NCS Division Awards: Deadline Today

More information here.

Photo: a glittering display of plaques from last year's NCS Reubens weekend.

Video: Jackie Ormes

Author Nancy Goldstein talks about Jackie Ormes, the first African-American female cartoonist, in this interview from KMBC.

Congratulions, Atomic Robo! UPDATED

Congrats to fellow New Hampshire cartoonist Steve Wegener who, along with writer Brian Clevinger, made the ALA's 2009 Top Ten Great Graphic Novels for Teens list with their ATOMIC ROBO AND THE FIGHTIN' SCIENTISTS OF TELSADYNE book.

UPDATED: I mean Scott Wegener. Not Steve. Sorry, Scott.

The Atlantic: BATTLESTAR GALACTICA

James Parker writes a primer to BATTLESTAR GALACTICA in this month's Atlantic. After explaining that the show is based on a chilly, silly 1970s space opera, he continues, "the retooled Battlestar Galactica has plunged into the burning issues of the day. Suicide bombers, torture, occupation, stolen elections. Homosexuality, reproductive rights, religious fundamentalism, genocide."

I especially liked this paragraph:

Of course, not everybody approves of the new direction. Dirk Benedict, who in the original series played the satyric flying ace and cigar-smoker Starbuck, was appalled to discover that his character had been reconceived as a woman—an angry and outspoken woman (Katee Sackhoff) at that, smoking a goddamned cigar! It was feminism, it was the humorless temper of the times—and from his home in the great state of Montana, the old trouper issued a counterblast. “The creative artists have lost and the Suits have won,” he declared in an essay for the May 2004 issue of the magazine Dreamwatch. “Suits. Administrators. Technocrats. Metro-sexual money-men (and women) who create formulas to guarantee profit margins.” The title of the essay was “Starbuck: Lost in Castration.” (Other members of the old guard proved more tractable. Richard Hatch, the original Captain Apollo, found a new role—while preserving, remarkably, the old hairstyle—as Tom Zarek, a William Ayers–like bomb-thrower who rehabilitates himself and becomes vice president.)

I post this here because I haven't seen mention of this article on any blogs, and it's nice to get the tip of the hat on a science fiction TV show from the lofty literary pillars of The Atlantic.

Brady is right: the show had some great, tough, insightful episodes. But I haven't seen any in a while. I've heard that the producers have been busy with developing a new show, a prequel program titled CAPRICA. Ever since I heard that, the program has pulled out all stops, relying on shock after shock; the deaths of supporting characters, the conceit that recurring characters are really evil Cylons. The last one, which was hinted at for weeks, was just silly. Maybe they think my jaw will drop; well, it did, but in a shark-jumpy reaction.

Anyone can write a good first act. The show, like LOST or TWIN PEAKS or THE PRISONER, has no third act. In its final season, now playing out on the Sci Fi channel, BSG is spinning plates, cooking up new mysteries and intrigues at this time. These events don't look like the tying up of loose ends. I hope I'm wrong. I like the show and would love to see a strong finish.

Ron Moore, the fellow who "reimagined" the series, wrote and (for the first time) directed last week's episode. I hope he's returned to wrap up the series in a sensible way that rewards its fans.

Shatner Remembers Ricardo Montalban

Ooh. And he yells, "Khannnn!!!" once more. Link via TheShatnerProject.com.

More at Trekmovie.

Great Comic Strip Reprint Books

So many!
Just saw this Q&A with Dean Mullaney about the new comic strip reprint books coming ahead at IDW Publishing. The whole interview, by Tom Mason, is at Comics411.

TOM: What are the next books coming up?

DEAN: Bruce Canwell and I are finishing up the final two “Terry” books, and working on the next few volumes of “Little Orphan Annie.” Then, I’m taking over as editor and designer of IDW’s “Dick Tracy” with volume 7—just in time to play in the sandbox with BB Eyes, Pruneface, Flattop, Mrs. Pruneface, The Mole, and the heyday of Chester Gould’s gallery of grotesque rogues. After that, I have “The Complete Rip Kirby” by Alex Raymond which we’re shooting from syndicate proofs (!) and the official “Bringing Up Father“ with the Sunday pages in color.

Really looking forward to Bringing Up Father! Big hat tip to Tom Spurgeon at Comics Reporter.

Now, all this reminds me that there are a lot of reprint projects out there.

And, of course, there's NBM's "Forever Nuts" hardcover series of reprints with its release of Bud Fisher's MUTT & JEFF and Frederick Burr Opper's HAPPY HOOLIGAN.

And let's not forget about the incredible high quality of the Classic Comics Press releases: Stan Drake's THE HEART OF JULIET JONES, Leonard Starr's MARY PERKINS ON STAGE and DONDI by Gus Edson & Irwin Hasen.

And the works of Clare Briggs, Frank King, Tove Jansson and (very soon) Canadian cartoonist Doug Wright, as well as prolific comics creator John Stanley are in print at Drawn & Quarterly.

And, speaking of John Stanley, the LITTLE LULU series of comics are in their 4th year of being reprinted by Dark Horse.

And then there's the Pacific Comics Club. Where else could you find Frank Godwin's Connie strip?

And then there's the PEANUTS hardcover series, Feiffer, Segar's POPEYE, DENNIS THE MENACE, PRINCE VALIANT and more at Fantagraphics.

I'm not mentioning all the great reprints that DC and Marvel have done -- in both expensive and inexpensive editions.

Gee whiz. This was going to be a short entry, but there are a lot of great reprints out there.

Oh, and I heard there's a Roy Crane BUZ SAWYER project in the works somewhere.

THE NAKED EYE by Sam Cobean

Harry Lee Green has scans from cartoonist Sam Cobean's book THE NAKED EYE. Go and look at this man's wonderful work!

More about Sam Cobean here.

Big tip of the hat to Journalista!

DEADLINE CRUNCH: NCS Awards

Do you want to be considered for a cartooning award? Time to get your cartoons, illustrations, editorial cartoons, comic book work and so on and so on -- all packed up and sent in to one of the National Cartoonists Society chapter chairs.

The entry should be postmarked no later than Friday, January, 30, 2009.

The forms & details are here.

Contact me if you have any concerns.

Richard Thompson on Pen Nibs

An wonderful bit of writing, both funny and informative, about pen nibs, from Richard Thompson's blog. You know, NIBS! The kind you dip in the inkwell; their history, and the good, the bad and the splattery.

From his entry:

"It's usually immediately apparent how well the nib is going to perform, just by the feel of it dragging on the paper, or the tiny variations in shape of the tines. It's this finely calibrated nib-sense that makes my wife's eyes roll audibly in her head if I so much as say the word 'nib.'"

NCS Division Awards DEADLINE Three Days

Yup, 3 days until deadline for the National Cartoonists Society Division Awards. (Unless, of course, you are reading this at some point in the future.) The deadline is Friday, January 30, 2009.

The awards are by and for professional cartoonists in a dozen different disciplines. You do not have to be a member to have your cartoons considered. You may submit the work of others. All information, including the application and bio forms, is here.

ALICE IN WONDERLAND Illustrations Other Than Tenniel

Asian blogger Ofellabuta showcases the many illustrators who have drawn Lewis Carroll's ALICE IN WONDERLAND books through the years. Mary Blair is a standout here.


No Arthur Rackham yet, but here's hoping he's in the pipeline. Above is a reproduction of one of his ALICE drawings. I used to have a print of this over my board for many years; since high school I think. (It was misplaced during a move.)

Hat tip to Journalista!

Cartoonists and Gag Writers

Here's an essay on gag writers and cartoonists that I wrote in 2006. This topic has been of interest recently (i.e., Google Analytics tells me people have been reading it). I've edited it slightly to update some links.


Above: Lee Lorenz and one of his cartoons from a 1960s hardcover giveaway cartoon collection titled Compliments of Your Volkswagen Dealer.

