Knoxville. It was just one of those things where crosshatching just seemed to work. As you develop, you’re influenced by other cartoonists, but you find the things that are natural to you, that feel right, and you build upon that. Every once in a while you try to get out

Fun ’n Games Cartoonist — and professional puzzle maker — Patrick Merrell has written a pack of 20 small, easy “Comics & Superheroes” puzzles for the New York Times crossword app, which includes references to comic strips, cartoon shows, and more. Patrick writes that on average, one third of each puzzle’s content is cartoon-related. Comics & Superheroes midi pack (1 of 20) by Patrick Merrell 1 5 8 11 12 13 14 16 19 21 22 25

26 27

ACROSS ___ Ant (TV cartoon superhero) Dress's edge Tess ___, Dick Tracy's love interest Former late-night host who sounds like a literary superhero Advice-giving Landers Bone that's part of a "cage" Ticket taker's giveback Source of contraband cigars "The Simpsons" bartender "Viva le ___!" Accompanier of a Bazooka Joe comic Title for Schwarzenegger in "The Simpsons Movie" What Marcie calls Peppermint Patty in "Peanuts" "Should I come over, ___ you want to be alone?"

5 9

11 13

12 15

14 19 22

16 21

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DOWN 1 Muscleman Charles in vintage comic book ads 2 River of Nottingham, England 3 Exceed in quantity 4 Queens baseball player 5 Favorite food of J. Wellington Wimpy in “Popeye” 6 The Golden Age of Comic Books, e.g. (1938-1950s) 7 Riser in the Rockies: Abbr.

From the New York Times crossword app

I’m there.

9 That woman 10 Cartman of “South Park" 15 Sponge and Sideshow followers, in animated TV 17 "... able to leap tall buildings in a single ___" 18 "We ___ please" 20 Quarterback Manning 22 Some gas stations 23 Supposed mentalist Geller 24 Tokyo's former name

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Richard Pietrzyk sends along some copies from the sketchbooks of the late Dick Locher. Even though Locher was busy enough with his day job — Dick Tracy and editorial cartoons for the Chicago Tribune — Richard said that Dick would begin a yearly sketchbook every January. “It was a way for him to relax,” Richard said.

On exhibit n The Contemporary Jewish Museum in San Francisco is showing “The Art of Rube Goldberg,” an exhibit organized by Rube’s granddaughter, Jennifer George. The exhibit displays the progression of the San Francisco-born cartoonist’s talents over his 72-year career, and includes never-before-exhibited original drawings, rare photos, letters, personal interviews, films, Goldberg family memorabilia plus a wealth of other material on display. The exhibit highlights work from Goldberg’s early sketches to more than 30 of his invention cartoons to those that led to his later Pulitzer Prize-winning political cartoons. Through July 8. n The Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum has mounted a pair of exhibits. Satirizing, advertising, and codifying fashion has been a tradition in comic art since the forms’ origins. “Cartoon Couture,” in partnership with the OSU Historic Costume & Textiles Collection, highlights select fads, trends and innovations from the 19th century through the 1970s, pairing examples of the clothing itself with the comic strips, cartoons, paper-dolls, and comic books in which these styles appeared. Also: “Looking Backward, Looking Forward: U.S. Immigration in Cartoons and Comics” explores the topic of U.S. immigration through the lens of the political cartoons, comic strips, comic books and graphic novels that have contributed to the debate about this important issue. From Thomas Nast to Gene Luen Yang, this exhibit looks back on 150 years of cartoon and comics responses to major moments in the American immigration narrative. Both exhibits through April 15. See cartoons.osu.edu. n Now at the Society of Illustrators in New York City: “The Art of MARCH: A Civil Rights Masterpiece” walks visitors through the story of Congressman John Lewis’s 26

