The American Association of Editorial Cartoonists will hold their 2018 Convention in Sacramento from September 20 – 23.
Last year Pat Bagley drew the short straw so, as AAEC President, Pat gets to plan this year’s festivities.
There will be the usual assortment of panels, lectures, seminars, and such.
Among topics for convention dicussion mentioned in Pat’s note today will be:
President Trump’s assault on the First Amendment and press freedoms.
Pressures from publishers and editors to not publish cartoons critical of the man in the White House.
Pressures from publishers and editors to not publish cartoons critical of the man in the White House.
A panel of women cartoonists to speak to the Harvey Weinstein moment in a session we’ll call “Me Toon”.
“While the topic of embattled newspapers and shrinking print products is a perennial topic”.
[opinion: The AAEC regular membership is around 150 (give or take), and only about a third of those have full-time staff positions on newspapers. The AAEC may have to combine with Canadian and Mexican associations and/or get some major sponsorship or partner to continue these conventions.]
As always, cartoonists and cartooning not usually associated with ed-op cartooning will attend:
A look at long form cartooning and storytelling (tho with this year’s Pulitzer winners this may be apt).
Brian Fies, who lost his life’s work in the Napa fires, will present on picking up the pieces and resuming one’s career after a natural disaster.
And, being in Sacramento, they will remember the work of Rex Babin, the great cartoonist for The Sacramento Bee, with an art show and tribute. (Will current Sacramento Bee cartoonist Jack Ohman be a host? Do they still do that?)
(I loved Rex’s cartoons, especially his Caleeforneeya during Arnold’s governatorship)
The John Locher Memorial Award winner will be there (the very first winner in 1987 went on to win The Pulitzer Prize).
Also in attendance will be editorial cartoonists from Canada and New Zealand.
All the above and more (details forthcoming).