The National Cartoonists Society (NCS) is an organization of professional

cartoonist A cartoonist is a visual artist who specializes in both drawing and writing cartoons (individual images) or comics (sequential images). Cartoonists differ from comics writers or comics illustrators/artists in that they produce both the litera ...

s in the United States. It presents the National Cartoonists Society Awards. The Society was born in 1946 when groups of cartoonists got together to entertain the troops. They enjoyed each other's company and decided to meet on a regular basis. NCS members work in many branches of the profession, including advertising, animation, newspaper

comic strip A comic strip is a Comics, sequence of cartoons, arranged in interrelated panels to display brief humor or form a narrative, often Serial (literature), serialized, with text in Speech balloon, balloons and Glossary of comics terminology#Captio ...

s and syndicated single-panel cartoons,

comic book A comic book, comic-magazine, or simply comic is a publication that consists of comics art in the form of sequential juxtaposed panel (comics), panels that represent individual scenes. Panels are often accompanied by descriptive prose and wri ...

editorial cartoon A political cartoon, also known as an editorial cartoon, is a cartoon graphic with caricatures of public figures, expressing the artist's opinion. An artist who writes and draws such images is known as an editorial cartoonist. They typically co ...

s, gag cartoons,

graphic novel A graphic novel is a self-contained, book-length form of sequential art. The term ''graphic novel'' is often applied broadly, including fiction, non-fiction, and Anthology, anthologized work, though this practice is highly contested by comics sc ...

s, greeting cards, magazine and book illustration. Only recently has the National Cartoonists Society embraced web comics. Membership is limited to established professional cartoonists, with a few exceptions of outstanding persons in affiliated fields. The NCS is not a

guild A guild ( ) is an association of artisans and merchants who oversee the practice of their craft/trade in a particular territory. The earliest types of guild formed as organizations of tradespeople belonging to a professional association. They so ...

labor union A trade union (British English) or labor union (American English), often simply referred to as a union, is an organization of workers whose purpose is to maintain or improve the conditions of their employment, such as attaining better wages ...

. The organization's stated primary purposes are "to advance the ideals and standards of professional cartooning in its many forms", "to promote and foster a social, cultural and intellectual interchange among professional cartoonists of all types" and "to stimulate and encourage interest in and acceptance of the art of cartooning by aspiring cartoonists, students and the general public."

History

The National Cartoonists Society had its origins during

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

when cartoonists Gus Edson, Otto Soglow, Clarence D. Russell, Bob Dunn and others did chalk talks at hospitals for the

USO The United Service Organizations Inc. (USO) is an American nonprofit-charitable corporation that provides live entertainment, such as comedians, actors and musicians, social facilities, and other programs to members of the United States Armed F ...

in 1943. Edson recalled, "We played two spots. Fort Hamilton and Governor's Island. And then we quit the USO." They were lured away by choreographer and former Rockette Toni Mendez. When she learned of these chalk talks, she recruited the cartoonists to do shows for the Hospital Committee of the

American Theatre Wing The American Theatre Wing (the Wing for short) is a New York City–based non-profit organization "dedicated to supporting excellence and education in theatre", according to its mission statement. Originally known as the Stage Women's War Relief ...

. Beginning with a performance emceed by humor columnist Bugs Baer at Halloran Hospital on

Staten Island Staten Island ( ) is the southernmost of the boroughs of New York City, five boroughs of New York City, coextensive with Richmond County and situated at the southernmost point of New York (state), New York. The borough is separated from the ad ...

, these shows were produced and directed by Mendez. The group expanded to junkets on military transport planes, flying to military bases along the southeastern seaboard. On one of those flights, Russell proposed a club to Rube Goldberg and others so the group could still get together after WWII ended. Mendez recalled: The Society was organized on a Friday evening, March 1, 1946, when 26 cartoonists gathered at 7pm in the Barberry Room on East 52nd Street in Manhattan. After drinks and dinner, they voted to determine officers and a name for their new organization. It was initially known as The Cartoonists Society. Goldberg was elected president with Russell Patterson as vice president, C. D. Russell as secretary and Milton Caniff, treasurer. Soglow was later added as second vice president ("to follow the first vice president around"). Mendez functioned as the Society's trouble-shooter and later became an agent representing more than 50 cartoonists. The 26 founding members came from the group of 32 members who had paid dues by March 13, including strip cartoonists Wally Bishop ('' Muggs and Skeeter''), Martin Branner ('' Winnie Winkle''), Ernie Bushmiller ('' Nancy''), Milton Caniff, Gus Edson ('' The Gumps''), Ham Fisher ('' Joe Palooka''), Harry Haenigsen (''

Penny A penny is a coin (: pennies) or a unit of currency (: pence) in various countries. Borrowed from the Carolingian denarius (hence its former abbreviation d.), it is usually the smallest denomination within a currency system. At present, it is ...

''), Fred Harman ('' Red Ryder''), Bill Holman (''

Smokey Stover ''Smokey Stover'' is an American comic strip written and drawn by cartoonist Bill Holman (cartoonist), Bill Holman from March 10, 1935, until he retired in 1972 and distributed through the ''Chicago Tribune''. It features the misadventures of t ...

''), Jay Irving (''Willie Doodle''), Stan MacGovern (''Silly Milly''), Al Posen (''Sweeney and Son''), Clarence Russell ('' Pete the Tramp''), Otto Soglow ('' The Little King''), Jack Sparling ('' Claire Voyant''), Raeburn Van Buren ('' Abbie an' Slats''), Dow Walling (''Skeets'') and

Frank Willard Frank Henry Willard (September 21, 1893 – January 11, 1958) was an American cartoonist best known for his syndicated newspaper comic strip ''Moon Mullins'' which ran from 1923 to 1991, working alongside assistant Ferd Johnson. He sometimes went ...

(''

Moon Mullins ''Moon Mullins'' is an American comic strip which had a run as both a daily and Sunday feature from June 19, 1923, to June 2, 1991. Syndicated by the Tribune Media Services, Chicago Tribune/New York News Syndicate, the strip depicts the lives of ...

