The National Cartoonists Society (NCS) is an organization of professional cartoonists 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 drawings, often 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 ter ...

s and syndicated single-panel cartoons,

comic book A comic book, also called comicbook, comic magazine or (in the United Kingdom and Ireland) simply comic, is a publication that consists of comics art in the form of sequential juxtaposed panels that represent individual scenes. Panels are of ...

s, editorial cartoons, gag cartoons,

graphic novel A graphic novel is a long-form, fictional work of sequential art. The term ''graphic novel'' is often applied broadly, including fiction, non-fiction, and anthologized work, though this practice is highly contested by comic scholars and industry ...

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 area. The earliest types of guild formed as organizations of tradesmen belonging to a professional association. They sometim ...

labor union A trade union (labor union in American English), often simply referred to as a union, is an organization of workers intent on "maintaining or improving the conditions of their employment", ch. I such as attaining better wages and benefits (s ...

. 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, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

when cartoonists

Gus Edson Gus Edson (September 20, 1901 - September 26, 1966) was an American cartoonist known for two popular, long running comic strips, ''The Gumps'' and ''Dondi''. Born to Max and Emma Edson in Cincinnati, Ohio, Gus Edson dropped out of school at ag ...

, Otto Soglow,

Clarence D. Russell Clarence D. Russell (August 19, 1896–October 23, 1963) was an American cartoonist best known for his syndicated comic strip ''Pete the Tramp''. Born in Buffalo, New York, Russell studied at the Chicago Art Institute and began working as a fre ...

, Bob Dunn and others did chalk talks at hospitals for the USO 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 Toni Mendez (November 2, 1908 – March 9, 2003) was an American agent for writers and cartoonists handling negotiations, licensing, and syndication/secondary rights agreements. In addition she became secondary rights representative of all p ...

. When she learned of these chalk talks, she recruited the cartoonists to do shows for the Hospital Committee of the American Theatre Wing. Beginning with a performance emceed by humor columnist

Bugs Baer Bugs may refer to: * Plural of bug Arts, entertainment and media Fictional characters * Bugs Bunny, a character * Bugs Meany, a character in the ''Encyclopedia Brown'' books Films * ''Bugs'' (2003 film), a science-fiction-horror film * ''Bugs ...

at Halloran Hospital on

Staten Island Staten Island ( ) is a Boroughs of New York City, borough of New York City, coextensive with Richmond County, in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York. Located in the city's southwest portion, the borough is separated from New Jersey b ...

, 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,

('' The Gumps''),

Ham Fisher Hammond Edward "Ham" Fisher (September 24, 1900 (some sources indicate 1901) – December 27, 1955) was an American comic strip writer and cartoonist. He is best known for his long, popular run on ''Joe Palooka'', which was launched in 1930 and r ...

(''

Joe Palooka ''Joe Palooka'' was an American comic strip about a heavyweight boxing champion, created by cartoonist Ham Fisher. The strip debuted on April 19, 1930 and was carried at its peak by 900 newspapers. It was cancelled in 1984. The strip was adapt ...

''),

Harry Haenigsen Harry William Haenigsen (July 14, 1900 – 1990) was an American illustrator and cartoonist best known for ''Penny'', his comic strip about a teenage girl. He also illustrated for books, magazines and advertising. Biography Born in New York City ...

(''

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

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

Jay Irving Jay Irving (October 3, 1900 – June 3, 1970) was an American cartoonist notable for his syndicated strip ''Pottsy'' about an overweight, goodnatured, dutiful New York police officer, Pottsy, who often came into conflict with his stricter and les ...

(''Willie Doodle''), Stan MacGovern (''Silly Milly''),

Al Posen Alvah Posen (October 2, 1894 - June 10, 1960) was an American cartoonist on several comic strips, but he is best known for his 1933-1960 comic strip ''Sweeney & Son'' and as co-producer of the now-lost Marx Brothers film, '' Humor Risk'' (1921). ...

(''Sweeney and Son''), Clarence Russell ('' Pete the Tramp''), Otto Soglow (''

The Little King ''The Little King'' is a 1930-1975 American gag-a-day comic strip created by Otto Soglow, telling its stories in a style using images and very few words, as in pantomime. Publication history Soglow's character first appeared on June 7, 1930, i ...

