The deadline is looming large for this year’s Jay Kennedy Memorial Scholarship from the National Cartoonists Society Foundation.

From the NCSF Website:

Jay Kennedy Scholarship

The annual Jay Kennedy Scholarship, in memory of the late King Features editor, was funded by an initial $100,000 grant from the Hearst Foundation/King Features Syndicate and additional generous donations from Jerry Scott, Jim Borgman, Patrick McDonnell and many other prominent cartoonists. Submissions are adjudicated by a panel of top cartoonists and an award is given to the best college cartoonist. The recipient is feted at the annual NCS Reuben Awards Convention attended by many of the world’s leading cartoonists.

Applicants must be college students in the United States, Canada or Mexico that will be in their Junior or Senior year of college during the 2010-2011 academic year. Applicants do not have to be art majors to be eligible for this scholarship.

Along with a completed entry form, applicants are required to send 8 samples of their own cartooning artwork (copies only); noting if and where the work has been published, either in print or on the web. (See application for details.) DO NOT send original artwork.

DEADLINE: ENTRIES MUST BE POSTMARKED BY FEBRUARY 12, 2010

The applications will be judged by the National Cartoonists Society Foundation (NCSF) and the number of scholarships given out and their amounts will be at the discretion of the NCSF.

No procrastination now, younguns! The competition is fierce but one thing is certain, you cannot win if you do not enter. The deadline is less than a month away. Don’t miss out. Here’s a link to the all-important application form!

Once again, the National Cartoonists Society Foundation will soon be bestowing some lucky and talented young student of cartooning the Jay Kennedy Memorial Scholarship, an award of both prestige and plenty of dough for the recipient’s college education in memory of the late King Features cartoon editor:

From the NCSF Website:

Jay Kennedy Scholarship

The annual Jay Kennedy Scholarship, in memory of the late King Features editor, was funded by an initial $100,000 grant from the Hearst Foundation/King Features Syndicate and additional generous donations from Jerry Scott, Jim Borgman, Patrick McDonnell and many other prominent cartoonists. Submissions are adjudicated by a panel of top cartoonists and an award is given to the best college cartoonist. The recipient is feted at the annual NCS Reuben Awards Convention attended by many of the world’s leading cartoonists.

Applicants must be college students in the United States, Canada or Mexico that will be in their Junior or Senior year of college during the 2010-2011 academic year. Applicants do not have to be art majors to be eligible for this scholarship.

Along with a completed entry form, applicants are required to send 8 samples of their own cartooning artwork (copies only); noting if and where the work has been published, either in print or on the web. (See application for details.) DO NOT send original artwork.

DEADLINE: ENTRIES MUST BE POSTMARKED BY FEBRUARY 12, 2010

The applications will be judged by the National Cartoonists Society Foundation (NCSF) and the number of scholarships given out and their amounts will be at the discretion of the NCSF.

I served on the board of the NCSF for four years, and while I am no longer part of those in charge the scholarship is a great program and I will continue to promote it as much as I can. I am proud to say that last year’s recipient, Chris Houghton, found out about the scholarship through The MAD Blog and applied…. how cool is that!

Having served on the scholarship committee, I do not envy those doing that job this year their decision. There was a lot of deserving and fantastically talented applicants in the last two years, and it was very hard to choose a single winner.

As you can see above, the deadline for submission is February 12th… so don’t procrastinate! Get that application and send it your artwork ASAP.

I was once again privileged to be a part of the selection of the annual Jay Kennedy Memorial Scholarship recipient this year. The National Cartoonist Society Foundation just announced the 2009 winner:

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2009 Jay Kennedy Memorial Scholarship Winner

The National Cartoonists Society Foundation (NCSF) is happy to announce the winner of the 2009 Jay Kennedy Memorial Scholarship. Chris Houghton (pictured), 20, is a junior at the College for Creative Studies in Detroit, Michigan where he studies illustration. Houghton was chosen from among 120 applicants for the award, which includes a $5,000 scholarship and a trip to the National Cartoonists Society’s Reuben Award weekend in Los Angeles in May. The scholarship applicants submitted up to five examples of their work along with an entry form that included short essays on their current and future plans in cartooning. Entries were judged by a jury of eight professional cartoonist who are members of the board of directors of the National Cartoonists Society Foundation.

Houghton’s studies at the College for Creative Studies have included character design for animation and writing and illustrating his own comics. He has also submitted gag cartoons and spot illustrations for the school’s student magazine. Aside from his class work, Houghton has also dabbled in freelancing including working on T-Shirt and logo designs and drawing caricatures at events.

Last summer he illustrated a 130 page NASCAR coloring book and is currently doing illustration and concept art for a children’s video game company. He would like to do magazine illustration and work in animation.

The Jay Kennedy Memorial Scholarship is an annual award established in memory of Jay Kennedy, the late King Features comics editor, from an initial  from the Hearst Foundation/King Features Syndicate and additional generous donations from other prominent cartoonist. It is administered by the National Cartoonists Society Foundation. The scholarship is awarded to a college student in the United States, Canada or Mexico that will be in their Junior or Senior year of college during the following academic year, selected by a panel of professional cartoonists.

Houghton will receive his award and meet the professional cartoonists who selected him at the National Cartoonists Society’s Annual Reuben Awards banquet in Los Angeles on May 22nd.

You can see more of Chris Houghton’s work on his website.