''). Also among the early 32 members were syndicated panel cartoonists Dave Breger (''Mister Breger''), George Clark (''The Neighbors''), Bob Dunn (''Just the Type'') and

Jimmy Hatlo James Cecil Hatlo (September 1, 1897 – December 1, 1963), better known as Jimmy Hatlo, was an American cartoonist who in 1929 created the long-running comic strip and gag panel ''They'll Do It Every Time'', which he wrote and drew until his d ...

(''

They'll Do It Every Time ''They'll Do It Every Time'' is a single-panel newspaper comic strip, created by Jimmy Hatlo, which had a long run over eight decades, first appearing on February 5, 1929, and continuing until February 3, 2008. The title of the strip became a pop ...

''); freelance magazine cartoonists Abner Dean and Mischa Richter, editorial cartoonists Rube Goldberg (''

New York Sun ''The New York Sun'' is an American conservative news website and former newspaper based in Manhattan, New York. From 2009 to 2021, it operated as an (occasional and erratic) online-only publisher of political and economic opinion pieces, as we ...

''), Burris Jenkins ('' New York Journal American''), C. D. Batchelor ('' Daily News'') and Richard Q. Yardley (''

The Baltimore Sun ''The Baltimore Sun'' is the largest general-circulation daily newspaper based in the U.S. state of Maryland and provides coverage of local, regional, national, and international news. Founded in 1837, the newspaper was owned by Tribune Publi ...

''); sports cartoonist Lou Hanlon; illustrator Russell Patterson and

artists

Joe Shuster Joseph Shuster ( ; July 10, 1914 – July 30, 1992) was a Canadian-American comic book artist best known for co-creating the DC Comics character Superman, with Jerry Siegel, in ''Action Comics'' #1 ( cover-dated June 1938). Shuster was involv ...

and Joe Musial. More members joined by mid-May 1946, including Harold Gray (''

Little Orphan Annie ''Little Orphan Annie'' was a daily American comic strip created by Harold Gray and print syndication#Comic strip syndication, syndicated by the Tribune Media Services. The strip took its name from the 1885 poem "Little Orphant Annie" by James ...

'') and the Society's first animator, Paul Terry, followed in the summer by letterer Frank Engli, Bela Zaboly (''

Popeye Popeye the Sailor Man is a fictional cartoon character created by E. C. Segar, Elzie Crisler Segar.Al Capp Alfred Gerald Caplin (September 28, 1909 – November 5, 1979), better known as Al Capp, was an American cartoonist and humorist best known for the satirical comic strip ''Li'l Abner'', which he created in 1934 and continued writing and (w ...

(''

Li'l Abner ''Li'l Abner'' was a satirical American comic strip that appeared in multiple newspapers in the United States, Canada, and Europe. It featured a fictional clan of hillbillies living in the impoverished fictional mountain village of Dogpatch, ...

'') and ('' Bruce Gentry''). By March 1947, the NCS had 112 members, including Bud Fisher (''

Mutt and Jeff ''Mutt and Jeff'' is a long-running and widely popular American newspaper comic strip created by cartoonist Bud Fisher in 1907 about "two mismatched wikt:tinhorn, tinhorns". It is commonly regarded as the first daily comic strip. The concept o ...

''), Don Flowers (''Glamor Girls''), Bob Kane (''

Batman Batman is a superhero who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. Batman was created by the artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger, and debuted in Detective Comics 27, the 27th issue of the comic book ''Detective Comics'' on M ...

''), Fred Lasswell (''

Barney Google and Snuffy Smith ''Barney Google and Snuffy Smith'', originally ''Take Barney Google, for Instance'', is an American comic strip created by cartoonist Billy DeBeck. Since its debut on June 17, 1919, the strip has gained a large international readership, appeari ...

''),

George Lichty George Lichty (May 16, 1905 – July 18, 1983) was an American cartoonist, creator of the daily strip, daily and Sunday strip, Sunday cartoon series ''Grin and Bear It''. His work was signed Lichty and often ran without mention of his first name. ...

('' Grin and Bear It''), Zack Mosley ('' The Adventures of Smilin' Jack''), Alex Raymond ('' Rip Kirby''), Cliff Sterrett ('' Polly and Her Pals'') and

Chic Young Murat Bernard "Chic" Young (January 9, 1901March 14, 1973) was an American cartoonist who created the comic strip ''Blondie (comic strip), Blondie''. His 1919 ''William McKinley High School Yearbook'' cites his nickname as Chicken, source of hi ...

('' Blondie''), plus editorial cartoonists Reg Manning and Fred O. Seibel and sports cartoonist Willard Mullin. Marge Devine Duffy, a secretary in King Features public relations department, had been helping Russell handle correspondence to the NCS, and in 1948, she was installed as the official NCS secretary and later given the title Scribe of the Society. Her name was on all the Society's publications, and her address was the permanent mailing address of the NCS for more than 30 years. As the organizing secretary, she handled agendas, organization and publicity. "She practically ran the damn thing," Caniff recalled. "A real autocrat, and everyone was delighted to have her be an autocrat because that's what we needed." In the fall of 1949, the NCS cooperated with the Treasury Department to sell savings bonds, embarking in a nationwide tour to 17 major cities with teams of 10 or 12 cartoonists and a traveling display, ''20,000 Years of Comics'', a 95-foot pictorial history of the comic strip. Despite the contributions of Duffy and Mendez, there were no female members, as stipulated in the NCS' constitution which specified that "any cartoonist (male) who signs his name to his published work" could apply for membership. In 1949, Hilda Terry wrote a letter challenging that rule, and after more than six months of debates and votes, three women were finally admitted for membership in 1950—Terry, Edwina Dumm and gag cartoonist Barbara Shermund. On November 6, 1951, 49 members of the NCS arrived at Washington's Carlton Hotel for breakfast with

Harry S. Truman Harry S. Truman (May 8, 1884December 26, 1972) was the 33rd president of the United States, serving from 1945 to 1953. As the 34th vice president in 1945, he assumed the presidency upon the death of Franklin D. Roosevelt that year. Subsequen ...