''), Jack Sparling ('' Claire Voyant''), Raeburn Van Buren (''

Abbie an' Slats ''Abbie an' Slats'' is an American comic strip which ran from July 12, 1937, to January 30, 1971, initially written by Al Capp and drawn by Raeburn Van Buren. It was distributed by United Feature Syndicate. Publication history ''Abbie an' Slat ...

''), Dow Walling (''Skeets'') and

Frank Willard Frank Henry Willard (September 21, 1893 in Anna, Illinois – January 11, 1958 in Los Angeles, California), was a cartoonist best known for his syndicated newspaper comic strip ''Moon Mullins'' which ran from 1923 to 1991, working alongside assis ...

('' Moon Mullins''). 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 ('' They'll Do It Every Time''); freelance magazine cartoonists Abner Dean and

Mischa Richter Mischa Richter (1910 – March 23, 2001) was an American cartoonist best known for his numerous cartoons published in ''The New Yorker'' over decades. Early life Richter was born in Kharkov, Russian Empire, where his father was the city's ...

, editorial cartoonists Rube Goldberg ('' New York Sun''), Burris Jenkins (''

New York Journal American :''Includes coverage of New York Journal-American and its predecessors New York Journal, The Journal, New York American and New York Evening Journal'' The ''New York Journal-American'' was a daily newspaper published in New York City from 1937 t ...

''),

C. D. Batchelor Clarence Daniel Batchelor (April 1, 1888 – September 5, 1977), better known as C. D. Batchelor, was an American editorial cartoonist who was also noted for painting and sculpture. He won a Pulitzer Prize in 1937.Daily News'') and

Richard Q. Yardley Richard Quincy Yardley (March 11, 1903 – November 24, 1979) was an editorial cartoonist for ''The Baltimore Sun'', Maryland, United States. He joined the ''Sun'' in 1923, later replacing Edmund Duffy who left to take a cartoonist position at ' ...

(''

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 and regional news, events, issues, people, and industries. Founded in 1837, it is currently owned by T ...

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

artists Joe Shuster and

Joe Musial Joseph Musial (January 15, 1905 – June 6, 1977) was an American cartoonist who drew ''The Katzenjammer Kids'' from 1956 to his death in 1977. Family Musial was born and raised in Yonkers, New York. His parents were Polish immigrants. Career Ha ...

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

Little Orphan Annie ''Little Orphan Annie'' is a daily American comic strip created by Harold Gray and syndicated by the Tribune Media Services. The strip took its name from the 1885 poem " Little Orphant Annie" by James Whitcomb Riley, and it made its debut on ...

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

Li’l Abner ''Li'l Abner'' is a satirical American comic strip that appeared in many newspapers in the United States, Canada and Europe. It featured a fictional clan of hillbillies in the impoverished mountain village of Dogpatch, USA. Written and drawn by ...

'') and (''

Bruce Gentry The English language name Bruce arrived in Scotland with the Normans, from the place name Brix, Manche in Normandy, France, meaning "the willowlands". Initially promulgated via the descendants of king Robert the Bruce (1274−1329), it has been ...

''). By March 1947, the NCS had 112 members, including Bud Fisher ('' Mutt and Jeff''), Don Flowers (''Glamor Girls''), Bob Kane (''

Batman Batman is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger, and debuted in the 27th issue of the comic book ''Detective Comics'' on March 30, 1939. I ...

''),

Fred Lasswell Fred D. Lasswell (July 25, 1916 – March 4, 2001) was an American cartoonist best known for his decades of work on the comic strip ''Barney Google and Snuffy Smith''. Life and career Though born in Kennett, Missouri, Lasswell spent most of his ...

('' Barney Google and Snuffy Smith''), George Lichty ('' Grin and Bear It''), Zack Mosley ('' The Adventures of Smilin' Jack''),

Alex Raymond Alexander Gillespie Raymond Jr. (October 2, 1909 – September 6, 1956) was an American cartoonist who was best known for creating the ''Flash Gordon'' comic strip for King Features Syndicate in 1934. The strip was subsequently adapted into many ...