experience in the civil rights movement as depicted by MARCH trilogy illustrator Nate Powell. The exhibit of Congressman Lewis’s celebrated, multiple awardwinning graphic novel memoir, co-written with Andrew Aydin, takes visitors on a tour of the movement, illuminating pivotal moments, people and philosophies through the display of more than 150 pieces of original art, interactive materials, and new exhibition essays. The presentation gives a glimpse into how this graphic novel was created, with behind-the-scenes process art and artifacts from Powell’s illustration process. Through June 30. See societyillustrators.org for details. n Original works by women cartoonists and illustrators are featured in a new exhibit at the Library of Congress. Spanning the late 1800s to the present, “Drawn to Purpose: American Women Illustrators and Cartoonists” brings to light remarkable contributions made by women to these art forms. The exhibit features nearly 70 works by 43 artists in two rotations during its run through Oct. 20. Free and open to the public. Among the artists and works drawn from the Library’s collections are Grace Drayton’s red-cheeked Campbell Kids; Lynn Johnston’s For Better or For Worse; Persian Gulf War illustrations by Sue Coe and Frances Jetter; “Mixed Marriage” by New Yorker cartoonist Roz Chast; and work by graphic novelist Raina Telgemeier. The Library has also released an exhibit companion book. Featuring more than 240 illustrations from Library col-

lections, “Drawn to Purpose” provides additional insights into the personal and professional experiences of more than 80 artists. See www.loc.gov. n Among the many things to see and experience at the Charles M. Schulz Museum are a pair of exhibits. “My Favorite Peanuts: Reflections of Family and Friends” takes a look at some beloved characters and strips from a family perspective. All Peanuts fans have a favorite character, storyline, or drawing. In this exhibition of original comic strips, photographs, and memories shared, Jeannie Schulz, the Schulz family children, and some of their close friends reflect on their own favorites and the stories behind them. Through Sept. 16. “AAUGH! The Language of Peanuts” looks at familiar expressions that helped distinguish Peanuts from other cartoons, including such phrases as “Good Grief!” “Rats!” and “AAUGH!” in more than 70 comic strips. “I’m pleased that phrases I have coined have become part of the language,” Schulz once said. Through May 21. See schulzmuseum.org for more. n The University of Texas at Arlington has mounted “Drawn to Politics: The Editorial Art of Etta Hulme,” a small portion of their vast holdings of the work of long-time Fort Worth Star-Telegram editorial cartoonist Etta Hulme (1923 -2014). The exhibit features samples of her work from the 1940s-2000s and provides a look at culture, politics and society. In addition to original artwork, the exhibit features archival materials from Hulme’s collection including correspondence, news clippings, photographs, awards, books and literature about cartooning. Her work garnered her the NCS Silver Reuben Award in both 1982 and 1998.

Chapter News

Washington, D.C.

comic book premiered in September at Small Press Expo and contains eight spooky stories produced by our participating cartoonists. Before we invested in printing, we arLast Oct. 21, we had our 5th annual “Carranged for 10 percent of the proceeds to be toonists Draw Blood” blood drive event with donated to the American Red Cross. We were the American Red all able to sell the books Cross. This year individually through our we had a change tables at conventions, of location, and appearances, online set-up our art supstores, and more. Some plies at Palisades of the art created for the Community Church anthology was exhibited in Washington, D.C. at the “Cartoonists Draw Everything worked Blood” art show at ReCout great during reative Spaces gallery in the Halloween Mount Rainier, Md. Drawing blood in D.C. are Troy-Jeffrey Allen, season with our Thanks to all the Steve Artley, Art Hondros, Joe Sutliff, Carolyn theme and we cartoonists who Belefski and Eric Gordon sketched for blood donated their time and donors as a thank you for their participatalents! If any other chapters are interested tion. AIGA DC reached out to include us in in starting a “Cartoonists Draw Blood” blood their DC Design Week calendar of events, drive with the American Red Cross in their which helped expand awareness to other city, please email me (cartooncarolyn@ like-minded creatives. hotmail.com) and I will try to assist you. I can At the blood drive, we were able to showenvision this becoming a national NCS initiacase our first anthology, Trick or Treat. The tive if there is enough demand. ————— Carolyn Belefski cartooncarolyn@hotmail.com