Lee Lorenz, cartoon editor of the New Yorker since 1973, says, "The biggest change over my career — I started here as a cartoonist in 1958 — is that the generation of cartoonists that came to prominence in the sixties and seventies all do their own writing. For the first twenty-five years of the New Yorker, captions were nearly always written by people other than the artists — writers on the staff or outside gag writers. — Behind the Cartoonist by Sarah Werner, Smithsonian Magazine, June 1995

My cartoonist pal Tony Murphy, whose "It's All About You" comic strip was syndicated last year, and can also be seen online, asked my opinion about gag writers. He wrote in an email:

I'd be interested to know more about why the NYer editor then was deciding he wanted cartoonists who could write their own material. In other words, why didn't that happen ten years earlier — or later?

A good question! I don't know, but being a good American, I'm lousy with ill informed opinions and my right to pontificate about 'em

In 1925, when the NYer mag began, Harold Ross, who as we all know started the magazine, wanted a different type of cartoon. So many of the cartoons had dialogue back then. Not just the one line, but 2 or more lines of dialogue. It was clunky looking.

Voice from bank — Hey, mister, your oars are driftin' away!
Contented lover — That's all right. We don't need 'em any more.

These cartoons are from Judge magazine, a leading humor mag if the 19th century, created by Puck magazine contributors who jumped ship to create a rival humor magazine.

A FOURTH OF JULY OUTING

Gamin — Carry your bag for a nickel, mister.

Pater — No, never mind, boy.

Gamin — Carry the kind fer a quarter.

(Ahh, the street urchin gag! So rarely seen these days!)

E.B. White is generally credited with crafting the typical one-line New Yorker style cartoon. Cartoon captions were routinely handed over to White or Thurber for "tinkering."

It was never easy, and still isn't, for a new artist to break in to the New Yorker. Some of those whose names have become well known tried for months, or even longer, sending in dozens of rough sketches week after week. If an unknown's caption, or sketch, seemed promising, it was often bought and turned over to an established staff cartoonist. Arno usually got the cream of the crop; the wonderful Mary Petty has never worked from any idea other than her own; James Reid Parker did most of Helen Hokinson's captions; and other artists either had their own gagmen or subsisted on original inspiration, fortified by captions and ideas sent in by outsiders or developed by the staff. — The Years With Ross by James Thurber

I believe that since the NYer was run by writers and editors, then the approach with cartoons was the same: Great cartoons are not written, they are rewritten and rewritten and edited and poked and prodded at by many on the staff. It's odd to think that Charles Addams had writers who would write for his distinctive style of humor. But this is all part of the branding of these different cartoonists. James Reid Parker, who wrote the introduction of The Hokinson Festival cartoon collection, is cited on the book jacket as the guy "who wrote most of the original captions" of her cartoons. Gag writers are, as Ms. Wernick writes, "an open secret of the cartoon business."

Most gag cartoonists buy some of their ideas from outside sources. They pay the writer 25 percent of what the cartoon earns and keep 75 percent for themselves. Only the cartoonist signs the cartoon. — Cartooning by Roy Paul Nelson

"Any professional humorist is out of his mind if he doesn't surround himself with talented writers. Otherwise you get to the bottom of your own barrel too quickly," says Hank Ketcham in Sarah Wernick's Smithsonian article.

One cartoonist I know who uses more than 3 dozen gag writers, says they allow him to be more prolific. And a gag writer colleague of mine would point out that the cut for gag writers is now 30%. Or at least it is in NYC.

I don't use gag writers myself, despite getting approached by them. I like Dave Coverly's note to gag writers at his Speedbump site:

Note to Gag Writers: I don't buy cartoon ideas. It's nothing against you, I'm sure you're damn funny. I just don't. I like the daydreaming part of my job too much.

Bob Mankoff, who took over the cartoon editor position at the NYer after Lorenz, says that there are people who like to draw and there are people who like to write. Cartoonists are the rare combination of those two types.

Related:

"Gag Writers Are Funny People" by Larc Relhoc from Mother Earth news, 1970.

Rod McKie interviews prolific gag writer and cartoonist Rex "Baloo" May on his Cartoon Fiend blog

Don Orehek & "A CRACKED Look at an Unemployment Office"

When people are worried about the future, they look to cultural touchstones for guidance. In this case, look no further than the one and only Don Orehek and his drawings for "A CRACKED Look at an Unemployment Office."

Above is a detail from his gatefold drawing. Just look at those characters. I love Don's work. So expressive, the lines full of the love of drawing.



Ahh, CRACKED. "the World's Humorest Funny Magazine." Remember CRACKED? Above is the cover of CRACKED No. 139, January 1976. Copyright 1976 by Major Magazines Inc. It's an expertly drawn cover by John Severin, who was probably the busiest of the stable of CRACKED artists. His ability to caricature is very much on the mark, without resorting to outlandish visual hyperbole. He did the bulk of the CRACKED cover art for 40 years.

And, below, is "A CRACKED Look at an Unemployment Office," drawn by Don Orehek, with writing by one of the stable of writers at CRACKED. The articles are, unlike MAD, uncredited. Joe Catalano, George Gladir and Bob Rafferty are listed as the writers on the masthead. Click the below to super-size this great work by Don:

And that's not all. If Severin was the busiest artist bee at CRACKED, than Don was absolutely no slouch. He has nine pages in this 52 page issue.



Here are just three samples from one four page feature titled "CRACKED Looks at the World of Superdom."



Above and below, a smartly dressed woman (dig that hat!) has a problem that she has learned to solve.

And we have the below comment on those who put on tights and capes and prance around ....


I really was just going to post the Unemployment gatefold above, but I got carried away by sharing Don's terrific cartoon art.

You can see Don's cartoons regularly in Playboy magazine.

National Cartoonists Society Division Awards Deadline Friday

The deadline for the NCS Division Awards is Friday. January 30, 2009.

More info. on submitting here.

Dennis the Menace Meets Jewish Neighbors (1971)

DENNIS THE MENACE comic books were part of kids' reading for decades. Now gone, the comic books, usually ghosted by long-time assistant to Hank Ketcham Mr. Al Wiseman, were well distributed, in groceries, drugstores and barbershops. There were regular DTM issues, along with larger (and more pricey) specials, and the smaller digest comics.

In 1971, at a Rexall Drug Store in Lawrence, KS, I spent 35 cents on an issue of the DENNIS THE MENACE BONUS MAGAZINE SERIES No. 99, October 1971 (a magazine published 12 times a year, once a month with the exception of September, November and December, and twice in June, July and October).

In a five page story "Christmas Happy Holidays," I found out about the new milkman in Dennis' neighborhood.

Thanks to Mssrs. Ketcham and Wiseman, I learned about Jewish people via Dennis. The milkman and his son explained that they were Jews, and the regular milkman wanted Christmas off and they, celebrated Hanukkah instead of Christmas, etc. They told Dennis about their religion.

This was all completely new information to me. What can I say? I lived in a small town in Kansas! (I also did not understand what a golf bag was, so the cover gag was a complete non sequitor to me at the time.)

By chance, I found a copy of this story in a comic book at an antique store in nearby Wells, ME. And here it is.








Related Links:

Fred Hembeck on Al Wiseman and Fred Toole

Bill Alger's Al Wiseman site

Newspapers Are Dead, Long Live Newspapers

The local New Hampshire Public Radio call-in program "The Exchange," hosted by Laura Knoy, had a program on January 22 (a podcast is on this page) about the state of the newspaper industry in this area (ME, NH & MA).

Upshot: the local, free newspapers are doing just fine.

Hmmm.

MAD MAGAZINE Now Quarterly

The venerable MAD MAGAZINE, which was, along with DC Comics staffers, hit with layoffs on Friday, will become a quarterly publication beginning with issue #500. Sister publications MAD KIDS and MAD CLASSICS will cease production immediately.

