The Cartoon!st - Volume 22, Number 5

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My Fault

Rube Goldberg and the

History of the Reuben

Trophy

Sketchbook

1950 NCS

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Museum Acquisitions, Exhibits

Fifty Things That Aren’t

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NCS New

Member

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Profiles

RIP: Tom Ryan, Ken Bald, James Estes, Dwane Powell The

Newsletter

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the

National

Cartoonists

Society

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Volume

22,

N u m b e r1 5

Briefings from the Jovial Office . . . by Bill Morrison

STEPHEN SILVER

All the Way From Memphis By the time you read this, I will have handed over the mantle of NCS president to my pal, the talented and irrepressible Jason Chatfield. But while our tireless and patient editor works on the post-Reuben issue of The Cartoon!st, there’s just time enough for me to lob in my farewell column.

The main goal of any leader of an organization should be to leave the institution better than you found it. I hope that’s what I’ve done as president of the NCS, but it’s hard to tell without a little time and reflection. But for now I think it’s safe to say it’s at least a different organization than it was in 2016 when I began.

The main challenge we faced four years ago was to make the NCS more attractive and accessible to a wider, more diverse group of cartoonists, particularly young professionals at the beginnings of their careers. Through a survey (thank you, Hilary Price!) and some one-on-one research (thank you, Nick Galifianakis!) we developed a picture of what cartoonists are looking for in a 21st century organization of professional doodlers (or if they care about belonging to a cartoonist group at all!). Working hand-in-hand with the NCS Foundation Board, we set about to try some things that we hoped would propel the NCS into the 21st Century and help us to achieve these goals.

In an effort to make the NCS more affordable to young professional cartoonists, we launched the “27 Club.” This program allows cartoonists and associates who qualify for NCS membership to join for only $27 per year as long as they are age 27 and under. The initiative has been somewhat successful in attracting young members, but I think it suffers from lack of exposure. We need to find better ways of getting the word out about this great deal.

And of course, last month we launched NCSFest, a mostly free international comic art festival, open to the public.

By all accounts, the festival was a great success and accomplished our goals of offering our members wider public exposure at a low cost (if you don’t count the Reuben hotel), better educating the public regarding the richness of the comic and cartoon arts, and providing opportunities for our members to meet and foster relationships with other cartoonists from around the world. I’m very pleased with the feedback I’ve received regarding the festival, and look forward to ironing out the minor kinks and working to grow the event in coming years.

I don’t think anyone would argue that the festival has made the NCS a different animal, but I’m very pleased that even though we had a massive public event running concurrent with the Reuben weekend, we still had a quite normal Reuben experience. I also received comments from a few members who were initially against the festival idea who told me they thoroughly enjoyed it and were glad they decided to come.

Congratulations and thanks go to Festival Directors Steve McGarry and Julie Tate, my fellow Associate Directors Tom

This issue’s cover is a hodgepodge of images from this issue. It’s a hodgepodge of articles, actually, which we’d hoped to get to you still in May — clearing the desk for what has turned out to be the biggest issue every year, the Reuben Weekend edition. There usually ARE a lot of features in every issue, though, and we tend to display a piece of art from one of the more prominent articles for the cover. For this one, EVERYthing’s prominent.

“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 ©2019 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, Oakwood, OH 45419.

Phone: 937-296-0502.

Email: fpauer1@gmail.com Deadline for the next issue: June 30

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NCS BOARD

NCS COMMITTEES

NCS FOUNDATION

President Jason Chatfield First Vice President Ed Steckley Second Vice President John Hambrock Third Vice President Teresa Logan Secretary Joe Wos Treasurer Drew Aquilina Membership Chairman Greg Cravens National Representative Karen Evans

The Cartoon!st Frank Pauer 937-296-0502 fpauer1@gmail.com

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.

All artwork contained herein, as usual, is ©2019 by the respective artist and/or syndicate, studio or other copyright holder. Still graphic-ing it up, Mr. Ollie?

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“The Cartoon!st” new email address: fpauer1@gmail.com. Please change your contact information.

Richmond, Jason Chatfield, Mathieu Diez and Rick StroScrivan, John Hambrock, Ed Steckley, Terri Libenson, Greg moski, and the entire team including Belinda Billen, Carole Cravens, Carolyn Belefski, Karen Evans, and Jason Chatfield Tait, Deborah McGarry, Joe — for their hard work and dedication McGarry, Luke McGarry, to this organization. If I did any good Karen Evans, Matt Burke, at all, it was not without the dedication Steve Kerner, and Molly and support of these fine and talented Stromoski, for giving birth people. to an event that I’m conI also have to thank our management fident will be one of the executive, Latisha Moore. Without her, biggest comic art celebravery little would get done, and she is tions in the world, and always cheerful and positive, even in will serve to keep the NCS the face of chaos and potential disaster. relevant and attractive to I envy Jason who now gets to work with cartoonists for decades to her and experience the relief that comes come. upon hearing her say “Don’t worry, I’ve Over the last four years, got that covered.” the NCS Board of Directors And thanks to all of you for your suphas worked diligently with port and encouragement over the years me at making the National as well. You may not realize it, (Mike Cartoonists Society a betPeters, Tom Gammill, Barbara Dale, ter organization, and there Daryl Cagle, Tom Stemmle, I’m looking are too many decisions at you!), but those occasional attaboys reached and enterprises and back slaps meant the world to launched to mention here. me and always re-energized my spirit Some have yet to come to and drive to do the work of the office. fruition, but look for excitWithout you (all of you) I would have ing new projects in the probably run out of gas right after the year to come, such as an 2016 Memphis Reuben Farewell Party at Bill examines his official NCS Presidential Portrait, rendered NCS Podcast, an increased Graceland. by new Prez Jason Chatfield (featuring the lovely Kayre as the social media presence, and Finally, best of luck to Jason and the power behind the throne). See if you can spot all the refera new website, complete new Board! I am now at your service and ences to Bill’s Reuben Weekend locales, along with a nod to a with a store where we can look forward to assisting with whatever common presidential occurrence. generate and sell items to brilliant schemes you come up with! bolster our bank account and also help the NCS Foundation!

10/4 — Over and out, I’d like to thank my Board members over the years — John Kovaleski, Darren Bell, Hilary Price, Sean Parkes, Maria Bill

YadaYadaYada

John McPhee, recounting a visit to the studio of former president Dwight D. Eisenhower, in the article “Omission,” from The New Yorker, Sept. 14, 2015

I didn’t think then, like, “Aha — these are really bad, but they’re really funny, so I should be a cartoonist.”

It was more like: “There’s something really funny about this. I’m not trying to draw them funny, but they’re coming out funny.”

Roz Chast, on her teen-age sketchbook full of drawings of horses that looked more like “big, weird dogs,” in a profile in The New York Times.

I finally decided that comic-art work is an art form in itself. An illustrator works with camera and models. A comic artist begins with a white sheet of paper and is playwright, director, editor and artist at once.

Alex Raymond, the legendary Flash Gordon and Rip Kirby artist, in a 1949 profile in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

Cartooning is like playing an instrument: you cannot sit down at the piano and play a complete lullaby or a symphony or concerto just because you go sit at a piano.

You wouldn’t be able to put five notes together. Same thing with cartooning. You have to practice.

