National Cartoonists Society Reuben Events
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Tonight!
Monday, July 20 @ 7pm ET
via Zoom
Free and open to the public.
Come one, come all! Join us for a special NCS Open House with a live screening of “Reuben Legends,” a video created and narrated by Brian Walker — a loving look back at 80 years of National Cartoonists Society history, from our founding in 1946 to today.
Brian will be with us to answer questions afterwards, and we’ll also have time for meet-and-greet breakouts so you can introduce yourself to fellow cartooning professionals and say hello to those you already know!
Expect a fun ride through eight decades — founding disagreements over what a cartoonist even is, a surprise visit from Walt Disney, Schulz reacting the year he didn’t win, a mustache scandal on the high seas, a Playboy Mansion cocktail party, and the record-holder for most nominations before finally taking home a Reuben (16 tries — you’ll never guess who).
Details at The National Cartoonists Society Presents: NCS Reuben Legends
**NOTE: After you register, you will receive a separate email with the zoom link to join the event.
August 8, 2026
Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum
Saturday, August 8 | 1:00-6:00 PM
Join some of today’s most beloved graphic novel, comic strip, and comic book creators for an afternoon of stories, drawing, laughter and inspiration as The Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum (BICLM) and Wexner Center for the Arts host the NCS Cartoonist Showcase, a community-wide event in collaboration with the National Cartoonists Society (NCS) and Scholastic’s Graphix imprint.
Throughout the afternoon, bestselling and award-winning Graphix creators Jim Benton (It’s Happy Bunny®), Jamar Nicholas (Leon The Extraordinary), Dav Pilkey (Dog Man®), Maria Scrivan (Nat Enough) and Raina Telgemeier (Smile) will each take the stage for a special spotlight presentation and a live drawing experience to share the creative journey behind their work.
At the Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum (BICLM), Cathy Guisewite will deliver a special talk in honor of the 50th Anniversary of her iconic comic strip, “Cathy.” Colleen Doran, bestselling cartoonist whose work includes “A Distant Soil,” “The Sandman,” “American Gods,” and more, will also give a featured presentation.
Forty cartoonists from the National Cartoonists Society will participate in signings, meet and greets and photo opportunities throughout the day in the lobbies of BICLM and Mershon, offering visitors unique opportunities to engage directly with creators.
Details and registration link here.
Don’t think we ever shared Ed Steckley‘s caricature of this year’s Reuben Award Cartoonist of the Year nominees. So…
The art will grace the cover of the 80th Annual Reubens Award Banquet playbill.
Clockwise from the bottom left: Will Henry, Dav Pilkey, Dana Simpson, Raina Telgemeier, Mark Tatulli, Tauhid Bondia, and Dave Blazek.
Later this Fall
[The National Cartoonists Society] recently hosted a webinar with the smart minds at the San Francisco AI Agency called Protecting Your Art in the Age of AI: A Webinar for Creators. We knew going in that no single conversation could resolve an issue this complex — but we believe that being informed, connected, and honest about the complexities improves our individual and collective ability to respond. Below is a summary of what we discussed as well as next steps we can take together.
A brief summary of what we covered:
1. AI is widespread, evolving, and messy. You’re not alone in feeling overwhelmed, angry, or uncertain about it. There are no clear legal or technical answers about how to manage it — but there are many people working hard on the problem.
2. For most of us there’s no simple way to see what AI has trained on but tools are being developed to help.SFAI.agency is building technology that can help creators find out what has been scraped and where their work is being used — giving artists a way to document and potentially defend their work.
3. Protecting your art is an ongoing effort, and using multiple tools can help reduce risk. We discussed how tools like Glaze, Nightshade, and others can be protective while also acknowledging that there’s no sure fire solution.
4. Community is not a consolation prize. We know that “build community” can feel like a weak answer to a crisis that is affecting livelihoods. But artists who understand the landscape and know they’re not alone are better equipped to protect themselves and each other. The NCS can provide space for sharing ideas, resources, and frustrations — while being honest that we are a volunteer organization built around fellowship and awareness, not a guild, union, or lobbying body.
🗓️For NCS members, we will be hosting a webinar this fall with Stephanie Drawdy, an artist and attorney who is passionate about educating artists about the legal implications of AI for artists, among other topics. You can learn more about her work and her podcast at Warfare of Art and Law [https://warfareofartandlaw.com/]
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