Southern Draw

I’m currently in Savannah, GA attending an event put together by the Southeast Chapter of the National Cartoonists Society and the Savannah College of Art and Design, featuring a gaggle of Idiots.

No, not the cast of Jersey Shore.

It’s a gathering of some of the “Usual Gang of Idiots”, as the contributors of MAD Magazine call themselves. As you can see from the list above, it includes some of the true greats from the magazines history, and also me.

Some of the conference involves private seminars and workshops with SCAD students. I’ll be doing a workshop on caricature and participating in portfolio reviews, etc. There are two events that are open to the public, however, that would be worth a trip to Savannah to check out.

Tonight there will be an opening of a MAD Artist Exhibit featuring original work by all the participating MAD artists. The exhibit is located at The Creative Coast, 15 West York Street, Savannah, GA 31401 SCAD Poetter Hall, 342 Bull Street, Savannah, GA**:

• 5:00pm Reception: Open to Special Guests, NCS members, and Faculty Only
• 6:00pm Exhibit open to public and students

Saturday evening is¬¨‚Ć “A SCAD, MAD, MAD, MAD Discussion,” a panel discussion with some of the original artists from MAD from 5–6:30 p.m. at the Trustees Theater, 216 E. Broughton St., Savannah, Georgia. This panel will be free and open to the public.

Scheduled to appear on the panel include:

• Jack Davis. Davis was one of the original cartoonists for MAD in 1952. He illustrated the very first story in the very first issue of MAD.
• Al Jaffee. With his first piece in 1955, Savannah-born Jaffee is MAD‘s longest-running freelance contributor. He is best known for creating one of the magazine’s trademark features, the MAD fold-in. Every issue since April of 1964 has featured a Jaffee fold-in.
• Paul Coker, Jr. Coker has been a contributor to MAD since 1962 and has appeared in over 300 issues.
• Nick Meglin. Meglin is a former editor of MAD Magazine, a position he held for over thirty years.
• Sergio Aragones. Aragones has been at MAD since 1963. He distinguished himself with his “Marginal Thinking” strips, which were printed up, down, across, and around the corners of comic panels to fill in the margins.
• Sam Viviano. Viviano began his MAD career as a freelance artist and while still illustrating articles also currently serves as MAD‘s art director.
• Tom Richmond. Richmond will be serving coffee and sweeping up afterward.

There will be a book signing afterwards with Al signing his new book Al Jaffee’s MAD Life, Sergio will be signing copies of his new comic book Sergio Aragones’ Funnies, and I’ll have copies of my book.

Unfortunately Duck Edwing had to bow out due to a family medical issue. That’s a shame, because he is one funny guy and I hadn’t seen him in years.

This will be fun. If you are anywhere near Savannah, it will be worth coming by. I serve a mean cuppa Joe.

** EDIT– Ooops, there are actually two exhibits of MAD work going on this weekend, and the one located at The Creative Coast, 15 West York Street, Savannah, GA are actually the ones donated for the silent auction, which I neglected to mention. These pieces have been up all wee and will be there through today, then will move over to the Trustees Theater on Saturday for final live bidding from 6:30 PM to 7:00 PM, with winners declared at 7:00. Proceeds will help support both the NCS Southeast Chapter and it’s programs as well as the Milt Gross Fund/National Cartoonists Society Foundation, the NCS’s charity arm.