Tempting fate at the height of the hurricane season, the National Cartoonists Society and the USO sent eight incredibly talented cartoonists to the Florida/Georgia coast (OK, seven plus me). The team visited veterans and wounded warriors at the James A. Haley VA Medical Center in Tampa; and troops and families at MacDill Air Force Base, the submarine base in Kings Bay, and the Naval Air Station in Jacksonville. [This trip came on the heels of another NCS/USO trip to the Middle East that took eight other nationally known cartoonists to the front lines – I’ll talk about that one in another article.]
On the trip to Florida and Georgia:
Bill Hinds (Tank McNamara, Cleats), Eddie Pittman (Phineas and Ferb), Rob Smith, Jr. (caricaturist)
Sam Viviano (furthest away – MAD Magazine), Paul Fell (Ed. Cartoonist)
Steve Moore (In the Bleachers)
By rough estimate, the cartoonists drew around 560 cartoons for the troops, veterans, and families. Soooo, did they enjoy the experience?
I think this photo answers the question pretty well.
Thanks to the USO and the National Cartoonists Society for giving back to those who serve and have served! You are our heroes of the week.
(Updated Sep 26)