Florida

————— Nathan Archer nathan@nathanarcher.com Greetings from (mostly) sunny Florida! January not only brought honest-to-God snow to the northern regions of our state, but also marked a transition for our chapter. Mark Simon has stepped down as chapter chair as he prepares for a summer move up to Atlanta. Attempting to fill his shoes will be Tallahassee editorial cartoonist, Nathan Archer. Nathan is excited to continue the strong momentum Mark built during his tenure by hosting more meet-ups, charity events and art shows in 2018. In other news, new Florida chapter member Naomi Franquiz provided the cover artwork for Puerto Rico Strong, an original graphic anthology from publisher Lion Forge. Proceeds from the book, on sale in March, will go to the Disaster Relief and Recovery Programs to

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Staring down the barrel of 2018 and wondering, “How bad can it be?” We may recall a similar inquiry from this time last year. Nevertheless, we trudge onward. While we haven’t heard much from the membership, my guess is that work and hibernation is uppermost on their list of things to do at the moment. The Chapter had our fall meeting last October in Lincoln, Neb. The meeting was well attended by members and the public alike. Reason being, we had some damn good speakers. Fellow North Central members Tom Kerr (freelance cartoonist/illustrator, Omaha) and John Hambrock (The Brilliant Mind of Edison Lee, Kenosha, Wis.) updated us on their current activities with plenty of art to take up those awkward silences that occur from time to time. Our guest artist came to us from New York City. Steve Brodner (freelance cartoonist/illustrator), whose work graces such magazines as The Atlantic, The Economist, The New Yorker and The Village Voice, captivated the crowd with

Host Genevieve Randall with Mike Edholm, Paul Fell, and Tom Kerr on Friday Live. his award-winning art. He was surprised to find Nebraska as up-to-date as it is. “I’ve never really been here before, but I want to come back. What a great place,” he told me

as we drove to the airport. Perhaps he was surprised to find that we actually have an airport and no covered wagons. Well, not as many as we used to have. In promoting the fall meeting, Paul Fell, Tom Kerr and I managed to make an appearance on a Back row, from left: morning arts show, Mike Worley, Bucky Friday Live, on NET Jones, Ken Alvine, John Radio. Our host, Hambrock, Tom Kerr, Genevieve Randall Scott Holmes, Paul Trap, made us feel right Steve Brodner and Hecat home, allowing tor Curriel. Front: Cedric Tom and Paul to wax Hohnstadt, Kelly McNutt, poetic about their Ann Hambrock, Paul Fell activities and the and Mike Edholm. meeting. I just sat there like a bump on a log. Safer that way. Once the crowd checks in I will have more to report. But for now, those of you in the snowy climates, hunker down and keep that firewood dry. Those in warmer climates, Call me next time! I’ll carry your bags. Keep those ink wells full.

NCS members living in an area served by a regional chapter should contact the chairman, or contact national representative Maria Scrivan at maria@mariascrivan.com. Chairmen, please send news, photos, artwork and information about your chapter to The Cartoon!st, in care of Frank Pauer, 53 Beverly Place, Dayton, OH 45419, or fpauer1@udayton.edu. Deadline for the next issue is April 23.

Northern California ————— Andrew Farago gallery@cartoonart.org

The Northern California NCS held its holiday party at the newly-reopened Cartoon Art Museum in San Francisco. Members Andrew Farago, Norm Felchle, Shaenon Garrity, Jonathan Lemon and Chuck Whelon were in attendance to check out exhibitions featuring the graphic novels of Raina Telgemeier, Mike Mignola and Nidhi Chanani, and to celebrate the Cartoon Art Museum’s new Ghirardelli Square location.

Manhattan ————— Ed Steckley ed@edsteckley.com

2017 ended with a bang for the chapter, with our annual holiday bash at the Society of Illustrators on the Upper East Side. That’s always a great way to ring in the hoidays, and I encourage anyone traveling to the Big Apple from out of town during the holidays to try to make it in 2018! 2018 is shaping up slowly but surely. In January we’ve got a trip to the historic MorrisJumel Mansion in Manhattan for a viewing of a Charles Addams retrospective, complete with tacos afterwards! After that, our happy hours will start up again for February, so check out the blog of the Facebook group for all those details. Early in April we’ll be hosting an NCS booth at the Museum of Comic and Cartoon Art (MoCCA) Fest here in the city and, as usual, we encourage any NCS members in town to do some time at the booth. Dates for MoCCA are April 7-8. That’s about it from here. On behalf of the ManhattanNCS chapter, we wish you a happy and healthy 2018!

