For the last few NCS Reubens the awards program has kicked off with a short video… often featuring Jeff Keane (The Family Circus) in drag. This year featured not one, not two but THREE videos. The first features Stephan Pastis (Pearls Before Swine), Jeff Keane (The Family Circus and current NCS President), Jerry Scott (Baby Blues, Zits), Bill Hinds (Tank McNamara, Cleats), Mark Tatulli (Lio, Heart of the City), Sean Parkes (humorous illustrator) and Tom Gammill (screenwriter and The Doozies):

The second is a video by the incomparable Tom Gammill, detailing his quest to find a good seat at the Reuben dinner. It also features Jenny Robb (OSU Billy Ireleand Cartoon Library), Cathy Guisewite (Cathy), Kim Scott (wife of Jerry Scott), Sally and Mell Lazarus (Momma and Miss Peach), Jennie Schulz and Stephan Pastis again.

The last video is the story of how Tom ended up being emcee of the Reubens, and features Jeff and Melinda Keane, and segues into footage from the actual award ceremony.

Funny stuff. Mark actually did sing “Oh, What a beautiful Mornin’” from Oklahoma at the Friday night Karaoke party to set up that gag.

As usual, the Reuben Awards weekend was a blast thanks to the hard work of NCS President Jeff Keane, awards show coordinator Steve McGarry, emcee Tom Gammill, all the speakers, presenters and many others too numerous to list. It’s great fun getting to hang out with so many of the giants of the cartooning world, but it’s easy for those attendees who’s greatest challenge is dragging themselves out of bed after a late late night to forget how much time, effort and energy go into giving us that time. A huge thanks you to Jeff and everyone who worked so hard to make the weekend so much fun.

Here are a few pictures from the 2010 Reubens:

The Lovey Anna and me at Southside Seaport

Me, Steve Brodner and Hilary Price with the hardware

Me with John and Anne Hambrock

MAD men Sam Viviano, me, Ray Alma and Nick Meglin

The legendary Mell Lazarus

Adrian Sinnott and Stephen Silver

Eddie Pittman waits in anticipation for Ed Steckley to sneeze all over
his unsuspecting wife Heather

Me and  Magazine division winner Ray Alma

The 64th annual Reuben Awards from the National Cartoonists Society are history. It was a great evening as usual. Master of Ceremonies Tom Gammill was brilliant and there were two hilarious films that opened the show that were fantastic.

Here are the results of the awards and the

The Reuben Award for “Cartoonist of the Year”:

• Dan Piraro

TELEVISION ANIMATION

• Seth McFarlane – “Family Guy”

FEATURE ANIMATION

• Ronnie del Carmen – Storyboard Artist – “Up”

NEWSPAPER ILLUSTRATION

• Tom Richmond

GAG CARTOONS

• Glenn McCoy

GREETING CARDS

• Debbie Tomassi

NEWSPAPER COMIC STRIPS

• Jerry Scott & Jim Borgman – “Zits”

NEWSPAPER PANEL CARTOONS

• Hilary Price – “Rhymes with Orange”

MAGAZINE FEATURE/ MAGAZINE ILLUSTRATION

• Ray Alma

BOOK ILLUSTRATION

• Dave Whamond – “My Think-A-Ma-Jink”

EDITORIAL CARTOONS

• John Sherffius

ADVERTISING ILLUSTRATION

• Steve Brodner

COMIC BOOKS

• Paul Pope – “Strange Adventures”

GRAPHIC NOVELS

• David Mazzucchelli – “Asterios Polyp”

You can see the list complete with links to images from the winners at the NCS website.

I was thrilled to win a divisional Reuben for Newspaper Illustration, and more than a bit shocked because the other two nominees, Bob Rich and Bob Sanchuk are crazy good doing fantastic work. Actually all the nominees in all the divisions deserve their award and yet it has to go to someone, so many thanks to the Southeast Chapter for the honor. All the nominees are winners, in my opinion.

