
Hi Comics Fan,
This Comics Update invites you to:
Send St. Patrick's Day E-Cards
Celebrate Birthdays With Get Fuzzy Horoscopes
Guess Who Said That
Discover Our Newest Comic Panel: Moderately Confused
Enjoy An Exclusive Interview With Drabble Cartoonist Kevin Fagan
Order Drabble Products
Visit the New Sheldon Store
Test Your Comics Knowledge
Congratulate Cartoonists Nominated For Reuben Awards
Read The Latest Dilbert Compilation
Find Your Favorite Heroine
Order New Product Designs From Pearls Before Swine, Rose Is Rose,
and Jane's World
St. Patrick's Day is March 17th
See Snoopy surrounded by shamrocks:
http://www.snoopy.com/comics/peanuts/fun_and_games/e_cards.html
Don't miss Dilbert in his leprechaun hat:
http://www.dilbert.com/webmail/SendAStrip?AppName=DilbertECards&ComicName=
dilbert&Attachments=/comics/dilbert/e_greetings/cards/stpatricksday.swf
Get Fuzzy Horoscopes
On prints, mugs or clothing, they're the perfect birthday gift.
You'll love these predictions!
Order products:
http://www.cafepress.com/cp/category.aspx?category=zodiac&storeid=getfuzzy&type=strip
Send a free horoscope e-card:
http://www.comics.com/ecards/html/getfuzzy.html
Guess Who Said That
Who said, "Your hair is leaving your head and trying to escape out of your shirt"?
The answer appears after the next section.
Introducing Moderately Confused
Award-winning editorial cartoonist Jeff Stahler creates Moderately
Confused, the newest comic panel on Comics.com. Stahler describes
this daily panel as "slice-of-life stuff -- kids and adults
moderately baffled by this or that trend or event and raising an
eyebrow at it. We'll all be bemused together. It's going to be
fun."
Read Moderately Confused:
http://www.comics.com/comics/moderatelyconfused/index.html
Here's Who Said That
In The Buckets, Eddie said, "Your hair is leaving your head and
trying to escape out of your shirt."
Find out why here:
http://www.comics.com/comics/buckets/archive/buckets-20030227.html
Interview With Drabble Cartoonist Kevin Fagan
Question: When did you first know you wanted to be a cartoonist?
Kevin Fagan: I had always been interested in cartooning for as long
as I can remember, but it never occurred to me that I could make a
living at it. It wasn't until I drew cartoons for my college paper
and saw people's happy reactions to my work that I began to think
seriously about it.
Q: Drabble has been running since 1979. What are some of the major
changes you've made in the strip over the years?
KF: I haven't made many conscious changes to the strip since it
started in 1979. The art and humor have evolved, of course, but
I've tried to keep the same goofiness about it. The additions of
the animal characters (Bob the duck, Oogie, and Wally the wiener
dog) have been popular with readers. For me, the biggest
difference in the strip is that when it started in 1979, I was
Norman Drabble. Now I'm more like his dad Ralph!
Q: Do you share personality traits with any of the other
characters?
KF: Actually all of the characters are a little bit like me. I am
definitely Ralph Drabble, but I'm also a lot like Bob the Duck.
Bob is usually in the background, looking like he's in the wrong
comic strip. I feel out of place a lot!
Q: You recently did a series of strips focusing on Ralph losing his
job. What inspired you to address this topic?
KF: I thought the topic of Ralph losing his job would be an
important one to do. I have a couple of friends who have gone
through that recently, and the experience was similar for both.
First they were confused and devastated, worried that they were too
old to be hired anywhere else, then there was the adjustment for
their spouses having their husbands hanging around the house when
they are used to having them gone all day. Eventually, they landed
on their feet with new and better jobs. I thought it was important
to do this storyline because being laid-off is a common experience.
I think it's important for all of us to know that when we go
through difficult times, we are not alone, and that everything will
be okay.
Q: How does fan feedback affect the strip?
