Adrian C. Sinnott's Traveling Sketches

Every June the Berndt Toast Gang holds it’s monthly meeting at the home of the fabulous, Bunny Hoest. Bunny Hoest and John Reiner carry on the work of her late husband, Bill. Bill Hoest created “The Lockhorns,” “Agatha Crumm,” “What A Guy,” “Laugh Parade and Howard Huge (both in Parade magazine),” “Bumper Snickers,” and untold numbers of gag cartoons. Bunny’s daughter, Sharon Bowers, and I collaborated on “Hunny Bunny’s Short Tale,” one-minute bedtime stories for kids (which was syndicated by King Features in the mid to late nineties and was one of the first panel cartoons delivered electronically).

The June meeting has become “The Bunny Bash” and is a high point in the professional cartoonists calendar. Cartoonists come from all over the US and occasionally, internationally, to join in the fun. Mort Drucker (MAD magazine), George Booth (the New Yorker), Stan Goldberg (Archie), Arnie Levin (the New Yorker), Sam Gross (the New Yorker), Mort Gerberg (the New Yorker), Howard Beckerman (animator, teacher, author), Don Orehek (gag cartoonist), Joe Giella (Mary Worth, Batman) and Sam Viviano (MAD magazine) are just a few of the cartoonists you’ll find sitting in the sun and enjoying the views. We usually even make the news.

Here are a few photos:

The "castle" before the crowd arrived.

Stan Goldberg, on the right, telling Aron Laikin (caricaturist, in white shirt) and Mark Mitchell (Disney) why Archie chose Veronica.

The inimitable Don Orehek!

George Booth and John Reiner discuss which sandwich to try first.

And here's "Hunny Bunny."

Just back from the annual National Cartoonists Society Reuben Awards, in beautiful downtown . . . Jersey City. Contrary to what you imagine, it was quite nice. The beautiful views of Manhattan were a plus.

From the balcony at the opening reception.

The Reuben is named for the legendary cartoonist, Rube Goldberg. The design of the award statue is based on one of his cartoons. There are also division awards given in different categories. It’s always great fun and a chance to meet old friends and make some new ones. Anton Emdin out of Australia and Barry Reynolds from Ireland were two of the new ones. Anton is an illustrator (MAD magazine Australia, etc.) and Barry a character designer (The Secret of Kells). The Berndt Toast Gang‘s own, Ray Alma, won for Magazine Illustration.

Taxi! Take me to . . . Jersey City?

This is one business where you need to be an eternal optimist. There are so many disappointments and rejections that you learn to deal with them quickly and move on to the next project. A great friend of mine, the late David Gantz, told me he would send a book idea out to the publishers and, if it didn’t sell, he’d wait six months and send it around again. Times and tastes change, to say nothing of art directors and editors. Often a book that was rejected would be picked up on it’s next pass.

The pessimist says,"The editor's a moron."

On the other hand, the optimistic cartoonist says,"Oh, well, the editor must be a moron."