A Weekend Among Legends at the 80th Annual Reuben Awards

I’m still trying to process the 80th Annual Reuben Awards.

For three days in Columbus, Ohio; cartoonists, illustrators, wirters, animators, editors, and fans came together to celebrate the people who make this art from so special. The National Cartoonists Society was founding in 1946, and there was something really meaningful about marking 80 years in a city with such a deep connection to cartooning history.

Columbus was an amazing host. Between the National Cartoonists Society conference, the Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum, and the energy around Cartoon Crossroads Columbus, the whole weekend felt like a love letter to the craft.

And honestly, I felt like a kid in the candy store!

Working with King Features means I get to be around some truly legendary creators, but imposter syndrome definitely creeps in sometimes. Then you find yourself standing in a room with cartoonists whose work you’ve admired for years, talking shop, sharing a laugh, or watching them draw for a crowd, and it all becomes altogether rewarding.

King Features was proud to be represented by an incredible group of nominees: Ricardo Siri, better known as Liniers (Macanudo), Ricardo Martinez (Goomer), Joe Wos (Mazetoons), and Wayno® (Bizarro). Each of them brings something completely distinct to the medium, and it was a privilege to celebrate their work in person.

Congratulations to every nominee and winner. You can see the complete list of winners from the 80th Annual Reuben Awards here.

A special congratulations to our winners!
Liniers, who took home Silver Reubens for Advertising/Product Illustration and Newspaper Comic Strip.

Ricardo Martinez Ortega & Ignacio “Nacho” Moreno for taking home Silver Reuben for Online Comic Short Form

It was also wonderful to see so many friends and colleagues recognized, including Jason Chatfield, who won for Book Illustration, and Chuck Dillon, who won in Variety Entertainment

The awards night itself was a joy. The 80s theme gave everyone an excuse to have a little fun, and the King Features team showed up ready for it. Huge shout out to Jason Chatfield, Karen Evans, Dee Parson, Francis Bonnet, Chuck Dillon, Will Henry, Greg and Brian Walker, Jeff Keane, and everyone who helped make the weekend possible.

There are a lot of moving parts behind an event like this. The people who plan, coordinate, host, draw, speak, welcome, and keep everything moving deserve a lot of credit. It felt like a true team effort, and the warmth of the cartooning community was present everywhere.

Saturday’s public fan event at the Billy Ireland was amazing. Seeing families, longtime readers, young artists, and curious fans come together was a great reminder of what these characters and creators mean to people. The Billy Ireland was an exceptional host, and the museum remains one of the best places anywhere to understand the history, depth, and continuing power of cartooning.

That’s what stayed with me most. This work has history, but it doesn’t feel stuck in the past. The legends are still creating. New voices are finding their audiences. Characters keep living, changing, and connecting with readers across generations.

I’m grateful to have witnessed it, and even more grateful to work among the people who make it happen.

Here’s to the National Cartoonists Society, the Reubens, the creators, the fans, and 80 more years of cartooning.