Tom Richmond blogs about the news here, and promises he'll have more to say this coming week. Certainly, this is sad news for those who lost their jobs, and all who are affected by the reduced publication schedule.

I heard the news yesterday afternoon, and, just by chance, the phone rang. It was Mell Lazarus calling from California. He wasn't calling about this. He was calling about an upcoming National Cartoonists Society meeting. We talked NCS business for a minute and then chatted about things. He hadn't heard about MAD, but then he said that at least MAD is still alive.


So, there, as Mell points out, is a silver lining.

MAD isn't dead. Not yet.

So go buy a copy!

NCS Division Awards DEADLINE One Week

Friday, January 30th is the deadline to mail your submission in for consideration in this year's National Cartoonists Society Division Awards. That is, if you are reading this on Friday, January 23, one week from now.

The NCS Awards are voted on by professional cartoonist members of the National Cartoonists Society. It is free to enter, and it is not required that you are an NCS member to qualify.

Information on where to send your entry, including the forms to download & print, here at the NCS site.

There are a dozen divisional categories:

• TELEVISION ANIMATION
  
  
• FEATURE ANIMATION
  
  
• NEWSPAPER ILLUSTRATION
  
  
• GAG CARTOONS
  
  
• GREETING CARDS
  
  
• NEWSPAPER COMIC STRIPS
  
  
• NEWSPAPER PANEL CARTOONS
  
  
• MAGAZINE FEATURE/MAGAZINE ILLUSTRATION
  
  
• BOOK ILLUSTRATION
  
  
• EDITORIAL CARTOONS
  
  
• ADVERTISING ILLUSTRATION
  
  
• COMIC BOOKS
  

The work should have been published between December 1, 2007 and December 31, 2008. You may enter more than one category.

Each submission must be accompanied by:

• an entry form
• a bio sheet

If you have any questions, please email me, Mike Lynch, the NCS Awards Coordinator: fatcats3 [at] gmail.com. Please write "NCS Awards" in the subject line. Thanks.

The winners will be announced at the 63rd Annual Reuben Awards Dinner in Hollywood, California on May 23, 2009.

The new NCS blog has all the details here.

Lost Cat Redux

When I posted about a lost cat named Puddy, I did not expect an ending.

Puddy got away from his owner at the local vet's office. She panicked while being transported from the vet's office to the car in the vet's own parking lot. She bolted into the surrounding woods on December 4, 2008. Despite calling her name, and looking for days, she was gone. Vanished in the trees.


I know Puddy's favorite person in that family because he lives in the same town, and participated in a cartooning class of mine last year. When his Mom phoned to tell me Puddy was missing, and to keep my eyes open, I thought I would do my bit by posting a photo and passing along the word.

The family posted photos in town, as well as online.

Since Puddy ran into the woods, winter came down hard over the holiday season, with a series of harsh weather systems, beginning with a devastating ice storm. I can only imagine my friend's feelings of loss.

When his Mom phoned over the weekend, I couldn't believe what she said: "We found Puddy!"

She told me what had happened just last week: a woman had been to the vet's office, seen the "missing cat" photo that had been posted on the wall for five weeks, and phoned them. The woman told them that there was a cat who looked very much like Puddy that had taken up residence in her barn, and would they, possibly, like to drive over and see?

And, so, here is the ending that I didn't think would come: Puddy and her family were reunited. "If only she could talk," they told me. Puddy is very, very happy or be back. I called last night to for an update. She's a little dehydrated, I was told, but she's filling out fast.

Derek Kirk Kim on AVATAR Movie Casting

Casting for a live action movie THE LAST AIRBENDER was announced on Monday. The movie is based on the animated TV series AVATAR: THE LAST AIRBENDER. The TV show features Asian characters, yet Hollywood has cast this motion picture with young white people.

Award winning graphic novelist Derek Kirk Kim cites that although this week saw a "new day in politics, [it's the] same old racist world on the silver screen."

From his blog is a personal story:

When my brother and I were in high school, our favorite class was Drama. While we were rehearsing for the next day's class or participating in a school play or dancing it up at the after party, I don't think there was anything we liked more. During such times, it even surpassed our love of—dare I say it—comics. But we never even entertained the notion of actually pursuing it as a career. Not because we didn't want to, but because we had too much pride to spend our entire lives pretending to be Long Duk Dong, or a Chinese food delivery boy with one line, or a Kato to some Green Hornet. Or even worse, having our hearts broken over and over going after roles that specifically call for Asian Americans like "Avatar, The Last Airbender" only to see them go to white actors. Back in my Drama days in high school, I used to dream of being white so I could pursue acting.



With discrimination like this "Avatar" casting continuing to happen uncontested in Hollywood, my future kids will nurse the same pitiful wish.



And it infuriates me.

I don't watch the show, so there's a lot I don't know here. I do know that Hollywood only sees the color of money, and if Hollywood feels that the white kids threaten a significant opportunity to build a lucrative franchise, then it may reconsider its options. At this time, it does hear those voices criticizing its cast.

One more snippet from Derek's blog; an excellent analogy:

Or let me draw a closer parallel—imagine if someone had made a “fantasy” movie in which the entire world was built around African culture. Everyone is wearing ancient African clothes, African hats, eating traditional African food, writing in an African language, living in African homes, all encompassed in an African landscape...

...but everyone is white.

How offensive, insulting, and disrespectful would that be toward Africans and African Americans? How much more offensive would it be if only the heroes were white and all the villains and background characters were African American?

More here, including information on a letter writing campaign.

My thanks to Derek for letting me know about this.

Brian Fies: Words & Pictures Podcast

This is a wonderful time to be a cartoonist. There is so much information out there, you can't help but be optimistic that despite all the changes in traditional ways the public receives its media, one thing is constant: people love cartoons.

They do. They love 'em.

And if you want to cartoon for a living, it's easier than ever to find out how to tell a story, how to deal with drawing challenges, how to create a successful feature, how to sell, how to deal with rejection, and so on.

Last week, my pal Brian Fies was on the Words & Pictures Podcast. He talked about a lot of topics, about his Eisner Award winning graphic novel MOM'S CANCER and his new graphic novel WHATEVER HAPPENED TO THE WORLD OF TOMORROW? Brian shares his views on writing, and the creating a character driven narrative. It's a lot drawing and a lot of writing!

My thanks to Brian for this candid look at his process.

P.S. This is my 1,701st blog posting here on Blogger and it's my nerdlicious honor to spotlight my fellow Trekker Brian!

Mike Lynch Cartoon Imitates Real Life

"Stop shopping for flat screens!"

I finally entered the 21st century by switching from my old big tube monitor to a flat screen. The kitties, who liked to warm their hind quarters upon the old monitor, are not happy.

Not happy at all.

The above cartoon was drawn a couple years ago.

NCS Division Awards: Deadline in 10 Days

The National Cartoonists Society invites cartoonists to submit their professional work for award consideration in any of the twelve categories listed here. You do not have to be a member of the NCS to be considered.

The deadline is January 30, 2009. The work should have been published between December 1, 2007 and December 31, 2008. You may enter more than one category.

Each submission must be accompanied by:

• an entry form
• a bio sheet

If you have any questions, please email me, Mike Lynch, the NCS Awards Coordinator: fatcats3 [at] gmail.com. Please write "NCS Awards" in the subject line. Thanks.

The winners will be announced at the 63rd Annual Reuben Awards Dinner in Hollywood, California on May 23, 2009.

The new NCS blog has all the details here.

The categories are:

• TELEVISION ANIMATION
  
  
• FEATURE ANIMATION
  
  
• NEWSPAPER ILLUSTRATION
  
  
• GAG CARTOONS
  
  
• GREETING CARDS
  
  
• NEWSPAPER COMIC STRIPS
  
  
• NEWSPAPER PANEL CARTOONS
  
  
• MAGAZINE FEATURE/MAGAZINE ILLUSTRATION
  
  
• BOOK ILLUSTRATION
  
  
• EDITORIAL CARTOONS
  
  
• ADVERTISING ILLUSTRATION
  
  
• COMIC BOOKS

THE MAD ADVENTURES OF CAPTAIN KLUTZ by Don Martin

Comicrazys presents the origin story of Captain Klutz from the pen of the one and only Don Martin.