('' Rip Kirby''), Cliff Sterrett ('' Polly and Her Pals'') and Chic Young ('' Blondie''), plus editorial cartoonists

Reg Manning Reginald W. Manning (April 8, 1905 – March 10, 1986) was an American artist and illustrator, best known for his editorial cartoons. Biography Manning was born in Kansas City, Missouri, but he came to live in Phoenix, Arizona. Manning's only art ...

and Fred O. Seibel and sports cartoonist

Willard Mullin Willard Mullin (September 14, 1902 – December 20, 1978) was an American sports cartoonist. He is most famous for his creation of the "Brooklyn Bum", the personification of the Brooklyn Dodgers baseball team, based on circus clown Emmett Kel ...

. 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. 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, 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 during a USO trip to Korea.

Hy Eisman Hy Eisman (born March 27, 1927) is an American cartoonist. Comic Strips He entered the comic strip field in 1950 and worked on several strips, including ''Kerry Drake'', ''Little Iodine'' and ''Bunny''. In comic books he was the last artist d ...

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 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 located in the West Wing of the White House, in Washington, D.C. The oval-shaped roo ...

. The group included Caniff, Bill Mauldin and Mort Walker. 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, commonly known as 9/11, were four coordinated suicide terrorist attacks carried out by al-Qaeda against the United States on Tuesday, September 11, 2001. That morning, nineteen terrorists hijacked four commer ...

, 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 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 Jeff Keane is an American cartoonist. He is the youngest son of the late cartoonist Bil Keane who, following his father's death in 2011, became inker and colorist of the syndicated comic strip ''The Family Circus'', after having assisted on it si ...

, 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 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 Shawn may refer to: *Shawn (given name) *Shawn (surname) See also * Sean * Shaun Shaun is an anglicized spelling of the Irish name Seán. Alternative spellings include Shawn, Sean and Shawne. Notable persons with the given name include: Peo ...

of 2008. Known collectively as "

Artists United Against the U.S. Orphan Works Acts An artist is a person engaged in an activity related to creating art, practicing the arts, or demonstrating an art. The common usage in both everyday speech and academic discourse refers to a practitioner in the visual arts only. However, the ...

", 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's popular comic strip '' Barney Google and Snuffy Smith''. 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 a National Airlines DC-6 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's Reuben Awards 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 or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

, 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 ( ; es, Boca Ratón, link=no, ) is a city in Palm Beach County, Florida, United States. It was first incorporated on August 2, 1924, as "Bocaratone," and then incorporated as "Boca Raton" in 1925. The population was 97,422 in the ...

;

San Francisco San Francisco (; Spanish for " Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the fourth most populous in California and 17t ...

; Cancún;

Kansas City, Missouri Kansas City (abbreviated KC or KCMO) is the largest city in Missouri by population and area. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the city had a population of 508,090 in 2020, making it the List of United States cities by populat ...

;

Las Vegas Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Veg ...

; and

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, Allegheny County. It is the most populous city in both Allegheny County and Wester ...

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 ''Terry and the Pirates'' is an action-adventure comic strip created by cartoonist Milton Caniff, which originally ran from October 22, 1934, to February 25, 1973. Captain Joseph Patterson, editor for the Chicago Tribune New York News Syndicate, ...

'' *1947: Al Capp, ''

Li'l Abner ''Li'l Abner'' is a satirical American comic strip that appeared in many newspapers in the United States, Canada and Europe. It featured a fictional clan of hillbillies in the impoverished mountain village of Dogpatch, USA. Written and drawn b ...

'' *1948: Chic Young, '' Blondie'' *1949:

, '' Rip Kirby'' *1950: Roy Crane, '' Buz Sawyer'' *1951: Walt Kelly, '' Pogo'' *1952: Hank Ketcham, '' Dennis the Menace'' *1953: Mort Walker, '' Beetle Bailey'' Reuben Award *1954:

, Sports *1955: Charles M. Schulz, ''

Peanuts ''Peanuts'' is a syndicated daily and Sunday American comic strip written and illustrated by Charles M. Schulz. The strip's original run extended from 1950 to 2000, continuing in reruns afterward. ''Peanuts'' is among the most popular and inf ...