Sergio Aragonés, in “Sergio Aragonés and the Art of Pantomime Cartooning” by R.C. Harvey at tcj.com.

SERGIO ARAGONEÉS

The still-life was well along — the apples, plums, and pears deftly drawn and highlighted. Pretty much tongue-tied until now, at last I had something to ask. Despite the painting’s advanced stage, it did not include the grapes.

I said, “Why have you left out the grapes?”

Ike said, “Because they’re too God-damned hard to paint.”

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NCS New Member Profiles

Christian “Meesimo” Meesey Born when he was very young in St. Louis, MO, Christian “Meesimo” Meesey started scribbling comics and cartoons on any scrap of paper available almost immediately. In high school, he self-published comics at the neighborhood Kinko’s to pay for pizza, comics, and even prom. After high school, he was lucky enough to be trained in caricature under Tom Richmond and Ed Steckley at the local Six Flags. Taking a break from the Midwest, Meesey has split most of his adult life between Miami (where he studied painting and computer animation, BFA) and Los Angeles.

A partial client list includes: Miami STREET Magazine, Dorsch Gallery, Objex Artspace, Churchill’s Pub, Universal Studios Hollywood, Six Flags Magic Mountain, Disney, IDW, MTV, Dynamite, Blind Ferret and more. At the moment, Meesey can be found on the road drawing caricatures and comics at fairs, festivals and comic conventions around the globe. Current and upcoming comics include Timeshopper!, Motley Tales, Knucklehead Comics, Swallow, Extremities, and Ink & Drink Comics.

He is very stoked to be a member of the esteemed National Cartoonists Society.

Pedro Delagado

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Born and raised in Michigan, Pedro grew up drawing. Early interests in museums, animation, video games and comics eventually led him to pursue a career in the arts. Pedro studied at CCS in Detroit where he earned a nifty BFA. Once out of college, Pedro traveled the earth for a while, and ate a bunch of kimchi before returning to the states and eventually relocating to NYC. Over the past 14 years in NY he has generated all manner of artwork for animation studios and ad

agencies alike. He spends a bulk of his time scribbling on a clipboard full of printer paper, drawing for kids as part of the Inkwell Foundation, participating in the occasional gallery show, and not shaving if he can help it.

Sure, Pedro dislikes writing bios, but he can’t resist the opportunity to use third person narrative. He genuinely hopes that one day his beard is long enough that it can cast some kind of magic spell, or perhaps negate the need for clothing. Visit him at GOGOPEDRO.com.

NCS New Member Profiles

Gary Kopervas Gary Kopervas is the creator of Out on a Limb, a comic strip syndicated by King Features Syndicate since 1991, which was one of the original comic strips in its Weekly Service Package. Prior to his weekly strip, Gary was a regular contributor to King’s The New Breed, the showcase for new cartoonists, when he met Jay Kennedy and was offered an opportunity that he still enjoys today. In addition to his comic work, Gary is a brand strategist and content creator in corporate America. He often leads creativity workshops and sketch classes to help business people tap into their creativity.

Christopher Hart Thanks for having me as a member of the NCS! I’m the author of many books on art technique, covering such subjects as cartooning, anime, comic books, figure drawing, children’s art and more.

I’ve had more than 100 books published, which have sold more than 7 million copies and have been translated

into 20 languages. I’ve drawn all of my life.

My heroes growing up were Chuck Jones and Willie Mays. My favorite memory was when my kids were young and they had a “snow day.” We’d gather in my studio and color everything in sight.

My wife has a terrific eye, and she goodnaturedly allows me to bother her for her opinion about my drawings. I also have a dog named Spencer, who is undoubtedly the most evil spaniel in the world.

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From panels to paper: Cathy Guisewite pens essays from the grown-up years After some 34 years, Cathy Guisewite retired her comic strip Cathy in 2010 when she wanted to take more time for her aging parents and her teenage daughter. As she navigated between the two, she missed that daily connection she had with readers, and began writing what would become Fifty Things That Aren’t My Fault: Essays From the Grown-Up Years.

While it was difficult to fit all she wanted to say in the panels of a strip, she noted that it was an honor to get to be a voice for some of what a lot of women shared. She missed that connection the strip gave her with readers, and discovered that writing outside of those panels gave her a way to reconnect.

“These are essays from the heart, soul and stomach of modern womanhood,” Cathy wrote on her site, cathyguisewite.com. “Part reflection on how the world has changed for us in the last four decades…part frustration at what hasn’t changed… part rebellion against the many things that weren’t and aren’t our fault.”

The following is from a presentation at Books & Co. in Dayton, Ohio; on the next page is an excerpt from the book.

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“There was only so much I could squash into the four panels of a comic strip, and there was a lot more to say, especially now. As if it’s not enough that the big world seems out of control, a lot of us feel our own small personal worlds are very much out of control.

“People of my age were planning to be young and free and hip forever and suddenly we’re not. Suddenly we’re squashed between aging parents who don’t listen to us, aging children who don’t listen to us, with our aging bodies which are definitely not listening to us and we’re running out of time to do those things that we always wanted to do.

“And that’s a lot of what the book is about. I call it the panini generation — the feeling of being smashed between these generations. With an increasing awareness of having no time: All the time that I have saved by owning my smartphone I now use searching for my smartphone.

“I loved the exercise of trying to squash big ideas into the comic strip, but honestly, writing the essays was like coming home and taking off the spanx. It was so liberating to be able to continue with bigger thoughts. I was

criticized a lot for having so many words in the comic strip, but I always tried to do a little bit more than was possible.

The essays gave me the freedom to do that.

“It’s very easy right now to feel a little bit fragile, and to be a little bit terrified by life. It helped me sort out what’s going on right now by writing these essays.

My biggest hope is that if sometimes you feel yourself squashed between generations or just crushed under the weight of your own to-do list I hope you’ll open my book and remember that you’re not alone. I hope that it will let you look backward with some grace and forgiveness and that it will help you look forward knowing there are at least 50 things that are not your fault.”

Fifty Things That Aren’t My Fault: Essays from the Grown-up Years

by Cathy Guisewite

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Introduction

’m standing in the doorway of my closet, on the threshold of What Happens Next, clutching my last shred of personal power: a great big black trash bag into which I want to dump all my clothes.

Nothing fits.

I don’t mean “Ha-ha, nothing fits.” I mean nothing fits. This is worse than the hot pink bikini that destroyed my twenties in a fluorescent bulb-lit dressing room in a Royal Oak, Michigan, mall. Worse than the blue jeans that broke my heart in my thirties in a charming Santa Barbara denim shop stacked to the hand-hewn rafters with jeans for every female body in the universe except mine.

Worse than the go-everywhere black dress upon which I spent a car payment in my forties that never went anywhere because the only time I ever got it zipped was five minutes before handing my Visa card to the hip L.A. salesperson who told me how hot I looked in it.

This is worse than all that. This is my whole life not fitting.

My days are too short, my lists are too long. People aren’t where they’re supposed to be. Everything’s changing without my permission. Children are moving away, friends moving on, loved ones leaving the earth, muscles and skin tone not even pausing to wave farewell before deserting me---and after all I’ve done for them. Just when I think I can’t possibly stand one more goodbye, something or someone I thought would be here forever isn’t.

