New International Cartooning Award To Be Presented At Lakes International Comic Art Festival

Aragones Award To Be Presented From Next Year’s Lakes Festival

♦The National Cartoonists Society, in partnership with the Lakes International Comic Art Festival has announced the creation of The NCS Sergio Aragonés International Award for Excellence in Comic Art.

This honour, named for the famed MAD Magazine cartoonist, will be given annually to an exceptional comic artist, animator, or cartoonist at the Lakes Comic Art Festival beginning in 2017.

The NCS is known for its annual presentation of the Reuben Award for Outstanding Cartoonist of the Year, the highest and most coveted award in the field of cartooning in the United States and Canada. NCS president, Bill Morrison explained, “The NCS Sergio Aragonés Award was created to reach beyond North America and recognise and honour outstanding artists who work in the cartoon and comic arts in all corners of the world. ”

NCS Foundation president, Steve McGarry made the announcement in Kendal to the attendees and guests of the Lakes Festival Friday during the festival’s opening night programme. McGarry stated, “The National Cartoonists Society has a proud 70 year tradition of honouring the best cartoon and comics artists in our profession through the annual NCS Reuben awards.

“Although artists from as far afield as the UK, Australia and the Far East have been honoured in the Reuben Awards, I’m delighted that the Society has partnered with the Lakes Festival to create this new award that’s specifically designed to celebrate outstanding international talent. It’s also very appropriate that the award will be given in the name of one of the world’s most acclaimed and beloved cartoonists, the legendary Sergio Aragonés.”

A jury comprised of Sergio Aragonés, the sitting National Cartoonists Society president, the sitting NCS Foundation president, and two principals of the Lakes International Comic Art Festival will convene annually to select a recipient. The honouree will then be invited to attend the festival as a distinguished guest and receive the award.

Julie Tait, Director of the Lakes Festival remarked “Sergio Aragonés is an icon and inspiration to cartoonists across the world and the National Cartoonists Society consists of some of the leading lights of the medium, both icons and new talent.

“Our festival aims to be truly international, to celebrate all genres of comic art and to encourage people to recognise comics as representing great art for everyone. This new award is a major new step towards our goal and we are extremely honoured and grateful to the NCS for this opportunity”.

http://www.comicartfestival.com/