THE NATIONAL CARTOONISTS SOCIETY CELEBRATES ITS 80TH ANNIVERSARY

The world’s leading professional organization for cartoonists marks eight decades of community, craft, and growth.

The National Cartoonists Society (NCS) turns 80 this year — and we’re celebrating all of it.

The NCS’s earliest origins stretch back to World War II, when a group of cartoonists toured military hospitals to cheer wounded soldiers — first for the USO, then on tours organized by Toni Mendez with the Hospital Committee of the American Theatre Wing. The idea for a formal organization reportedly took shape mid-flight on a military transport plane, when cartoonist C.D. Russell began making his case up and down the aisle — and Russell Patterson spent a sleepless night convincing a reluctant Rube Goldberg to get on board. On a Friday evening, March 1, 1946, 26 cartoonists gathered at the Barberry Room in Manhattan to enjoy dinner and officially establish a name for their new organization: the Cartoonists Society was born and rapidly expanded its ranks.

Rube Goldberg was elected the Society’s first president, with Milton Caniff as treasurer — two names that remain cornerstones of American cartooning history. In 1950, following a challenge by cartoonist Hilda Terry, the NCS admitted its first female members, breaking gender barriers and paving the way for greater inclusivity in the organization. Today, the NCS counts more than 500 professional members working across every branch of the cartooning profession — from comic strips and graphic novels to animation, editorial cartooning, webcomics, and beyond.

The NCS has been celebrating excellence in the field of cartooning since the beginning. The Society’s highest honor, the Outstanding Cartoonist of the Year Award, was originally called the Billy DeBeck Award, presented to eight cartoonists from 1946 to 1953 — including Milton Caniff, Walt Kelly, and Mort Walker. In 1954 it was renamed the Reuben Award in honor of the Society’s first president, Rube Goldberg. Past Reuben recipients represent a who’s-who of American cartooning: Charles Schulz, Lynn Johnston, Bill Watterson, Cathy Guisewite, Garry Trudeau, Sergio Aragonés, Will Eisner, Matt Groening, Ann Telnaes, Lynda Barry, Ray Billingsley, and many more.

Celebrating 80 Years in 2026

This year’s anniversary will be marked throughout the year with special programming, events, and community celebrations, including:

• The 80th Anniversary Annual Reuben Awards and NCS Conference, August 6–8, 2026, in Columbus, Ohio, featuring special anniversary programming and celebrations
• A public NCS Cartoonists Showcase in partnership with the Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum and CXC (Cartoons Crossroads Columbus)
• 80th anniversary presentations at comic conventions across the country
• Anniversary merchandise and commemorative items
• A community board where NCS members, friends and fans can share their favorite Society memories

Registration for the 2026 Reuben Awards and NCS Conference opens March 31. Details at nationalcartoonists.com/reubens

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The National Cartoonists Society (Est. 1946) is the world’s largest and most prestigious professional organization for cartoonists. For press inquiries, contact ncs@nationalcartoonists.com.

With thanks to Brian Walker, Frank Pauer, and the late R.C. Harvey, whose documentation of NCS history informed this page.