From Universal Uclick:

Ziggy which celebrated 40 years in syndication in June 2011, continues to be produced by Wilson’s son, Tom Wilson Jr., who has handled the day-to-day operation of the panel since 1987. Ziggy is distributed to newspapers worldwide by Universal Uclick, an Andrews McMeel Universal company.

“We are saddened at the passing of Tom Wilson, a visionary cartoonist and longtime friend,” said John McMeel, chairman and president of Andrews McMeel Universal. “Tom leaves behind a wonderful legacy in Ziggy, a hard-luck comics page hero who serves as a reflection of Tom’s endearing wit and optimism in the face of adversity. Our hearts are with the Wilson family during this time of loss.”

“Tom Wilson had a unique gift for producing creations that stirred imaginations and touched people’s lives,” said Hugh Andrews, chief executive officer and president of Andrews McMeel Publishing. “It speaks volumes about Tom that Ziggy, a character he held very dear to his heart, has been a mainstay on the comics page for more than 40 years and continues to make new fans worldwide to this day. We join millions of fans around the world in mourning the loss of a truly exceptional innovator.”

Tom Wilson was born August 1, 1931. For more than 35 years, he served as a creative director at American Greetings, where he was responsible for the development of many breakthrough card lines. Wilson first published Ziggy in the 1969 cartoon collection When You’re not Around. The Ziggy comic panel, syndicated by Universal Uclick (formerly Universal Press Syndicate), launched in 15 newspapers in June 1971. It now appears in more than 500 daily and Sunday newspapers and has been featured in best-selling books, calendars and greeting cards.

Throughout his career, Wilson demonstrated a remarkable ability to anticipate future trends in the marketplace. A veteran of the licensing business, Wilson headed up the creative team that developed such character licensing blockbusters as Strawberry Shortcake and Care Bears.

In 1987, Wilson passed the Ziggy torch to his son, Tom Wilson Jr., after the younger Wilson had served as an assistant on the strip for many years.

Veteran cartoonist, animator and creator of the popular DRAW 50 how-to-draw cartoon book series Lee Ames died in a Huntington, NY nursing home last week. He was 90 years old. The cause was congestive heart failure.

Daryl Cagle posts the names of editorial cartoonists and samples of their work.

Michael Cavna posts his 10 greats.

Mike Rhode has posted what is probably the comprehensive list those who had a connection to comic strips, editorial cartoons and magazine cartoons.

Not quite as extensive as Mike’s, but here are the individuals passing’s that I reported on.

Besides Jughead, D’Agostino also drew for titles including G.I. Joe, A Real American Hero, Sabrina The Teenage Witch and Sonic The Hedgehog. D’Agostino also did the letters for the first three issues of Marvel’s The Amazing Spider-Man.

“Jon was concerned about doing the best job possible. He would always be available to help young artists improve their artwork and draw the Archie cast of characters,” Archie co-president and editor-in-chief Victor Gorelick said. “He was very dedicated to his work and Archie Comics. I had the privilege of working with Jon for over 40 years and considered him a good friend. I will truly miss him.”

You can read obituaries from the NY Times and the LA Times

He was fierce in his liberalism and expressed it with a stark, unmistakable visual style. Southern California political junkies for decades would start their day either outraged or delighted at a Conrad drawing.

The Times said in a Saturday story that its longtime publisher came to expect that his breakfast would be interrupted by an angry phone call from then-governor Ronald Reagan or wife Nancy, peeved by a Conrad cartoon that made them look foolish.

Conrad’s favorite target was President Richard Nixon. At the time of the president’s resignation, Conrad drew Nixon’s helicopter leaving the White House with the caption: “One flew over the cuckoo’s nest.”
“He always said he was most proud of being on Nixon’s enemies list,” David Conrad said.

On a personal note, I met Paul one time back in 1998 at the AAEC convention in Las Vegas. He was amiable and approachable for someone of his legendary status. He wasn’t the type to beat around the bush either. He was quick to compliment the state of Utah from which I hail, but equally quick to voice his displeasure with our conservative Republican Senator Hatch. His status as one of the great US editorial cartoonists is secure in history.

He lived in Northwest Portland and was a fixture in the community. He could often be easily spotted by his bright red hair as he piloted his powered wheelchair through the area.

Callahan had been a quadriplegic since a car accident at age 21. He also was the author of 10 books including an autobiography called “Don’t Worry, He Won’t Get Far On Foot: The Autobiography of a Dangerous Man.” He also produced a children’s book that sidestepped his typically dark sense of humor.

His cartoons and life inspired an animated series called Quads that retained his very un-PC humor. However, his persona was also at the heart of a children’s animated series called Pelswick, which used a lighter touch to show the challenges for a boy confined to a wheelchair.

Pekar wrote the autobiographical comic book series American Splendor, which inspired a critically acclaimed film of the same name in 2003, starring Paul Giomatti.

American Splendor was a game-changing comic book series, which began publishing in 1974, chronicling the mundane events of Pekar’s life in Cleveland at a time when other comics chronicled the fantastical adventures of super heroes.

Recurring themes in the books included Pekar’s hypochondria and depression, his interactions with co-workers, his money problems and his work as a file-clerk.