May 27th, 2016

News Around the Kingdom: The Reuben Awards and Zippy’s 30th Anniversary!

by The King

Greetings Comics Royals!

 This weekend the National Cartoonists Society Annual Reuben Awards takes place in Memphis, Tennessee!  Cartoonists in various professional divisions will be honored for excellence in the fields of newspapers strips, TV animation, gag cartoons, comic books, and more!

 Hilary Price (“Rhymes With Orange”) is nominated for “Cartoonist of the Year”!  Terri Libenson (“The Pajama Diaries”) is nominated for “Best Newspaper Strip”!  Dan Piraro (“Bizarro”) is nominated for “Best Newspaper Panel”!  And Bill Holbrook (“Kevin & Kell”) is nominated for “Best Short-Form Webcomic”!

Good luck to our nominees!

The Commercial Appeal did a nice story on the NCS and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital where many cartoonists visited the children on campus!

Yesterday, May 26, was “Zippy the Pinhead’s” 30^th anniversary with King Features Syndicate!  Cartoonist Bill Griffith says:  “Thanks to the devotion of my tiny, but highly influential cult following, I’ve been privileged to be able to scratch out my little comic missives for over 30 years.  All I can say—aside from a big, heartfelt “thank you” to everyone—is, just think, without my daily Zippy, I’d probably be running down the street naked, swinging a meat cleaver!  No, that didn’t come out right!  I mean, instead, I’d be selling aluminum siding somewhere in downtown Duluth!  No, I’d be..um…am I receiving my Lifetime Surrealism Award yet?”

The first “Zippy” strip syndicated by King Features 30 years ago!

 In other news…

 Patrick McDonnell (“Mutts”) and his work championing shelter animals is the focus of two stories, one by iheartdogs.com, and the other by Modern Dog Magazine!

“Mutts” cartoonist Patrick McDonnell champions shelter animals!

 Bunny Hoest (“The Lockhorns”) has a new book collection out and will be making appearances at Book Revue in Huntington, New York on Thursday, June 16 at 7PM, and Eternal Con, the Long Island Comic Con, on June 11!

A new “Lockhorns” book by Bunny Hoest!

 Tom Batiuk (“Funky Winkerbean”) will make an appearance on Saturday, June 11 from 11:00 AM – 2:00 PM at Mercy St. Charles Hospital in Oregon, Ohio for Mercy’s 11th Annual Cancer Survivor Celebration!  The location is 2600 Navarre Avenue, Oregon, Ohio  43616.

“Lisa’s Story” by Tom Batiuk

And finally…

Hilary Price (“Rhymes With Orange”) went to Shrewsbury, England and is headed to Memphis, Tennessee!

Hilary and Shrew!

 Thanks for catching up on this week’s News Around the Kingdom!

 See you again next Friday! Have a great weekend.