The Daily Cartoonist

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Brian Crane creates Christmas card for McDonald House Charities

Alan Gardner111 mins

Brian Crane, creator of Pickles, has created this year’s annual Christmas card for the Ronald McDonald House Charities that operates in the Northern Nevada area. The Ronald McDonald House offers housing and other amenities to parents of sick children who live far from their children’s hospital. Brian is a resident of the Reno Nevada area.

11 thoughts on “Brian Crane creates Christmas card for McDonald House Charities”

  2. Crane drew a very nice card. I think that “Pickles” is the only strip about senior citizens that I actually read. No offense meant to the late Howie Schneider, but “The Sunshine Club” (which ran in my paper) always seemed to be too repetitive and predictable. The same goes for “Flo and Friends” (which runs in my paper), with apologies to Jenny Campbell and the late John Gibel. I realize that it may be because I am young and that a senior citizen might appreciate the humor of those strips more. However, the fact that I enjoy “Pickles” shows what an excellent cartoonist Crane is. (“Pickles” has filled the void in my paper created by the end of “Sunshine Club,” incidentally.)

    I was curious as to whether Brian Crane might be related to Roy Crane, the creator of “Wash Tubbs and Captain Easy” back in the ’20s and ’30s. I’m not sure how common their last name is…

  3. Thanks Chris and Dawn for the kind words. Wish I could claim Roy as a progenitor but as far as I know there is no family tie.

  4. Brian,
    I’ve been a longtime fan of Pickles and I have to echo Chris’ comment about yours being the only senior-centric strip that I read. It’s always well written.

    I created a thread on Toon Talk years ago called Sunday Funnies Review® where I link to that Sunday’s best funnies, and Pickles is always a consistant fav, making as many appearances as Non Sequitur and now Lio. You do fine work, sir…

    Shamless plug time!
    http://p100.ezboard.com/fbellcartoonscommunitygeneralcomicscartoondiscussion.showMessage?topicID=1751.topic

  6. I hate you, Brian.

    Every week I ask my mother what she thought of my strips. My two strips. And she’s honest. Generally, she likes HEART OF THE CITY and generally she doesn’t get LIO. But she never fails to say, “did you see PICKLES today? I dearly love that PICKLES.”

    I hate you, Brian. By the way, can I get your autograph at some point?
    It’s for my mother.

  7. Brian, My wife and I are over 65 but, your strip in the first one we read each day in the Kitsap Sun…..but, it is also the favorite of our kids and grandchildren.
    Do you have someone in your family or neighborhood who inspires you?

    Clay

  8. Brian, After reading your strip every morning, I think you are a member of our family. Earl and my husband could be twins. It’s nice to know I’m not the only one living like Opal.
    Jackie

  9. Brian–I’m writing to ask what you want for dinner since you apparently live at our house!

  10. Brian, My husband and I would swear you have a video camera in our house, in Miltonvale, because “Pickles” that we read in the Salina Journal, Salina, KS., is us to a tee almost everyday! But the Christmas letter and then asking why they don’t send a Christmas letter is totally us! We don’t do letters either, but the wart thing is part that is really us! My husband has words that he sings to about any tune about Granny has warts so when we saw that day’s strip, we both rolled in laughter. I cut out the two days strips and will cherish them because it is so us – THANKS! Judy

  11. Brian,
    I have to say your comic has brought me happiness over the years.When your comic first came out,my Grandpa and Grandma would always clip it for me from the paper and would save a weeks worth of strips and then I would read them on the weekends.We always talked about how Earl and Opal reminded me of them.I loved my Grandparents dearly and they both passed away in 2007.Since then,I continue to read Pickles daily and it brings a smile to my face and very warm memories of those days with my Grandparents. Bless You for all that you do!

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