. Gathered in Washington to help the Treasury Department sell Defense Stamps, the group presented Truman with a bound volume of their comic strip characters, some interacting with caricatures of Truman.

USO Tour and charitable causes

When Al Posen originated the idea of National Cartoonists Society tours to entertain American servicemen, he became the NCS Director of Overseas Shows. On October 4, 1952, nine cartoonists left on a USO-Camp Shows tour of U.S. Armed Forces installations in Europe, traveling via a

Military Air Transport Service The Military Air Transport Service (MATS) is an inactive United States Department of Defense, Department of Defense Unified Command. Activated on 1 June 1948, MATS was a consolidation of the United States Navy's Naval Air Transport Service (NA ...

plane from Westover Air Force Base in Massachusetts and landing at Rhein-Main Air Base in Germany. On the tour, the cartoonists engaged models in each country to join in their ''Laff Time'' show of audience participation stunts and gags. The cartoonists were Posen,

Charles Biro Charles Biro (; May 12, 1911 – March 4, 1972) was an American comic book creator and cartoonist. He created the comic book characters Airboy and Steel Sterling, and worked on ''Daredevil (Golden Age), Daredevil Comics'' and ''Crime Does Not Pa ...

, Bob Dunn, Gus Edson, Bill Holman, Bob Montana, Russell Patterson, Clarence Russell and Dick Wingert (''Hubert''). The comic strip '' Dondi'' came about because of a friendship that developed between Edson and

Irwin Hasen Irwin Hasen (; July 8, 1918 – March 13, 2015) was an American cartoonist best known as the creator (with Gus Edson) of the ''Dondi'' comic strip. He also had a significant run on DC Comics' original Green Lantern, Alan Scott, in the 1940s as we ...

during a USO trip to Korea. Hy Eisman described the atmosphere at the NCS when he joined in 1955: During the 1960s, cartoonists of military comic strips went to the White House and met with

Lyndon B. Johnson Lyndon Baines Johnson (; August 27, 1908January 22, 1973), also known as LBJ, was the 36th president of the United States, serving from 1963 to 1969. He became president after the assassination of John F. Kennedy, under whom he had served a ...

in the

Oval Office The Oval Office is the formal working space of the president of the United States. Part of the Executive Office of the President of the United States, it is in the West Wing of the White House, in Washington, D.C. The oval room has three lar ...

. The group included Caniff,

Bill Mauldin William Henry Mauldin (; October 29, 1921 – January 22, 2003) was an American editorial cartoonist who won two Pulitzer Prizes for his work. He was most famous for his World War II cartoons depicting American soldiers, as represented by the ...

and

Mort Walker Addison Morton Walker (September 3, 1923 – January 27, 2018) was an American comic strip writer, best known for creating the newspaper comic strips ''Beetle Bailey'' in 1950 and ''Hi and Lois'' in 1954. He signed Addison to some of his strips. ...

. In 1977–78, the National Cartoonists Society released ''The National Cartoonists Society Portfolio of Fine Comic Art'', published by Collector's Press. The portfolio featured a total of 34 art prints. Each 12" x 16" print was printed on archival fine art paper. In 2011, to memorialize and commemorate the 10th anniversary of the

September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks, also known as 9/11, were four coordinated Islamist terrorist suicide attacks by al-Qaeda against the United States in 2001. Nineteen terrorists hijacked four commercial airliners, crashing the first two into ...

, many NCS cartoonists auctioned off art that gave commentary to the tragedy and raised money for families victimized by the event in a reflective homage called, Cartoonists Remember. These cartoon tributes raised over $50,000 to benefit the 9/11 families. The art was featured and displayed in both nationally syndicated newspapers and museums across America, including the

Newseum The Newseum (April 18, 1997–March 3, 2002 and April 11, 2008–December 31, 2019) was an American museum located first in Rosslyn, Virginia, and later at 555 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, in Washington, D.C., dedicated to news and journalism that ...

in Washington, DC, the Cartoon Art Museum in San Francisco and the Museum of Comic and Cartoon Art in New York City. In 2005, the Society formed a Foundation to continue the charitable works of its fund for indigent cartoonists, the Milt Gross Fund. The Society's offices are in Winter Park, Florida. In addition, the NCS has chartered 16 regional chapters throughout the United States and one in Canada. Chapter Chairpersons sit on the NCS Regional Council and are represented by a National Representative, who is a voting member of the Board of Directors. As NCS president for two consecutive terms, Jeff Keane, cartoonist for the '' Family Circus'' and son of comic creator, Bil Keane, returned to the charter and spirit of the NCS by extending the society's outreach to the military by visiting and cartooning for vets who served in the Iraq War and Afghanistan War, during the years 2007–2011. In 2008, NCS joined over 60 other art licensing businesses (including the Artists Rights Society, Association of American Editorial Cartoonists,

Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators The Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) is a nonprofit, 501(c)3 organization that acts as a network for the exchange of knowledge between writers, illustrators, editors, publishers, agents, librarians, educators, booksellers ...

, the Stock Artists Alliance, Illustrator's Partnership of America and the Advertising Photographers of America) in opposing both The Orphan Works Act of 2008 and the Shawn Bentley Orphan Works Act of 2008. Known collectively as " Artists United Against the U.S. Orphan Works Acts", the diverse organizations joined forces to oppose the bills, which the groups believe "permits, and even encourages, wide-scale infringements while depriving creators of protections currently available under the Copyright Act."

Billy DeBeck Memorial Award

The earliest NCS award was the Billy DeBeck Memorial Award, also known as "the Barney" from the character in

Billy DeBeck William Morgan DeBeck (April 15, 1890 – November 11, 1942) was an American cartoonist. He is most famous as the creator of the comic strip ''Barney Google'', later retitled ''Barney Google and Snuffy Smith''. The strip was especially pop ...

