Validation as an editorial illustrator or "Day of Infamy"

I've been at the C.A. for about 3 and a half years now. In that time I've won zero awards and it's left me feeling...well...shitty. I didn't expect to show up on the first day like some sort of Illustration rock star and sweep awards away from all the contests, but I must admit I hoped. It would seem, however, that this year I snagged two (COUNT EM!) TWO awards of excellence in the 30th annual Society of News Design competition. Woot! The first was an illustration I'm not too fond of and which I'm pretty sure won mostly because of page design...which had a little to do with me, but MOSTLY the very talented Richard Robbins. The second, however, was pretty much all me.

Go me! It's my birthday.

I mean...

Anyway, I don't immediately have the file for the one I'm not crazy about, but I do have the file for "Day of Infamy" which examines whether or not 9-11 replaced Pearl Harbor in the minds of Americans as our greatest national tragedy. I can't actually believe this illustration won anything, but I'm not one to look a gift horse in the mouth...because...well...I just don't.