As a professional society, members of the National Cartoonists Society (NCS) have a tradition of lending their talents to worthy causes. The following are three different ways our members have recently supported the most precious people we know.
Dr. James Lustig; Anne Morse Hambrock (Kenosha Festival of Cartooning Director); and Thomas Miller (Regional Marketing Director for Children's Hospitals of Wisconsin).
Checks were formally presented to both MargaretAnn’s Place and the Children’s Hospitals of Wisconsin’s Kenosha Clinic by Anne Morse Hambrock, Director of the Kenosha Festival of Cartooning. The money was raised at the September festival during a Silent Auction of original comic art. A special thanks to Rick Stromoski for helping to organize the auction on behalf of The National Cartoonists Society Foundation (NCSF), and to the many NCS members who donated art.
As Anne reports on the Festival’s blog, “Over $5,000 was raised for each charity!”
Anne Morse Hambrock (Kenosha Festival of Cartooning Director); and Ginger Heigl (Executive Director for MargaretAnn's Place).
Chicago Cartoonists: Pat Byrnes, Ann Farrell, (RMH Volunteer), Charles Boyce, Brian Kelly, and John Hambrock.
Chicago Chapter: “Elizabeth Winter of the Ink Well Foundation helped us coordinate our second drawing event in August at the brand new Ronald McDonald House in downtown Chicago. We drew cartoons and caricatures with some very special kids and their families for a couple of hours on a Wednesday evening, a very needed fun break for everyone. We really appreciate the opportunity to help wherever we can. It’s very rewarding to use cartooning skills to make a small child smile, and even more so to see it happen right in front of you. It’s an experience that is impossible to forget and we hope to do it again soon.” — Brian Kelly, Chapter Chair
Canadian Chapter: “On Oct. 26, members and guests of our Canadian chapter returned to the Ronald McDonald Family Room at McMaster Children’s Hospital (Hamilton, Ontario) to draw for patients and their families. This was a follow-up to a similar event in January. We advertised the program as “MORE Cartoonists in the House!” and it’s fair to say we didn’t stop drawing for the entire 3-hours. Everyone agreed the day was a rewarding success, so we look forward to planning our next visit. Participating cartoonists included: Mike Baldwin, Sandra Bell-Lundy, Mike Cope, Leif Peng, Patricia Storms, and Carla Ventresca.” — Mike Cope, Chapter Chair
Long Island Chapter: “On Dec. 15, we were back at St. Mary’s Children’s Hospital in Queens to draw for the kids with Ink Well. This time decked out in Santa hats, we worked as hard as the elves drawing Winnie-the-Pooh, Sponge Bob, and Santa. Luckily, Ray, back from Europe sans Batman boxers, was on hand to manage the Ink Well elves and take on any requests for super heroes.” — Adrian Sinnott, Chapter Chair
Southeastern Chapter: “We’ve begun assembling two — count ’em TWO — cartoon tabloids to be given away free at visits to VA Hospitals and Children’s Hospitals by our various member and non-member chapter cartoonists. Now retired from his duties as chapter secretary and treasurer, Steve Haynie is following his bliss by becoming editor for these publications.” — Jack Pittman, Chapter Chair
North Central Chapter: “Ken Alvine shares with us a photo of the doodle board that was inked by the North Central membership in attendance for the Fall Chapter Meeting, last October. Afterwards, Chris Browne colored the piece and it was donated to the Sanford Children’s Hospital in Sioux Falls. The spokesperson for the Sanford Children’s Hospital holds the doodle board.” — Mike Edholm, Chapter Chair
North Central Chapter's doodle board is hospitalized at Sanford Children's Hospital in Sioux Falls.
Chapter Chairs: Sergio Aragonés & David Folkman
On December 9, the Southern California/Los Angeles Chapter of the NCS gathered 60 members and guests for an annual holiday champagne brunch. Unwrapped toys were collected and delivered to The Children Come First, Inc. in Ventura County, Calif., a non-profit organization that is dedicated to the health and well being of children who are at risk, and/or in temporary foster care placement.
Members and guests in attendance:
June Foray, along with her family-filled table; Dave Nimitz; Chris Jenson and guest Eric Brown; Sergio Aragonés; Don and Donna Soul; Chris and Kassandra Houghton; Phil Ortiz; Monte Wolverton, visiting from Battle Ground, Wash.; Bobby London and Karen Angelica; David Folkman; Roberto Solis; Keith Robinson and Emily Reichbach; Stephen and Heidi Silver; Eddie Pittman; Scott Shaw; Brenda Cantlay and Alex Weitzman; Chad Frye; Wes Huffor and Kristeen Kidd; Tom and Pat Sito; Phil Yeh and Linda Adams; Chari Peri and hubby Eli, introducing their new member, Jakey Schiff; Chris and Terri Tallen; Jimmy Purcell and Amanda Sidawi; Tom Luth; George and Cathie Greer; Mike Mallory with son Brendan; Grant and Lydia Geissman; and legendary comic book artist Russ Heath.
NCS membership is open to all creative professionals who earn a substantial part of their income working in the fields of cartooning, illustration, animation and graphic storytelling. We are an organization of esteemed peers and we welcome new members!
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