's popular comic strip ''

''. After DeBeck died on Veteran's Day, 1942, Mary DeBeck remarried (as Mary Bergman) and created the DeBeck Award in 1946. She also made the annual presentation of engraved silver cigarette cases (with DeBeck's characters etched on the cover) to the eight winners spanning the years 1946 to 1953. Mary Bergman died February 14, 1953, aboard National Airlines Flight 470 which went down in the Gulf of Mexico during a thunderstorm on a flight from Tampa to New Orleans. In 1954, following her death, the DeBeck Award was renamed the Reuben Award, also known "the Reuben". When the award name was changed in 1954, all of the prior eight winners were given Reuben statuettes designed by and named after the NCS' first president, Rube Goldberg. The Reuben Award was executed in bronze by sculptor and editorial cartoonist Bill Crawford.

Reuben Award

The National Cartoonists Society Reuben Award started in 1954, as the

Memorial Award (the " Barney"), now named after Rube Goldberg. Award weekend is an annual gala event which takes place at a site selected by the President. During the formal, black-tie banquet evening, the Reuben Award (determined by secret ballot) is presented to the Outstanding Cartoonist of the Year. Cartoonists in various professional divisions are also honored with special plaques for excellence. These awards are voted by a combination of the general membership (by secret ballot) and specially-formed juries overseen by various NCS Regional Chapters. A cartoonist does not need to be a member of the NCS to receive one of the Society's awards. Prior to 1983, the Reuben Awards Dinner was held in

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

, usually at the Plaza Hotel. Since then, the event has expanded into a full weekend and is held in a different city each year. Recent Reuben locations have included New York City;

Boca Raton Boca Raton ( ; ) is a city in Palm Beach County, Florida, United States. The population was 97,422 in the 2020 United States census, 2020 census and it ranked as the 23rd-largest city in Florida in 2022. Many people with a Boca Raton Address, ...

;

San Francisco San Francisco, officially the City and County of San Francisco, is a commercial, Financial District, San Francisco, financial, and Culture of San Francisco, cultural center of Northern California. With a population of 827,526 residents as of ...

;

Cancún Cancún is the most populous city in the Mexican state of Quintana Roo, located in southeast Mexico on the northeast coast of the Yucatán Peninsula. It is a significant tourist destination in Mexico and the seat of the municipality of Benito J ...

;

Kansas City, Missouri Kansas City, Missouri, abbreviated KC or KCMO, is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri by List of cities in Missouri, population and area. The city lies within Jackson County, Missouri, Jackson, Clay County, Missouri, Clay, and Pl ...

;

Las Vegas Las Vegas, colloquially referred to as Vegas, is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and the county seat of Clark County. The Las Vegas Valley metropolitan area is the largest within the greater Mojave Desert, and second-l ...

; and

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States, and its county seat. It is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania#Municipalities, second-most populous city in Pennsylvania (after Philadelphia) and the List of Un ...

in 2013. Each year, during the NCS Annual Reuben Awards Weekend, the Society honors the year's outstanding achievements in all walks of the profession. Excellence in the fields of newspaper strips, newspaper panels, TV animation, feature animation, newspaper illustration, gag cartoons, book illustration, greeting cards, comic books, magazine feature/magazine illustration and editorial cartoons, is honored in the NCS Division Awards, which are chosen by specially-convened juries at the chapter level. An Online Comic Strip Award was added in 2011. The recipient of the profession's highest honor, the Reuben Award for Outstanding Cartoonist of the Year, is chosen by a secret ballot of the members. As part of the presentations and general frivolity, the NCS has produced videos to initiate the festivities, some of which have been parodies of iconic entertainment.

Award winners

Billy DeBeck Memorial Award *1946: Milton Caniff, '' Terry and the Pirates'' *1947:

Al Capp Alfred Gerald Caplin (September 28, 1909 – November 5, 1979), better known as Al Capp, was an American cartoonist and humorist best known for the satirical comic strip ''Li'l Abner'', which he created in 1934 and continued writing and (w ...

, ''

'' *1948:

, '' Blondie'' *1949: Alex Raymond, '' Rip Kirby'' *1950:

Roy Crane Royston Campbell Crane (November 22, 1901 – July 7, 1977), who signed his work Roy Crane, was an American cartoonist who created the comic strip characters Wash Tubbs, Captain Easy and Buz Sawyer. He pioneered the adventure comic strip, estab ...

, '' Buz Sawyer'' *1951:

Walt Kelly Walter Crawford Kelly Jr. (August 25, 1913 – October 18, 1973) was an American animator and cartoonist, best known for the comic strip ''Pogo (comic strip), Pogo''. He began his animation career in 1936 at The Walt Disney Company, Walt Disney S ...

, '' Pogo'' *1952: Hank Ketcham, '' Dennis the Menace'' *1953:

, '' Beetle Bailey'' Reuben Award *1954: Willard Mullin, Sports *1955: Charles M. Schulz, ''

Peanuts ''Peanuts'' (briefly subtitled ''featuring Good ol' Charlie Brown'') is a print syndication, syndicated daily strip, daily and Sunday strip, Sunday American comic strip written and illustrated by Charles M. Schulz. The strip's original run ext ...

'' *1956: Herbert L. Block (

Herblock Herbert Lawrence Block, commonly known as Herblock (October13, 1909October7, 2001), was an American editorial cartoonist and author best known for his commentaries on national domestic and foreign policy. During the course of a career stretchin ...

), Editorial *1957: Hal Foster, '' Prince Valiant'' *1958: Frank King, '' Gasoline Alley'' *1959: Chester Gould, '' Dick Tracy'' *1960: Ronald Searle,

Advertising Advertising is the practice and techniques employed to bring attention to a Product (business), product or Service (economics), service. Advertising aims to present a product or service in terms of utility, advantages, and qualities of int ...

and

Illustration An illustration is a decoration, interpretation, or visual explanation of a text, concept, or process, designed for integration in print and digitally published media, such as posters, flyers, magazines, books, teaching materials, animations, vi ...

