The 2012 Reuben Awards are on!

Artwork by Ed Steckley

The 66th Annual NCS Reuben Awards Weekend kicks off today in sunny Henderson Nevada! The illustration above was done by my pal, illustrator extraordinaire Ed Steckley, and is the official 2012 Reuben image that will appear on all the T-shirts, the fabulous Reuben Journal, programs, etc. Great job by Ed on what is never an easy thing to pull off (spoken from experience). Actual humans depicted clockwise from left to right (staring at 10 o’clock) Silver T-Square recipient Steve McGarry, Reuben award nominee me!, NCS Gold Key recipient Stan Goldberg, Reuben award nominees Brian Crane and Stephan Pastis. Plus a ton of cartoon characters.

Here’s a rundown on the weekend’s events:

Today’s speakers: Mark Simon on generating free publicity and marketing; Dave Kellett, Michael Jantze and John Lotshaw on cartooning income in the 21st Century; Butch Hartman on his animation work at Nickelodeon and Ray Billingsley on his distinguished career in cartooning and his syndicated strip Curtis. All followed by the traditional Welcome party.

Tomorrow we have a breakfast and the usual fiery business meeting, followed by two more outstanding presentations: Gold Key recipient Stan Goldberg on his incredible career in comics with Timely, Marvel, Archie and more. Followed by the incomparable Jim Davis on Garfield in the internet age. The evening is, of course, the big awards show emceed by Tom Gammill.

Sunday we are having a MAD day, with a presentation and panel on 60 years of MAD, moderated by long-time MAD editor Nick Meglin, and featuring Sergio Aragon?¬©s, Jack Davis, Don “Duck” Edwing, Al Jaffee, Sam Viviano, Ray Alma and myself. That evening we celebrate 60 years of MAD with a themed 1960’s “MAD Men” party. Karaoke will ensue.

I usually tweet the results of the Reuben awards as they happen, but this year I will be a bit busy running the event, so be sure and follow Tall Tale Radio’s Tom Racine for live twitter coverage of the winners.

See you on the other side!!!