This isn’t really a sketch, but I did this ink and watercolor piece as a gift from the rest of the National Cartoonist Society’s board of directors for outgoing NCS president Jeff Keane (The Family Circus). The stuff laying on the floor represents the four different locations Jeff hosted the Reuben Awards in during his two terms as president: New Orleans, Los Angeles, New Jersey and Boston. The other members of the board signed the original and we presented it to him at our board meeting. I understand it’s already on eBay…

The last weekend of September The Lovely Anna and I went to New York in part to attend the opening of an art show of work by the Long Island chapter of the National Cartoonists Society, aka the “Berndt Toast Gang”. The show featured, among many terrific artists, the work of my long time friend Ed Steckley.

Ed is a very talented illustrator and cartoonist, as well as being one of the best live caricaturists I have ever seen… and that’s saying something as I have seen some thousands of them. He does a lot of storyboard work for commercials that you have probably seen on TV, as well as publication work including a piece in MAD some years back. For the show he did six beautifully painted watercolors of classic pin up girls but drawn in his distinctive half caricature/half realistic style. Ed was a manager for me for many years in my Six Flags parks in Missouri and in Massachusetts, and started drawing caricatures for me at Valleyfair in 1992. Ed has a recently revamped website well worth a visit.

Any time we get an excuse to visit NYC we take it… it’s a great place to go.

Here are some pictures from the show:

Me and Ed Steckley

Great crowd at the opening

Some great stuff by Ray Alma

More Ray Alma work

My favorite of Ed’s terrific watercolors

The Lovely Anna and the Goldbergs

The work of John Reiner and Bunny Hoest

Caricaturist Marty Macaluso and Don Ohrek

Close up of Don Orhek’s work

Me, Ray Alma and Ed

Heather and Ed Steckley

Work by legend Stan Goldberg

Another Stan Goldberg piece

I’ll be joining Chris Brown (Hagar the Horrible), Jeff Koterba (Editorial Cartoonist- Omaha World Herald) and Paul Fell (Huskernutz) at a book signing ar Zanderbroz Books in downtown Sioux Falls thsi Saturday. I’ll have a stack of “Bo Confidential” books and will of course sign copies of MAD or whatever you want to bring in. Here’s the official press release:

For Immediate Release:

National Cartoonist Conclave
Booksigning, Meet & Greet

Saturday, October 3rd, 2-4 pm
Zandbroz Variety, 209 S Phillips Ave., Sioux Falls, SD

The North Central Chapter of the National Cartoonists Society will have their annual meeting in Sioux Falls October 2 and 3rd. As part of their activities Zandbros will host a booksigning featuring four members who have new books:

Paul Fell (Huskernutz)
Chris Browne (Hagar)
Jeff Koterba (Inklings)
Tom Richmond (Bo Confidential)

Chis Browne is known all over the world for his syndicated strip Hagar the Horrible. Paul Fell is an editorial and web cartoonist and enjoys celebrating Nebraska football with his Huskernutz series. Tom Richmond is a freelance cartoonist whose work has been appearing regular in MAD Magazine for nine years, and has just illustrated an original MAD book entitled Bo Confidential: The Secret Files of America’s First Dog. Jeff Koterba is the editorial cartoonist for the Omaha World Heralds and the author o a vew book of essays called Inklings.

There will be a number of other national cartoonists there, including Hallmark illustrator Dave Mowder, cartoonist and illustrator Mike Edholm.

For event information contact Jeff Danz, jeff@zandbroz.com

For author information contact Ken Alvine, kenalvine@qwestoffice.net

Chris, Dave and Mike will be doing presentations on Saturday morning prior to the book signing, also at Zandbroz. I believe that is open to the public but am not sure if there is a charge for it. If there is, it will be a token charge.

This past weekend the Southeast chapter of the National Cartoonists Society had a chapter event in Asheville, NC featuring a whole gaggle of members of the “Usual Gang of Idiots”, plus a bunch of other terrific cartoonists. I wish I would have been able to attend, but it was just impossible for me to get away. The lineup of speakers above is certainly stellar.

However, due to the magic of the internet here are three YouTube videos featuring Nick Meglin and Jack Davis. Great stuff from two great guys: EDIT- Sadly somebody objected to the posting of these videos, presumably either Nick or Jack, and Brian had to remove them from YouTube. That’s too bad, because there was nothing about these that anyone would object to or prevented in any way the ability for those featured in the videos from making money. In fact, it’s exactly this kind of exposure on the internet that could lead to MORE speaking gigs, some of which might the speaker(s) would get paid for. Oh well.

Thanks to Brian Vasilik, caricaturist and illustrator who attended the event and uploaded these videos for the rest of the world to enjoy.

Did I say I’d be at the Minnesota FallCon today??

Thanks to a late flight back from Germany I missed my connection to Minnesota and ended up stuck here in Washington D.C. for the night. I am flying out this morning but of course my flight is already delayed an hour. Figures. If they would have delayed last night’s flight by even 20 minutes I would have made it.

As a result I won’t be making it to FallCon today after all. I’ll be there tomorrow, though.

Check back on Monday and Tuesday for a complete report of the NCS trip to D.C. and Lansdstahl, Germany. It’s was very inspiring. Here’s a link to a short story about the visit from Stars and Stripes.

The Lovely Anna and I are currently in The Big Apple visiting our good friends Ed and Heather Steckley and in general just hanging out and relaxing… at least I will be as soon as I recover from the three all nighters I pulled to finish the “Super Capers” movie job. I spent Wednesday afternoon and night working in Ed’s studio on the final images for the final scene. Deadlines conquered…. AGAIN. Now its time to party!

Despite my being a little bleary eyed we managed to spend yesterday afternoon traveling to Long Island to attend the annual NCS “Bunny Bash”, which is always a lot of fun. The “Bunny Bash” is an outdoor party hosted by “The Lockhorns” co-creator Bunny Hoest (widow of original “Lockhorns” cartoonist Bill Hoest) and is open to all members of the National Cartoonists Society. It’s held on the grounds of the Hoest’s beautiful home, really more of a mansion, right on the banks of Long Island Sound. Great food, great company. Here are some pictures:

MAD Men Ray Alma, Myself and Sam Viviano

Ed Steckley, Sam and Heather Steckley

Sam again with Bunny Hoest

Anna and Me with Bunny

Today we spend in Manhattan…. mmmmm, there’s nothing like the smell of New York City in 90 plus degree heat of a summer’s day.