KF: Reader feedback is wonderful. Some strips that I didn't think
much about often get the biggest reaction, while the ones I thought
might get reaction get relatively little. I am lucky to receive
such nice e-mail. People often write such wonderful things about
how my work has affected their lives. It's quite unbelievable. I
seem to have very nice fans! On the occasion where I get a
reaction that isn't complimentary, I'll usually respond and try to
explain myself, or apologize if necessary.
Q: What advice do you have for aspiring cartoonists?
KF: My advice for aspiring cartoonists is to get all the experience
you can, drawing for a school paper, local publication, or
whatever. Measure reader feedback to see what works and what
doesn't. Keep trying. There is a lot of luck involved in getting
syndicated!
Read a month of Drabble:
http://www.comics.com/comics/drabble/index.html
Order Drabble strips on clothing, prints, mugs and more:
http://www.cafepress.com/drabble
Visit the New Sheldon Store
Get your favorite strips and character designs featuring Sheldon,
Arthur the wonder duck, and the rest of the Sheldon cast. Choose
from clothing, prints, mugs and other great products:
http://www.cafepress.com/cp_sheldon
Test Your Comics Knowledge
Which cartoonist draws a strip that was first created by his father in 1965?
The answer appears after the next section.
Reuben Awards
Congratulations to our nominees for the 57th Annual National
Cartoonists Society Reuben Awards!
For Cartoonist of the Year:
Pat Brady, creator of Rose Is Rose, and Greg Evans, creator of Luann.
Read Rose Is Rose:
http://www.comics.com/comics/roseisrose/index.html
Read Luann:
http://www.comics.com/comics/luann/index.html
For Best Newspaper Comic Strip:
Darby Conley, for Get Fuzzy; Jim Meddick, for Monty; and Stephan
Pastis, for Pearls Before Swine
Read Get Fuzzy:
http://www.comics.com/comics/getfuzzy/index.html
Read Monty:
http://www.comics.com/comics/monty/index.html
Read Pearls Before Swine:
http://www.comics.com/comics/pearls/index.html
Answer to the Comics Knowledge Question
Chip Sansom spent years observing and assisting his father, Art
Sansom, the original creator of The Born Loser. When Art passed
away on July 4, 1991, 40 years to the day after Chip's birth, Chip
took over the strip.
Read a month of The Born Loser:
http://www.comics.com/comics/bornloser/index.html
Dilbert - When Body Language Goes Bad
The latest Dilbert compilation features strips published from
November 2001 to August 2002:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0740732986/ref=nosim/unitedemail-20
Comic Category Spotlight: Heroines
Meet some of the strong women who star in these comics:
9 Chickweed Lane:
Juliette Burber is a divorced, middle-aged mother and a professor
with a Ph.D. in biology. Despite her professional demeanor, she
likes nothing more than to daydream of Johnny Weissmuller as Tarzan
and herself as a leopard-skin-clad Amazon called Panther Woman.
Read a month of 9 Chickweed Lane:
http://www.comics.com/comics/chickweed/index.html
Betty:
Confident and witty, Betty relishes her role as a wife, mother and
working woman.
Read a month of Betty:
http://www.comics.com/comics/betty/index.html
Rose Is Rose:
Rose is affectionate, down-to-earth and content, yet a part of her
longs for irresponsibility and adventure. That's where her
alter-ego Vicki comes in. Vicki is a punk biker who doesn't have to
make dinner or feed the cat.
Read a month of Rose Is Rose:
http://www.comics.com/comics/roseisrose/index.html
Pearls Before Swine Products
New designs have just been added to the Pearls Before Swine shop!
Choose your favorite pig expression:
http://www.cafepress.com/cp/store.aspx?s=pearls.526
Jane's World Products
Immerse yourself in Jane's World with comic books, clothing, prints
and more:
http://www.cafepress.com/janesworld
Rose Is Rose Products
The three newest designs offer the perfect way to welcome spring!
Get them on clothing, prints, mugs and mousepads:
http://www.cafepress.com/cp/store.aspx?s=roseisrose.533
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