New Jersey

————— Dan Nakrosis Report by Tom Stemmle

In early December, a few members got together for a rare daytime meeting to talk chapter business and recount the year and upcoming holiday season. On hand was

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Support Puerto Rico, which was founded by the Hispanic Federation to aid those affected by Hurricane Maria. Naomi’s work appears in BOOM! Studios’ Misfit City and has been featured in Image Comics’ Bitch Planet.

Connecticut

————— Maria Scrivan maria@mariascrivan.com Report by BIll Janocha For two consecutive evenings in December, lectures by the authors of important new books took place in Connecticut and New York City. On Dec. 12, Vanity Fair’s Editor Cullen Murphy spoke about his biography Cartoon County of his late father John (Big Ben Bolt, Prince Valiant) and of the community of Fairfield County cartoonists that resided and worked during the mid-tolate century. This fine book was well-highlighted in the Sept-Oct. issue of The Cartoonist. The event was appropriately held in his hometown at The Greenwich (Conn.) In Cartoon County are Bill Janocha, Bob McGinnis, Greg Walker, Library and sponsored by Mort Walker, Cullen Murphy, Chance Browne, Neal Walker, Gail Diane’s Books. An hour of Dumas and Tim Dumas. discussion, slides and Q&A was highlighted when Mort Walker, an understandably significant figure in the book, was able to answer Cullen on questions and details, having experienced them decades ago. A signing and informal reception followed, with NCS members — in addition to Mort — Chance Browne, Tom Gammill, Bill Janocha, Sean Kelly, and Greg and Neal At the Society of Illustrators, Walker. Also attending was Nancy fans included Bill and Mary Society of Illustrator Hall Janocha, Jim Carlsson, Patrick of Fame illustrator Bob McDonnell, Tom Gammill, Mo WilMcGinnis, who created Dell lems and Karen McConnell. Far paperback covers, magazine left: Newgarden; left: Karasik illustrations and iconic 1960s movie posters including the early Sean Connery Bond films. On the 13th, the setting was The Society of Illustrators in NYC as authors/cartoonists Paul Karasik and Mark Newgarden spoke on their acclaimed book How to Read Nancy – The Elements of Comics in Three Easy Panels. The tome is a detailed account of the life and career of Ernie Bushmiller plus an extensive analysis of his specific method of conceiving and composing classic gag strips, microcentering and dissecting one particular daily from 1959. Moderated by Karen Green of Columbia University, after the discussion, slides and even rare Bushmiller video, the special guest of the evening was Jim Carlsson, Bushmiller’s neighbor, friend and in later years, manager of affairs. Jim commanded the stage with his first-hand experiences with Ernie. A sumptuous dinner was provided while attendees could enjoy an extensive exhibit of contemporary children’s book illustration. Lucky NCS’ers included Tom Gammill, Bill Janocha, Sean Kelly, Patrick McDonnell, Tom Stemmle and Mo Willems. I personally recommend you seek out and read both of these important new books of classic comic strip scholarship.

Chapter chair Dan Nakrosis, along with Tom Stemmle, Ken Branch and chapter friends Jay Wecht and Marc McKenzie. The venue was in Mountainside at Famous Dave’s, a BBQ known for its “pit-smoked” ribs. We were very

aware that a decade-plus ago, this establishment was the regular home for “The Monthly Munchers” when it housed the now defunct Steak & Ale eatery. We couldn’t help but conjure up the nostalgic atmosphere, and toast

to the great memories of dining with the likes of cartoon greats such as Harry Devlin, Kevin McVey, Frank Evers, Jerry Buckley and Joe Kubert. Also joining us in those days were great cartoonists who are still very much among us: Hy Eisman, Howard Bender, Jose Delbo, and Bill Hogan, just to name a few. Dan Nakrosis graced the get-together with the second printing of his new, very popular, and very unique coloring book, D K Zombify Rock and Roll Zombie Coloring Book. The book features 36 drawings of rock and roll greats including: John Lennon, Elvis Presley, Jim Morrison, Jerry Garcia and Prince, plus dozens more. The book has sold quickly at many Cons where Dan has plied his trade of “Zombifing” brave people who come to his booth. His custom portraits of horror sell in the $35 range, and Dan augments his Con work with additional sales from his internet business. Many have had portraits done for birthdays, engagements and wedding gifts. Anyone interested in glomming onto a spooky drawing or spooky portrait drawing can go to Dan’s site for all particulars: www.dkzombify.com. With the combined nostalgic atmosphere, filled with memorializing the past and enjoying cartoons of Zombies, we were all glad we could finally leave the meeting in the daylight with a cold, but clear outdoors and a more upbeat mood!