Everyone I know is in some version of a great big life shift.

Right in the middle of people and things that are changing and disappearing way too fast. An unrequested rearrangement of everything in our personal worlds---as if there isn’t enough that feels out of our control right now in the big world. It’s unsettling and unnerving. And scary. Impossible to be everything to everyone, to reconcile all that’s different, and to keep track of ourselves along that way.

I grip the trash bag. I have an overwhelming, exhilarating need to get rid of things before any more leave on their own.

I stopped my life’s work of drawing a comic strip after thirtyfour years when the first rumbles of big change in my own life made it impossible for me to hold the pen. My daughter was starting her senior year of high school and I panicked that her childhood was ending before I’d had a chance to be a mom. I wanted, for once in my life, to get to be a full-time mom like the new stay-at-home superstar moms I read about in magazines and also, if I’m completely honest, like the old-school housewife moms I watched on TV when I was growing up. I wanted to get to feel what it was like to make tomato soup in the middle of the day.

That same year, my parents were both approaching their

nineties, and I also wanted, for once in my life, to get to be a full-time adult daughter like the patient, loving daughters I read about in books. Graciously, selflessly helping Mom and Dad glide into their twilight years.

None of this has gone as planned.

I became a full-time mom at the very moment my daughter decided to reject all input from anyone over age thirty.

I became a full-time daughter the moment my parents announced they would barricade the front door if I tried to bring in anyone or anything to assist them.

I got older, which I hadn’t factored in, and became even more obnoxious and belligerent than my child or my parents, incapable of even committing to exercising five minutes a day.

I thought that when I quit my job, the pace of all the change would slow down. But it didn’t. It sped up. Before I knew it, the year zoomed by, my daughter turned nineteen and moved to college, my parents turned ninety, and I turned into a bicoastal hoverer. Commuting between generations.

Back and forth between Florida and California so often, I spend the first few minutes of each morning trying to guess which coast I’m on before I open my eyes.

Which is why I’m standing here right now. Trash bag held high. I can control nothing else, but I can control this. I will stuff life as I knew it into this bag and get rid of it. All of it.

The delusional clothes . . . the useless beauty products . . . the plastic food containers with no lids. I will move on to the file cabinets . . . the bathroom cupboard . . . the storage room.

I will shred and dump! Delete! Declutter! I will be a role model of clarity. I will do it for my family. I will do it for me. Create a future with absolutely nothing but hot pink and strappy holding me back.

I open the garbage bag to stuff in my first triumphant “OUT!” I reach into the closet and pull out a frayed T-shirt I haven’t worn since 1982.

I study it in my hand.

I think how cute it would look paired with an oversize linen shirt, beaded belt, and suede ankle boots. I remember seeing a kicky messenger bag online somewhere with tassels the exact same shade of teal as the faded flower logo on the right sleeve.

I refold the shirt and lay it back on the shelf.

I close the garbage bag.

I march into the kitchen and sit at the table. So many thoughts are stacking up in my head. Big changes . . . little tassels . . . hanging on . . . letting go . . .

I open my laptop to start typing.

Before I can unload the closets, I have to get rid of some of these words.

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Fifty Things That Aren't My Fault: Essays from the Grown-up Years

by Cathy Guisewite Hardcover, G.P. Putnam’s Sons, $27.00

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History of the Reuben trophy

By R.C. Harvey Every year since 1946, the National Cartoonists Society has named one of the inky-fingered affiliation “Cartoonist of the Year” and given that pedestaled individual a trophy in recognition of his/her achievement. At first, the award was named the Billy DeBeck Award after the cartoonist who cre-

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ated Barney Google, and the recipient received a silver cigarette box, its lid engraved with pictures of the characters in DeBeck’s comic strip. DeBeck’s widow, Mary, had instituted the award and specified that it be named after her celebrated husband, who died in 1942. When she died in 1953, the Billy DeBeck Award expired with her

but the Cartoonist of the Year tradition continued, albeit with a trophy of a different name.

The award was henceforth called the Reuben in honor of the Society’s first president and nominal convener of the founding meeting in 1946, Rube Goldberg, a cartoonist whose name alone was destined to evoke an image

seven-days a week project continued cartoonists and [who grope] for an of “cartoons.” until Sept. 30, 1934. acrobatic answer to the question of Born in 1883, Goldberg began his In about 1937, Goldberg took a year why sculptors and pretzel makers have storied career in 1905 when he went to so much in common. Or you might work in the art department of the San Francisco Chronicle. Like most say that the Reuben represents the people of the world striving for a cartoonists in the first decades of perfect balance to escape the same the century, Goldberg drew several fate as the leaning tower of Pisa. cartoons a week; all were titled but You’d be wrong on both counts. The some lasted only a day or so.

Among Goldberg’s more enduring Reuben is pure fantasy, including the bottle of India ink that Bill creations in this mode were Mike Crawford placed on the posterior and Ike (They Look Alike), What Are of the top man to give the design a You Gonna Do With It?, They All Look Good When They’re Far Away, Lunalittle more symmetry. If the Reuben tics I Have Met, I’m the Guy (That Put has an underlying significance in its the Bar in Bombardment), Father Was present form, I will say that I creRight, What Are You Kicking About, ated it to keep it from looking like a Telephonies, The Weekly Meeting of golf trophy, an Oscar, or a statuette the Tuesday Women’s Club, and a presented to Miss Kitchen Utensils couple dozen more, many produced of 1953. My only hope is that each simultaneously. recipient will look upon it as a One of them, Foolish Quessymbol of the admiration and love tions, was a hit and continued for of his fellow cartoonists. decades. (“Why, hello, Jones — are Goldberg’s explanation is, of you still in town?” “No — I’m tourcourse, another of his outlanding Europe in a wheelbarrow.”) ish inventions. He didn’t create But the cartoon that made Goldthe sculpture to serve as the Goldberg’s 1948 Pulitzer Prize-winning cartoon berg famous debuted Nov. 10, 1914 NCS award: when he made it, he without a title. Goldberg would do off, and when he returned in 1938, he thought he was making a lamp, the one of this series every two weeks until did editorial cartoons for the New York light bulb screwed into the aforemen1934. (Once a month thereafter until Sun, which he continued, winning a tioned posterior of the uppermost 1964.) Each one was a schematic drawPulitzer in 1948, until 1964, when he figure. Happily, fellow cartoonist ing depicting a complicated array of quit to devote his time to sculpture, Bill Crawford saw this objet d’art in gadgetry performing some simple task his last career.

Rube’s home at just about the time the in indirect, convoluted ways.

NCS’s Reuben trophy is pure GoldSociety was looking for a trophy for The cartoons led to the expression berg. In fact, it was initially cast from the Reuben, and he recognized at once “Rube Goldberg machines” to describe a sculpture that Rube himself made. A that Goldberg’s lamp was destined for similar gadgets and processes, and whimsical creation greater things.