*1961:

, Editorial *1962: Dik Browne, ''

Hi and Lois ''Hi and Lois'' is an American comic strip about a suburban family. Created by Mort Walker and illustrated by Dik Browne, both of whose children currently work on the strip, it debuted on October 18, 1954, distributed by King Features Syndicate ...

'' *1963: Fred Lasswell, '' Barney Google'' *1964: Charles M. Schulz, ''Peanuts'' (First Repeat Winner) *1965: Leonard Starr, '' Mary Perkins, On Stage'' *1966: Otto Soglow, '' The Little King'' *1967: Rube Goldberg, Humor in Sculpture *1968: Pat Oliphant, Editorial, and Johnny Hart, '' B.C.'' and '' The Wizard of Id'' (First Tied Winners) *1969: Walter Berndt, '' Smitty'' *1970: Alfred Andriola, '' Kerry Drake'' *1971: Milton Caniff, '' Steve Canyon'' *1972: Pat Oliphant, Editorial (Second Repeat Winner) *1973: Dik Browne, '' Hägar the Horrible'' (Third Repeat Winner) *1974: Dick Moores, ''Gasoline Alley'' *1975: Bob Dunn, ''

'' *1976: Ernie Bushmiller, '' Nancy'' *1977: Chester Gould, ''Dick Tracy'' (Fourth Repeat Winner) *1978:

Jeff MacNelly Jeffrey Kenneth MacNelly (September 17, 1947 – June 8, 2000) was an American editorial cartoonist and the creator of the comic strip ''Shoe (comic strip), Shoe''. After ''Shoe'' had been established in papers, MacNelly created the single-panel ...

, Editorial *1979: Jeff MacNelly, ''

Shoe A shoe is an item of footwear intended to protect and comfort the human foot. Though the human foot can adapt to varied terrains and climate conditions, it is vulnerable, and shoes provide protection. Form was originally tied to function, but ...

'' (Fifth Repeat Winner, First "back-to-back" Winner) *1980: Charles Saxon, Advertising *1981: Mell Lazarus, '' Miss Peach'' and '' Momma'' *1982: Bil Keane, '' The Family Circus'' *1983: Arnold Roth, Advertising *1984: Brant Parker, ''The Wizard of Id'' *1985: Lynn Johnston, '' For Better or For Worse'' (First Female (& Canadian) Winner) *1986:

Bill Watterson William Boyd Watterson II (born July 5, 1958) is an American cartoonist who authored the comic strip ''Calvin and Hobbes''. The strip was syndicated from 1985 to 1995. Watterson concluded ''Calvin and Hobbes'' with a short statement to newspa ...

, ''

Calvin and Hobbes ''Calvin and Hobbes'' is a daily American comic strip created by cartoonist Bill Watterson that was Print syndication, syndicated from November 18, 1985, to December 31, 1995. Commonly described as "the last great newspaper comic", ''Calvin a ...

'' *1987:

Mort Drucker Morris "Mort" Drucker (March 22, 1929 – April 9, 2020) was an American caricaturist and comics artist best known as a contributor for over five decades in ''Mad (magazine), Mad'', where he specialized in satires on the leading feature film ...

, '' Mad'' *1988: Bill Watterson, ''Calvin and Hobbes'' (Sixth Repeat Winner) *1989: Jim Davis, ''

Garfield ''Garfield'' is an American comic strip created by Jim Davis (cartoonist), Jim Davis. Originally published locally as ''Jon'' in 1976 (later changed to ''Garfield'' in 1977), then in nationwide Print syndication, syndication from 1978, it chro ...

'' *1990:

Gary Larson Gary Larson (born August 14, 1950) is an American cartoonist who created ''The Far Side'', a single-panel cartoon series that was syndicated internationally to more than 1,900 newspapers for fifteen years. The series ended on January 1, 1995, ...

, ''

The Far Side ''The Far Side'' is a single-panel comic created by Gary Larson and syndicated by Chronicle Features and then Universal Press Syndicate, which ran from December 31, 1979, to January 1, 1995 (when Larson retired as a cartoonist). Its surrea ...

'' *1991: Mike Peters, ''

Mother Goose and Grimm ''Mother Goose and Grimm'' (a.k.a. ''Mother Goose & Grimm'') is an internationally syndicated comic strip by cartoonist Mike Peters of the '' Dayton Daily News''. It was first syndicated starting October 1, 1984, and is distributed by King Fea ...

'' *1992: Cathy Guisewite, '' Cathy'' *1993: Jim Borgman, Editorial *1994: Gary Larson, ''The Far Side'' (Seventh Repeat Winner) *1995:

Garry Trudeau Garretson Beekman Trudeau (born July 21, 1948) is an American cartoonist best known for creating the ''Doonesbury'' comic strip. Trudeau won the Pulitzer Prize for Editorial Cartooning in 1975, making him the first comic strip artist to win a ...

, ''

Doonesbury ''Doonesbury'' is a comic strip by American cartoonist Garry Trudeau that chronicles the adventures and lives of an array of characters of various ages, professions, and backgrounds, from the President of the United States to the title character, ...

'' *1996: Sergio Aragonés, ''Mad'' *1997: Scott Adams, ''

Dilbert ''Dilbert'' is an American comic strip written and illustrated by Scott Adams, first published on April 16, 1989. It is known for its satire, satirical office humor about a White-collar worker, white-collar, micromanagement, micromanaged offic ...

'' *1998: Will Eisner, '' The Spirit'' *1999: Patrick McDonnell, '' Mutts'' *2000: Jack Davis, ''Mad'' *2001: Jerry Scott, '' Zits'' and '' Baby Blues'' *2002:

Matt Groening Matthew Abram Groening ( ; born February 15, 1954) is an American cartoonist, writer, producer, and animator. He is best known as the creator of the television series ''The Simpsons'' (1989–present), ''Futurama'' (1999–2003, 2008–2013, 2 ...

, '' Life in Hell'' *2003: Greg Evans, '' Luann'' *2004: Pat Brady, '' Rose Is Rose'' *2005: Mike Luckovich, editorial cartoonist for ''

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution ''The Atlanta Journal-Constitution'' (''AJC'') is an American daily newspaper based in metropolitan area of Atlanta, Georgia. It is the flagship publication of Cox Enterprises. The ''Atlanta Journal-Constitution'' is the result of the merger ...