Long Island

————— Adrian Sinnott 631-547-0778 The Fall here on Long Island started with the sad news that Susanne Eppner DuQuette, the wife of Steve DuQuette, passed away on Sept. 11. At this past June’s Bunny Bash, it was our privilege to give Susanne a well-deserved BTG “Spouse” award. Steve said that it had brought a big smile to her face when he brought it home to her. On Sept. 23, Andy Eng and Marty Macaluso represented the NCS and the Berndt Toast Gang at the annual St. Jude Walk/Run to End Childhood Cancer — Andy and Marty used their caricature talents to add to the outpouring of support for this deserving cause. Ron MacCloskey, curator of a traveling Frankenstein artwork exhibition, invited us all to see his collection of Frankenstein and Boris Karloff art at the Cinema Arts Center in Huntington in October. The reception was our favorite kind — free! — with a number of our members included in the exhibition. The reception was followed by a showing of the

The Gang gathers for its November lunch. 1935 film The Bride of Frankenstein, and then a talk with Ron. I brought along the students from one of my classes to view the exhibition and they were treated to a special Q&A on cartooning Sandy Kossin acccepts the “Toast and Howard Beckerman and Doris before the movie Gielly” award from Joe Giella. Polansky with Ray Alma, Bunny chives. In addition to the Hoest, Arnie exhibition, the museum Levin and John held a gala dinner, the Reiner. Some Heckscher Museum of of the Gang Art’s “Celebrate Achieveexhibiting were: ment” benefit to award Arnie Levin, Joe Bunny for her contribuVissichelli, Andy tions to the arts and Eng, Ray Alma culture on Long Island. and me. Rocky Shepard, from George King Features, made the Booth, one of presentation to Bunny the BTG’s noAndy Eng and Marty Macaluso man the table at the nagenarians (I annual St. Jude Walk/Run to End Childhood Cancer. with cheers from the crowd, including had to look that her extended one up), had an exhibition family and assisof just a small part of his tant, John Reiner. life’s work at the Society On Wednesof Illustrator’s MoCCA day, Nov. 1, the gallery. “George Booth – A Cradle of Aviation Cartoonist’s Life” held its museum In opening reception Oct. 27 Garden City, Long and the Society was filled Island, hosted to overflowing. Music was Portrait painter Vivian Goldman with her husthe opening provided by the fabulous, band Mark and longtime member Mel Erikson reception for the Roberta Fabiano, a family annual Association of Amerifriend of the Booth’s, and can Editorial Cartoonists member of the Gang. An Convention. Most events at interview with George the convention were held at appeared on the following nearby Hofstra University. The Sunday’s, “Sunday MornAAEC kindly opened the event ing” on CBS and you can to include NCS members. watch it at: www.cbsnews. Bunny Hoest, John Reiner com/videos/new-yorkerand I enjoyed spending the cartoonist-george-booth. evening with our colleagues Bunny Hoest was and friends while getting a honored by the Heckscher peek at some of Long Island’s Museum in Huntington for Howard Huge and The Lockhorns vibrant aviation history. On her work continuing and toast to a new home. the following Saturday, the expanding her late husUsual Gang of Idiots from MAD Magazine gave band Bill Hoest’s wildly successful work. The a presentation to a crowded room of MAD Lockhorns and Howard Huge were featured fans. The moderator, MAD’s art director Sam in a month-long exhibition at the museum. Viviano, along with panelists executive editor The Heckscher Museum, better known for its John Ficarra, senior editors Joe Raiola and more traditional exhibitions, filled one-third Charlie Kadau, and legendary MAD cartoonist of its space with originals from the Hoest ar-