'' *1956: Herbert L. Block ( Herblock), Editorial *1957:

Hal Foster Harold Rudolf Foster, FRSA (August 16, 1892 – July 25, 1982) was a Canadian-American comic strip artist and writer best known as the creator of the comic strip '' Prince Valiant''. His drawing style is noted for its high level of draftsmanship ...

, ''

Prince Valiant ''Prince Valiant in the Days of King Arthur'', often simply called ''Prince Valiant'', is an American comic strip created by Hal Foster in 1937. It is an epic adventure that has told a continuous story during its entire history, and the full stretc ...

'' *1958: Frank King, '' Gasoline Alley'' *1959:

Chester Gould Chester Gould (; November 20, 1900 – May 11, 1985) was an American cartoonist, best known as the creator of the '' Dick Tracy'' comic strip, which he wrote and drew from 1931 to 1977, incorporating numerous colorful and monstrous villains. Ea ...

, '' Dick Tracy'' *1960: Ronald Searle,

Advertising Advertising is the practice and techniques employed to bring attention to a product or service. Advertising aims to put a product or service in the spotlight in hopes of drawing it attention from consumers. It is typically used to promote a ...

and

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

*1961: Bill Mauldin, Editorial *1962:

Dik Browne Richard Arthur Allan Browne (August 11, 1917 – June 4, 1989) was an American cartoonist, best known for writing and drawing ''Hägar the Horrible'' and ''Hi and Lois''. Biography Browne attended Cooper Union and got his start at the ''New York ...

, '' Hi and Lois'' *1963:

, '' Barney Google'' *1964: Charles M. Schulz, ''Peanuts'' (First Repeat Winner) *1965: Leonard Starr, '' Mary Perkins, On Stage'' *1966: Otto Soglow, ''

'' *1967: Rube Goldberg, Humor in Sculpture *1968: Pat Oliphant, Editorial, and

Johnny Hart John Lewis Hart (February 18, 1931 – April 7, 2007) was an American cartoonist noted as the creator of the comic strips '' B.C.'' and ''The Wizard of Id''. Brant Parker co-produced and illustrated ''The Wizard of Id''. Hart was recognized ...

, '' B.C.'' and '' The Wizard of Id'' (First Tied Winners) *1969:

Walter Berndt Walter Berndt (November 22, 1899, – August 15, 1979) was a cartoonist known for his comic strip, ''Smitty (comic strip), Smitty'', which he drew for 50 years. Biography Bernt's job as an office boy at the ''New York Journal'' , which he took ...

, '' Smitty'' *1970:

Alfred Andriola Alfred James Andriola (May 24, 1912 – March 29, 1983) was an American cartoonist best known for the comic strip '' Kerry Drake'', for which he won a Reuben Award in 1970. His work sometimes appeared under the pseudonym Alfred James. Andriola w ...

, ''

Kerry Drake ''Kerry Drake'' is the title of a comic strip created for Publishers Syndicate by Alfred Andriola as artist and Allen Saunders as uncredited writer. It debuted on Monday, October 4, 1943, replacing Norman Marsh's '' Dan Dunn'', and was syndicat ...

'' *1971: Milton Caniff, ''

Steve Canyon ''Steve Canyon'' is an American adventure comic strip by writer-artist Milton Caniff. Launched shortly after Caniff retired from his previous strip, '' Terry and the Pirates'', ''Steve Canyon'' ran from January 13, 1947, until June 4, 1988. It e ...

'' *1972: Pat Oliphant, Editorial (Second Repeat Winner) *1973: Dik Browne, '' Hägar the Horrible'' (Third Repeat Winner) *1974:

Dick Moores Richard Arnold Moores (December 12, 1909 – April 22, 1986) was an American cartoonist whose best known work was the comic strip ''Gasoline Alley'', which he worked on for nearly three decades. Biography Moores was born in Lincoln, Nebraska, ...

, ''Gasoline Alley'' *1975: Bob Dunn, '' They'll Do It Every Time'' *1976: Ernie Bushmiller, '' Nancy'' *1977: Chester Gould, ''Dick Tracy'' (Fourth Repeat Winner) *1978: Jeff MacNelly, Editorial *1979: Jeff MacNelly, ''

Shoe A shoe is an item of footwear intended to protect and comfort the human foot. They are often worn with a sock. Shoes are also used as an item of decoration and fashion. The design of shoes has varied enormously through time and from cultur ...

