Fall Meeting HOTEL INFO

Here it is gang! The information you've been anxiously waiting for.
The number to call is (952) 854-5555 and reference National Cartoonists Society North Central Chapter group.

Remember, we have a rate at the Country Inn & Suites. That rate is $116 per night (single or double occupancy). Tom tells us that its even nicer than the place we stayed at last time, and less expensive. :-) Includes a free full breakfast and is right across the street from the Mall of America. (Click on the Country Inn & Suites and link to their website.)

Rate is guaranteed for Oct 13, 14, and 15 (and one day pre and post). There will be a 3-week out cut-off where rooms will no longer be guaranteed at that price, but if they have availability they will honor the rate but just not hold rooms anymore.

Call them right away as I'm sure this will be a standing-room only meeting and Bucky will probably be bringing a few of his clients.

See you in the Twin Cities in October!

— ME

Cartoonists Meet The Classics

On June 1, 2, and 3 saw three members of the North Central Chapter, along with guest cartoonist, in Lincoln, NE as the visual arts for the 11th Annual Meadowlark Music Festival, www.meadowlarkmusicfestival.com. The Meadowlark puts on a series of summer concerts that have featured chamber music ensembles at various venues around Southeast Nebraska. As a part of this “classy” arts event, a visual artist is invited to produce a piece of original artwork that reflects the artistic flavor of the festival and the ambience of Nebraska. This year, Tamara Cass, executive director of the Meadowlark Music Festival, decided to have a little fun, choosing cartoonists rather than a painter or sculptor as the visual artist.

Paul Fell, John Hambrock, and Mike Edholm along with Milt Priggee entertained the public in a fundraiser for the Festival with two nights of cartooning and caricatures at the Haydon Art Center in Lincoln’s Historic Haymarket district. The First Friday night event featured the cartoonists drawing caricatures for anyone who would fork over the cash. All funds went straight to the Meadowlark Music Festival. Later, the director of the Haydon Art Center told me that this had been one of the biggest events of their year. Naturally I suggested that they host another cartoonist show.

Australia Cartoon Competition & Exhibition

I received this from our fellow Tooner, Bill Brewer. He thought you might be interested.

The Rotary Club of Coffs Harbour City invites you to enter the 23rd Rotary Cartoon Awards.
Details are on their website ( click HERE )
Entry deadline (digital okay) extended to June 10. (Original deadline May 31 international entries clogged mailboxes.)

That's all the news from Down Under, mates.

— ME

Fall Meeting Info continued

We have a rate at the Country Inn & Suites. That rate is $116 per night (single or double occupancy). Tom tells us that its even nicer than the place we stayed at last time, and less expensive. :-) Includes a free full breakfast and is right across the street from the Mall of America.
(Click on the Country Inn & Suites and link to their website.)

Rate is guaranteed for Oct 13, 14, and 15 (and one day pre and post). There will be a 3-week out cut-off where rooms will no longer be guaranteed at that price, but if they have availability they will honor the rate but just not hold rooms anymore.

Friday:
- 7:00 pm- Stephen Pastis presentation at MCAD
- Dinner on our own (possibly some arrangements at The Mall)

Saturday:
- 9:00 am- Chapter Meeting
- 11:00-4:00- FallCon Comic Book appearance. (Tom is going to get a table or two for us.)
- 6:30-??- Dinner at O'Gara's

O'Gara's Dinner: We have a reservation for 25 for Saturday night.
Choice of three different entrees: Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo, Steak Medallions, or Walleye.
Plan on $25 per person for dinner.

I need to start getting a head-count ASAP so please RSVP to me as soon as you can.

Thanks,
ME

Looking forward to Fall...

More tid-bits about the upcoming Fall Chapter Meeting...

As you know, our featured guest speaker will be none other than Stephan Pastis (Pearls Before Swine). Stephan's talk is scheduled for Friday, Oct 14 at 7:00 pm. (If you miss it you'll only get to hear about it.)

We will be having dinner one night at O'Gara's in St. Paul. If you aren't familiar, Charles Schulz's parents had an apartment above O'Gara's and that's where Sparky grew up. (Probably listening to Twins games and eating PEANUTS... sorry, I had to do that.)

There is the Minn-Con and we'll have a booth. If we get enough people to participate and you want to bring your books, posters, t-shirts, whatever you have of your product (cartoon) to sell, you might check with Tom Richmond about space. That'll be on Saturday from 10:00 am 'til 6:00 pm.

More details will be posted as they are nailed down. But mark your calendars now, gang. This'll be a GOOD ONE!

— ME

PS - We'll have hotel info as soon as its available.

FALL MEETING!

Time to blow the dust off the old GPS and mark your calendars...
The North Central Chapter fall meeting will be October 14-15, 2011 in the Twin Cities. (Not Lincoln and Omaha.)

Our host, Tom Richmond and the crew from the Land of 10,000 Lakes will be welcoming the rest of us for what promises to be another terrific meeting. Tom has invited Stephan Pastis to tell us his life story and the run down on PEARLS BEFORE SWINE.

As the date draws nearer details will float to the surface regarding accommodations, parking permits, bail bonds, and the our participation in the Minn-Con. (Like the Comic-Con only its Minn.)

So lock in the dates gang.

— ME

Tooners at the Meadowlark

A few brave souls from the North Central Chapter will be a part of the 2011 Meadowlark Music Festival in early June. The Meadowlark Music Festival has been celebrating classical chamber music in unusual venues around Southeast Nebraska for the past 10 years with world-class chamber ensembles. As a part of the festival, a visual artist (usually just one) creates an original piece of art around the theme of the Meadowlark (the Nebraska state bird) and the environment of Nebraska. This year the Festival bravely goes where they have never gone before — into the world of cartooning. They have invited a few cartoonists to present their works, give a gallery showing, meet-n-greets, and join in the fun of the Festival.
The cartoonists will arrive in Lincoln, NE on May 31 and present themselves to the public until June 3.
I'll have more about this unique event as the days draw nearer. If you're in the neighborhood, please drop by. It's a lot of fun!

Australian Rotary Cartoon Awards...

I received this email a few days ago and thought I'd pass it along...

For those who may be interested:

Each year the Bunker Cartoon Gallery in Australia holds a national and international cartoon competition and this year our competition which is the largest cartoon competition to be held in Australia is in its 23rd year.

I would like to invite the cartoonists of the USA to become part of our competition this year.

Here is the link to our website - www.rotarycartoonawards.com.au - and I have also attached a copy of our entry form and a story which I recently did for FECO.


Kind regards,
Fran Stephenson

frandoug2@bigpond.com
Phone: 66 514061 or 0409 716774

NPR Recognizes our own

Our very own Paul Fell, chapter treasurer, survives the latest round of cuts at NPR. :-)

A Shared Father-Son Experience

My son is living and studying in NYC this semester as part of his Theatre major. The other evening I received the funniest
text messages from him, during the intermission, of an opera, that he was required to see. We bantered (texted) back and forth with shared laughs. __This cartoon is the Valentine I did for him as a result of those text messages. I think you can figure it out for yourselves. Haha!___ Another chance at 'FATHER OF THE YEAR' all shot to hell.