The Brilliant Mind of Edison Lee: Back From The Reubens in Pittsburgh! UPDATED

UPDATE: To see more Reuben Weekend Photos visit my facebook page here.

John Hambrock, Tom Richmond, Bill Morrison, Hilary Price and Jeff Keane at "The Speakeasy" on 20's night at the Reubens.

It's been quite a while since I (Anne) posted anything here - apologies! Summer is a better time for me to blog so expect more regular updates in the coming weeks.

One big reason for the lull is that, every year during the month of May, we at Edison Lee inc. are madly scrambling to get all the strips done so that we can take a grand total of 5 days off to go to the Reuben Award weekend. As I accompany John to his speaking engagements it's clear that the general public has no idea that most cartoonists don't get vacation. Some of the big guns like Doonesbury and Zits are allowed to run reruns but most cartoonists are not. That means 365 illustrated jokes a year. I know, I know, we could just "work ahead". But that's not as easy as it sounds. Some cartoonists can do it but most I've talked to have a really hard time writing, inking, and coloring more than 7 strips in a week.

Enough of that - on to the Reubens.

The Reuben award weekend is often described as the "Oscars" of cartooning but I think that description falls short. The black tie award night (Saturday) is only one component of a weekend jam packed with presentations by cartoonists as well as ample opportunity between Thursday and Monday to really catch up with cartooning friends. It's also a terrific time to meet cartoonists you haven't met in the past not to mention time to gawk awkwardly from across the room at a cartooning idol you grew up with. The fabulous part is when you get the opportunity to meet that cartooning idol face to face and discover that they not only treat you like a friend but they may be a fan of your work. I hate to speak for John but I can tell you that the first time a veteran cartoonist mentioned to him how much he liked The Brilliant Mind Of Edison Lee and that, furthermore, he read it every day - well, let's just say John was more than flattered.

This year's event was in Pittsburgh, a city I have never before visited, and they truly rolled out the red carpet. Along with the usual 4 star hotel, the Toonseum in Pittsburgh organized a comic art festival - the mayor even issued a proclamation welcoming all the cartoonists!

The festival was spectacular! There was a gallery show of original art by over 60 years of Reuben Award winners - from Rube Goldberg himself (the Reuben award is named after him and the statue itself was designed by him) to last year's honoree Tom Richond of MAD magazine fame - a panel discussion with Lynn Johnston, Cathy Guisewite, Hilary Price, Jen Sorensen and Terri Libenson, a block party (they closed off the street for all the comic vendors) a chalk jam drawing on the street, and artist signings all day Sunday. Kudos to the Toonseum and Jo Wos for their tireless work on this wonderful event!! And, for the first time I can remember, the local media really took notice of the weekend and what an amazing thing it is to have over 300 internationally recognized cartoonists descend on your city!

A huge thank you also to Tom Richmond (current NCS president) Anna Richmond, all the cartoonists who volunteered their time stuffing goody bags and seeing to the myriad of details surrounding the organizing of such a weekend. Another big thank you to the folks at Crow Segal Management who work hard for months with the planning and registration for the weekend and spend much of the weekend working rather than enjoying themselves at the bar!

Here are some of the pictures I shot over the weekend, as usual there were so many great pics I forgot to take entirely :-) I will post more onto facebook next week.

(To see photos I've taken at previous Reubens, click here.)

Lobby of the Omni William Penn Hotel in Pittsburgh

More of the lobby area that is also a restaurant

Our giant room (not as big as the presidential suite but pretty darned big!)

There was this amazing building outside our window - I couldn't stop taking pictures of it!

Another view from our window...

At the awards banquet with nominee Johnathon Lemon of "Rabbits Against Magic"

At the women in comics panel at the Toonseum - Hilary Price began by moderating from this chair..... From left to right: Hilary Price, Terri Libenson, Jen Sorensen, Cathy Guisewite and Lynn Johnston

Entrance to the Toonseum and some of the festival goers...

The street comic jam.....

Fans wait to meet Bill Morrison of the Simpsons and Bongo Comics

Rube Goldberg drawing, model for Reuben award and actual Reuben award statuette.....

An original Calvin and Hobbes - one of the very few not housed in the archives at the OSU Cartoon Library. This belonged to Charles Schulz and was very graciously loaned by his widow Jean Schulz.