Heck yeah! It's the 2009 Drawger Annual folks!

The tradition of the Drawger Annual, since it's humble beginnings in 2006, have always been the same. The Good People of Drawger send in their favorite piece from the year, and Drawger displays everything that arrives. It's just another way to show off the remarkable people that make this place so freakin' cool.

Thought it would be fun to release this one during Illustration Week in New York, which I'm looking forward to attending. In fact, as soon as I post this, I'm walking out the door, waking up the Black Acura (the Blackura) and bustin' out the 12 hour drive (gave up on those airplane contraptions a while back) to NYC.

Definitely this on Tuesday: Hanoch Piven Workshop at The Society of Illustrators.

Without a Doubt: The American Illustration Party on Thursday (oh yeah)

Oh and this: For reasons that baffle even the greatest minds of the century, The Society of Illustrators decided that I need to help judge the editorial category for Illustrators 52. Funny thing, me and my associate Josh Carpenter actually wrote the program that runs the online judging deal and I am considering hacking it so that everyone here at Drawger  wins at least something...well, it's been on my mind anyway. At any rate, I'm in some swell company: Guy Billout, DJ Stout, Larry Gendron, Hanoch Piven, Matt Mahurin, Luba Lukova and Otto Steininger. I imagine they'll be wondering just who the heck the loud mouthed odd-ball is that keeps taking smoke breaks and drinking all the coffee.

Hope to see lots of the usual suspects and get familiar with all the great people I haven't yet been able to meet!

Hey: Is there a Ticker-Tape Parade to end Illustration Week in which O'Brien, Flaherty, Kroninger, Stahl and all the others that stayed in NYC, wave sublimlely from convertibles? I would really enjoy that parade. Yes I would.

Many thanks to Leo Espinosa for designing the 2009  poster. Hope everyone enjoys the show.