Al Jaffee made this an event not to be missed. The laughter was mixed with some sadness as this was also a farewell to MAD’s historic New York City presence. The late Jeff Fisher, a commanding presence both physically and artistically, left us two years ago. He was a longtime member of the Society of Illustrators, sponsored by the late BTG member Art Cumings. Jeff, besides his illustration work, ran art classes from a studio in Smithtown. Jeff’s students, who have kept his old studio running, hosted a sketch night at the Cinema Arts Centre in Huntington this past November. Proceeds went to help continue the studio’s mission. December and all its busy events started with a chance of a lifetime! Lunch with Sandy Kossin! Sandy, Society of Illustrators Hall of Fame member and another of the BTG’s nonagenarians was the second recipient of our “Toast and Gielly” award (named after the first-ever recipient, Joe Giella). John Pennisi created this award to thank those really special members of the Gang whose work has inspired thousands. The award, created by the talented, Sierra Torres, fittingly features a hand holding a piece of burnt toast. A crowd gathered at wonderful Ristorante Italiano Toscanini in Port Washington to enjoy his company, and view a slideshow of Sandy’s work. That work encompasses everything from features in LIFE magazine to book covers, movie posters and children’s books. I know I’m not the only one among the Gang whose

love of the art of illustration was inspired by Sandy. If it’s December then it’s time for the Annual Bunny Holiday Concert. Bunny and the Huntington Choral Society had their Winter Concert Saturday, Dec. 9. This year it was a Leonard Bernstein Centennial Celebration. There’s always a good crowd from the Gang in attendance. If it’s December, there’s probably more to do than time to do it and this year that was doubly true: the NCS Manhattan Chapter’s Holiday party was on the same night. One time when you really wish you could clone yourself. And to round out the year, Bunny Hoest generously donated her entire syndicated Lockhorns, Howard Huge, Agatha Crumm and Parade original comic art to her alma mater, Adelphi University. “At a university that offers students the opportunity to study the art and history of animation and cartooning, the Bunny Hoest Collection will bring a rich and unique research resource to Adelphi,” said David Ranzan, Associate Professor, Archives and Special Collections. If you’ve been wanting to research how a syndicated comic should be done, now you know where to go. On Dec. 21, it was back to Albert’s for our own holiday soiree. To brighten up the occasion, the Gang brought along a piece of art from one of their past or present Christmas/ holiday cards. We put them out for display during the lunch — and some discreet swapping took place.

Southeastern ————— John Sheppard shepart@aol.com

The SECNCS, as part of our outreach activity to several local universities, has committed to funding a graphic novel competition. The competition, sponsored by the University of North Carolina-Asheville, will use the funds for all aspects of the completion (advertising, prizes, etc.). The NCS has graciously agreed to match our donation ($250) to UNC-A. James “Doodle” Lyle of our Asheville group has been our contact with the art professor involved. He will be coordinating our participation in the competition and also participating as a judge, with possibly other member(s).

Chicago

————— T. Brian Kelly ragstandman@msn.com Jon Plotkin, our chapter Minister of Ways and Means, took to windows to showcase some recent work, as shoppers in Highland Park, Ill., could see a sampling of Jon’s cartoons installed in downtown retail windows. Jon did the drawings on an iPad and then had them reproduced on large sheets of vinyl. He is trying to market the 4-by-8 foot reproductions to building owners to use as artistic coverings for vacant store windows while a new

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Great Lakes ————— Polly Keener pollytoon@aol.com

Busy Great Lakes Chapter members are not wasting their time this winter. Jeff Stahler will be having an exhibit of his cartoons (Moderately Confused and editorial cartoons) and watercolors at the High Roads Gallery in Worthington, Ohio in February, with an artist reception on Sunday, Feb. 4. Tom Batiuk reports that The Complete Funky Winkerbean, Vol. 7 is out and available on Amazon. Polly Keener recently ran into Chuck Ayers, who collaborated for many years with Tom on Crankshaft. Chuck had volunteered to do face painting for a Christmas party at the pre-K school that Polly’s granddaughter attends. Chuck painted a Christmas ornament on Polly’s cheek that was a work of art; she hated to wash it off and so wore it to a dinner party that evening. Jim Benton has a new middle-grade chapter book from Scholastic out. Victor Shmud: Total Expert. And Bob East has a new book, The Majestic Mustache of Monte Monroe. See the back page of this issue for more.