'' *2006: Bill Amend, ''

FoxTrot The foxtrot is a smooth, progressive dance characterized by long, continuous flowing movements across the dance floor. It is danced to big band (usually vocal) music. The dance is similar in its look to waltz, although the rhythm is in a time ...

'' *2007: Al Jaffee, ''Mad'' *2008: Dave Coverly, '' Speed Bump'' *2009: Dan Piraro, ''

Bizarro Bizarro () is a supervillain or anti-hero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by writer Otto Binder and artist George Papp as a "mirror image" of Superman, and first appeared in ''Superboy (comic bo ...

'' *2010: Richard Thompson, '' Cul de Sac'' *2011: Tom Richmond, ''Mad'' *2012: Rick Kirkman, '' Baby Blues'' and Brian Crane, ''

Pickles Pickle, pickled or Pickles may refer to: Food * Pickle, a food that has undergone pickling * Pickled cucumber * Pickle, a sweet, vinegary pickled chutney popular in Britain, such as Branston Pickle, also known as "sweet pickle" or "ploughman's ...

'' (Second Tied Winners) *2013: Wiley Miller, '' Non Sequitur'' *2014: Roz Chast, editorial cartoonist for ''

The New Yorker ''The New Yorker'' is an American magazine featuring journalism, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons, and poetry. It was founded on February 21, 1925, by Harold Ross and his wife Jane Grant, a reporter for ''The New York T ...

'' *2015: Michael Ramirez, editorial cartoonist for ''

Creators Syndicate Creators Syndicate (also known as Creators) is an American independent distributor of comic strips and syndicated columns to daily newspapers, websites, and other digital outlets. When founded in 1987, Creators Syndicate became one of the few suc ...

'' *2016: Ann Telnaes, syndicated with Cartoonists and Writers Syndicate/ New York Times Syndicate *2017: Glen Keane, Walt Disney feature films *2018: Stephan Pastis, '' Pearls Before Swine'' *2019: Lynda Barry, ''Making Comics'' *2020: Ray Billingsley, ''

Curtis Curtis or Curtiss is a common English given name and surname of Anglo-Norman origin, deriving from the Old French ''curteis'' (Modern French">-4; we might wonder whether there's a point at which it's appropriate to talk of the beginnings of Fren ...

'' *2021: Edward Sorel, cartoonist and satirist *2022:

Bill Griffith William Henry Jackson Griffith (born January 20, 1944) is an American cartoonist who signs his work Bill Griffith and Griffy. He is best known for his surreal daily comic strip '' Zippy''. The catchphrase "Are we having fun yet?" is credited t ...

, ''

Zippy the Pinhead Zippy the Pinhead is a fictional character who is the protagonist of ''Zippy'', an American comic strip created by Bill Griffith. Zippy's most famous quotation, "Are we having fun yet?", appears in ''Bartlett's Familiar Quotations'' and became a ...

'' *2023: Hilary B. Price, '' Rhymes with Orange''

Other awards

Ace (Amateur Cartoonist Extraordinary) Award

*1961 Arne Rhode *1962 Carol Burnett *1963

Hugh Hefner Hugh Marston Hefner (April 9, 1926 – September 27, 2017) was an American magazine publisher. He was the founder and editor-in-chief of ''Playboy'' magazine, a publication with revealing photographs and articles. Hefner extended the ''Playboy ...

*1963 Jonathan Winters *1964 Chuck McCann *196? Cliff Arquette *1967

Jackie Gleason Herbert John Gleason (born Herbert Walton Gleason Jr.; February 26, 1916June 24, 1987), known as Jackie Gleason, was an American comedian, actor, writer, and composer also known as "The Great One". He developed a style and characters from growin ...

*1970 Orson Bean *1972 Bobby Day *1973 Robert Lansing *1974 Jane Powell *1975 Rita Moreno *197? Boyd Lewis *1979 Linda Gialeanella *1980

Ginger Rogers Ginger Rogers (born Virginia Katherine McMath; July 16, 1911 – April 25, 1995) was an American actress, dancer and singer during the Classical Hollywood cinema, Golden Age of Hollywood. She won an Academy Award for Best Actress for her starri ...

*1981 Claire Trevor *1990

John Updike John Hoyer Updike (March 18, 1932 – January 27, 2009) was an American novelist, poet, short-story writer, art critic, and literary critic. One of only four writers to win the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction more than once (the others being Booth Tar ...

*1991 Al Roker *1992

Tom Wolfe Thomas Kennerly Wolfe Jr. (March 2, 1930 – May 14, 2018)Some sources say 1931; ''The New York Times'' and Reuters both initially reported 1931 in their obituaries before changing to 1930. See and was an American author and journalist widely ...

*1993 Pete Hamill *1996

Denis Leary Denis Colin Leary (born August 18, 1957) is an American stand-up comedian and actor. Born in Massachusetts, he first came to prominence as a stand-up comedian, especially through appearances on MTV (including the comedic song " Asshole") and th ...

*1998 Morley Safer *2014

"Weird Al" Yankovic Alfred Matthew "Weird Al" Yankovic ( ; born October 23, 1959) is an American comedy musician, writer, and actor. He is best known for writing and performing Comedy music, comedy songs that often Parody music, parody specific songs by contempo ...

*2018 Jake Tapper

Award of Honor

This award was for recognition of the American cartoon as an instrument in war, peace, education and in the artistic betterment of our cultural environment. On September 22, 1965, the following were honored: *General Omar N. Bradley *

Walter Cronkite Walter Leland Cronkite Jr. (November 4, 1916 – July 17, 2009) was an American broadcast journalist who served as anchorman for the ''CBS Evening News'' from 1962 to 1981. During the 1960s and 1970s, he was often cited as "the most trust ...

