Every year, Cartoon Art Museum gives out the Sparky Award to a cartoon artist who embodies the talent, innovation and humanity of Charles M. Schulz. This year’s award went to Jeff Smith, who’s probably best known for the phenomenon that is Bone.
Official PR follows:
The Cartoon Art Museum is proud to announce that Jeff Smith, best known as the creator of the beloved award-winning graphic novel Bone, is the recipient of the 2017 Sparky Award. The Sparky Award was presented to him by Cartoon Art Museum board member Michael B. Johnson and CAM curator Andrew Farago during a spotlight panel at the Charles M. Schulz Museum and Research Library’s 15th Anniversary Celebration on Saturday, August 12.
The Sparky Award is named in honor of Charles “Sparky” Schulz, the creator of Peanuts. Schulz was nicknamed “Sparky” after the horse Sparkplug featured in the comic strip Barney Google. The Cartoon Art Museum would not exist without benefactors like Sparky Schulz and his wife, Jeannie. The Sparky Award is presented on behalf of the Cartoon Art Museum and the Charles M. Schulz Museum and Research Library.
“I’ve followed Jeff’s ground breaking self-published work since the first issue of Bone and I’ve been delighted to see his growth as an artist and an advocate for the arts over years,” notes past Sparky Award winner Dr. Michael B. Johnson, R&D Pre-Production Architect, Pixar Animation Studios. “In addition to looking forward to his newest work Tuki, I’m delighted to follow his new adventure helping steer the Cartoon Crossroads Columbus arts festival in his hometown. For all these reasons and more I was honored to help present the Sparky to Jeff.”
The award celebrates the significant contributions of cartoon artists who embody the talent, innovation and humanity of Charles M. Schulz. Past recipients include Schulz himself, Sergio Aragones, Gus Arriola, Carl Barks, Gene Colan, Will Eisner, Creig Flessel, Phil Frank, Lou Grant, Michael B. Johnson, Chuck Jones, Ward Kimball, Gary Larson, John Lasseter, Stan Lee, Bill Melendez, Dale Messick, Jerry Robinson, John Severin, Morrie Turner, Ron Turner, and Mort Walker.
About Jeff Smith
Jeff Smith is The New York Times bestselling author/cartoonist of the BONE and RASL graphic novels. BONE won numerous awards around the world, including multiple American Eisners and Harveys, and the French Alph Art. In 2005, Smith’s work was chosen to launch Graphix, an imprint of Scholastic Books. Smith was guest editor ofBest American Comics in 2013. Smith’s web-comic about the first human to leave Africa 2,000,000 years ago called Tuki Save the Humans at Boneville.com, won the 2014 Reuben Award for Best Online Comic and is currently being prepared for release as a graphic novel.
Well earned. Congratulations to Jeff.
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