|  by ED BLACK
Members of the Great Lakes Chapter/NCS came out of their
winter hibernations to converge, in Pittsburgh this time, for the annual
judging of one of the categories in the upcoming Reuben awards to be given
out in May this year in Arizona.
The category the GLCers got for consideration this year
was Newspaper Illustration.
GLCer Dave Coulson and his wife Wendy (and
their three boys) graciously opened their home for the gathering and for
that we offer a thousand thanks.
The seven judges this year were: Dave, Roy Doty,
vice-chapter chairman Tony Cochran, Polly Keener, Rob Rogers, Mark Brewer
and Glyph co-editor Craig Boldman. Chapter chair Steve Boreman
was disallowed from attending because he was one of the contenders. Frank
Pauer planned to attend, but he was knocked down in Dayton by a bad
case of the flu, as was Mark Szorady in Rome, OH.
The weather was unseasonably sunny and tolerable after
weeks of snow snowstorm after snowstorm. The judging took place in the
Coulson's new, sun--filled dining area.
The entries were placed on a long table for easy scrutinization.
And the Coulsons provided a luncheon consisting of your choice of roast
beef, chicken or corned beef sandwiches, cookies, pop, bottled water, beer,
coffee and nachos and dip. There were even dolmades, rice and meat wrapped
in grape leaves. For that we give a hearty ZITA HALLAS!*
There were 20 entrants. Some were eliminated, some were
disqualified and the remaining entrees were scrutinized, discussed, reviewed
and voted. The results were submitted to the NCS board and the winner of
the category will be presented the plaque at the awards ceremony in Scottsdale
on Memorial Day weekend. The rules prohibit any revelation at this time,
so the contenders will have to keep their fingers crossed until the end
of May.
And after being cooped up for months, the chatter after
the voting consisted of shop talk and the intricacies of syndicated and
free-lance cartooning, with a little history thrown in, too. Dave's studio
is at the end of the first floor hall consisting of the accouterments of
modern-day freelancing: a drawing board, various pens and brushes, a large
bottle of ink and a computer. Bookshelves are filled with books on cartooning
and everyone marveled over Dave's original daily of a Pete Hansen
"Lolly'' strip. The late Hansen was the first cartoonist Dave
had met and, as it turned out, Hansen was in the army with Roy Doty working
on the Stars and Stripes newspaper at the Paris office back then. Small
world, huh?
Then, as the sun began to slowly sink behind the woods
in back of the Coulson residence, everyone started departing for points
to the north and southeast, but it was a slow departure as someone came
up with a new point of cartooning to be discussed. But leaving before darkness
fell was mandatory because driving in Pittsburgh is an adventure in itself.
* Long live Greece!
PITTSBURGH
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