“Rube Goldberg” eventually appeared by the man who He made a cast of in dictionaries meaning “having a had made his name it for the trophy fantastically complicated improvised synonymous with and substituted a appearance” of “deviously complex outlandish invenbottle of ink for and impractical.” Finally, Goldberg tions, it consists of a the light bulb. gave the cartoon a title, The Inventions comical pile of male The first to reof Lucifer G. Butts, A.K. nudes, traditional ceive the Reuben Goldberg also wrote columns and cartoony characters in all its glory, troshort stories for magazines, and in who had attempted, phy and fanfare, 1916, he created a series of seven apparently, to form was the sports animated short films about humorous a human pyramid cartoonist Willard aspects of daily life. And he continued and had enjoyed Mullin, who was his other cartooning and writing efsome success in the named Cartoonforts at the same time. attempt — as much ist of the Year in In 1915, he began doing cartoons success, that is, as 1954. (The eight about a “fall guy” named Boob any Goldberg invencartoonists who McNutt, a clumsy, buffoonish albeit tion ever achieved. had won the Billy friendly fellow who tried to help but The sculptor exDeBeck Award inevitably failed disastrously when enplained his creation Goldberg, in a 1952 lampshade-inscribed for the years portrait trusted with tasks at which he would as follows: 1946-1953 were prove hopelessly incompetent. Boob If you have been influenced by Freud subsequently presented with Reuben McNutt was syndicated as a Sunday you might say that the Reuben represtatuettes and are termed Reuben winstrip beginning June 9, 1918; in 1924, sents four cartoonists who hated their ners in the annals of the Society.) a daily version began. The whole mothers for allowing them to become Tales of the origin of the Reuben

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Russell PATTERSON

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’s auction in recent Guernsey atured pages of New York City fe veral cartoonse drawings from a young womists, taken from sketchbook. an’s spiral-bound ed at the same in Presumably obta is dated Caniff’s drawing event — Milton en carried be ve ha d ul — it co March 29, 1950 dinner. ds S’s annual awar around at the NC y Gail,” ar “M a e inscribed to ar gs in aw dr e Th her than not identified ot who is otherwise a world of tion: “See what in Caniff’s inscrip e just belif oved into your strange people m onists!” rto ca e met all thes cause your mom Reuben ur yo en wh years But in another 70 r aucfo sketches come up re’s Awards Weekend he “T a n may be less of a “It’s tion, the reactio of e or m to cDonnell!” one by Patrick M quaint!” on paper — how Hal FOSTER

Cartooning, that dates assumed a more conspicuous function. The booklet consists mostly of short biographies of cartoonists, each accompanied with a caricature by Thorndike.

The image above appears in Thorndike’s booklet at the Rube Goldberg entry. The caricature of Goldberg was, Thorndike indicates, “made-frommemory” which doubtless excuses it for not looking much like Goldberg.

Thorndike’s book was published in 1939. So the lamp existed long before it served as a model for the Reuben in 1953. Goldberg was sculpting in the 1930s, rehearsing, no doubt, for that third (and final) career.

Before he died on Dec. 7, 1970, Goldberg was awarded his very own Reuben as Cartoonist of the Year, in 1967.

It was for “humor in sculpture.”

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Ham FISHER

have always assumed that the lamp that was appropriated for the award had been sculpted by Goldberg during his last “career” as a sculptor. But, as it turns out, that isn’t true, as any self-respecting researcher could have determined. Goldberg’s biographer, Peter C. Marzio (in Rube Goldberg: His Life and Work), says with admirable precision that Goldberg’s sculpting career began January 7, 1963 — ten years after the Reuben trophy had been devised.

It wasn’t until I was paging through another tome, Chuck Thorndike’s antique booklet The Business of

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Mel CASSON

Alfred ANDRIOLA

Alex RAYMOND

Al CAPP

Gus EDSON

Gregory D’ALESSIO

Milton CANIFF

Ernie BUSHMILLER

Rube GOLDBERG

Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum announces major acquisitions The Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum has recently announced major gifts to the Museum’s extensive collections.

The Museum has acquired Stone Soup cartoonist Jan Eliot’s collection of original art including dailies and Sundays of her strip, as well as examples from her earlier comic strips, Patience and Sarah and Sister City. The artwork joins Eliot’s collection of correspondence, contracts, scrapbooks and publicity materials already at the Museum.

“Ohio State University has a treasure in the Billy Ireland Cartoon Research Library,” Jan noted. “For all of us in the cartooning community, it is a great gift. It is a beautiful repository for our life’s labors, a place where we are understood and appreciated and where our work is carefully cataloged and preserved.

“When deciding what to do with my cartoon archive — nearly 7,000 comic strips — and papers I knew I would be honored to have it housed at OSU. Stone Soup is my legacy, and knowing that it will be part of this incredible archive makes me very, very happy.”

stories from Betty and Me, Betty & Veronica, Veronica, Sabrina the Teenage Witch, Josie and the Pussycats, Cheryl Blossom, and Jughead among others. Most of the stories were printed in the 1980s and early 1990s, with some having been drawn by his twin sons Dan and James. The collection also contains original drawings of various Archie characters as well as some of DeCarlo’s early pinup work from Humorama magazine.

Dan DeCarlo (1919-2001) attended The Art Students League of New York with hopes of pursuing a career as an illustrator.

Drafted in World War II, he spent part of his time painting company mascots on the nose of planes as well as working on a weekly military comic strip. After his time abroad, began working for a number of companies as well as several comic books with Stan Lee. When he was later hired on to work on Archie, he was allowed to adapt the series to his style. He established Betty’s iconic ponytail and is largely credited with the “house style” of the Archie characters that persisted until the end of the original run in 2016.

Bill Morrison said, “Until recently, Dan DeCarlo was one of

The Museum has also acquired the Brad Anderson collection.

Anderson (1924-2015) is best known for the long-running family-favorite Marmaduke, and the acquisition features more than 16,000 original Marmaduke cartoons from 1954 to 2010, in addition to other original art, business correspondence, fan mail, books, newspaper clippings, memorabilia, merchandise and more.

After serving in the Navy during World War II, Anderson graduated from Syracuse University in 1951 with a Bachelor’s of Fine Arts degree. While working in advertising, Anderson sold cartoons to major publications such as Collier’s and The Saturday Evening Post. The Museum also has more than 3,000 examples of his magazine cartoons.

“Brad Anderson’s wish was that his life work would find a home at the Billy Ireland Cartoon Library and Museum where the collection would be in a safe environment and enjoyed by kids of all ages,” said the Anderson family. “Our family feels privileged to fulfil his wish and donate the works of his 75-year labor of love.”

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And lastly, the Museum has acquired the Dan DeCarlo Collection, which includes dozens of complete original Archie Comics

the most overlooked and underrated cartoonists of the 20th Century. I wrote a book on Dan’s art in 2006, and today his work is some of the most sought-after art on the market. I’m proud and pleased to have been able to help shepherd the DeCarlo family’s collection to its home at the Billy Ireland Museum where the world can experience its brilliance.”

For more information, see: library.osu.edu/blogs/cartoons/category/ new-acquisitions/.

On exhibit n The Cartoon Art Museum presents two new exhibits.

“A Fire Story: A Graphic Memoir by Brian Fies” displays a selection of Fies’ original artwork from A Fire Story: A Graphic Memoir, his graphic novel of the real and honest first-hand account of the tragic 2017 Northern California wildfires that left more than 6,200 homes destroyed and 44 fatalities.

