Each year the Reuben Award is given to the 'Cartoonist of the Year'. The Reuben Award for Outstanding Cartoonist of the Year is chosen by a secret ballot of the members of the National Cartoonists Society (NCS). The Reuben Award is the highest honor that the profession bestows. As with all the NCS awards, the winner of the Reuben Award need not be a member of the Society.

Concerning the National Cartoonists Society, the NCS is an organization of professional cartoonists located within the United States. The Society was born in 1946 when groups of cartoonists got together to entertain troops in the US military. The members and their friends enjoy each other's company and decided when the organization was founded to meet on a regular basis.

Besides the Reuben Award, the NSC presents other awards to deserving individuals working in the many branches of the profession.

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