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On a personal note, I’m happy to say Chris, a frequent reader of The MAD Blog, learned about the scholarship here. Congratulations, Chris! See you in L.A.!

Artwork by Michael Ramirez, Pulitzer prize winning editorial cartoonist

One last reminder about the February 6th deadline for the Jay Kennedy Memorial Scholarship. The National Cartoonists Society Foundation has a new website with news and information about both the scholarships and other NCSF programs.

This from the NCF:

The annual Jay Kennedy Scholarship, in memory of the late King Features editor, was funded by an initial $100,000 grant from the Hearst Foundation/King Features Syndicate and additional generous donations from Jerry Scott, Jim Borgman, Patrick McDonnell and many other prominent cartoonists. Submissions are adjudicated by a panel of top cartoonists and an award is given to the best college cartoonist. The recipient is feted at the annual NCS Reuben Awards Convention attended by many of the world’s leading cartoonists.

Applicants must be college students in the United States, Canada or Mexico that will be in their Junior or Senior year of college during the 2009-2010 academic year. Applicants DO NOT have to be art majors to be eligible for this scholarship.

Along with a completed entry form, applicants  are required to send 5 samples of their own cartooning artwork; noting if and where the work has been published (either print or web). Please send copies. DO NOT send original artwork.

DEADLINE: FEBRUARY 6, 2009

The applications will be judged by the National Cartoonists Society Foundation (NCSF) and the number of scholarships given out and their amounts will be at the discretion of the NCSF.

That deadline is fast approaching, so if you are eligible for consideration get your work together and send it in. If I remember right last year we had only about 40 entries, and we’d certainly like to see more this year.

Artwork by Michael Ramirez, Pulitzer prize winning editorial cartoonist

The National Cartoonists Society Foundation is once again administering the Jay Kennedy Memorial Scholarship for college students who are studying and/or pursuing work as cartoonists. Last year’s winner, Juanita Medina, received not only a scholarship but a free trip to attend and be honored at the NCS Reuben Awards. This year’s winner will get the same treatment!

Entry into the competition is pretty straightforward. Here is the official info from the NCSF:

THE JAY KENNEDY MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP

Applicants must be college students in the United States, Canada or Mexico that will be in their Junior or Senior year of college during the 2009-2010 academic year. Applicants DO NOT have to be art majors to be eligible for this scholarship.

Along with a completed entry form, applicants are required to send 5 samples of their own cartooning artwork; noting if and where the work has been published (either print or web).
Please send copies. DO NOT send original artwork.

DEADLINE: FEBRUARY 6, 2009

The applications will be judged by the National Cartoonists Society Foundation (NCSF) and the number of scholarships given out and their amounts will be at their discretion of the NCSF.

Please send your completed form and your cartooning artwork (8.5×11 copies only, no originals). Send CDs for animation only.

THE JAY KENNEDY MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP
National Cartoonists Society Foundation
341 N. Maitland Avenue, Suite 130
Maitland, FL 32751

Once again, the deadline is fast approaching on February 6th, so get those samples together, fill out the application form found here, and get it in the mail ASAP. There are very few programs like this specifically for students of cartooning… in fact it’s the only one I know of. Don’t miss out if you are eligible.

Artwork by Jay Kennedy Scholarship winner Juana Medina

A few days ago I wrote a brief post about last year’s dual recipients of the National Cartoonist Society Foundation’s scholarships. This year the NCSF awarded the first Jay Kennedy Memorial Scholarship, an award established by a donation to the NSCF by KingFeatures in memory of the late jay Kennedy, to Juana Medina, a sophomore at the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD).

From The Daily Cartoonist:

The National Cartoonists Society Foundation (NCSF) announced the winner of the first annual Jay Kennedy Memorial Scholarship, Juana Medina, a sophomore at the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD). Medina edged out almost two hundred applicants for the award, which includes a $5,000.00 scholarship and a trip to the National Cartoonists Society’s Reuben Award convention. She was chosen by a jury of ten of the nation’s top cartoonists.

Juana Medina was born and raised in Bogota, Colombia. She completed high school in 1998 then moved to the U.S.A. where she has lived since. For two years, she studied at the Corcoran College of Art + Design in Washington, D.C. and is now majoring in Graphic Design at RISD. She is a regular contributor to the College Hill Independent, a weekly magazine produced by students at Brown University and RISD. Her work has appeared in publications in South America and has been part of collective exhibitions in Colombia and Mexico.

In her application for the award, Medina wrote: “I grew up in a country where war has been a constant since long before I was born. Our voices have been quieted by terrorist acts and constant threats from both governmental and clandestine groups, up to a point where the smell of gunpowder and the countless bomb threats became a part of our daily life … I found situations where there is little I can do to change reality, but I have found in cartooning a voice that strongly reflects my feelings and intentions. I have found a way to raise consciousness without scolding, fuming or losing my stomach to an ulcer.”

Medina will receive her award and meet the professional cartoonists who selected her at the National Cartoonists Society’s Annual Reuben Awards banquet in New Orleans on May 24th.

As one of the NCSF scholarship committee members who juried the many submissions for this award, I can tell you the choice was not an easy one. There were many terrific submissions from a lot of talented and deserving students of cartooning. Picking one was no easy task.

Congratulations to Juana and to all the participants for making it such a tough decision. I hope we’ll see just as big a group next year. Visit the NCSF scholarship page to watch for details on the 2009 scholarship, to be released soon.