Thursday, May 31, 2007

Reubens Photos Round Up

There are photos here and there on the Web from this year's Reubens. Below are just a couple of links.

Love this photo of Tom Richmond from his blog, setting up his board in his hotel room. Here he is, hard at work at his makeshift studio.

"So, I find myself inking away today in the bathroom of our Ritz Carlton room. You have to love freelancing."

Tom has more here and here.


F-MINUS cartoonist Tony Carillo weighs in with some great photos, including one of his goody bag. This is all at his bookmarkable F-MINUS blog.

And the NJ NCS Chapter has photos.

Linkies from the Mike Lynch Cartoons blog:

Reubens Photos Day One

Reubens Photos Day Two

Reubens Photos Day Three

Wednesday, May 30, 2007

Reubens 2007: Day Three

OK, last day of Reubens photos!

Winding up the Reubens weekend, the National Cartoonists Society annual convention. View of golf course from my balcony. There are a couple of ... uh ... velociraptors out there!


Not raptors. Birds. Very big birds. I guess that, in Florida, emus can run free.


Greeting Card Division winner Carla Ventresca, Mike Lynch, JANE'S WORLD'S Paige Braddock, Jean Schulz.


ARCHIE'S Stan Goldberg, Stephen Silver and Joan Crosby Tibbetts

One of my personal pleasures was meeting Joan, someone I have corresponded with over the years but did not meet until this past Sunday. I had invited her down to the Reubens and was very happy that she agreed to come, accompanied by her daughter Kim.

Joan is the daughter of Percy Crosby and Percy Crosby is best known for his popular comic strip SKIPPY. SKIPPY was Charles Schulz' favorite strips and helped inspire PEANUTS. Mr. Crosby is one of the best cartoonists ever and I am a big fan of his work.

Joan maintains the copyright to SKIPPY and you can read about her dad and also the legal battles of SKIPPY at her excellent Web site.


Book Illustration Division Award nominee Adrian Sinnott draws for a fan.


Mike Lynch and HAGAR THE HORRIBLE'S Chris Browne.


MUTTS' Patrick McDonnell and Joan Crosby Tibbetts.


You Don't Have to Be Named MIKE to Make it in Cartooning -- but it wouldn't hoit! Mike McParlane, Mike Lynch, Mike Peters and Mike Luckovich.


Mike Lynch and Joan Crosby Tibbetts.


Editorial Cartoon Division winner Mike Ramirez, Sam Viviano, Mell Lazarus, Mike Lynch.


It's Sunday night, time for a party! And, it was Mell Lazarus' birthday too! That's Mell in the yellow, with Dan Piraro shimmying behind him.



It was a salsa themed party, and Mike Lynch, Tom Stiglich and THE BUCKETS Greg Cravens get into the act.

THE NEW YORKER'S Drew Dernavich, OSU's Jenny Robb and OFF THE MARK'S Mark Parisi. Sorry Greg, Jenny looks waaaay better than you in that hat.

I'm happy to call The Great Don Orehek a pal.

Roy Doty draws!

OSU's Jenny Robb and King Features' Joe D'Angelo

It was well after midnight, and I was on my way to my room when I spotted Sam Vivano chatting as he caricatured "illustration guy" Chad Frye.


Always leave a little something for housekeeping.

The view out the balcony at night ....

And the blood red moon that was setting around 3:30am on May 28, 2007.

Thank yous to: Rick Stromoski, the NCS Board, Phil and the Crow Segal support team, as well as the staff of the Ritz Carlton Grande Lakes for a wonderful weekend.

Linkies:

Reubens Photos Day One

Reubens Photos Day Two

Tuesday, May 29, 2007

Reubens 2007: Day Two

Continuing my story of the 2007 National Cartoonists Society Reuben Awards convention.

Above: a view of the grounds & golf course from my balcony. Fancy schmancy.

The NCS members have gathered for the NCS General Meeting. This is the part of the meeting where the new cartoonists are asked to stand up while we break all their pencils.