Fies, who lost his home and every possession, hastily pulled together a firsthand account of his story and posted it on his blog and on Facebook. He took his original 20-page webcomic and expanded it to include environmental insight and the fire stories of his neighbors and others in his community.

Through July 15.

Also, the Museum’s ongoing Emerging Artist Showcase features a selection of original artwork from Maia Kobabe’s debut graphic novel Gender Queer, to be published this summer of 2019. Kobabe’s cathartic autobiography charts a journey of self-identity, which includes the mortification and confusion of adolescent crushes, grappling with how to come out to family and society, bonding with friends over erotic gay fanfiction, and facing the trauma and fundamental violation of pap smears.

Through July 1. See cartoonart.org. n At the Charles M. Schulz Museum: Aside from the ongoing displays, two new exhibits have been mounted.

“Behind Peanuts: The Little RedHaired Girl” Charlie Brown’s unrequited love, The Little Red-Haired Girl, was inspired by Donna Mae Johnson-Wold, the real-life first love of Charles M. Schulz. After a six-month courtship, Donna turned down Schulz’s marriage proposal in favor of another suitor.

Schulz mined this rich vein of experience, like he did with much of his life, telling stories with deep emotional resonance to readers for decades. The

exhibit displays original art, photographs, and interviews of Charlie Brown’s unrequited love: The Little Red-Haired Girl.

Through Aug. 4.

Also, “Peanuts Goes to Camp” Though Charles Schulz was not that fond of camping — explaining he did enough “camping” during his service in World War II — he explored the ups and downs of summer camp in Peanuts with a fidelity that rings true to many a happy camper.

Through Nov. 18. See schulzmuseum.org for more. n The Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum has mounted a pair of exhibits.

“Front Line: Editorial Cartoonists and the First Amendment” What do current debates about social media, trigger warnings, fake news, and libel have to do with the First Amendment and editorial cartoonists? Editorial cartoonists both benefit from and defend First Amendment speech and press protections.

This exhibition examines free speech through historical works from the Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum’s collections as well as contemporary works by members of the Association of American Editorial Cartoonists.

Ann Telnaes, Pulitzer-Prize winning political cartoonist, and Lucy Shelton Caswell, Professor Emerita and Founding Curator of the Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum, co-curated this exhibition.

Also, “Drawing Blood: Comics and Medicine” Drawing Blood traces the history of comics’ obsession with medicine from the 18th century to today. The exhibit

highlights the sometimes caustic eye of cartoonists as they consider doctors, patients, illness, and treatment in the rapidly changing world of medicine — one which continues to present new possibilities and new challenges. The exhibit features work by a wide array of creators, from pioneers of cartooning like James Gillray, William Hogarth, Thomas Nast, and Frederick Opper to contemporary artists like Richard Thompson, Carol Tyler, John Porcellino, Alison Bechdel, and Julia Wertz.

Both exhibits through Oct. 20. See cartoons.osu.edu. n The traveling exhibition “The Art & Inventions of Rube Goldberg” is now at the Evansville (Indiana) Museum.

Marking the first comprehensive retrospective exhibition of Goldberg’s work since 1970, the exhibit chronicles all aspects of the artist’s 72-year career, from his earliest published drawings and iconic inventions to his Pulitzer Prize-winning political cartoons and beyond. Bringing together original works of art, preparatory drawings, video and related ephemera, the exhibit offers visitors an unprecedented opportunity to witness the development of Goldberg’s artwork and trace his rise to prominence.

Through July 21. n The Irving Arts Center in Irving, Texas presents “Roz Chast: Cartoon Memoirs,” celebrating the almost four decades of artistic accomplishment of New Yorker cartoonist, illustrator and author, Roz Chast. The exhibit offers the first presentation of original works from Roz Chast’s acclaimed graphic memoir, Can’t We Talk About Something More Pleasant? which chronicles the lives of her aging parents with heartfelt humor and emotion.

Through July 7.

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Chapter News

Manhattan

welcome to join in the fun. We’re frequently at the Overlook Lounge in MidTown, an old haunting ground for cartoonists It’s a full year here in NYC from decades ago, with with our local chapter. cartoonists’ drawings all After our bang-up annual over the walls. We did our holiday party at the Society own series of panels last of Illustrators, we started out fall that will be installed 2019 celebrating our old pal (hopefully) soon. If you’re Mort Gerberg’s lifetime retroanywhere near the city, spective at the NY Historical contact me for all the Society and the launch of his info — we love a big new book, Mort Gerberg: On crowd. the Scene. If you haven’t seen Going forward, we’ll be this book, do yourself a favor gearing up for NYComand go get it — it’s an amazing icCon here soon, so if collection and celebration of you’re going to be at the this legend’s cartooning career.

Con and are a regular Our next event was a fantastic NCS member in good 90th birthday party for the great standing, you’re cordially Arnold Roth. Arnold is a titan invited to join in on the of the industry and past NCS fun and get some time President. The turnout was huge at the booth to sell, sign for this one, pushing the capacity and commiserate with limits of the Society of Illustrators Top, Arnold Roth addresses an the crowd. to its limits. overflow audience at the Society Email Ed for all the After that we all geared up for of Illustrators. Left, cutting into the birthday boy’s cake. Right, Mort Gerberg is details, and join our our annual spot at the Museum bookended by Ed Steckley and Rick Stromoski at MoCCAFest.

Facebook page for all the of Comic and Cartoon Art Festival up to date announcements, at facebook.

Other than that, we have semi-regular (MoCCAFest) in May — always a successful com/groups/manhattanncs. meet ups in the city, and any and all are convention.

————— Ed Steckley ed@edsteckley.com

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New Jersey

————— Dan Nakrosis Report by Tom Stemmle On Sunday, March 10, the New Jersey Chapter celebrated a St. Patrick’s Day Party or, officially, our “Pre-Spring-Fling Bash”. It was held at our home in Piscataway, with my wife Marie preparing a corned beef and cabbage with all the trimmings menu, plus a full buffet of alternate food that is not usually associated with Irish holiday fare.

Beer, wine, soda and desserts rounded out the large and varied choices of food Placing the blame on each other are Bob and drink. We were Rich and Tom Stemmle. Above and right, necticut. Both Bob and Gloria, happy to have Bob St. Patrick’s party-goers gathered round besides being good friends, and Gloria Rich the dining room. always enthusiastically assist as weekend house guests, having come from New London, Conwith much of the party preparations!

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We were sorry that some last-minute cancellations prevented a few people from Long Island from attending, but we were glad to greet Helene and Bob Parsons, Andy Eng, Chris Krauss, and Pauline Goldberg.

The wonderful Bunny Hoest Carpenter and first-timer John Reiner made the drive to New Jersey! The Manhattan Chapter included Chair Ed Steckley, Mike Grassle and Sam Viviano. Andrea Beizer represented the Philadelphia Chapter. Members and friends of the New Jersey Chapter included Patrick McDonnell and Karen O’Connell, V.G. Myers, Marc McKenzie and Doug Goudsward.

Marie and I want to thank all who came and brought both food, drink and various types of goodies! We are planning to have a follow-up party, our annual summer picnic, rain or shine, on August 4!

We cordially invite you and hope you can attend!

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, Oakwood, OH 45419, or fpauer1@gmail.com. Deadline for the next issue is June 30.