'' (Fifth Repeat Winner, First "back-to-back" Winner) *1980: Charles Saxon, Advertising *1981: Mell Lazarus, '' Miss Peach'' and ''

Momma ''Momma'' is an American comic strip by Mell Lazarus that ran from October 26, 1970, to July 10, 2016. Publication history ''Momma'' was Lazarus' second strip; he had been publishing the syndicated strip ''Miss Peach'' since 1957. Debuting o ...

'' *1982: Bil Keane, '' The Family Circus'' *1983:

Arnold Roth :''This is an article about Arnold Roth, the cartoonist. See also Arnie Roth, the musician.'' Arnold Roth (born February 25, 1929) is an American cartoonist and illustrator for advertisements, album covers, books, magazines, and newspapers. Noveli ...

, 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 a retired American cartoonist and the author of the comic strip ''Calvin and Hobbes'', which was syndicated from 1985 to 1995. Watterson stopped drawing ''Calvin and Hobbes'' at the end of 1995, w ...

, '' Calvin and Hobbes'' *1987: Mort Drucker, '' Mad'' *1988: Bill Watterson, ''Calvin and Hobbes'' (Sixth Repeat Winner) *1989: Jim Davis, '' Garfield'' *1990: Gary Larson, ''

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 surrealist ...

'' *1991: Mike Peters, '' Mother Goose and Grimm'' *1992:

Cathy Guisewite Cathy Lee Guisewite (born September 5, 1950) is an American cartoonist who created the comic strip ''Cathy'', which had a 34-year run. The strip focused on a career woman facing the issues and challenges of eating, work, relationships, and having ...

, '' 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 is also the creator and executive producer of the Amazon Studios political comedy series '' Alpha House' ...

, ''

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'' *1998:

Will Eisner William Erwin Eisner (March 6, 1917 – January 3, 2005) was an American cartoonist, writer, and entrepreneur. He was one of the earliest cartoonists to work in the American comic book industry, and his series ''The Spirit'' (1940–1952) was not ...

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

Life in Hell ''Life in Hell'' is a comic strip by Matt Groening, creator of ''The Simpsons'', '' Futurama'', and '' Disenchantment'', which was published weekly from 1977 to 2012. The strip features anthropomorphic rabbits and a gay couple. The comic covers ...

'' *2003: Greg Evans, '' Luann'' *2004: Pat Brady, '' Rose Is Rose'' *2005:

Mike Luckovich Michael Edward Luckovich ( ; born January 28, 1960) is a liberal editorial cartoonist who has worked for ''The Atlanta Journal-Constitution'' since 1989. He is the 2005 winner of the Reuben, the National Cartoonists Society's top award for cart ...

, editorial cartoonist for ''

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution ''The Atlanta Journal-Constitution'' is the only major daily newspaper in the metropolitan area of Atlanta, Georgia. It is the flagship publication of Cox Enterprises. The ''Atlanta Journal-Constitution'' is the result of the merger between ...

'' *2006:

Bill Amend William J. C. Amend III (; born September 20, 1962) is an American cartoonist. He is known for his comic strip '' FoxTrot''. Early life Amend was born in Massachusetts and raised in Northern California. He attended high school in Burlingame, ...

, ''

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 tim ...

'' *2007:

Al Jaffee Allan Jaffee (born Abraham Jaffee; March 13, 1921) is an American cartoonist. He is notable for his work in the satirical magazine '' Mad'', including his trademark feature, the ''Mad'' Fold-in. Jaffee was a regular contributor to the magazine ...

, ''Mad'' *2008: Dave Coverly, '' Speed Bump'' *2009: Dan Piraro, '' Bizarro'' *2010: Richard Thompson, '' Cul de Sac'' *2011: Tom Richmond, ''Mad'' *2012: Rick Kirkman, '' Baby Blues'' and Brian Crane, '' Pickles'' (Second Tied Winners) *2013: Wiley Miller, '' Non Sequitur'' *2014: Roz Chast, editorial cartoonist for ''

The New Yorker ''The New Yorker'' is an American weekly magazine featuring journalism, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons, and poetry. Founded as a weekly in 1925, the magazine is published 47 times annually, with five of these issues ...