* John C. Daly * John Cameron Swayze

Gold Key Award (National Cartoonists Society Hall of Fame)

*1977 Hal Foster *1978 Edwina Dumm *1979 Raeburn Van Buren *1979 Herbert Block *1980 Rube Goldberg (posthumous) *1981 Milton Caniff *2000 Arnold Roth *2005 Larry Katzman *2006

*2008 Bil Keane *2009 Mell Lazarus *2010 Bill Gallo *2011 Roy Doty *2012 Stan Goldberg *2013 Bunny Hoest & John Reiner *2021 Mort Gerberg *2024

Russell Myers Russell Kommer Myers (born October 9, 1938) is an Americans, American cartoonist best known for his newspaper comic strip ''Broom-Hilda''. Born in Pittsburg, Kansas, Myers was raised in Oklahoma where his father taught at the University of Tuls ...

Milton Caniff Lifetime Achievement Award

The Milton Caniff Lifetime Achievement Award is awarded by unanimous vote of the NCS Board of Directors. *1994 Harry Devlin *1994 Will Eisner *1995

Al Hirschfeld Albert Hirschfeld (June 21, 1903 – January 20, 2003) was an American caricaturist best known for his black and white portraits of celebrities and Broadway stars. Early life and career Al Hirschfeld was born in 1903 in a two-story duplex apa ...

*1996 Jack Davis *1997 Dale Messick *1998 Bill Gallo *1999 Charles M. Schulz *2002 Jerry Robinson *2003 Morrie Turner *2004

Jules Feiffer Jules Ralph Feiffer ( ; January 26, 1929 – January 17, 2025) was an American cartoonist and author, who at one time was considered the most widely read satirist in the country. He won the Pulitzer Prize in 1986 for Pulitzer Prize for Editori ...

*2005 Gahan Wilson *2006 Ralph Steadman *2007 Sandra Boynton *2008

Frank Frazetta Frank Frazetta (born Frank Frazzetta ; February 9, 1928 – May 10, 2010) was an American artist known for themes of Fantasy art, fantasy and science fiction, noted for comic books, mass market paperback, paperback book covers, paintings, p ...

*2009 **

Joe Kubert Joseph Kubert (; September 18, 1926 – August 12, 2012) was a Poland, Polish-born Americans, American comic book artist, art teacher, and founder of The Kubert School. He is best known for his work on the DC Comics characters Sgt. Rock and Hawk ...

** George Booth *2010 R. O. Blechman *2012 Brad Anderson *2013 Russ Heath *2015 Paul Coker, Jr. *2016 Angelo Torres *2017 Lynda Barry *2018 Floyd Norman *2019 Hy Eisman

Gold T-Square Award

The Gold T-Square is awarded for 50 years as a professional cartoonist. *1955 Rube Goldberg *1999

*2018 Arnold Roth *2020

*2024 Bill Hinds

Silver T-Square Award

The Silver T-Square is awarded, by unanimous vote of the NCS Board of Directors, to persons who have demonstrated outstanding dedication or service to the Society or the profession. *1948 David Low *1949 ** Carl Ed ** Cliff Sterrett ** H.C. "Bud" Fisher ** Frank King **

George McManus George McManus (January 23, 1884 – October 22, 1954) was an American cartoonist best known as the creator of Irish immigrant Jiggs and his wife Maggie, the main characters of his syndicated comic strip, ''Bringing Up Father''. Biography B ...

*1950 **

**John Snyder **James Berryman ** Martin Branner *1951 Red Manning *1953 Ed Kuekes *1954 **

Dwight D. Eisenhower Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower (born David Dwight Eisenhower; October 14, 1890 – March 28, 1969) was the 34th president of the United States, serving from 1953 to 1961. During World War II, he was Supreme Commander of the Allied Expeditionar ...

** George M. Humphrey ** Herbert Block *1956 **

James Thurber James Grover Thurber (December 8, 1894 – November 2, 1961) was an American cartoonist, writer, humorist, journalist, and playwright. He was best known for his gag cartoon, cartoons and short stories, published mainly in ''The New Yorker'' an ...

**Gluyas Williams ** Al Posen **Al Pierotti *1957 ** Harry Hershfield ** Tom Little ** Milton Caniff ** Bob Dunn *1958 Russell Patterson *1959 **Carl Rose **

*1960 **Ben Roth (posthumous) **McGowan Miller *1961 **

**Joe Musial *1962 Edmund Valtman *1963 Steve Douglas *1964 ** Tom Gill ** Vernon Greene *1967

Al Smith Alfred Emanuel Smith (December 30, 1873 – October 4, 1944) was the 42nd governor of New York, serving from 1919 to 1920 and again from 1923 to 1928. He was the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party's presidential nominee in the 1 ...

*1969 ** Otto Soglow **

**Dick Ericson *1970 ** Alfred Andriola ** George Wunder *1971 **Dick Hodgins Sr. ** Frank Fogarty *1972 **

** John Norment **David Pascal **Larry Katzman *1973 ** Bill Crawford ** John Fischetti ** Jack Tippit *1974 **Isadore Klein **"Tack" Knight *1975 **Jack Rosen ** Hal Foster *1976 Al Kilgore *1977 ** Bill Kresse ** Paul Szep ** Lyman Young *1978 ** Bill Gallo **Jim Ruth ** Hank Ketcham *1979 **Dick Hodgins Jr. ** Sylvan Byck **Ed Mitchell **Jim Ivey *1980 Buck Peters *1981

John Cullen Murphy John Cullen Murphy (May 3, 1919 – July 2, 2004) was an American illustrator best known for his three decades of work on the ''Prince Valiant'' comic strip. Early life and education Born in New York City, Murphy spent his childhood in Chicago a ...

*1982 George Wolfe *1984 Sam Norkin *1986

Lee Falk Lee Falk (), born Leon Harrison Gross (; April 28, 1911 – March 13, 1999), was an American cartoonist, writer, theater director, and producer, best known as the creator of the comic strips ''Mandrake the Magician'' and ''The Phantom''. At the ...

