If you have followed Broadside, you know that each year the top cartoonists in the country come to Boise, Idaho to support the nonprofit Wyakin Foundation. What you may NOT know is that each year, one of the cartoonists creates a commemorative poster that highlights the theme and/or the cartoonists who are coming to the event.
This year, the alumni of the program are being celebrated, and Dave Mowder, a Disney/Looney Tunes/multi-talented cartoonist created this incredible work of art:
The mountain symbolizes the challenges and obstacles veterans face in their quest to reach their own individual goals. Success in life is not handed to you; you must earn it. When you need help, there are people along the way who are ready to lend a hand. Dave and his cartoon pals bring that message home in one image. This particular poster has a universal appeal to it since it applies not only to the Wyakin program, but to the transition journey itself.
On a side note, Dave also ran an online fundraiser for Wyakin on his birthday. A veteran himself, Dave has embraced the cause of helping others who rarely ask for help, but who welcome it when it arrives.
If you are anywhere near the Boise area on October 5 and 6, come and meet this unbelievable list of cartoonists:
Dave Mowder (Disney/Looney Tunes)
Mason Mastroianni (B.C.)
Chad Carpenter (Tundra)
Todd Clark (Lola)
Steve Moore (In the Bleachers)
Michael Ramirez (Editorial cartoons)
Sam Viviano (former Art Director for MAD Magazine)
Kasey Fagerquist (Sony Pictures, Smurfs, Hotel Transylvania)
Chip Book (Editorial Cartoonist)
Bill Hinds (Tank McNamara, Cleats, Buzz Beamer)
Jeff Myers (Rick & Morty, Phineas and Ferb & King of the Hill)
They will all be in Boise on October 5 (drawing for the public), and at the Guardian Ball on October 6 (so will I). You should come! To find out more or to purchase tickets, you can click here. If you come, you can get the poster with the signatures of all the cartoonists (mine too).