Washington, D.C. Chapter members played host to a Russian delegation as part of an international visitor leadership program.

Washington, D.C. ————— Carolyn Belefski cartooncarolyn@hotmail.com

The Washington, DC chapter of NCS worked with the U.S. Department of State International Visitor Leadership Program for Russia entitled, “Confronting Social Issues Through Sequential Art.” We had the rare opportunity to meet with seven participants who were accompanied by three interpreters. They shared some wonderful hopes and social issues they addressed during their stay including: motherhood, social activism, and culture.

The Russian list of participants included Askold Akishin, Mr. Anton Biziaev, Anastasiia Danilova, Alexey Iorsh, Dmitry Pakhomov, Daria Ten and Elena Zhikhareva (Editor).

NCS members and friends included Matt Wuerker, Al Goodwyn, Steve Artley, Ben Claassen, Joe Sutliff, Mike Rhode and Carolyn Belefski.

In addition to meeting with the chapter, the seven participants traveled via bus to attend MoCCA Festival in New York City and also took a day trip to Baltimore to visit Maryland Institute College of Art. In addition, they attended the “Emergence of the Comic Strip in the 19th Century” lecture at the U.S. Library of Congress and visited the comic shop, Big Planet Comics.

Northwest

————— Dan McConnell appleandy@msn.com Well, we finally got together with several NCS NW members Saturday, Feb. 16.

Brian and Bobbi Basset hosted our Reuben category voting at their wonderful house that looks out on Puget Sound.

Brian has a great collection of framed cartoons on the walls of their home. I was flabbergasted to see not just one but two original Gary Larson cartoons. Probably my favorite piece on the walls, though,

Long Island

————— Adrian Sinnott 631-547-0778 “Bunny Bash Ballad” The Bunny Bash began in June of 1982, Long Islanders came to our house, we numbered just a few.

With that success, we asked our friends from other states to join us, And bring their friends and families! It was a cartoon bonus!

The legend grew, and soon the out-of-towners were arriving.

From every state and overseas, the celebration thriving.

We had three Morts! We had three Presidents of our King Features.

And Presidents of NCS (plus our own furry creatures).

We pitched a tent, we ate great food, the open bar kept busy.

We posed for one group photograph, which wasn’t always easy.

And now it’s time to say goodbye, we’ve had a splendid run.

With love and thanks to all of you, who made it so much fun!

Bunny Hoest 2019

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was the large, thick It was a wild impasto painting of the time for all of Republican convention us and people

by Brian’s dad Gene, drove from past NCS member and 100-plus miles a political cartoonist in away (me) to the 60s, 70s and 80s about 2 miles plus other art exploits, away (Michael including teaching Jantze). Mark at the Famous Artists Monlux is from School in Westport, Tacoma, Bron is Connecticut. from Puyallup From left: ISCA member Elizabeth Pankey and her husband Roger, Mark Monlux, Brian Basset, Dan We set up computand Debbie and McConnell, Debbi Tomassi and her husband Tony, Maureen Van derPas — Cartoonists NW founding ers on their dining her husband mother — and Bron Smith. Right, members reviewing entries. room table and our Tony came up members were finally all present for the from Seattle. in voting. We had a few voters from elsevoting. NCS members included Brian, Mark Bobbi made us pulled pork sliders. where, who were sent the artwork of all the Monlux, Michael Jantze (who wasn’t there We worked, we voted, we viewed some entrants from editorial cartoons and variety for the photo), Debbie Tomassi, Bron Smith fantastic cartoons, we ate and then I had entertainment, which were supplied to our and me, but we invited some prospective to get over the pass so I had to leave early group from the very patient and helpful Ed members who, of course, did not participate before the Twister game started.

Steckley.

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

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Hooray! It didn’t snow on Saturday, Feb. 9, so we had a grand turn-out for our double-header Great Lakes Chapter meeting with our “secret surprise” celebrating 20 years of Tony Cochran’s Agnes, as well as our Reuben Judging of Newspaper Panel cartoons and Magazine Gag cartoons.

Meeting at the Keener home in Akron, we surprised Tony with an Agnes birthday cake and were delighted that he agreed to give us a very interesting impromptu talk about creating the strip.

Tony and his wife, Vickie Smith, kindly donated an autographed Agnes book for our table of door prizes which was graced with several other splendid books and wonderful original artwork, including a great Speed Bump by GLC’er Dave Coverly and Katie Gall and Doug Laubacher even a Laugh-in strip from the past by late GLC member Roy Doty, brought by Frank Pauer.

By the way, Tony Cochran also does fantastic customdesigned guitars for many prominent entertainers, so you might see them on stage or TV. Dan Gorman and Charlotte GLC members and friends, Postma-Gorman including our 14 judges, drove from distant corners of our chapter area. It was a treat to see Jerry and Gerri Dowling, who now reside in Kentucky.

Tony Cochran is surprised with a cake in celebration of the 20th anniversary of Agnes.

Intrepid Jerry is doing well after his serious leg surgeries and Gerri just looks younger every time we see her — quite amazing.

Our third “Gerry” at the meeting was Gerry Shamray, plus Dan Gorman and Charlotte Postma-Gorman, Dan and Vicky Collins, Mark Szorady, Frank and Janet Pauer, Don Peoples, Craig Boldman, Dave Schwartz and Shiela Hayman-Schwartz, and Douglas Laubacher and Katie Gall, who were all on hand to enjoy the buffet (with, of course, Reuben sandwiches) and the festivities.

All our GLC officers — Earl Musick, Vice-Chairman; Ed Black, Secretary/Treasurer; Rich Diesslin, webmaster; and Polly Keener, Chair —

Don Peoples and Rich Diesslin

Vickie Smith, Vicky Collins and Janet Pauer

Frank Pauer with Dan Collins

North Central ————— Paul Fell pfell@nebr.rr.com Report by Mike Edholm

North Central has been alive and regular. Each of us has been busy with a variety of chapters and work. John Hambrock is constantly under the deadline thumb, at least that’s what he always tells me. Such is the nature of the success of The Brilliant Mind of Edison Lee. Me, Mike Edholm, I’ve been on a campaign of creating political cartoon/illustrations for a single client for more than a year. The current series involves campaigns from early in the country’s history, starting in 1808.

Some of our members are feeling the pangs of nostalgia and therefore are beginning to write their memoirs. Or at least giving the rest of us something to think about.

One if these is our beloved emeriti member and founder of the Chapter, Ken Alvine. His latest book is on press now and will be released very soon. More details to follow on how you can get your mitts on this priceless gem.

Big congratulations to Peru State (Nebraska) College 1967 alum Paul Fell, who was recognized as the School of Arts and Sciences’ 2019 recipient of the Thousand Oaks Alumni Excellence Award. Paul and his wife Arlene have served as the co-chairs of the Alumni Association Board of Directors since its inception, and both volunteer on campus in a variety of capacities. He also served as a guest Artist in Residence in 2017.

After graduation, Paul spent several years as an art professor at Peru, and was then editorial cartoonist for the Lincoln (Nebraska) Journal from 1984-92. At one point before joining the Journal, he was creating five cartoons a week for four different newspapers. During his years with

the Journal, he self-syndicated his editorial cartoons to papers in Nebraska almost exclusively.