*1992 **Creig Flessel **Herb Jacoby *1993 George Breisacher *1995 Arnold Roth and Caroline Roth *1996 **David Folkman **Bill Janocha *1997 Tim Rosenthal *1998 Joe Duffy *2000 Mel Lazarus *2001 **Ted Goff **Frank Pauer *2002 ** Bil Keane **Joseph D'Angelo *2003 ** Jud Hurd **John McMeel *2004 (no award) *2005 Dick Locher *2006 Joe and Luke McGarry *2007 Stu Rees *2008 James Kemsley (posthumous) *2009 Jeff Bacon *2010 Lucy Caswell (for involvement in the Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum) *2011 Steve McGarry *2012 Lee Salem *2014 Jeff Keane *2015 Bruce Higdon *2018 ** Brendan Burford ** Rick Stromoski *2018 John Glynn *2022 Jeannie Schulz *2023 Brian Walker

Elzie Segar Award

This award was presented to a person who made a unique and outstanding contribution to the profession of cartooning. The winner was selected by the NCS Board and later by King Features Syndicate, in honor of "Popeye" creator Elzie Segar. * 1971 Milton Caniff * 1972 Otto Soglow * 1973 Dik Browne * 1974 Russell Patterson * 1975 Bob Dunn * 1976 Bill Gallo * 1977

* 1978 Hal Foster * 1979

(posthumous) * 1980 Charles M. Schulz * 1981 Johnny Hart * 1982 Bil Keane * 1983

* 1984 Fred Lasswell * 1985 Jim Davis * 1986 Brant Parker * 1987 Mike Peters * 1994 Fred Lasswell * 1996 Tom Armstrong * 1999 Mort Walker * 2022 Patrick McDonnell

No. 1 (Sports Personality of the Year) Awards

*1968

Ralph Houk Ralph George Houk (; August 9, 1919 – July 21, 2010), nicknamed "the Major", was an American catcher, coach (baseball), coach, manager (baseball), manager, and front office executive in Major League Baseball. He is best known as the successor o ...

*1970 Gil Hodges *1971

Jack Dempsey William Harrison "Jack" Dempsey (June 24, 1895 – May 31, 1983), nicknamed Kid Blackie and The Manassa Mauler, was an American boxer who competed from 1914 to 1927, and world heavyweight champion from 1919 to 1926. One of the most iconic athl ...

and Joan Whitney Payson (tie) *1972 Leroy "Satchel" Paige *1974

Rocky Graziano Thomas Rocco Barbella (January 1, 1919 – May 22, 1990), better known as Rocky Graziano, was an American professional boxer and actor who held the World Middleweight title. Graziano is considered one of the greatest knockout artists in boxing ...

*1974 Monte Irwin *197?

Casey Stengel Charles Dillon "Casey" Stengel (; July 30, 1890 – September 29, 1975) was an American Major League Baseball right fielder and Manager (baseball), manager, best known as the manager of the championship New York Yankees of the 1950s and later, t ...

*19?? Pearl Bailey *19??

Yogi Berra Lawrence Peter "Yogi" Berra (born Lorenzo Pietro Berra; May 12, 1925 – September 22, 2015) was an American professional baseball catcher who later took on the roles of Manager (baseball), manager and Coach (baseball), coach. He played 19 seas ...

*19??

Dave DeBusschere David Albert DeBusschere (October 16, 1940 – May 14, 2003) was an American professional basketball player and coach, and professional baseball player. He played for the Chicago White Sox of MLB in 1962 and 1963 and in the NBA for the Detroit Pi ...

*19?? Reggie Jackson *19??

Willis Reed Willis Reed Jr. (June 25, 1942 – March 21, 2023) was an American professional basketball player, coach, and general manager. He spent his entire ten-year pro playing career (1964–1974) with the New York Knicks of the National Basketball ...

*1984 Phil Rizzuto

Presidents

* 1946–1948 Rube Goldberg * 1948–1949 Milton Caniff * 1950–1952 Alex Raymond * 1952–1953 Russell Patterson * 1953–1954 Otto Soglow * 1954–1956

* 1956–1957 Harry Devlin * 1957–1959 John Pierotti * 1959–1960

* 1960–1961 Bill Crawford * 1961–1963 Bill Holman * 1963–1965 Dik Browne * 1965–1967 Bob Dunn * 1967–1969 Jerry Robinson * 1969–1971

* 1971–1973 Jack Tippit * 1973–1977 Bill Gallo * 1977–1979

Burne Hogarth Burne Hogarth (born Spinoza Bernard Ginsburg, December 25, 1911 – January 28, 1996) was an American artist and educator, best known for his work on the ''Tarzan (comics), Tarzan'' newspaper comic strip and his series of anatomy books for artis ...

* 1979–1981

* 1981–1983 Bil Keane * 1983–1985 Arnold Roth * 1985–1987 Frank Evers * 1987–1988 Bill Hoest * 1988 Bill Rechin * 1988–1989 Lynn Johnston * 1989–1993 Mell Lazarus * 1993–1995 Bruce Beattie * 1995–1997 Frank Springer * 1997–1999 George Breisacher * 1999–2001 Daryl Cagle * 2001–2005 Steve McGarry * 2005–2007 Rick Stromoski * 2007–2011 Jeff Keane * 2011–2015 Tom Richmond * 2015–2019 Bill Morrison * 2019–2023 Jason Chatfield * 2023- Karen Evans

References

External links

*
NCS cartoonists USO trip: Kuwait
{{American Comic Book Industry Awards Cartooning Comics groups and collectives American artist groups and collectives 1946 establishments in the United States Arts organizations established in 1946

History

USO Tour and charitable causes

Billy DeBeck Memorial Award

Reuben Award

Award winners

Other awards

Ace (Amateur Cartoonist Extraordinary) Award

Award of Honor

Gold Key Award (National Cartoonists Society Hall of Fame)

Milton Caniff Lifetime Achievement Award

Gold T-Square Award

Silver T-Square Award

Elzie Segar Award

No. 1 (Sports Personality of the Year) Awards

Presidents

See also

References

External links