Cheney In Wheelchair For Inauguration

Word has it that Vice President Cheney strained his back while moving some boxes yesterday, and will attend today's inauguration in a wheelchair. Let the Mr. Potter jokes commence!

Sam Cobean

Here's a quote from cartoonist Brian Savage on Sam Cobean:

I was living in San Francisco when I definitely made up my mind I was going to become a cartoonist. I was really at loose ends. I had gone to school, college, army, and I was in San Francisco just because a friend of mine was going to the University of California. We were sharing a place together, and he went on to get his Ph.D. I saw a book and it turned me on. It sounds dramatic, but this really happened. It's a book by Cobean. I fell in love with it. It just gave me an electric shock. It really was sort of like love. I said, This is what I want to do.

- Cartoonist Brian Savage in JUMPING UP AND DOWN ON THE ROOF AND THROWING BAGS OF WATER ON PEOPLE, CARTOONS & INTERVIEWS FROM SIX OF AMERICA'S FAVORITE CARTOONISTS, Introduction and Interviews by Mark Jacobs, copyright 1980 Mark Jacobs.

Below are just a few samples of Sam Cobean's work, all from the comprehensive Sam Cobean site.




Sam Cobean (1913-1951) was attending the University of Oklahoma when he entered a contest sponsored by Walt Disney. After winning the contest, Sam quit school and moved to Hollywood to work as an in-betweener on Disney's SNOW WHITE for $16 a week.

In 1942, he participated in the Screen Cartoonists Guild strike against Disney, and left the studio soon after that. He married fellow U of O student Anne McCool that same year.


Above: an illustration by Cobean. Just look at the motion in those lines.

Cobean applied for the Army & the Navy, but was classified 4F on account of his flat feet. He was, the following year, drafted into the army. There, Cobean worked on Army training films in New York City alongside fellow soldier Charles Addams. Addams introduced Cobean to New Yorker magazine cartoon editor James Geraghty. Cobean began to sell to the magazine.

While still in the Army, Cobean shared a New Yorker office with fellow cartoonist contributor Addams.


Above: another cartoon from the site. That touch of grey on the ski instructor's sweater effortlessly gives us our point of interest in the cartoon. I like the details here: the bear skin rug, the beams, the luggage, the skis leaning against a wooden pillar, the circles that Cobean's drawn to denote a big stone fireplace. It all tells us we're in a lodge.

In 1946, he was discharged and he and Anne bought a summer home in Watkins Glen, NY. Sam would be involved in the Watkins Glen Gand Prix races there. Cobean began doing a lot of work for advertising, in addition to his cartooning.

In 1950, COBEAN'S NAKED EYE, the first collection of Cobean cartoons (titled by Anne) was published.


Above: a concept sketch for the cover.

Here's the next entry from the Sam Cobean chronology page:

1951 On Monday, July 2, Sam drove his shiny red Jaguar into Watkins Glen to mail some cartoons to The New Yorker for the regular art meeting the following day. While there, he met a friend, Cameron Argetsinger, who was having car trouble. He offered him a ride home. On the return trip they were involved in an automobile accident. Cobean swerved to avoid hitting another car, lost control and hit a tree. Cobean was killed instantly. His friend survived the crash.

Sam Cobean would be a major name -- as well known as Addams -- if his career wasn't cut short by that accident. I'm glad that there's a Web site full of his work to remind us what a wonderful cartoonist he was.

Thank You for Your Good Wishes

Thank you for your good birthday wishes. I'm overwhelmed by how many people out there read this blog. I've had "happy birthdays" in the email, "many happy returns" via the Facebook, "blow those candles out" on the Twitter, etc. And even some non-Internets old fashioned paper cards sent in the US mail and old-time phone calls. Thank you, thank you!

Frank McLaughlin Interview

Syndicated cartoonist Frank McLaughlin, right, gives Edward Stead 4, a lesson in drawing at the Sterling House in Stratford. For 45 years, McLaughlin has drawn such superhero characters as Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman. He will be teaching a class for adults on drawing cartoons later this month. (Phil Noel/Connecticut Post Staff photographer)

Richard Weizel, writing for the Connecticut Post, interviews BATMAN and GIL THORPE artist Frank McLaughlin in an article titled "It's a bird, it's a plane, it's superhero cartoonist."

"'Comics and newspaper comic strips have been on the decline for years now,' McLaughlin said. 'The days of light-hearted comic strips are over. Now, the movies have made characters like Batman very dark and serious.' He said the future for comics is the Internet and Web."

Erin Holroyd, Frank's daughter, writes The White Viper online comic, with pencils by the one and only Dick Giodano and inks by Mr. McLaughlin.

H/t to THE BEAT.

Martin Luther King, Jr. "The Montgomery Story" Comic Book

It's all here.

Hat tip to Comics Reporter.

Boston Herald Cover January 18, 2009

Proffered without comment is yesterday's Boston Herald newspaper tabloid cover. No artist credited, at least not that I could find online.

NCS Division Awards: Book Illustration CORRECTED ADDRESS

PLEASE BE ADVISED the zip code to mail your NCS Division Award Book Illustration submission is incorrect.

The CORRECT address is:

BOOK ILLUSTRATION
Send up to 6 samples of published work to:
Michael Jantze, NCS Northern California Chapter, PO Box 1907, San Anselmo, CA 94979-1907 (michael@jantze.com)

My thanks to Michael Jantze and Ron Hill, who let me know about this.

I've changed the address in all the awards postings here, Michael, and sent on a correction to the NCS site.

Boris Drucker 1920-2009 UPDATED

Gag cartoonist Boris Drucker died of a stroke on Thursday, January 15, 2008 at the Hahnemann University Hospital, in Philadelphia, PA. He was 88.

The Philadelphia Inquirer has an obituary:

"In 2000, Mr. Drucker told an Inquirer reporter that as a freelance artist, 'I've had tremendously good years and tremendously bad years. But I've never had a bad afternoon, thanks to the pleasure and therapy cartooning gives me.'"

Hat tip to Michael Maslin.



Boris Drucker drew the above art from the November 14, 1953 issue of The Saturday Evening Post. Drucker was in all the big markets and was, just last week, working on a Playboy finish.

Syracuse University had a major exhibition of his work in 2005. He was one of the six Jewish WW II soldiers featured in the recent documentary FROM PHILADELPHIA TO THE FRONT.

UPDATE: Tom Spurgeon writes an obituary, with some good links, at Comics Reporter.

Happy Birthday to Mike

Thanks to everyone who sent a note regarding my birthday today. Above is a card I received from an old friend (Howdy Parson!). He scanned in and presented me with a drawing I did as a kid way back during 1976. I am embarrassed by my old drawings. I have changed my style so much since then! (I hope!) Well , anyway, might as well take this occasion to make a private embarrassment public (before the Parson does).

I don't recall what the context is here. It looks like Mr. Peanut is in an art gallery, being insulted with a mediocre pun by a Don Martin-inspired fat guy. And I don't know why it's titled "a humourous cartoone" either.

I must be off to shovel some snow, and then settle back in to draw some cartoons all afternoon. Some things never change.

Andrew Wyeth 1917-2009

Painter Andrew Wyeth passed away in his sleep today. He died in his home in Chadd's Ford, PA. He was 91.

The NY Times has a lengthy appreciation of the man and his philosophy here.

Mr. Wyeth's mention in a PEANUTS strip, above, nicked from Comics Reporter.

Royston Robertson's "If this isn't nice, I don't know what is"

My friend and fellow slinger of the ink, Royston Robertson, has some sage words of simple advice via Vonnegut at his blog right here.