'' *2015:

Michael Ramirez Michael Patrick Ramirez (born May 11, 1961) is an American cartoonist for the ''Las Vegas Review-Journal''. His cartoons present mostly conservative viewpoints. He is a two-time Pulitzer Prize winner. Early life and education Ramirez was born ...

, editorial cartoonist for '' Creators Syndicate'' *2016:

Ann Telnaes Ann Carolyn Telnaes (born 1960) is an American editorial cartoonist. She creates editorial cartoons in various media—animation, visual essays, live sketches, and traditional print—for the Washington Post. She also contributes to The ...

, syndicated with Cartoonists and Writers Syndicate/ New York Times Syndicate *2017: Glen Keane, Walt Disney feature films *2018: Stephan Pastis, ''

Pearls Before Swine A pearl is a hard, glistening object produced within the soft tissue (specifically the mantle) of a living shelled mollusk or another animal, such as fossil conulariids. Just like the shell of a mollusk, a pearl is composed of calcium carb ...

'' *2019:

Lynda Barry Linda Jean Barry (born January 2, 1956) is an American cartoonist. Barry is best known for her weekly comic strip '' Ernie Pook's Comeek''. She garnered attention with her 1988 illustrated novel ''The Good Times are Killing Me'', about an inter ...

, ''Making Comics'' *2020: Ray Billingsley, '' Curtis''

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 which provoked charges of obsc ...

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

Jackie Gleason John Herbert Gleason (February 26, 1916June 24, 1987) was an American actor, comedian, writer, composer, and conductor known affectionately as "The Great One." Developing a style and characters from growing up in Brooklyn, New York, he was know ...

*1970 Orson Bean *1972 Bobby Day *1973

Robert Lansing Robert Lansing (; October 17, 1864 – October 30, 1928) was an American lawyer and diplomat who served as Counselor to the State Department at the outbreak of World War I, and then as United States Secretary of State under President Woodrow Wi ...

*1974 Jane Powell *1975

Rita Moreno Rita Moreno (born Rosa Dolores Alverío Marcano; December 11, 1931) is a Puerto Rican actress, dancer, and singer. Noted for her work across different areas of the entertainment industry, she has appeared in numerous film, television, and thea ...

*197? Boyd Lewis *1979 Linda Gialeanella *1980 Ginger Rogers *1981

Claire Trevor Claire Trevor ( Wemlinger; March 8, 1910April 8, 2000) was an American actress. She appeared in 65 feature films from 1933 to 1982, winning the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role in ''Key Largo'' (1948), and received nomina ...

*1990 John Updike *1991 Al Roker *1992 Tom Wolfe *1993

Pete Hamill Pete Hamill (born William Peter Hamill; June 24, 1935August 5, 2020) was an American journalist, novelist, essayist and editor. During his career as a New York City journalist, he was described as "the author of columns that sought to capture ...

*1996 Denis Leary *1998 Morley Safer *2014 "Weird Al" Yankovic *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 Omar Nelson Bradley (February 12, 1893April 8, 1981) was a senior officer of the United States Army during and after World War II, rising to the rank of General of the Army. Bradley was the first chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and ove ...

* Walter Cronkite * John C. Daly *

John Cameron Swayze John Cameron Swayze (April 4, 1906 – August 15, 1995) was an American news commentator and game show panelist during the 1940s and 1950s who later became best known as a product spokesman. Early life Born in Wichita, Kansas, Swayze was the ...

Gold Key Award (National Cartoonists Society Hall of Fame)

*1977

*1978 Edwina Dumm *1979 Raeburn Van Buren *1979

Herbert Block 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 stretchi ...

*1980 Rube Goldberg (posthumous) *1981 Milton Caniff *2000

*2005 Larry Katzman *2006 Mort Walker *2011 Stan Goldberg

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 Harry Devlin (March 22, 1918 – November 25, 2001) was an artist and a painter who also worked as a cartoonist for magazines such as ''Collier's''. His work won him the National Cartoonist Society Advertising and Illustration Award for 1956, ...

*1994

*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. Personal life Al Hirschfeld was born in 1903 in a two-story duplex at 1313 Carr ...