Jerry Dowlbenefit to support the Cleveland Food Bank. ing’s nifty And, for ACT 3, Ron designed, illustrated new venture and published is the DowlMike Belkin: ing Periodic Socks, Sports, Drivel Report, Rock, and Art, a full of memoir from half articles with of Belkin ProducJerry’s caricatures of tions, the famous celebrities. Jerry will Midwest rock add you to the email ’n roll promotlist but he says the ers. Available on Report’s “periodic” Amazon.com. means, “whenever I Earl Musick feel like writing one.” has been getting around, travelThe Great Lakes ing more than 100 hours in the Chapter is blessed air (and many on the road) as he with another great takes his cartooning, speaking and caricaturist — the stand-up comedy skills to cities in versatile Ron Hill who, America and Canada. Earl says he besides six editorial Top, Polly Kenner face-to-face with “enjoys finding new ways to share cartoons per week Chuck Ayers. Above, Earl Musick on this thing we do called cartoonand countless carica- the road. ing.” ture gigs, illustrated The Great Lakes Chapter is new sweatshirts and promotional art for an delighted to welcome new members Bob Akron classic rock station, some holidayEast, Gerry Shamray and Douglas Laubacher. themed alternate comic covers for an annual Welcome aboard, all!

store tenant is found. With the exception of our Chief O’Neill’s Irish Pub holiday party last December, most news in our chapter right now is of the “Coming Attractions” variety: a NCS Chicago chapter regulars, from left: Bill couple of new ChiKing, Bill Whitehead, cago chapter members Minister of Ways and (hopefully in the next Means Jon Plotkin, few weeks); our 10-year Pat Byrnes, Brian anniversary at Odyssey Diskin, Kenny Durkin, Festival in early FebruT. Brian Kelly, Daniel ary; our first appearance Beyer, Ryan Pagelow, with a booth thanks to Jim McGreal and, in NCSF at the Chicago foreground, Richard Comic and EntertainPietrzyk. Left, one of ment Expo (C2E2) in Jon Plotkin’s window April; a presentation displays. by Mark Anderson at the Elmhurst History Museum (also in April) to coincide with the first stop of the traveling Snoopy exhibit; Bob Harvey’s presentation “How Reading Comics is NOT Like Reading Books” at the 2018 San Diego Comicon; and maybe a Chicago chapter appearance at CXC in Columbus, Ohio this September. We’re also expanding our chapter to welcome a large bunch of talented cartoonists and humorous illustrators as local (non-NCS) chapter members starting early in 2018. Also, plans are underway for our first Cartoon Art Show and Sale to be held in the fall of 2019. There’s never a dull moment in Chicago. We have to keep moving because it’s so %#$*@ cold here right now....

“All I’m saying is — it sounded more like you said ‘cheap date’ on my answering machine …”

Mike Dugan NCS member Michael Terrance Dugan, 63, died unexpectedly at his Wheatfield, N.Y., home on Dec. 19, 2017. Born in Niagara Falls and a graduate of Buffalo State College, Dugan sold his first gag cartoon in 1983. Over the next three decades, his work appeared in a variety of publications, including The Saturday Evening Post, The Globe, National Examiner and Reader’s Digest. His golf-themed cartoon, Arnie Divot, was featured on the nbcsportsgolf.com site, and for five years he drew editorial cartoons for the Niagara Gazette.