Artwork by Patrick McDonnell

The annual Reuben Awards from the National Cartoonists Society is currenty happening in Jersey City, NJ. I’m at the event all weekend, which is filled with speakers, seminars, parties and general mayhem. Tonight is the big awards banquet. Here, again, are the nominees:

The Reuben Award for “Cartoonist of the Year”:

• Stephen Pastis
• Dan Piraro
• Richard Thompson

TELEVISION ANIMATION

• Kevin Deters – “Walt Disney Prep and Landing”
• Mike Gray – “The Infinite Goliath”
• Seth McFarlane – “Family Guy”

FEATURE ANIMATION

• Ronnie del Carmen – Storyboard Artist – “Up”
• Tomm Moore – Director – “The Secret of Kells”
• Barry Reynolds – Character Designer – “The Secret of Kells”

NEWSPAPER ILLUSTRATION

• Bob Rich
• Tom Richmond
• Robert Sanchuk

GAG CARTOONS

• Glenn McCoy
• VG Myers
• Dave Whamond

GREETING CARDS

• Glenn McCoy
• Kieran Meehan
• Debbie Tomassi

NEWSPAPER COMIC STRIPS

• John Hambrock – “The Brilliant Mind of Edison Lee”
• Wiley Miller – “Non Sequitur”
• Jerry Scott & Jim Borgman – “Zits”

NEWSPAPER PANEL CARTOONS

• Dave Blazek – “Loose Parts”
• Tony Carillo – “FMinus”
• Hilary Price – “Rhymes with Orange”

MAGAZINE FEATURE/ MAGAZINE ILLUSTRATION

• Ray Alma
• Anton Emdin
• Tom Richmond

BOOK ILLUSTRATION

• Lou Brooks – “Twimericks”
• Tom Richmond – “Bo Confidential”
• Dave Whamond – “My Think-A-Ma-Jink”

EDITORIAL CARTOONS

• Nick Anderson
• Rob Rogers
• John Sherffius

ADVERTISING ILLUSTRATION

• Steve Brodner
• Randall Enos
• Mort Gerberg

COMIC BOOKS

• Terry Moore – “Echo”
• Paul Pope – “Strange Adventures”
• JH Williams – “Detective Comics”

GRAPHIC NOVELS

• David Mazzucchelli – “Asterios Polyp”
• Seth – “George Sprott”
• David Small – “Stitches”

You can see the list complete with links to images from many of the artists at the NCS website.

I will attempt to Twitter the winners live from the event, but tomorrow there will be a complete list in lieu of a Sunday Mailbag.

I am currently in Jersey City, New Jersey getting ready for the National Cartoonists Society’s annual Reuben Awards, sometimes called the “Oscars of cartooning”. The festivities begin tomorrow and I am in early for an NCS board meeting (of which I am a vice president) and to mooch lunch off Sam Viviano and the guys at the MAD offices… if they let me into the building that is.

I will be live tweeting the winners of the divisions and the big award for Cartoonist of the Year if $#@#$%* AT&T has service for my iPhone there. Follow the action here.

Q: Great art you posted the other day for the upcoming NCS Reuben awards. I was wondering what the requirements are to become a member of the NCS?

A: Thanks for the kind words about the Reuben illustration. The National Cartoonists Society is an organization of professional cartoonists that started in 1946. You can read all about the history of the NCS here.

The requirement for membership, at least as a regular member, is that you are a professional cartoonist i.e. you make a living drawing cartoons. That encompasses a large gamut from syndicated cartoonists to animators, comic book artists, illustrators, gag cartoonists, greeting card creators, etc. There are also Associate, Honorary and Retired membership classes.

Here is what the NCS website says are the requirements for consideration for regular membership:

ELIGIBILITY FOR REGULAR MEMBERSHIP:

Cartoonists who are currently earning the major part of their income from cartooning and have done so for at least the past three years; Work must be of a high professional quality and their reputation good.

Application must include two letters of recommendation from NCS members, a short biographical sketch and samples of current work bearing a signature. Applications must be accompanied by a check covering one year’s dues, which will be refunded if the candidate is not accepted by the Membership Committee.

A candidate is eligible for membership when accepted by a unanimous vote of the Membership Committee.

So… you must be able to demonstrate you have earned the majority of your income directly from cartooning for the past three years, and you must be sponsored by two members in good standing with a letter of recommendation from each. Members get the excellent NCS newsletter “The Cartoon!st”, can attend the annual Reuben Awards weekend and more importantly get to know their fellow cartoonists and the people whom they both admire and respect in the industry. If you qualify and are interested in becoming an NCS member get all the details here.

There are also local chapters of the NCS, and you DO NOT have to be a regular NCS member, or even qualify as one, to be part of a local NCS chapter. If you are an amateur or part time cartoonist, or just have a great interest in cartooning, look up your local chapter here and find out about their get-togethers and events.

I have been a member for 11 years now, and was sponsored by the great Mort Drucker himself, which was a huge honor. I’m currently serving as a vice-president of the organization. Joining and being a member has been and continues to be one of the high points of my career.

Thanks to Richard Griffin for the question. If you have a question you want answered for the mailbag about cartooning, illustration, MAD Magazine, caricature or similar, e-mail me and I’ll try and answer it here!