Yes, I did receive the National Cartoonists Society's Reuben Award for Best Comic in 2002. The awards were handed out at a black tie dinner on Saturday, May 24 at the Palace Hotel in San Francisco. Friend and Simpsons creator Matt Groening won the huge Outstanding Cartoonist of the Year Award. Editor Diana was there as my guest and had a great time--for once, she was at a cartoonists gathering and didn't have to work.
It was a terrific weekend. There were about 500 attendees--all cartoonists, families, and guests. The Palace is a historic hotel more than a century old, when elegance was the key word. They even have an original Maxfield Parrish mural in the bar. Hawaii's Prince Kalakaua died there. The Treaty of Versailles was announced there. The plain exterior really hides a beautiful hotel.
Friday night was the meet-and-greet, with an open bar and food stations with dim sum, fresh vegetables, stir fry, pasta, roast beef, and desserts. There were also seminars throughout the day.
Saturday included a breakfast, the general meeting, and seminars by some of the best cartoonists of our time. We made this a family day, though. After the membership meeting, we took the trolley down to Fisherman's Wharf. That night was the Reuben ceremony. I sat with Sharon, Diana, fellow nominee Terry Moore and his wife Robyn, editorial cartoonist Steve Greenberg, and others. Sergio was the presenter of the Comics category, so it was nice to receive it from my good friend. In my acceptance speech, I mentioned that Sunday was my birthday and this was probably the best birthday gift I received.
Sunday, chartered busses took us to Santa Rosa and the new Charles Schulz Museum. Jeannie Schulz was our hostess. We had a barbecue, then it was across the street to his ice rink where we were treated to a special presentation of Snoopy on Ice.
During the entire weekend, those little black sketchbooks were going around.
What a great time.
Reuben Awards in a nutshell
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Tounian
- Shugyosha<Student Warrior>
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Congrats Stan, you deserve the award and much more. I hope you had a chance to explore downtown Santa Rosa, I spent much of my formative years hanging out on those streets. One of my favorite places. Well, next to San Diego...
"Aragorn... Don't tell the elf about this"
"We really shook the pillars of heaven, didn't we Wang?"
"No Horse sh%t Jack?"
"No Horse sh%t Wang."
"We really shook the pillars of heaven, didn't we Wang?"
"No Horse sh%t Jack?"
"No Horse sh%t Wang."
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digulla
- Daimyo <High-Ranking Lord>
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Congratulation, Stan!
And not only for the reward but also for the publicity which it will bring and the additional UY sales which means more UY fans! I'm still feeling that UY doesn't get the attention that it deserves.
I'm on holidays right now and I take the time to read a book called "Aggression - A Chance" by Rüdiger Dahlke. In the book, he talks a lot about how we fear to deal with aggression and that this behaviour in the end leads to these horrible shoot-outs at schools.
I mention this because UY is also aggressive (people are killed) but there are good and bad forms of aggression like trying to reach a goal or to bully others. Most comic books today show the bad forms of aggression where things are mindlessly destroyed and problems could be solved but aren't.
And that is what makes UY so special.
Or as someone said when the big talks about banning "unproper" books from liraries raged the US: Aren't you worried about books that contain mass-murder, parents slaugthering their children at the request of an authority?
Yes?
Ban the bible, then!
There are always two sides,
And not only for the reward but also for the publicity which it will bring and the additional UY sales which means more UY fans! I'm still feeling that UY doesn't get the attention that it deserves.
I'm on holidays right now and I take the time to read a book called "Aggression - A Chance" by Rüdiger Dahlke. In the book, he talks a lot about how we fear to deal with aggression and that this behaviour in the end leads to these horrible shoot-outs at schools.
I mention this because UY is also aggressive (people are killed) but there are good and bad forms of aggression like trying to reach a goal or to bully others. Most comic books today show the bad forms of aggression where things are mindlessly destroyed and problems could be solved but aren't.
And that is what makes UY so special.
Or as someone said when the big talks about banning "unproper" books from liraries raged the US: Aren't you worried about books that contain mass-murder, parents slaugthering their children at the request of an authority?
Yes?
Ban the bible, then!
There are always two sides,
Aaron Digulla a.k.a. Philmann Dark
"It's not the universe that's limited, it's our imagination.
Follow me and I'll show you something beyond the limits."
http://www.philmann-dark.de/
"It's not the universe that's limited, it's our imagination.
Follow me and I'll show you something beyond the limits."
http://www.philmann-dark.de/
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Stan Sakai
- Sensei
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- Joined: Wed Sep 18, 2002 12:21 -0700
Mark Evanier has a nice article about my win on his daily website at:
www.newsfromme.com
He even provides a link to the Dojo website.
www.newsfromme.com
He even provides a link to the Dojo website.
Who's da man? YOU DA MAN 
You know what would help Usagi's popularity. A cartoon. I'm sorry, I just really want a usagi toon. Although I probably have too high expectations for it, (since nothing can beat the books) and would end up not enjoying it as much. Whatever I just felt like ranting.
Congrats again Stan.
You know what would help Usagi's popularity. A cartoon. I'm sorry, I just really want a usagi toon. Although I probably have too high expectations for it, (since nothing can beat the books) and would end up not enjoying it as much. Whatever I just felt like ranting.
Congrats again Stan.
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Steven Ng
SF Chronicle article on Ruebens
The San Francisco Chronicle covered the awards in the Tuesday, May 27th edition. The Datebook section D, page 1 and continued on page D5. The article is headlined Strip Club" and the writer is James Sullivan, Chronicle Pop Culture Critic.
A sidebar lists the winners including Stan for Usagi Yojimbo. There is a mention of Sergio who gave a goodbye kiss to Jean Schulz: "a hulking elf with a gray handlebar mustache." Photos of Gary Trudeau who gave a Herriman Krazy Kat original to the Cartoon Art Museum. One of Jean Schulz and another of Cathy Guiswite.
Stan, do you want a copy? I'll pack it with all my San Diego stuff.
Best,
Steven
A sidebar lists the winners including Stan for Usagi Yojimbo. There is a mention of Sergio who gave a goodbye kiss to Jean Schulz: "a hulking elf with a gray handlebar mustache." Photos of Gary Trudeau who gave a Herriman Krazy Kat original to the Cartoon Art Museum. One of Jean Schulz and another of Cathy Guiswite.
Stan, do you want a copy? I'll pack it with all my San Diego stuff.
Best,
Steven
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Stan Sakai
- Sensei
- Posts: 4896
- Joined: Wed Sep 18, 2002 12:21 -0700
Re: SF Chronicle article on Ruebens
Thank you, Steven, but there is no need to. If you're like me, you'll have enough other stuff to pack.Steven Ng wrote: Stan, do you want a copy? I'll pack it with all my San Diego stuff.
See you in San Diego.