King Features goes green for 2nd Earth Day event

King Features is set to launch their second Earth Day comic event next Wednesday on Comics Kingdom. On that day 37 of their creators will use their comics to advance an environmental theme. Each comic will attempt to create awareness for the environment while maintaining each strip’s character and spirit. For example, in Mother Goose & Grimm, Grimmy uses an energy-saving light bulb when a new idea goes off in his head; in Beetle Bailey, the lazy Army private helps save the environment one box of dirt at a time; and The Pajama Diaries recognizes parents’ tireless Earth Day diorama efforts. Several of the cartoonists have created an entire week’s worth of strips devoted to Earth Day themes, including Arctic Circle, Baby Blues, Between Friends, Edge City, Mutts, Sherman’s Lagoon and Six Chix.

“We are very excited to be kicking off our Earth Day celebration once again this year,” said Brendan Burford, comics editor for King Features Syndicate. “Our first Earth Day initiative proved to be a huge success and our cartoonists jumped at the chance to participate again and help bring awareness to a cause that’s close to their hearts and ours. We look forward to bringing these humorous yet inspiring ‘green’ messages to life through art for many years to come.”

The entire line up will be available on King Features’ Comics Kindom.

The features participating in this year’s event:

• The Amazing Spider-Man by Stan Lee (Beverly Hills, Calif.)
• Arctic Circle by Alex Hallatt (Victoria, Australia)
• Baby Blues by Jerry Scott and Rick Kirkman (San Luis Obispo, Calif. and Phoenix, Ariz.)
• Barney Google and Snuffy Smith by John Rose (Harrisonburg, Va.)
• Beetle Bailey by Mort and Greg Walker (Stamford, Conn.)
• Between Friends by Sandra Bell Lundy (Welland, Canada)
• Bizarro by Dan Piraro (Brooklyn, N.Y.)
• Blondie by Dean Young and art by John Marshall (Clearwater, Fla. and Binghamton, N.Y.)
• The Brilliant Mind of Edison Lee by John Hambrock (Kenosha, Wisc.)
• DeFlocked by Jeff Corriveau (Glendale, Calif.)
• Dennis the Menace by Marcus Hamilton (Charlotte, N.C.)
• Edge City by Terry and Patty LaBan (Wyncote, Pa.)
• Hagar the Horrible by Chris Browne (Sioux Falls, S.D.)
• Hi & Lois by Brian Walker, Greg Walker and Chance Browne (Wilton, Conn.)
• The Lockhorns by Bunny Hoest (Long Island, N.Y.)
• Mallard Fillmore by Bruce Tinsley (Columbus, Ind.)
• Mandrake the Magician by Fred Fredericks (Eastham, Mass.)
• Mark Trail by Jack Elrod (Atlanta, Ga.)
• Marvin by Tom Armstrong (Bradenton, Fla.)
• Mary Worth by Karen Moy and Joe Giella (New York, NY. and Long Island, N.Y.)
• Mother Goose & Grimm by Mike Peters (Orlando, Fla.)
• Mutts by Patrick McDonnell (Edison, N.J.)
• Ollie and Quentin by Piers Baker (Guildford, England)
• On The Fastrack by Bill Holbrook (Monroe, Ga)
• The Pajama Diaries by Terri Libenson (Cleveland, Ohio)
• Pardon My Planet by Vic Lee (Santa Fe, N.M.)
• The Phantom by Tony DePaul and Paul Ryan (Cranston, R.I. and Hudson, Mass.)
• The Piranha Club by Bud Grace (Oakton, Va.)
• Pros and Cons by Kieran Meehan (Glasgow, Scotland)
• Rhymes With Orange by Hilary Price (Florence, Mass.)
• Sherman’s Lagoon by Jim Toomey (Annapolis, Md.)
• Shoe by Chris Cassatt, Gary Brookins and Susie MacNelly (Snowmass, Colo., Richmond, Va., and Flint, Va.)
• Six Chix by Isabella Bannerman, Margaret Shulock, Rina Piccolo, Anne Gibbons, Benita Epstein and Stephanie Piro (Westchester, N.Y., Friendship, N.Y., New York, N.Y., Bronx, N.Y., Redding, Calif., and Farmington, N.H.)
• Tina’s Groove by Rina Piccolo (New York, N.Y.)
• Todd the Dinosaur by Patrick Roberts (Oklahoma City, Okla.)
• Zippy the Pinhead by Bill Griffith (E. Haddam, Conn.)
• Zits by Jim Borgman and Jerry Scott (Cincinnati, Ohio and San Luis Obispo, Calif.)

Read last year’s coverage of the first event:

• King Feature Artists Go Green on Earth Day
• Some Comics to Have Eco-Theme for Earth Day