Congrats to all the winners!
Now some thoughts:
- Bill Amend (Cartoonist of the Year) – Totally deserved it and then some. In a world of so-so stripping, Foxtrot has always been top notch.
- Tom Richmond (Advertising Illustration) – The guy wows me in every respect: art, blogging, Batsuits, and the fact that he could break me in half.
- Drew Dernavich (Gag Cartoons) – It was an impressive group this year. Were I Drew I’d still be dancing a jig.
- Carla Ventresca (Greeting Cards) – As I get more and more into cards, I see more and more Carla. And now this… I’m going to sob quietly in the fetal position for a while.
- Hilary Price (Newspaper Panels) – Hooray, hooray, HOORAY to one of the best cartoonists in the biz!
Additional thoughts:
On the NCS site “…the winners of the NCS Division Awards are boldfaced”
They added an asterisk to help out, but it still took me leaning way into my largish monitor to read the winners. How ’bout a bigger font and or/italics?
(OK, this isn’t Reubens related, but it’s on the news page. Will somebody please replace this pixelated scrawl?!)
Also, if someone doesn’t post some new video of someone else winning the Reuben, I’m going to scream. Nothing against the Greg Evans vid, but it’s four years old; it needs some company.
And the Silver T-Square – I’m not going to comment on whether or not the McGarry boys deserve the award, but I will say that giving it to the children of a recent NCS president might appear inappropriate.
All this being said, I do sorta miss having gone this year. Carousing with Lynch, hobnobbing with gobs of cartoonists, cumberbunds… Maybe next year.
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I keep meaning to join NCS. Of course, I don't make near enough off of my cartoon to afford going to the Ruebens, so that kind of defeats the purpose of joining, doesn't it?
LOL! I've let my membership lapse, and I dunno if I'll re-up or not. I think I'd have to feel that they're interested in how cartooning has changed/is changing (webcomics, manga, graphic novels, etc…) before I support them further.
Well, if you had come to the Reubens, you could have sat at my table. Seeing how my online reservation went missing and they didn't know I was coming, there were six empty seats. I did get a confirmation page when I filled out the online form . . . really. Good thing I brought the printout! Next year back to using the phone to register!
Ed Steckley must have felt he'd been banished when he and Heather found themselves at the table by the door with me and my wife and our friend from NASA. Good old Mike Lynch came over to join us since his table had a full contingent. Tom Wilson, of Ziggy fame, must have signed up late as he joined us too.
To respond to your post, the NCS did have a "New Media" award for a few years. The hard part was finding submissions that could be considered "Professional." Certainly not for lack of quality but in the fact that it is meant to be work the cartoonist had been paid for and not merely posted themselves. That has changed recently so do re-up so that you can use your voice to have the board consider adding the divisions you mentioned.
Besides it would be nice to have some people at my table next year!
And to Kyle, The NCS isn't just the Reubens, you get to go to the chapter meetings, which are often just as much fun for a lot less, vote on the nominees, and meet some of the greats in the industry. I've certainly gained a lot from my friendships with some of the best talents in cartooning.
Hey Adrian! Good to hear from you again! You were so nice to me last year at my first Reubens! I'll sitt with ya next year for sure!
I've heard of the New Media thing, and I can see where quality could be an issue. I wonder if they'd consider making money off advertising on a site "selling" the cartoon?
I suppose the local NCS meetings might be a bit livelier than the Chicagoland Cartoonist Cabal meetings that were disbanded by Mark "the abandoner" Anderson. Though the commute was easier on my fuel bill. Seriously, I'm distraught. The meetup computer is sending dire warnings that portend plagues and things and apparently I'm the only one that can prevent them by taking over the Cabal. I don't need this kind of pressure!
Hi Mark, We did miss seeing you at the Reubens and I could have used the moral support when I didn't win. I take comfort in being in the company of Wiley Miller as the other non-winning (they keep saying there are no losers) nominee.
No matter how hard you try you never meet up with all the people there. Looking at Mike Lynch's blog only reminded me of all the people I missed.
I think that cartoons paid by advertising on the creators site may be too large a jump for a new category. But I think what you do can/should be considered since people buy your cartoon to use in publications. Do you ask them to send you a copy of the printed piece or web site address?
Some of the problem can be attributed to the insurmountable piles of entries that would be generated by an "Internet" category without some sort of limitations. As it is you don't have to be a NCS member to enter. So you could imagine the overloaded e-mail of the unfortunate chapter president of that category.
Mark, Kyle seems to be trying to hint at something with that nickname. Perhaps you should end his concerns by passing the mantle of the Cabal onto him when he's not looking.
Do they have a category for syndicated, but barely making enough to cover postage? That would be me.
I did that too. Hunny Bunny's Short Tale, which I illustrated, ran for two years. Syndicated by King Features, we had a whopping 15 newspapers. It started with 15 big papers and two years later we had 15 little papers.
I think we should have a "rest of you" category. Or perhaps a "who is that?"
Kyle – Sorry about that Meetup folks pestering you. If it makes you feel any better, they're hounding me too. Also they're watching me through my TV and reading my thoughts whenever I'm not wearing my aluminum foil helmet. But that's for another blog…
Adrian – I don't normally ask for copies, but a good few do send me some stuff now and then.
And I can see what you're getting at with the problems involved. Maybe charge non-members to nominate? I dunno… But it breaks my heart to see the NCS standing still online.
Hi Mark, A very little know fact, Hunny Bunny was submitted on floppy disk! A very early (uncredited) attempt to get King Features to accept a digital file for a strip. I ended up having to send them printouts.
And the point of that? It can take a long time to get established groups to warm up to new ways of working. Most people prefer to stay with the "devil they do know" rather than chance a problem.
I'm sure it won't be long before the NCS brings back some form of "Electronic Media" award. Perhaps a timely word to incoming President Jeff Keane. Although I'll let you do it, I don't want to get volunteered!
Hope to see you at a Berndt Toast Gang meeting!
Yeah… Maybe it's time I give someone at the NCS a call… And I have to get out to Berndt too!
So much to do!