It looked like I was studiously writing notes during this meeting, but I was in actuality drawing a kitty.

NEW YORKER cartoonist Sam Gross gave a talk. Lots of great stories about being a gag cartoonist, doing the rounds, the importance of keeping your rights, etc.

That's Sam's famous 'frog legs' cartoon on the screen. Of course, as soon as it appeared, the room burst into applause. Even though it's now at the Cartoon Bank, he still retains rights. That cartoon has generated money for many years since it first appeared in National Lampoon. If he didn't retain his rights, he would not have made the money. Simple.

I didn't know this, but The Daily Show recently used an altered version of this cartoon without permission. Sam threaten to sue and got a nice settlement. Darn thing is that the Daily Show producers shoulda known better.

One of my favorite stories about the Wednesday rounds: one time, a friend accompanied Sam to the magazines. On Wednesdays, in the 1950s-70s, cartoonists would walk from magazine to magazine, offering up new batches of roughs to the cartoon editors. Sam's friend was a painter who was interested in becoming a cartoonist.

Do you know about Canal Street? In New York, Canal is a major, busy street. Sam and friend were walking along the street, after hours of doing the rounds. The fellow was asking if he (Sam) really went from one office to another, submitting cartoons, getting rejections, picking up last week's rejections, maybe making a sale ...

"Yes," said Sam.

"Every week?"

"Yes."

"EVERY week?"

"Yes."

"EVERY WEEK?!" and then the friend spoke an vicious epithet, informed Sam he was going back to painting for a living, and hurled his portfolio full of cartoon drawings (yeah, the portfolio AND the drawings) in the air, where it arced and landed on the moving traffic on Canal Street.

Saturday night. It's time for the big event: the Reubens! A formal affair, with black tie the order of the day. R.C. Harvey pointed out that the tradition dates to back when the NCS would get together at The Plaza, and the cartoonists were all made to look like a million bucks.


Two Mikes: Mike Lynch and Mike Peters welcome you, dear reader, to the Reubens!

ARCHIE & THE LOCKHORNS: Pauline and Stan Goldberg, and Bunny Hoest, my friends and fellow Berndt Toasters!


Comics historian R.C. Harvey, cartoonist Keith Robinson, and Carl Nelson, of NEI Communications, seated at the 29th Best Table! Hmm. I was at Table 30.

Kim Mayfiled and HUMBLE STUMBLE cartoonist (and pro musician) Roy Schneider.

The lovely Christine Krauss and the lovelier Andy Eng. Andy designs cartoon toys! What do you do, Andy? "I draw cartoons and send them to China and they turn them into cool toys."


Sam and Isabelle Gross. Sam came up to me and asked if I'd take this photo. If his life is anything like mine, getting this dressed up is a rare occasion.

Mike Lynch & Sam Gross in the ol' soup and fish.



Two award winners: Book Illustration Division Award winner Mike Lester and FOXTROT'S Bill Amend, who won the Reuben Award.


Cathy Guisewite dances with her Dad.

Two Canadians: John Martz and BETWEEN FRIENDS' Sandra Bell-Lundy. Anyone who's from a country where they call their money Loonies is OK with me!


Mike Lynch tries convincing NCS Gag Cartoon Award Winner Drew Dernovich that the award is HIS HIS HIS!!! Rina tries scaring Drew by showing her dental work.


Kieran Meehan, Brendan Burford, Mike Lynch, with Rina Piccolo giving a "V for Victory" sign.


Two from Berndt Toast: Book Illustration nominee Adrian Sinnott and veteran illustrator Frank Springer.


BIZARRO cartoonist (and our Reubens emcee) Dan Piraro, Associate Curator of the OSU Cartoon Research Library Jenny Robb, and incoming NCS President and co-cartoonist of THE FAMILY CIRCUS Jeff Keane.

Lindsay Butler, her main guy F MINUS cartoonist (and NCS Division Award nominee) Tony Carillo, and there's that Keiran Meehan again!