Above cartoon pinched from Royston's portfolio site.

Maine Comic Arts Festival May 17, 2009

The Ocean gateway facility will be the location for the very first Maine Comic Arts Festival to be held four months from today, May 17, 2009, in Portland, Maine. I spoke with Rick Lowell, the man behind the festival, last month. Rick runs one of the best comic book shops I've been to: Casablanca Comics in downtown Portland.

The aim, Rick says, is to have an indy-comic friendly event in Portland; a MoCCA Fest or an APE or and SPX for the Northern New England area. Portland has impressed me with its number of comics creators, so this day-long event should be a terrific success.

See you there!

Cartoonist Dan Gordon Tribute

Sherm Cohen's Cartoon SNAP looks at the life and career of animator/comic book artist Dan Gordon. Just look at the anatomy of that dog above. Even though he's a cartoony dog, the foundation in drawing shows. And look at the bold brush strokes, and the black spotting of the dog's dhadow makes him pop off the page. I'm thankful to Sherm for showcasing a fellow that I had heard of, but never full appreciated until now. Go look.

And thanks, Sherm, for shining the light on Dan Gordon.

Top 10 STAR TREK Movie Moments

Here is a top 10 list and, as with any top 10 list it's arguably personal (3 of the top 10 are from GENERATIONS?! ) and leaves out some good scenes. But I liked a lot of the choices, even though I'm less of a NEXT GEN guy and more of an old school fan. And the Top 10 list begins and ends with the best TREK movie to date, STAR TREK II: THE WRATH OF KHAN or TWAK as its known in TREKspeak, as the template in later years, like when the NEXT GENERATION movies were written. Like writer/producer Ron Moore said in a Trekmovie interview:

"And at that point in time the gold standard was Wrath of Khan and everyone wanted to do Wrath of Khan by some other name. Even in Generations we were talking about Wrath of Khan. Wrath of Khan says ‘here is how you do a Star Trek movie.’ It’s action-adventure. You’ve got a big villain. You’ve got themes of aging and great little character moments, small moments of humor interspersed throughout. It embraces all the characters. You laugh with them, you cry with them. It ends on a bittersweet but hopeful note. It is just a great movie and it really stands up."

Dan Thompson Interview

Dan Thompson, whose new syndicated comic strip RIP HAYWIRE debuts this month from Universal Features, is interviewed by Tom Mason for Comix 101:

TOM: It seems like an odd time to launch a new strip, particularly an adventure one. “Rip” seems like a great choice, but not the safe one that syndicates and papers would rush to embrace. What’s been the response so far?

DAN: There really aren’t any safe bets unless Bill Watterson or Gary Larson came out of retirement and launched a new feature. But the response to “Rip Haywire” has been great. My syndicate, [United Features] and the newspapers have been fired up about the strip from day one. Newspaper readers are normal people, they like the same things we all do, so embracing a funny soldier of fortune is like embracing all the other whack jobs in the funnies. An overweight Viking, talking animals, Army soldiers who have been in boot camp for 50 years, Cathy doesn’t even have a nose, and yet we embrace . . . Comic lovers are all about the embracing.

From Rough to Finish

A busy day today. Here's a rerun of a 2008 entry. My thanks to Chris Lupetti for asking me some questions about the single panel cartoon gag writing process via Facebook. (I have to sketch while I write a gag.) Chris' questions prompted a revisit to the ol' blog. So please excuse me while I go all TV Land and give you a Mike Lynch Cartoons encore presentation of a retro classic:


Today I want to show some sketches and their trip from rough to finish. Above: detail from a sketchbook. The little note "sold HBR" means it sold to Harvard Business Review. I draw very simply and quickly and very small. I blew this up about 200%.

This particular gag idea came to me last year when other cartoonists would call me and then blab some juicy bit of gossip -- and then sternly warn me I better not to put it in my blog.


And, above, is the cartoon as I showed it to HBR for their consideration. The line "Aw, hell. You've been reading my MySpace blog, huh?" has been changed. The new line "Uh oh .... Something tells me that blog has been discovered" gets rid of the profanity (always a good idea) and the branding of the blog. Which, of course, I would be glad to put in in exchange for a hefty prmotional fee.


Above is the "Johnson is very security conscious" cartoon rough. You can see how quickly and messily I doodle a rough. Can you tell the guy is locking a steel gate?



Above is the version that I mailed out. Now we have a couple of guys walking by commenting that "Harding is very security conscious." I don't remember why I changed Johnson to Harding. It could be that there was all ready a Johnson character in another cartoon in the batch. I should have (as my Dad suggested afterward) put a big nasty bulldog by the cubicle. That would have been funnier and fun to draw as well. Ah well. The important thing is that it sold!







The "Meet the Cow" milk carton cartoon changed a bit from rough doodle to finish.


It became the "Artisanal Milk" cartoon, which I wrote about here. When I submitted this cartoon about conspicuous lactose consumption to the Chronicle of Higher Education, I had no idea there was such a thing as artisanal milk. A Chronicle of Higher Education reader told me otherwise.




Above is one of those silly little doodles again. I drew little sweatbands on the people who are running by with the numbers. Those were lost in the finish, and that was wrong. The people at the board room table are drawn so simply they look like three hairless, bodyless heads on the floor.


Above is the finish. I remember drawing this up quickly, thinking that this one would not sell, so let's just draw it up and add it to the batch. No matter how long you are in the biz, you do not know what will sell. It sold very quickly.



And above is the page from my sketchbook. It's a 6" x 9" 110 lb. acid free 100% recycled paper from the Robert Bateman cover series produced by En Tour Artist Products, Inc. As you can see, I draw 8 ideas per page, on both sides of the page. The 110 lb. paper allows for no bleeding with my permanent Micron pens.

So, there you have it. Four sales out of eight. Actually, that's not true. Looking at that page of roughs, I only drew up five of the eight ideas -- and the fifth one, the one that didn't sell, is on hold. All in all, a darn good batting average. However, I should add in all honesty, like those diet commercials display in dinky lettering on the TV screen as Valerie Bertinelli goes from plump to thin, "results not typical."

I hope you found this interesting. I cringe at how rough these doodles are!

Call for Entries: NCS Division Awards

Deadline in 2 weeks and a day.

The National Cartoonists Society invites cartoonists to submit their professional work for award consideration in any of the twelve categories listed here. You do not have to be a member of the NCS to be considered.

The deadline is January 30, 2009. The work should have been published between December 1, 2007 and December 31, 2008. You may enter more than one category.

Each submission must be accompanied by:

• an entry form
• a bio sheet

If you have any questions, please email me, Mike Lynch, the NCS Awards Coordinator: fatcats3 [at] gmail.com. Please write "NCS Awards" in the subject line. Thanks.

The winners will be announced at the 63rd Annual Reuben Awards Dinner in Hollywood, California on May 23, 2009.

The new NCS blog has all the details here.

The categories are:

• TELEVISION ANIMATION
  
  
• FEATURE ANIMATION
  
  
• NEWSPAPER ILLUSTRATION
  
  
• GAG CARTOONS
  
  
• GREETING CARDS
  
  
• NEWSPAPER COMIC STRIPS
  
  
• NEWSPAPER PANEL CARTOONS
  
  
• MAGAZINE FEATURE/MAGAZINE ILLUSTRATION
  
  
• BOOK ILLUSTRATION
  
  
• EDITORIAL CARTOONS
  
  
• ADVERTISING ILLUSTRATION
  
  
• COMIC BOOKS

Ricardo Montalban 1920-2009

Ricardo Montalban passed away today in his home in Los Angeles. He was 88. No cause of death was given.

The Mexican-born actor began working on the New York City stage for 4 years, and then, was offered a contract to come to work at MGM in Hollywood in 1946.