His editorial cartoons have won a number of awards and appear regularly in several national publications. He also creates a weekly cartoon for the Nebraska Press Association which is Paul Fell distributed statewide.

Paul has also produced a number of books ranging from collections about Nebraska’s weather, communities, and people, to Bipartisan Efforts and Other Mutations, a collection of his editorial cartoons.

He continues to operate his own freelance business in Lincoln, lectures in art at various colleges, is in demand as a speaker and draws caricatures at conventions, trade shows and receptions.

In other news — such as it is — there’s a rumor going around that Bucky Jones is being fitted for his Laura Croft costume.

Maybe we’ll see him at the NCS table at this year’s San Diego Comic-Con (but you didn’t hear that from me).

That’s it for the moment. Hopefully more to follow. Have a great summer boys and girls!

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were in attendance.

In other news, Great Lakes folks are pleased to congratulate GLC’er Dave Coverly on 25 years of his very funny panel Speed Bump, and a whole line of greeting cards. Hooray for Dave!

We also send a very belated happy anniversary to Jim Davis on 40 years of Garfield (soon to be 41 in June). Garfield is still going strong and more droll than ever. Jim says that because a lot of the work can be done online or from afar now that changing technologies have emerged, his long-time studio in Indiana will stop being the hub of activity.

Cartoons out here in the Midwest have a lot of longevity. Other GLC members’ cartoon syndication milestones include Tom Batiuk’s Funky Winkerbean”at 47 years, his Crankshaft, at 32 years, Chip Sansom’s Born Loser — 53 years, and Mark Szorady’s George – about 40-plus years, to name a few.

Felicitations go to GLC’er Joe Wos on becoming a new NCS Board member and secretary. Joe did an amazing job organizing the Pittsburgh Toonseum and now creates “Mazetoons,” his syndicated feature, as well.

Great Lakes Chapter members Don Peoples, Terri Libenson, Jason Platt, Chip Sansom, Ed Black, and Roy Doty (a caricature in his memory, courtesy of Nancy Maar) banded together for a half-page ad in the new Reuben Weekend publications.

We’ll sorely miss the wonderful Reuben Journals of the past 25 years, created by David Folkman, who morphed us into all manner of charming photo situations and characters. The Journals took months of creative work by David every year but are treasured by the rest of us.

Philadelphia

tion to the original cartoons, Beizer also included historical information as to how the strip came to be. Anyone interested in seeing more can link to the video of the exhibit which was made by John Thornton, at Philly Chapter’s Gary Kopervas will be pubhttps://youtube/zJ7 lishing “Rock, Paper, MrhUTCFA. Lasers,” the second Dave Blazek made comics collection a return to his Pennfrom Out on a Limb, sylvania hometown of his nationally syndiErie, where he made a cated comic strip. live appearance for the Plus, for anyone Erie Times-News. He did who was in Huntingsome live drawing for ton Beach for the fans, signed books and NCSFest, Gary was gave an hour-long preat a booth in the Marketplace doing Andrea Beizer’s Alice at the Cerulean Arts Gallery sentation on Loose Parts for the public. quick sketches Dave also spent and providing free the day at Flobee haircuts for Penn State Erie anyone who buys a (where he once T-shirt. went to school) Andrea Beizer had speaking to five an exhibit of 22 origclasses on carinal Alice cartoons tooning, marketat the Cerulean Arts ing, newspapers, Gallery in center city journalism Philadelphia from and idea genFeb. 13 through eration.

March 10. In addiDave Blazek professes at Penn State Erie.

————— Dave Blazek looseparts@verizon.net

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Tom Ryan, 1926-2019 Thomas K. Ryan, creator of Tumbleweeds, died in Venice, Florida on March 12. He was 93.

A fan of the Western genre as popularized by the novelist Zane Grey, Ryan created Tumbleweeds in 1965 and populated the strip with an eccentric cast that included every Western cliché — cowboys, Indians, outlaws, lawmen, gamblers and prospectors.

“I read everything I could get my hands on, so this little Western thing came pouring right out,” Ryan said in a 1975 Pittsburgh Press profile.

Ryan shepherded the cast clear of any social or philosophical messages, saying that the strip was only a “character study of the various personalities and their relationship to situations that arise in their lives.”

Ryan was born in 1926 in Anderson, Indiana, and moved to nearby Muncie at age 9. He briefly attended

Notre Dame University and the University of Cincinnati, but left early to begin a career in commercial art, including two years drawing promotional material for the NFL. He also drew sports cartoons and editorial work for local newspapers, and was inspired by his childhood interest in cartooning to try his hand at a comic strip.

Ryan was nominated for a Reuben in 1970. The strip spawned numerous mass-market paperbacks published

by Fawcett, and was part of a pair of animated television specials: “The Fabulous Funnies” (1978), and “The Fantastic Funnies” (1980). “Tumbleweeds Gulch” became an MGM Grand Adventures Theme Park attraction in Las Vegas, and was also the basis for a stage show.

Ryan also served as a mentor to younger, emerging cartoonists, and famously employed fellow-Muncie cartoonist Jim Davis from 1968 to 1978.

Ken Bald, 1920-2019 Kenneth Bruce Bald, known for his work on the Dr. Kildare and Dark Shadows comic strips who was also a pioneering comic book artist, died March 17. He was 98.

Born in New York City, Bald graduated from Pratt Institute, and then quickly rose to Art Director at the Jack Binder Studio in 1941. During that tenure, Bald illustrated such Fawcett Comics’ superheroes as Captain Marvel, Captain Midnight, Bulletman, Bulletgirl, and Spy Smasher. He also worked for Street & Smith on both Mandrake the Magician and Doc Savage.

Returning from WWII, Bald met Stan Lee, who recruited him to Timely Comics.

Bald’s illustration credits included Captain America, The Human Torch, Namor the SubMariner, Blonde Phantom, Millie the Model, and Namora, which he co-created with Lee. During this time, he also worked for the American Comics Group.

In 1957, Bald transitioned to comic strips, illustrating King Features’ Judd Saxon.

In 1961, Bald began work on Dr. Kildare, which enjoyed a run of more than 22 years. While continuing to draw Kildare, Bald also illustrated the Dark Shadows strip from 1971 to 1972, but due to contractual obligations he was credited as “K. Bruce”.

From 1981 to 2004, Bald was a creative director at a Manhattan studio that created TV storyboards for ad agencies. His work included the Miller Lite and Right Guard celebrity campaigns, as well as the first AFLAC spot that introduced its nowfamous duck.

His prolific art career spanned more than 63 years. In 2017, the Guinness World Records declared Bald the world’s oldest comic-book artist and the oldest artist to illustrate a comic book cover, both at age 96, when he came out of retirement to illustrate a cover for Marvel’s Contest of Champions.

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James Estes, 1942-2019 James Robert Estes, longtime gag cartoonist and NCS member, died Sunday, March 24 in Amarillo, Texas. He was 77.

Estes was born in Pasadena, Texas on January 23, 1942. “Started drawing as soon as I could grasp a crayon, but didn’t turn pro until I was 28,” Estes wrote in his profile in the 1996 NCS Album.

