Toon Talks: TED-Style Presentations by Cartoonists

Jonathan Lemon, Carolyn Belefski,  Deon "Supr Dee" Parson, Sonya Saturday, Tom Gammill

national cartoonists Society Oct 12, 2026 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=veCWwRMjmWo

Five cartoonists. Five big ideas. Ten minutes each. Inspired by TED Talks, this fast-paced session features short, focused presentations on creative breakthroughs, business pivots, technical innovations, and career insights. Topics range from process to publishing, from style to strategy. 

How to Hack Your Deadlines: A demonstration of 5 quick tips for making you more productive. My current three daily comic strip and graphic novel regimen proves that these quirky methods work! Jonathan Lemon has been a cartoonist for many years. He draws the strips "Alley Oop." "Rabbits Against Magic" and "Thatababy." 

How Comics Shape Minds and Health: Carolyn Belefski explores how comics boost cognitive skills like creativity, memory, and problem-solving but also offer valuable insights into improving physical health and mental well-being. Carolyn Belefski creates the comic strip Curls and comic books Black Magic Tales, French Fry Club, and The Legettes. 

Making Traditional Comics in a Digital World: Rosebuds creator Supr Dee shares his insights on how to curate a following on social media and how to maintain clarity, quality, readability, and consistency in your posts. Deon "Supr Dee" Parson is an Indiana-based Cartoonist. His comic strip "Rosebuds" is syndicated daily globally with King Features Syndicate. 

So Anyway, I Saved a Dollar: Sonya Saturday shares how to make comics about real, uncomfortable experiences — without earnestness. Using humor as reframe, not escape, to tell harder truths than sincerity allows. Internationally published cartoonist, playwright, photographer. MFA in Comics, CCA. Creator of The Greatest Thing You've Ever Seen in Your Life. 

How I Learned To Draw by Tom Gammill: Tom Gammill gives a brief history of "Learn To Draw" books ending with a shout-out to NCS Reuben winner Mel Lazarus. Tom Gammill wanted to be a cartoonist but ended up a TV writer. His credits include "Seinfeld" and "The Simpsons".