It was his starring role in the TV series FANTASY ISLAND (1978-84) that cemented his popularity. He was also known for playing "Khan," a nemesis for STAR TREK's Captain Kirk twice: during the original series and then again, 15 years later, in STAR TREK II: THE WRATH OF KHAN.

Link to Trekmovie, which has many more links.

AP Obituary.

Flickr Group: Growing Up Star Wars 1977-1985

Above: It's not me, but it could be any one of zillions of us who grew up consuming STAR WARS related toys, dolls, games, etc. There's now a new Flickr group showing over 500 kids with their SW merchandise.

Hat tip to Matt Forsythe.

Patrick McGoohan 1928-2009 UPDATED

Patrick McGoohan passed away today in Los Angeles after a short illness. He was 80 years old.

AMC is remaking his best known series THE PRISONER, and has all of the original episodes online.

Thanks to Moor Larkin's Flickr photostream for the image.

UPDATE: Heidi MacDonald has this lengthy, fondly remembered piece here.

Schulz & Beethoven Exhibit

Jeannie Schulz and a PEANUTS original. A photo by Peter DaSilva for The New York Times.

From the January 13, 2009 NY Times, here's a photo essay showcasing the Schulz's Beethoven: Schroeder's Muse exhibit currently at the Charles M. Schulz Museum in Santa Rosa, CA thru January 26th. And then it travels to San Jose State University, to go on display at the Beethoven Center there.

Related: Listening to Schroeder: ‘Peanuts’ Scholars Find Messages in Cartoon’s Scores by April Dembosky

Big hat tip to Steve Smallwood.

American Cartoonist 1951

Above: the August volume V, issue 1, 1951 issue of American Cartoonist. The scan is unclear, but the man on the cover is holding a slip of paper: "Sorry does not fit our present needs. The Editors."

Ahh. Those were the days. Even a mediocre cartoonist could get by. There were a lot of magazine markets. American Cartoonist, edited by L.T. Benson, was a trade publication for and by cartoonists.


Let's see what is happening with the markets! Jack Markow and Gurney Williams need gags!


And this back when $60 was real money.

American Cartoonist published cartoons as well. Here's a cartoon from the Marketplace pages by Ed Morgan:


After cleansing our palate with the above panel, let's delve back into the markets. Click to supersize:


No more stenographer on the boss's lap cartoons? Darn! Those are classics!

What about the boss chasing the secretary around the desk cartoons?

Collier's cartoon editor Gurney Williams even had a newsletter for his cartoonist contributors. It's excerpted in American Cartoonist:


And below is a "letter" from Hank Ketcham. 1951 was the first year of his Dennis the Menace panel:

These are a few of the highlights from this 55 year old issue. I thank Bob Weber (not the Bob "Slylock Fox" Weber or the Bob "New Yorker cartoonist" Weber, but the Bob "Moose & Molly" Weber") for copying this little gem for me.




Related: Wednesday: Cartoon Look Day

Also related: Seminal Cartoons at Eli Stein Cartoons

Final note: It was a wonderful time to be a cartoonist. Not like magazine cartooning today, huh? Below is the one and only Bob Vojtko's take on the declining publication industry from a 2003 cover of The Gag Recap trade magazine.

Coffee Growers Will Not Sue Cartoonist Mike Peters

The Colombia Coffee Growers Association has dropped its lawsuit against cartoonist Mike Peters.

Colombia's coffee growers federation will not sue U.S. cartoonist Mike Peters. It had threatened to demand US$20 million after its Juan Valdéz coffee brand had been subjected to Peters' sense of humor in a Mother Goose and Grimm cartoon.

Sources within the federation told Caracol Radio Tuesday the coffee growers accept Peters apology and will not undertake any further legal action.

More here.

Hat tip to Wiley Miller. Thanks, Wiley!

Call for Entries: NCS Division Awards

The deadline is less than 2 1/2 weeks away.

The National Cartoonists Society invites cartoonists to submit their professional work for award consideration in any of the twelve categories listed below. You do not have to be a member of the NCS to be considered.

The deadline is January 30, 2009. The work should have been published between December 1, 2007 and December 31, 2008. You may enter more than one category.

Each submission must be accompanied by:

• an entry form
• a bio sheet

If you have any questions, please email me, Mike Lynch, the NCS Awards Coordinator: fatcats3 [at] gmail.com. Please write "NCS Awards" in the subject line. Thanks.

The winners will be announced at the 63rd Annual Reuben Awards Dinner in Hollywood, California on May 23, 2009.

Here are the details:

Cartoonists are invited to submit their work (or the work of anyone else) no later than January 30, 2009, for consideration for one or more of the following Division Awards:

TELEVISION ANIMATION Submit one or more samples in VHS or DVD format of aired or exhibited work that was released in the year 2008 to: Andy Mitchell, NCS Orange County Chapter, 85 Stanford, Irvine, California 92612 (ajmit@aol.com)

FEATURE ANIMATION Submit one or more samples in VHS or DVD format of aired or exhibited work that was released in the year 2008 to: David Folkman, NCS Los Angeles Chapter, 6171 W. Century Blvd. #160, Los Angeles, CA 90045 (folkmanart@aol.com)

NEWSPAPER ILLUSTRATION Submit 6 samples of published work to: Mark Parisi, NCS New England Chapter, 16 Slayton Rd., Melrose, MA 02176 (markparisi@aol.com)

GAG CARTOONS Submit 12 samples of published work to: Adrian Sinnott, NCS Long Island Chapter, 27 East 24th Street, Huntington Station, NY 11746-3701 (acsinnott@adriansinnott.com)

GREETING CARDS Submit 6 samples of published work to: Greg Cravens, 312 North McLean, Memphis, TN 38112-5341 (gregcartoon@comcast.net)

NEWSPAPER COMIC STRIPS Submit 12 samples of published work to: Tom Stemmle, NCS New Jersey Chapter, 184 Richards Avenue, Piscataway, NJ 08854 (tomstem@optonline.net)

NEWSPAPER PANEL CARTOONS Submit 12 samples of published work to: Brian Walker, NCS Connecticut Chapter, 34 Old Forge Rd., Wilton, CT 06897-3707 (hiandlois1@aol.com)

MAGAZINE FEATURE/MAGAZINE ILLUSTRATION Submit 6 samples of published work to: Ron Evry, NCS DC Chapter, 2880 Cedar Crest Ct., Woodbridge, VA 22192-3119 (revry@panix.com)

BOOK ILLUSTRATION Send up to 6 samples of published work to: Michael Jantze, NCS Northern California Chapter, Po Box 1907, San Anselmo, CA 94979-1907 (michael@jantze.com)

EDITORIAL CARTOONS Submit 12-20 samples of published work to: Tom Richmond, NCS North Central Chapter, 3421 East Burnsville Pkwy, Burnsville, MN 55337 (tom@tomrichmond.com)

ADVERTISING ILLUSTRATION Submit 4 samples of published and marketed work to: Bruce Beattie, NCS Florida Chapter, 636 Pelican Bay Dr, Daytona Beach, FL 32119 (bk@msn.com)

COMIC BOOKS Submit 3 samples of published work to: John Martz, NCS Canada Chapter, 100 Spadina Road #604, Toronto, Ontario M5R 2T7 Canada (johnny@robotjohnny.com)

The Right Way to Sleep

An instructional series featuring Sam (B&W), Rufus (orange) and Trout (tiger) demonstrating the correct ways to do things. Today's lesson: the right way and wrong way for a cat to sleep.

Right way:


Right way:


Wrong way!


I have no idea how she can sleep like this, but it's obviously wrong, wrong, wrong.

Eyeballs Into Dollars

Above: a sketch I drew of a guy at his table at the Small Press Expo.

