It’s sometimes intriguing to me how the human mind works, or at least my mind anyway. One thought can start a chain reaction that leads my memory to meander off in directions completely unintended and unforeseen.
Please bare with me...this happens to be a long and winding road before we get to any sort of conclusion. You see, I’ve had the flu for the past few days and have been sleeping on the couch so as not to disturb my wife with my hacking and sneezing. As I lay there on the couch I reminisced about about something I hadn’t thought of for a very long time, the old syndicated coming strip, Andy Capp.
What brought this strip to mind?
Okay, maybe the cold medication played a small part in this but I remembered when Andy wasn’t at the pub or arguing with his wife Flo he was sleeping on the couch on his side, just like I happened to be when the thought came to me.
I then began to think about how much I used to look forward to reading the comics with my breakfast and morning coffee when I still lived with my parents in the late eighties. I especially looked forward to the Sunday comics, which were about six pages and in full color. I always read Andy but my all time favorite strip was Calvin and Hobbes. This was in a day when newspapers were substantial and not the small magazine sized publications of today.
Sometimes I miss those days. With as busy as life seems these days I can’t imagine spending forty-five minutes of my day reading a newspaper anymore.
I’ve actually drawn longer than I’ve been a writer. I’ve been scribbling since my earliest memory and even started a comic strip when I was ten called, “Snibbly.” I’m so happy there are no surviving examples of this one. The protagonist was a bachelor who lived with only his dog and for some reason it took place in England. Many of the jokes involved farts and other things that preteen males find to be hilarious. It was truly horrible.
Soon after I graduated High School I fantasized about being a syndicated cartoonist. It was the perfect job for an introvert! Working at home every day, making a decent salary, having almost complete anonymity, and exercising all of the creativity I could muster. Cartooning was a chance for me to combine both my loves of drawing and writing. I enjoyed the challenge of doing one panel strips especially. I viewed one panel comic strips as a sort of haiku for the artist to be able to get a whole idea across in one small panel.
My Dreams of Being a Cartoonist Start to Come True
After moving to Minnesota about five years later I began go after my dream. I created a one panel strip called, “As Good As It Gets?” and I was thrilled when it was picked up by a regional newspaper called, The Edge Newspaper (now EdgeLife Magazine). At the time this newspaper was distributed in six or seven states and had a sizable readership. It was also a monthly publication so it was easy to meet the deadlines. This is the PERFECT proving ground to be discovered by one of the major comic syndicates, I thought.
Alas, My Cartooning Dreams Fell Victim to Technology
It was a classic case of being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Newspaper readership plummeted in the early 2000’s due to the advent of the internet and digital media. There just wasn't the readership to support as many new comic strips anymore. I have to say, the gig was a true blast while it lasted. Although my strip never reached full syndication, I came close and had a taste of my dream.
Of course, in hindsight, I realize it all happened for a reason. In past decades it may've worked out just fine but the late nineties were probably the worst time to be a cartoonist. If somehow I would've achieved syndication my writing likely never would’ve developed. I also would’ve been locked into a withering industry. Life is funny that way, sometimes we find ourselves extremely thankful for unanswered prayers.
Following are the only surviving examples of my comic strip, As Good As It Gets?:
(Gif sourced from Giphy.com)
P.S. All of the great comics you remember from your childhood are now available here on GoComics.com.
*I am an American novelist, poet, traveler, and blockchain enthusiast. If you’ve enjoyed my poetry, autographed copies of my handmade poetry chapbooks, Emancipation, and The Greatest of Secrets are for sale now on Peerhub for a limited time.