*1996 Jack Davis *1997 Dale Messick *1998 Bill Gallo *1999 Charles M. Schulz *2002 Jerry Robinson *2003 Morrie Turner *2004 Jules Feiffer *2005 Gahan Wilson *2006 Ralph Steadman *2007

Sandra Boynton Sandra Keith Boynton (born April 3, 1953) is an American humorist, songwriter, director, music producer, children's author, and illustrator. Boynton has written and illustrated over seventy-five books for children and seven general audience books ...

*2008 Frank Frazetta *2009 ** Joe Kubert ** George Booth *2010 R. O. Blechman *2012 Brad Anderson *2013 Russ Heath *2015 Paul Coker, Jr. *2016 Angelo Torres *2017

*2018

Floyd Norman Floyd E. Norman (born June 22, 1935) is an American animator, writer, and comic book artist. Over the course of his career, Norman has worked for various animation companies, among them Walt Disney Animation Studios, Hanna-Barbera Productions, ...

*2019

Gold T-Square Award

The Gold T-Square is awarded for 50 years as professional cartoonist. *1955 Rube Goldberg *1999 Mort Walker *2018

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 *1950 ** Harry S. Truman **John Snyder **James Berryman ** Martin Branner *1951 Red Manning *1953 Ed Kuekes *1954 ** Dwight D. Eisenhower ** George M. Humphrey **

*1956 ** James Thurber **Gluyas Williams **

**Al Pierotti *1957 **

Harry Hershfield Harry Hershfield (October 13, 1885 – December 15, 1974) was an American cartoonist, humor writer and radio personality. He was known as "the Jewish Will Rogers". Hershfield also was a columnist for the ''New York Daily Mirror''. His books ...

** Tom Little ** Milton Caniff ** Bob Dunn *1958 Russell Patterson *1959 **Carl Rose ** Bill Mauldin *1960 **Ben Roth (posthumous) **McGowan Miller *1961 ** Mort Walker **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 an American politician who served four terms as Governor of New York and was the Democratic Party's candidate for president in 1928. The son of an Irish-American mother and a Ci ...

*1969 ** Otto Soglow ** Irwin Hasen **Dick Ericson *1970 **

** George Wunder *1971 **Dick Hodgins Sr. **

Frank Fogarty Frank Fogarty (1887-1978)
''Lambiek's Comiclopedia''. Accessed Dec. 23, 2017. was an American

Walt Kelly ** John Norment **David Pascal **Larry Katzman *1973 ** Bill Crawford **

John Fischetti John R. Fischetti (September 27, 1916 – November 18, 1980) was an editorial cartoonist for the ''New York Herald Tribune'' and the ''Chicago Daily News''. He received a Pulitzer Prize for Editorial Cartooning in 1969 and numerous awards f ...

** Jack Tippit *1974 **Isadore Klein **"Tack" Knight *1975 **Jack Rosen **

*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 *1982 George Wolfe *1984 Sam Norkin *1986 Lee Falk *1992 **Creig Flessel **Herb Jacoby *1993 George Breisacher *1995

and Caroline Roth *1996 **David Folkman **Bill Janocha *1997 Tim Rosenthal *1998 Joe Duffy *2000

Mel Lazarus Melvin Lazarus (May 3, 1927 – May 24, 2016) was an American cartoonist, best known as the creator of two comic strips, ''Miss Peach'' (1957–2002) and '' Momma'' (1970–2016). Additionally, he wrote two novels. For his comic strip ''Pauline ...

*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 Steve McGarry (born 24 January 1953,
Lambiek's ''Comiclopedia''. Retrieved 21 December 2018. in

Lee Salem *2014

*2015 Bruce Higdon *2018 **

Brendan Burford Brendan may refer to: People * Saint Brendan the Navigator (c. 484 – c. 577) was an Irish monastic saint. * Saint Brendan of Birr (died 573), Abbot of Birr in Co. Offaly, contemporaneous with the above * Brendan (given name), a masculine given na ...

Rick Stromoski Rick Stromoski (born December 25, 1958)
Lambiek's ''Comiclopedia''. Accessed Dec. 22, 2018. is an American

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 Elzie Crisler Segar (; December 8, 1894 – October 13, 1938), known by the pen name E. C. Segar, was an American cartoonist best known as the creator of Popeye, a pop culture character who first appeared in 1929 in Segar's comic strip ''Thimble ...