I was reading a collection of columns by H. Allen Smith and this little story popped out:

"The only Broadway personality I knew before I got to Broadway was a singer named Gene Austin, an amiable, robust, hard-drinking balladier from Louisiana. In the 1920s, when phonograph records were sold at seventy-five-cents apiece, he was Mr. Big of the recording business and he made a fortune singing such tender roundelays as 'My Blue Heaven,' 'Girl of My Dreams' and 'Melancholy Baby.'

"Radio smothered the recording business, and Gene Austin with it, and for approximately ten years a phonograph record was a rare commodity. The new generation knew it only as a black disc used by movie comedians to smash over the heads of fat ladies or by college boys to eat. Then records came back.

"Juke boxes in saloons were in large measure responsible for the renaissance, and one of the first smash hits in these nickel-gobblers was 'Bei Mir Bist Der Schön' as sung by the Andrews Sisters."

- LOW MAN ON A TOTEM POLE by H. Allen Smith, Chapter XIV, Coming Up in Frisco (copyright 1941 by H. Allen Smith)

What I don't know --

• as print newspapers collapse (with the Seattle PI either set to sell or shut down, and a predicted 6 months worth of life left in the NY Times),
  
  
• as syndicates go from making money from selling comic strips to giving them away on the Web (and making their dough not from content, but from Web advertising),
  
  
• as book sales decline (over 5% this past December at major bookstores) and publishing houses like Houghton Mifflin are no longer looking at new projects (and other smaller imprints like Minx or First Second either being shut down or absorbed into the larger corporate structure)

-- what I don't know is what will happen next in the field of cartooning.

I do know that people love cartoons. Nothing will change that.

The then-new media of radio may have "smothered the recording business," but the audience was still there for crooner Gene Austin, even though radio wasn't putting money into his pocket like records did.

All we cartoonists have to do, to quote of all people Rupert Murdoch, is turn a certain percentage of those eyeballs looking at that Web page into dollar signs. I'm do not like who Murdoch is, but disregarding the messenger, the message is spot on.

And, hey, everyone loves cartoons. I know I said that, but it gives me hope, so I say it again.

More anon.

Caroline Kennedy Comics

Cartoons about Caroline Kennedy? Yes, there's a bookful of them. Here are some samples from an early 1960s Fawcett paperback titled CAROLINE, via Stupid Comics.

The art is by Frank Johnson, who was part of the Comicana team of cartoonists who worked with Mort Walker.

H/t to Comics Reporter.

Mike Lynch Cartoon in January 9, 2009 WSJ

A cartoon of mine is in today's Wall Street Journal.

I remember when Sam Gross gave a talk at the 2006 Reubens. On a big screen, for all the cartoonists seated in the room, he showed a series of his rough sketches, and talked about coming up with ideas. Like all of us, the one and only S. Gross sits in a room, alone, and doodles, trying to come up with cartoon gags. He talked about drawing a series of pictures that he liked, and then backing out of the drawing, trying to find a gag.

I had no idea that other cartoonists worked like that.

For the cartoon that WSJ bought and published today, I was doodling in my sketchbook. I didn't have a lot of ideas that day. I drew a guy in his office and I was going to draw an angel on one shoulder and a devil on the other shoulder. OK, but that's been done. Ho hum.

What if I drew a devil with 2 businessmen on his shoulders? Or an angel with a businessman on one shoulder and a devil on the other? What if I drew a devil on each shoulder?

When I thought of the "lesser of 2 evils" phrase for the 2 devils drawing, I knew I had a gag.

Anyway, this is an example of successfully doodling up some odd situations and then, backing out of them, and asking yourself, What is the gag here?

A big tip of the hat to Pletch, who, in the early morning, sent me an email letting me know my cartoon was in today's WSJ. Thanks, Pletch!

Juana Medina on the Jay Kennedy Memorial Scholarship

Last year's Jay Kennedy Memorial Scholarship was awarded to RISD student Juana Medina. As the winner, she was invited to attend the National Cartoonists Society Reubens weekend, which was held in New Orleans last year.

I asked Juana if she could describe her own experience at last year's Reubens. She graciously consented, even though she is very busy with her new semester. Below is her description of the experience.


(All illustrations are by Juana Medina, from her Flickr page)

Here is Juana:

-----------

Being awarded the Jay Kennedy Memorial Scholarship turned out to be an experience that has shaped my life and the way I have approached cartooning since.

Imagine for a moment, finding yourself surrounded by cartoonists you admire, comic creators you have read since you were learning to read. Imagine them greeting you and making you feel part of the family. Imagine, they tell you they've also had similar fears to yours, they are willing to generously share their experiences, their dreams and their obstacles, and even their inspiration and work dynamics. I did not ever imagine this could be possible, until I found myself, in New Orleans, surrounded by renowned cartoonists and comic creators, all sharing their experiences and generously giving their advice.

Receiving the Jay Kennedy Memorial Scholarship was not only a great honor, but a commitment to reflect on what I have learned from wonderful cartoonists, making sure I apply my lessons on my everyday life. This weekend in late May of 2008, showed me what an important person Jay Kennedy was within this family of cartoonists, as they remembered him, making touching remarks of his thoughtful spirit and his brilliant mind. It was a lesson on kindness, as members of the National Cartoonists Society, dedicated hours to introduce me to each other and make sure I felt comfortable at all times. It was a lesson on humbleness, as they shared with me their techniques, obstacles and difficulties. A lesson of hope, as they enthusiastically shared their success stories and responded to my portfolio with valuable insights.


It was a space that made sure I would remember — hopefully, for a lifetime — the open heart and will to share that cartoonists from the NCS hold. The willingness to listen and give advice, their noble attitudes and sincere comments, are sure to stay with me and not only make me a more skilled illustrator and cartoonist, but a better person. The enthusiasm, love and honesty that characterized this space, served as true model to follow. I hold my memories of the invitation to receive the Jay Kennedy Memorial Scholarship at the Reuben Awards in New Orleans as part of my dearest memories. If you admire cartoonists because of their work, I will have to tell you that once you meet them, you will be absolutely fascinated by knowing that it is not only their work what makes them special, but their generous spirit, their open hearts and their will to welcome new generations into one of the best — if not the best — professions on Earth.

I am lucky and grateful. And hope that many students to come, will have the chance I have had, to learn through experience, about Jay Kennedy, a man who touched plenty of lives with true friendship and a keen mind. To learn learn from other cartoonists, about their lives and their passions. And most definitely, come back to life after a weekend of surreal events and befriending invaluable people, back to your drawing table, reinvigorated with their enthusiasm; assured that with dedication, good humor and generosity, doors open widely. And with the certainty, that those who have made it before us, are a constant example to follow.

-----------

The deadline is February 6, 2009. Applicants need not be art majors. All of the information here.

My thanks to Juana Medina, who selflessly took the time to write about her experience. Thank you, Juana!

Robot Head Toilet Paper Dispenser

From General Robots. I want one.

Big hat tip to The Cartoonist! Thanks, Ralf!

The New STAR TREK Trailer Done TOS Style

My problem with the trailer for the new TREK movie is that it doesn't LOOK like TREK. Where's Shatner? Alan Rhodes has the solution with his TOS-era preview of the new STAR TREK movie:



Mr. Rhodes also has a STAR WARS mash-up of the TREK trailer. Both of these are excellently put together.

And don't miss his STAR TREK RENEWAL or GLORIOUS vids, which are standalone experiments in computer animation.

Dave Astor Interview

Tim O'Shea, writing for Comic Book Resources, interviews Dave Astor.

O’Shea: Why are so many newspapers getting rid of their cartoonists?

Astor: They’re saving a salary. Also, some papers don’t want a strong local cartooning voice because local cartoons can anger local political and business bigwigs (some of whom the publisher might be playing golf with!). And some papers don’t want to deal with reader complaints about a cartoon — even if those calls and e-mails represent only a tiny percentage of their circulation. Unfortunately, the more than 90% of readers who might like or love a cartoon often don’t contact the paper to say that.