Before cartooning full-time, Estes earned degrees at two schools — Amarillo Jr. College and West Texas State University, but was then pulled by the pen.

His youthful passion for drawing cartoons turned into an almost 50-year-long career, where he contributed to virtually every major magazine including, among many others, The Wall Street Journal, Good Housekeeping and National Enquirer.

“James’ real passion was his family,” his family wrote, evidenced by his profile for the 1988 NCS Album, where Estes wrote far more about his wife and children than about his career.

Estes met his wife, Martha, when she answered a phone at a nursing dorm. He had called looking for someone else, but she answered. They married in 1964 and had recently celebrated their 55th wedding anniversary.

“Many of us of a certain age knew James, or at least his cartoons,” “You know how you always tell me to let my wrote Tim Oliphant on his Facebook page. “His cartoons appeared conscience be my guide? My conscience doesn’t know the way either!” regularly since the ’60s in magazines such as Woman’s World, Saturday Evening Post, Boy’s Life, Leatherneck, Highlights, and just about every other magazine that’s ever published gag cartoons.

“The cartooning world has lost another great cartoonist. While not highly recognized for his contributions, he was dedicated, widely published, knew his craft well, and left a legacy of a wonderful family and friends.”

Dwane Powell, 1944-2019 Longtime (Raleigh, NC) News & Observer editorial cartoonist Dwane Powell, whose drawings summarized and satirized decades of national and North Carolina politics, died April 14. He was 74.

Powell had stopped working full time in 2009, but continued to contribute a weekly cartoon until a few weeks before his death.

Born in Lake Village, Arkansas in 1944, Powell went to the University of Arkansas at Monticello.

After flunking out once, enlisting in the Army National Guard and working in his dad’s business, he went back to college on probation.

While in college Powell was approached by the editor of Monticello’s local paper, who had seen some of Powell’s drawings. The editor suggested Powell read up on the news, pick a topic and draw a cartoon about it.

“He offered me $5,” Powell in a March interview with the News & Observer. “I thought, ‘Hell, that’ll buy a six-

pack of beer,” and he took the challenge.

His first attempt was picked up and published on the op-ed page of the statewide Arkansas Gazette. He drew one cartoon a week during his last year of college, graduating with a degree in Agri-Business in 1969. Powell turned the weekly exposure the Gazette had afforded him into a full-time job with the Hot Springs, Arkansas Sentinel-Record.

Moving to the San Antonio Light as a staff artist/ edtorial cartoonist, his next stop was a full time editorial cartoonist gig at the Cincinnati Enquirer until editorial differences prompted a move back south to the more liberal News and Observer in Raleigh.

Powell, who had published four collections of his work had won the Overseas Press Club Citation for Excellence in Cartooning, the National Headliners Club award for Outstanding Editorial Cartoons, and was named Distinguished Alumnus at his alma mater.

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The Last Panel

In political cartoon awards’ news, Darrin Bell is the recipient of the 2019 Pulitzer Prize in Editorial Cartooning. Darrin’s award was for a “distinguished cartoon or portfolio of cartoons, characterized by originality, editorial effectiveness, quality of drawing and pictorial effect, published as a still drawing, animation or both.” Judges took note of his “beautiful and daring editorial cartoons that took on issues affecting disenfranchised communities, calling out lies, hypocrisy and fraud in the political turmoil surrounding the Trump administration.” A previous vice president of the NCS, Darrin freelances his editorial cartoons through King Features; his comic strip Candorville was launched via the Washington Post Writers Group in 2003.

Rob Rogers has garnered two awards this year.

The Society of Professional Journalists, the nation’s most broad-based journalism organization dedicated to encouraging the free practice of journalism and stimulating high standards of ethical behavior, bestowed a Sigma Delta Chi Award for Excellence in Journalism to him. Rob also took home a National Headliner Award this year. Judges wrote that his “collection of cartoons gets high marks for

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Terri Libenson has just released the third book in her middle-school fiction trilogy, Just Jaime.

Following in the footsteps of her previous two books, Invisible Emmie and Positively Izzy, Terri returns with a companion graphic novel that captures the drama, angst and humor of middle-school life. As the last day of seventh grade are winding down, Jaime and Maya begin to wonder who their real friends are.

Excluded from a group, Jaime can at least count on her BFF, Maya, to have her back.

Or perhaps not — their days as BFFs may be numbered. … Dan Collins keeps pushing the boundaries of print — or in this case, not — by releasing a new ebook with comic strips from his Universal’s Gocomics feature Looks Good On Paper. Dan writes that it’s in a new format called a fixed layout ebook, which holds it’s design and doesn’t reflow like typical ebooks. It can be locked into landscape view which makes it perfect for comic strips and it also allows for a lot of interactive features such as read aloud, video, animation and more. Find links to the ebook for iBooks, Kindle and Kobo at Dan’s Fun-EBooks publishing website, www.fun-e-bookspublishing.com. … A realignment of comics pages after the merger of two newspapers left John Hambrock’s The Bril-

originality, diversity of topics, quality of artwork and clarity of message. An outstanding entry all around.” Rob also received the award in 1995. Fired in 2018 from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, he now freelances his cartoons through Andrews McMeel Syndicate (formerly Universal Press).

Political animator Mark Fiore has received his second Robert F. Kennedy Book & Journalism Award from the Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights organization. Mark won for a series of animated cartoons on child separation. “This year’s journalists serve our country with undaunted bravery at a time when those who speak truth to power are dismissed as dissidents rather than lauded as the patriots they are,” said the organization’s president, Kerry Kennedy. Among Mark’s previous awards include the 2010 Pulitzer and the Herblock Prize.

Matt Davies, editorial cartoonist for Newsday, has been awarded the 2019 Herblock Prize for editorial cartooning. In 2004 he was awarded the first ever Herblock Prize followed by that year’s Pulitzer Prize. The Herblock Prize is awarded annually by The Herb Block Foundation for “distinguished examples of editorial cartooning that exemplify the courageous independent standard set by Herblock.” Judges noted the “strength and consistency” of his portfolio, nothing that he “doesn’t just settle for the same old visual metaphors so commonly found in editorial cartooning today, and he does not insult his reader’s intelligence with over-labeled work.” Davies received a $15,000 after-tax cash prize and a sterling silver Tiffany trophy. liant Mind of Edison Lee nowhere to be seen — from his local Kenosha, Wisconsin paper. One of several comics that were dropped, Lee’s creator appealed to his Facebook fans to drop a note to the executive editor. Which, for once, actually worked. The strip returned to the comics page after reader response, which Anne Hambrock noted “was DIRECTLY the result of all your feedback for which John and I are extremely grateful.” … Perhaps one of his most iconic images ever created, Frank Frazetta’s 1969 original oil painting “Egyptian Queen” sold for a world record $5.4 million at a recent auction of vintage comic books and comic art held by Heritage Auctions. The painting had been in the possession of Frazetta’s family ever since it was created 50 years ago, and was the first time it was made available for private ownership.

“Egyptian Queen” first appeared in print as the cover for Eerie magazine No. 23, and as multiple prints, posters and publications. The painting bests the world record as the most expensive piece of original comic book art ever sold at public auction; the previous record was the $1.79 million paid for Frazetta’s “Death Dealer 6,” which sold in 2018. …