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| italic title = Letter From The Prez (2020.3)<!--(Article title goes here and in the 'name' field below.)-->
| name = Letter From The Prez (2020.3)
| image = FromTheEditorGraphicDebbo.png<!--(If no good single image is suitable, use a screenshot of the first page of the article)-->
| image_size = 260px
| border = yes
| author = [[Tom Faraci]] <!--(use [[name]], <br/> [[name]], <br/> to list multiple authors or subjects)-->
| illustrator =
| subject = <!--(acceptable subjects include: Editorial, Op/Ed, Article, Interview, How-To, Member Spotlight, etc. Multiple subjects see multimple multiple authors)-->
| genre = {{unbulleted list|[[Editorial]],|[[Letter From The Prez]]|}}
| published = [[EF Issue 2020.3]]
==Article Transcript==
[[File:EF2020.3_Page_023_Page_04.jpg|266px|thumb|right|''Letter From the EditorThe Prez'' as it appears in [[EF Issue 2020.3]]]]Dear ISCA Friends and Family,Summer is now behind us, and if you’relike me, you’ve spent it in some form ofisolation, witnessing the COVID-19 storydevelop further, and each day seeminglybringing a new tragedy to our attention.With events and gigs canceled, I had a lotof time to reflect and contemplate this momentwe’re living through. And so did manyof you, it would seem. The death of GeorgeFloyd at the end of May set off a storm ofresponses —peacefulprotests, violentriots, and universal artistic expression ata scale I don’t believe I’ve witnessed priorin my lifetime. I could feel a collective griefthat had permeated into our community ofcaricature artists. It was all overwhelming,and with the flood of artwork memorializingMr. Floyd and catapulting Black LivesMatter to the front of everyone’s minds—itwas a lot to take in. It was upon seeingtribute after tribute, all lovingly illustratedby ISCA members and artists not affiliatedwith our community, that I began tounderstand that this moment was somethingnew. The horrors of systematic racismhad reached a new, broader audience andour community was speaking out. As anorganization, to not explicitly show supportin this moment would be to be complicit inthe racism itself.
How should ISCA move forward in light of
this social awakening? Why should ISCA
make a statement at all? The answers
seemed pretty obvious to me. First, we
have black artists in our community. I had
to ask if ISCA has been representing them
as well as we could be. And I think we can
do better, and I think we can do more.
Second, there are black artists who are
not members of ISCA. It made me wonder
how big the disparity was and how we
could reach these potential members. So I
reached out to a dear friend and colleague
of mine, Clarence Meriwether, and I asked
him to guest edit this issue of Exaggerated
Features. I had a few goals for this issue,
goals that required a voice that wasn’t mine
or Debbo’s. With this issue, we wanted to
put a spotlight on black artists within ISCA
and reach out to a few who aren’t members
as well. The second goal was to amplify
those artists’ voices by making this issue
available publicly. I think ISCA has work
to do in better representing the BIPOC
community, and we are working to address
that, starting right here with this magazine.
It’s not lost on me that there are narratives
surrounding Black Lives Matter that make
it a divisive topic. Whether you support,
oppose, or have yet to find your place in
the conversation, I sincerely hope you read
the stories and experiences of your black
colleagues in this issue with an open mind.
With that said, I’ll let Clarence take it from
here. His letter begins on page 4.
 
Before I sign off for this issue, though, I
want to address this year’s ISCAcon. For
one week every November, hundreds of
ISCA members from around the world
descend on a city (this year was supposed
to be held in Las Vegas) to draw, compete
and learn. It truly is one of the best experiences
I’ve been privileged to be a part
of, but surely you can see how that may
not be ideal during an ongoing pandemic.
In July, we made the call to postpone
the Vegas con to 2021. In its place, we’ve
been developing ISCAcon29: Mailbox
Mayhem! We want to capture as much of
the ISCAcon experience as we can online,
while also utilizing the strengths of the
virtual format. So for $55 (plus shipping,
if not in the US) ANYONE can participate.
This con is open to members and
non-members alike. ISCA members will
still be able to compete, display their art,
and participate in live Q&A sessions with
some of our guest speakers. Everyone
who registers by October 24th will get
a box of con swag mailed to their house
- including a T-Shirt designed by Kev
Jackson, an exclusive comic book edition
of Exaggerated Features, an enamel pin,
art supplies, and some other surprises! The
event itself will be held on Discord Nov.
15-20. We have a great lineup of speakers,
including Bill Morrison, Asia Ellington,
Andrew Farago, Wilfrid Wood, Celestia
Ward, Kelly O’Brien, Hitomi Ishihara, and
Rob Dumo! As is tradition, the drawing
room will be open 24/7 until voting begins.
While we won’t be awarding The Golden
Nosey this year, many awards will be given
for new and classic categories and competitions.
We’re excited to see all of you in
November, even if it can’t be in person.
Lastly, if you’re not a member of ISCA,
and you would like to be, you can join our
organization at www.caricature.org (You
can also register for Mailbox Mayhem +
Membership as a bundle to save some
money).
 
Please, stay safe and stay healthy.

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