Beginning yesterday, Jim Toomey’s Sherman’s Lagoon launches into a two week series taking his characters to the Gulf of Mexico on a mission to save the sea creatures affected by the BP oil spill. Jim is in a unique position to use his strip to build awareness for the affected sea life. After reading the series, Jim does a good job keeping the humor true to the strip and avoids becoming preachy. This is not the first time Jim has used his strip to build awareness of environmental issues. Jim has been twice honored by NOAA for his efforts to raise awareness of ocean conservation and marine life protection.
You can read Sherman’s Lagoon on King Feature’s DailyInk or for free at the Seattle PI.
I always liked Jim’s work. This puts a very unique look at the disaster in way of a comic strip. Sounds like a worthwhile series to read!
Toomey has already made me and his other devoted readers more aware of sea life issues and you’re so right about his being in a perfect position to take on the Gulf spill. From the strips you’ve posted here, it appears Toomey will maintain the humorous angle and continue to be true to his characters and the strip. But once they’re in the Gulf, it won’t be easy….
B.J.
Great work! I love Sherman’s Lagoon — Jim clearly cares deeply about the sea creatures who inspire his characters, and this always comes through in his comics.
Fantastic comic. I particularly like the way the strip makes a reader care about the effects of pollution on the characters without resorting to melodrama or preaching (even though the oil spill is worthy of melodrama and preaching). I kind of zone out when comics slog through the constantly reiterated talking points of hard issues. Sherman’s Lagoon never does that.
Jim Toomey has one of the best strips in the papers today. It’s usually funny, which is saying something when you compare it to most of what’s out there. Good for him in taking on this important and controversial subject and keeping his sense of humor intact!
Pete,
Couldn’t agree more that Toomey’s strip is “one of the best” today. I even think that its unique subject, humor, writing, characters, and drawing could render it a great strip.
B.J.