The NCS is getting conned! The 2018 Comic-Con season is already in first served basis. We East Coast Comic Con – April 27-29, 2018 full swing! The NCS has a booth presence want to have space New Jersey at several major comic cons this year, and for everybody, so you www.eastcoastcomicon.com we’re always ready to help you set up an may be limited to one Dan Nakrosis: dannakrosis@verizon.net NCS booth at your local conventions and shift per day if we cartooning festivals — free! have a large response. Toronto Comic Arts Festival – May 12-13, 2018 While a few shows have already come Walk ups are seldom Toronto Reference Library, etc, Toronto, ON, Canada and gone, the NCS will have a presence at able to find a time to www.torontocomics.com venues shown at right. For info on appearappear, so EMAIL THE Sandra Bell-Lundy: sandralundy@aol.com ing at the NCS booth, contact the member ORGANIZERS asap to listed. get your booth times San Diego Comic Con – July 18-22, 2018 Any member of the NCS is good standset. San Diego Convention Center, San Diego, CA ing is welcome to spend some time at the Remember, the www.comic-con.org NCS booth and promote your work, sell NCS has portable Steve McGarry: mac@stevemcgarry.com stuff, sign autographs and meet your fans. booth graphics deThe NCS does NOT provide you with consigned for local comic New York Comic Con – Oct 4-7, 2018 vention passes, however — it’s up to you cons, and can underJavits Center, New York, NY to get in the con either by registering with write your appearance www.newyorkcomiccon.com the organizers as a professional member at your local convenEd Steckley: ed@edsteckley.com and getting a free pro badge, or by buying a tion. This is usually pass. Once you get in, you can table at the done at chapter level, NCS booth FREE as a perk of membership. You keep so if you are interested in hosting an NCS booth at your lo100 percent of any sales revenues you generate, but rememcal comic con, email National Chapter Rep Maria Scrivan at ber you are responsible for any sales taxes that need to be maria@mariascrivan.com with the dates and details. collected and paid. Space at the NCS booth is scheduled by Free space at these comic cons are a great perk of mememailing those listed and being included on a first come, bership, so take advantage of it! 31

The Last Panel

Spring reads

Pogo: The Complete Syndicated Comic Strips Vol. 4 Under the Bamboozle Bush presents all of Walt Kelly’s 1955 and 1956 daily strips complete and in order for the first time anywhere (many of them scanned from original syndicate proofs). It also contains all 104 Sunday strips from these two years, presented in full color for the first time since their original appearance 60 years ago. From Fantagraphics. … Victor Shmud, Total Expert Night of the Living Things is the second in Jim Benton’s “Victor Shmud” series. The new middle-grade chapter book, with illustrations on every page, is from Scholastic. … Trump’s ABC is Pulitzer Prize-winning political cartoonist Ann Telnaes’ first original book. The children’s board book for adults chronicles the high points — or low points, if there’s a difference —of Donald Trump’s first six months in office. From Fantagraphics. … For Better or For Worse: The Complete Library, Vol. 1 is the first of nine volumes that will collect Lynn Johnston’s beloved strip. The series, produced with Lynn’s cooperation, collects each decade of the strip in three volumes. This book starts at the very beginning and reprints more than three years of strips, with the Sunday comics printed in color. From IDW. … The Mutts Spring Diaries is Patrick McDonnell’s fourth Mutts collection for kids. Mooch, Earl, and all their endearing friends welcome Spring, the season of new

beginnings. Celebrate spring with the Mutts gang as they go on egg-decorating sprees, dodge playful rain showers, and welcome home the birds from their winter vacation. From Andrews McMeel. … Sofia Learns About Research, illustrated by Isabella Bannerman, is a new softcover book, presented in the style of a coloring book. Commissioned by a grant from the University of Buffalo Clinical and Translational Science Institute, the book is distributed to young patients participating in clinical trials. … To Dare Mighty Things: The Life of Theodore Roosevelt by Doreen Rappaport has been rereleased in a new paperback edition. The story of President Teddy, touchstone of American history, is brought to life with dramatic illustrations from C.F. Payne. … The Majestic Mustache of Monte Monroe, from new member Bob East, is about a baseball player whose mustache grows larger as his home run hitting power increases. Available as an ebook on Amazon or in print from Bob’s online store: squareup.com/store/ ArtofBeast. … Stephen Colbert’s Midnight Confessions is a collection of Stephen Colbert at his most brilliant and irreverent, with equally brilliant illustrations from Sean Kelly. Based on the popular segment from The Late Show, Sean’s illustrations accompany Colbert’s most shameful secrets to millions. … Celebrating Snoopy is a generous — at 560 pages! — slip-cased collection packed with Snoopy strips from each of Peanuts’ five decades. Fifty years of Charles Schulz’s beloved strip, generations of fans, a gang of memorable characters, but only one beloved dog. From Andrews McMeel. …