Mike Lynch with THE FAMILY CIRCUS' Bil Keane. I sold a business cartoon about Mr. Keane last year:

"And providing graphics for my presentation is Bil Keane, of 'Family Circus' fame."

Tomorrow: Some more photos.

Linkies:

Reubens Photos Day One

Reubens Photos Day Three

Monday, May 28, 2007

Reubens 2007: Day One


Some photos of me and some friends at this weekend's National Cartoonists Society annual Reubens convention held in Orlando, FL. These pictures are from the opening night cocktail party. There will be more photos this week. And some stories.


MAD MAG'S Ed Steckley, Mike Lynch, master illustrator C.F. Payne and editorial cartoonist Tom Stiglich.

I had such a great time talking with C.F. he let me call him "Chris," and I met his son Trevor. We got to swap stories about READER'S DIGEST, which has recently undergone a management change.

MAD MAG'S Sam Viviano, Mike Lynch and Mrs. Stephen Silver. (Stephen's a character designer for Warner Brothers.) Dig the James Bondian blazer Sam's sporting! Snazzy!



MAD MAGAZINE'S Tom Richmond apparently taking photos of his feet. Tom has one of the best blogs around. You can see a photo of him with his NCS Division Award on his blog, right now



BONANAS' John Kovaleski and the NEW YORKER'S Sam Gross look on as gag cartoon nominee Drew Dernavich plays hide the salami. I walked slowly away, my back to the wall ....

A grimacing cartoonist/illustrator Ed Steckley (you see his work in MAD) and his patient, patient wife.

WASHINGTON POST WRITERS GROUP'S Amy Lago plants the big juicy on Sam Gross.



MOMMA and MISS PEACH's Mell Lazarus with book illustration nominee (and editorial cartoonist) Mike Lester. They look contemplative. Looks can deceive!

It's Daryl Cagle and his wife! Daryl, whose a current editorial cartoonist and past NCS president, runs the MSNBC CagleCartoons site where many editorial cartoons from all over the world may be seen every day.

THE LOCKHORNS' John Reiner, trailblazing editorial cartoonist (and graphic novel reporter) Ted Rall and Mike Lynch.

It's Jim. Good ol' Jim, whose name I am completely blanking on. And his lovely wife whose name, etc., etc. I'm sorry. You guys were so nice. Feel free to not be so nice on your end, and send an abusive email for this unintentioned slight. UPDATE: It's Jim Horwitz and Roxanne Prichard.

Mell Lazarus, THE NEW YORKER'S Mort Gerberg, editorial cartoonist & GRIMMY creator Mike Peters.

Long-time MAD MAGAZINE editor Nick Meglin and lovely companion Linda Maloof.

Book illustration nominee Adrian Sinnott and ARCHIE's Stan Goldberg.

MAD MAGAZINE'S art editor Sam Viviano and Sam Gross.

HUSTLER cartoonist Dan Collins and PLAYBOY cartoonist, the one and only Don Orehek.


Don Orehek meets Popeye. Don can take him!

Popeye arm wrestles cartoonist and New Jersey NCS chapter Chairman Tom Stemmle, while BEETLE BAILEY'S Mort Walker, in background, watches with gleeful schadenfreude.

"You may have a future in the comics," says Mort as he congratulates the winner.


Drew Dernavich and John Martz, showing their pearlies. John is one the guys behind the byootiful Drawn site, and an illustrator as well.

Amy Lago, DOONESBURY's Garry Trudeau and BIZARRO'S Dan Piraro.

John Reiner, Mike Lynch and Mell Lazarus. Looks like we're lounging in one of those turn of the century men's clubs.

KING FEATURES' Comics Editor Brendan Burford cuts a rug with wife Rina (SIX CHIX, TINA'S GROOVE) Piccolo and Dan Piraro.

And so to bed. More anon.

Linkies:

Reubens Photos Day Two

Reubens Photos Day Three