Mike Morgan refers to his nearly 30-year career as author and illustrator of the “For Heaven’s Sake!” comic strip as his “advocation to go with vocation” as senior pastor at Gainesville First United Methodist Church.
Morgan’s “For Heaven’s Sake!” was first published in the Faith and Values section of The Macon Telegraph in [September] 1991. It now posts weekly on Los Angeles-based Creators Syndicate and circulates in newspapers throughout the United States.
WDUN Gainesville interviews cleric/cartoonist Mike Morgan.
Morgan said his process for writing a new strip starts with either referencing his idea box or using a current event for fresh inspiration. Once he has a topic, Morgan decides which characters will appear and how many panels he needs to make the story progress within the strip.
Morgan uses a special sketching paper to draw each strip, then traces it onto a larger Strathmore Bristol Board by laying both on a light board. Once Morgan finishes the actual drawing, he starts lettering in the dialogue of the characters and darkening everything in with ink.
Bodacious congratulations, Mike!
As a Methodist – and cartoonist – I am happy to read about Rev. Morgan and his work as both a pastor and a cartoonist!