AAEC - Annual Convention
2008 Convention Links
-
San Antonio 2008 Convention Report
It was both lively and laid back at the AAEC's 52nd confab
For images and footage of this year's convention, check out these links:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=JRMVGLYEud0
www.flickr.com/photos/japenet/sets/72157605895102403/
www.flickr.com/photos/11572877@N07/sets/72157605912856379
http://gallery.me.com/dwanep#100050
Most American cities, like most American airports, are so much alike in appearance that you can easily forget which one you're in. A few, however, are so different in flora, fauna or physique that you know the minute you walk outside your hotel that you're in that particular city and no other. San Francisco is like that. And New York and New Orleans, and sometimes Seattle. And always San Antonio.
San Antonio is rendered unique to visitors by the Riverwalk, a pathway along a loop of the San Antonio River that was dredged out decades ago as a sort of backwater canal that is now the tourist mainstem of the city, along which cluster the major hotels and numerous restaurants, all serving Mexican dishes, and bistros of every national potable.
And the Alamo. Can't forget the Alamo. As editorial cartoonists join the ranks of endangered species, the choice of meeting site for the 2008 convention was unintentionally symbolic—San Antonio, home of the historic Alamo, emblem of all heroic struggles against overwhelming odds ...
—R.C. Harvey, Rants & Raves
An unpopular war, a shaky economy, the prospect of a border fence, a delicate climate seemingly seeking revenge this summer, soaring food and fuel prices, and a potentially polarizing presidential election — it all adds up to a gloomy forecast for most Americans.
But for Ted Rall and dozens of editorial cartoonists like him, the tumultuous times are providing an ever-growing menu of possibilities.
“These are more interesting times than I've ever seen. Chronicling the possible end of a great empire is far more interesting than peace and prosperity,” said Rall, whose syndicated cartoons raise eyebrows across the country. “The country is bankrupt, we're losing two wars and there's no end in sight, the Constitution is nearly gutted and we're one vote away on the Supreme Court from fascism.
“These are great times for me, not the country.”
Rall is president-elect of the Association of American Editorial Cartoonists, ... [View Full Article]
News from the 2007 AAEC Convention in Washington DC
-
A Report on the 2007 AAEC Convention in Washington, D.C.
by Dave Astor & JP Trostle (and a cast of hundreds)
Editor & Publisher Previews The D.C. Convention and The Golden Notebook
Editorial cartoonists had a memorable 1988 encounter with singer Robert Plant, whose many Led Zeppelin credits include "The Song Remains the Same."
That incident will be described later in this story, but the Zeppelin song (and film) title has some relevance to the Association of American Editorial Cartoonists as it nears its 50th-anniversary convention July 4-7 in Washington, D.C. — where the AAEC held its first meeting in 1957.
"Some of the problems then are the same problems now," noted AAEC President and Pittsburgh Post-Gazette editorial cartoonist Rob Rogers, who said one of those issues is job losses. Also, there continues to be debate about what's the best cartoon style (for instance, hard-hitting or joke-oriented?).
But some things have not remained the same over ... [View Full Article]
2007 Convention Slideshows
- http://www.flickr.com/photos/japenet
- http://www.flickr.com/photos/mikhaela/sets/72157600922156900/
- http://www.flickr.com/photos/mikhaela/sets/72157600931248668/
- http://www.flickr.com/photos/mikhaela/sets/72157600931071304/
News from the 2006 AAEC Convention in Denver
-
Convention Roundup
The Association of American Editorial Cartoonists held their annual convention in Denver from June 7-10. Dave Astor covered the event for Editor & Publisher, and we've posted links to some of his articles below. Both the Denver Post and Rocky Mountain News (whose cartoonists -- Mike Keefe and Ed Stein respectively -- did an excellent job of hosting the affair) also had articles on the confab. In addition, a number of cartoonists have recently posted slideshows and interviews ... [View Full Article]