This is an informative discussion about the state of newspaper comics (both editorial and strips). For those who may not know, Dave was a Senior Editor at Editor & Publisher magazine from 1983 until this past October 2008, when his position was one of a dozen cut by Neilsen, the company that owns E&P.

A big tip of the hat to Comics Reporter.

Call for Entries: NCS Division Awards

Deadline in 3 weeks and a day.



More at the National Cartoonists Society site here.

Mike Peters Sued by Colombian Coffee Growers

Not a joke.
Above: the offending MOTHER GOOSE & GRIMM comic strip.

"The Federation of Colombian Coffee Growers announced a multi-million dollar lawsuit against U.S. cartoonist Mike Peters over a cartoon published in U.S. newspapers linking Colombian coffee with crime syndicates."

They want $20 million in compensation. More here.

Hat tip to Journalista!

A Year in Love and Music by Jeffrey Lewis

Today's NY Times has My 2008 In a Nutshell (also titled A Year in Love and Music) by cartoonist/musician Jeffrey Lewis. It's a month-by-month autobio wrapup of his year.

Shatner's RAW NERVE: Leonard Nimoy Interview

William Shatner interviews Leonard Nimoy in tonight's RAW NERVE TV show tonight. The series is getting good ratings, even though it's on a channel in the upper stratosphere of the channels on my local cable system and, really, I never heard of the channel before Shatner was on it.

Here's RAW NERVE host William Shatner hyping the Nimoy interview episode to Trekmovie.com:



Much more at Trekmovie.

I watched the first couple of these and they really are interesting. Shatner will not talk to people about recent movies; all the talk centers around peoples' life experiences. I especially like the example Nimoy gave of his parents' shock when he told them he was going to be an actor, and his Father's advice.

National Cartoonists Society Division Awards

The National Cartoonists Society invites cartoonists to submit their professional work for award consideration in any of the twelve categories listed below. You do not have to be a member of the NCS to be considered.

The deadline is January 30, 2009. The work should have been published between December 1, 2007 and December 31, 2008. You may enter more than one category.

Each submission must be accompanied by:

• an entry form
• a bio sheet

If you have any questions, please email me, Mike Lynch, the NCS Awards Coordinator: fatcats3 [at] gmail.com. Please write "NCS Awards" in the subject line. Thanks.

The winners will be announced at the 63rd Annual Reuben Awards Dinner in Hollywood, California on May 23, 2009.

Here are the details:

Cartoonists are invited to submit their work (or the work of anyone else) no later than January 30, 2009, for consideration for one or more of the following Division Awards:

TELEVISION ANIMATION Submit one or more samples in VHS or DVD format of aired or exhibited work that was released in the year 2008 to: Andy Mitchell, NCS Orange County Chapter, 85 Stanford, Irvine, California 92612 (ajmit@aol.com)

FEATURE ANIMATION Submit one or more samples in VHS or DVD format of aired or exhibited work that was released in the year 2008 to: David Folkman, NCS Los Angeles Chapter, 6171 W. Century Blvd. #160, Los Angeles, CA 90045 (folkmanart@aol.com)

NEWSPAPER ILLUSTRATION Submit 6 samples of published work to: Mark Parisi, NCS New England Chapter, 16 Slayton Rd., Melrose, MA 02176 (markparisi@aol.com)

GAG CARTOONS Submit 12 samples of published work to: Adrian Sinnott, NCS Long Island Chapter, 27 East 24th Street, Huntington Station, NY 11746-3701 (acsinnott@adriansinnott.com)

GREETING CARDS Submit 6 samples of published work to: Greg Cravens, 312 North McLean, Memphis, TN 38112-5341 (gregcartoon@comcast.net)

NEWSPAPER COMIC STRIPS Submit 12 samples of published work to: Tom Stemmle, NCS New Jersey Chapter, 184 Richards Avenue, Piscataway, NJ 08854 (tomstem@optonline.net)

NEWSPAPER PANEL CARTOONS Submit 12 samples of published work to: Brian Walker, NCS Connecticut Chapter, 34 Old Forge Rd., Wilton, CT 06897-3707 (hiandlois1@aol.com)

MAGAZINE FEATURE/MAGAZINE ILLUSTRATION Submit 6 samples of published work to: Ron Evry, NCS DC Chapter, 2880 Cedar Crest Ct., Woodbridge, VA 22192-3119 (revry@panix.com)

BOOK ILLUSTRATION Send up to 6 samples of published work to: Michael Jantze, NCS Northern California Chapter, PO Box 1907, San Anselmo, CA 94979-1907 (michael@jantze.com)

EDITORIAL CARTOONS Submit 12-20 samples of published work to: Tom Richmond, NCS North Central Chapter, 3421 East Burnsville Pkwy, Burnsville, MN 55337 (tom@tomrichmond.com)

ADVERTISING ILLUSTRATION Submit 4 samples of published and marketed work to: Bruce Beattie, NCS Florida Chapter, 636 Pelican Bay Dr, Daytona Beach, FL 32119 (bk@msn.com)

COMIC BOOKS Submit 3 samples of published work to: John Martz, NCS Canada Chapter, 100 Spadina Road #604, Toronto, Ontario M5R 2T7 Canada (johnny@robotjohnny.com)

Hot Coffee

Here is a page from my sketchbook. I drew it early Friday morning, freehand, in my sketchbook, with a combination of Micron Pigma 01, 02 and 05 pens. I put some black watercolor wash on it later. The reason I like a Micron pen is they are permanent and can take a wash immediately, without smearing at all.


This was drawn in a different style than the Christmas story I drew for the local paper a couple of weeks ago. It's a true story.

Related: 12 Things I Was Told in 2008 That I Don't Need to Hear in 2009

Also related: SPX Sketchbook

The New DOCTOR WHO

... is Matt Smith, who will take over from the current Doctor, David Tennant, in late 2009. Here is an extended interview with Matt Smith from BBC One's "Doctor Who Confidential: The Eleventh Doctor."

XXXL hat tip to Anthony Taylor. Thanks, Anthony!

More at the BBC site.

12 Things I Was Told in 2008 That I Don't Need to Hear in 2009

Just venting a bit. It's all true. These are all things that other people (clients, regular (non-cartoonist) folks, etc.) have said to me in the past year. This was drawn freehand with a Pigma Micron 02 and then a bit of watercolor to "pop" it.

Brian Fies: The Second-Best Advice I Ever Gave

My friend and award-winning graphic novelist Brian Fies does not have any pie in the sky advice. None of this "follow your bliss" or "follow your muse" kinda talk. Today, he passes along some real nuts & bolts practical advice from a panel talk he gave at the Alternative Press Expo.

In today's post at his Fies Files blog, Brian shares a bit of his thinking process and some of his mistakes behind his award winning graphic novel MOM'S CANCER:

"When my turn came, I decided to offer the most hard-headed, practical advice I could: understand the graphic requirements of whatever medium your art is destined for. Think ahead to any possible future uses for your art. Then work at the highest resolution and quality you can.

"You are welcome to conclude that I learned this lesson the hard way."

The whole thing is here.

Brian's specific real-life graphic novel experience makes me feel more hopeful after seeing some real dreadful cartooning advice online last week. And the reason it was dreadful was because it was too broad, too vague.

Cover art is from his new graphic novel WHATEVER HAPPENED TO THE WORLD OF TOMORROW?, slated for April 2009 release from Abrams.

Thanks for this, Brian! And Happy New Year to you, my friend!

New Andertoons Launched

My inky pal Mark Anderson's revamped Andertoons site launches today! It's got more spacious aisles, and the place is better lit and there is, of course, Mark Anderson himself, welcoming you to the place today.

"We've completely rebuilt it from scratch making it quicker to navigate, easier on the eyes, and thrown in some new features to boot!

"All this month I'll be highlighting the big changes and new stuff, so stay tuned."

Congratulations, Mark, on a new site! Let the e-commerce begin!