NCS Adds Divisional Award For On-Line Comics

Tom Richmond has details here about the National Cartoonists Society adding a divisional award for on-line comics making to their yearly program, centered around the Reuben to outstanding cartoonist of the year. It makes sense they'd want to do this. The NCS has made significant informal overtures to webcomics people over the last several years, and prominent members of that community have attended the yearly meeting during which the Reubens are held. Despite some natural conflict between members of that world and syndicated cartoonists over income streams and a certain amount of declared -- I'd say unearned -- certainty that the other side is somehow doing it wrong, the NCS needs members, and there's a rich vein of webcomics makers that might be served by that membership, if only for the status/solidity that can be conferred from being in a group of professionals when the entirety of what you do is self-directed. (Some would argue this is desirable.)

The restrictions are interesting. They're only interested in replications of classic comic-strip formats, and they want the strip to drive the greater part of a cartoonist's living. As to the former, that seems to me an arbitrary choice but perhaps one made for the sake of members not accustomed to webcomics more generally. I'm not all the way certain. As to the latter, I bet that's what people pick up on. It also seems arbitrary, as I'm sure that when syndicated cartoonists keep their day job or take in a huge sum from a one-time source this doesn't disqualify their strips for consideration. On one level I sort of get it as a screening method and as a way for the NCS to establish its interest in on-line comics making as a vocational option; on the other hand, it can also be viewed that the organization is willing to look at changes in the art form but not in changes in the revenue models that have come with it.

Update: I'm told that NCS does require syndicated cartoonists to make a living from their works as well. I'm curious about this and how judiciously it's applied across the board -- Would Velia, Dear be disqualified because Rina Piccolo makes a living from her print cartoon work rather than that webcomic? How can anyone be nominated in two categories? -- and will endeavor to sort it out.
 
posted 4:00 am PST | Permalink
 

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