. * 1971 Milton Caniff * 1972 Otto Soglow * 1973

* 1974 Russell Patterson * 1975 Bob Dunn * 1976 Bill Gallo * 1977 Mort Walker * 1978

* 1979 Al Capp (posthumous) * 1980 Charles M. Schulz * 1981

* 1982 Bil Keane * 1983 John Cullen Murphy * 1984

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

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, manager, and front office executive in Major League Baseball. He is best known as the successor of Casey Stengel as manager of the New ...

*1970 Gil Hodges *1971 Jack Dempsey and Joan Whitney Payson (tie) *1972 Leroy "Satchel" Paige *1974 Rocky Graziano *1974 Monte Irwin *197? Casey Stengel *19??

Pearl Bailey Pearl Mae Bailey (March 29, 1918 – August 17, 1990) was an American actress, singer and author. After appearing in vaudeville, she made her Broadway debut in ''St. Louis Woman'' in 1946. She received a Special Tony Award for the title role in ...

*19??

Yogi Berra Lawrence Peter "Yogi" Berra (May 12, 1925 – September 22, 2015) was an American professional baseball catcher who later took on the roles of manager and coach. He played 19 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) (1946–1963, 1965), all but t ...

*19?? Dave DeBusschere *19??

Reggie Jackson Reginald Martinez Jackson (born May 18, 1946) is an American former professional baseball right fielder who played 21 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Kansas City / Oakland Athletics, Baltimore Orioles, New York Yankees, and Cali ...

*19??

Willis Reed Willis Reed Jr. (born June 25, 1942) is an American retired basketball player, coach and general manager. He spent his entire professional playing career (1964–1974) with the New York Knicks. In 1982, Reed was inducted into the Naismith Me ...

*1984 Phil Rizzuto

Presidents

* 1946–1948 Rube Goldberg * 1948–1949 Milton Caniff * 1950–1952

* 1952–1953 Russell Patterson * 1953–1954 Otto Soglow * 1954–1956 Walt Kelly * 1956–1957

* 1957–1959 John Pierotti * 1959–1960 Mort Walker * 1960–1961 Bill Crawford * 1961–1963 Bill Holman * 1963–1965

* 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'' newspaper comic strip and his series of anatomy books for artists. Early life ...

* 1979–1981 John Cullen Murphy * 1981–1983 Bil Keane * 1983–1985

* 1985–1987 Frank Evers * 1987–1988 Bill Hoest * 1988 Bill Rechin * 1988–1989 Lynn Johnston * 1989–1993 Mell Lazarus * 1993–1995

Bruce Beattie Bruce Beattie is an American political cartoonist. His work was nationally syndicated in the United States and also appeared in magazine and books. He drew the syndicated ''Beattie Boulevard'', which was published in several newspapers. He also se ...

* 1995–1997

Frank Springer Frank Springer (December 6, 1929 – April 2, 2009) was an American comics artist best known for Marvel Comics' '' Dazzler'' and '' Nick Fury, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D.''. As well, in collaboration with writer Michael O'Donoghue, Springer created one o ...

* 1997–1999 George Breisacher * 1999–2001

Daryl Cagle Daryl Cagle (born 1956) is an American editorial cartoonist, the publisher of Cagle.com and owner of Cagle Cartoons, Inc., a newspaper syndicate. Career Cagle worked with The Muppets from 1979 through 1993. He drew a daily editorial cartoon ...

* 2001–2005

Steve McGarry Steve McGarry (born 24 January 1953,
Lambiek's ''Comiclopedia''. Retrieved 21 December 2018. in

Rick Stromoski Rick Stromoski (born December 25, 1958)
Lambiek's ''Comiclopedia''. Accessed Dec. 22, 2018. is an American

* 2007–2011

* 2011–2015 Tom Richmond * 2015–2019 Bill Morrison * 2019–

Jason Chatfield Jason Chatfield (born 1984) is an Australian cartoonist and stand-up comedian, based in New York City. At 23 he became Australia's most widely syndicated cartoonist, appearing daily in over 120 newspapers in 34 countries. His art spans the disci ...

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