According to Mort Crim, columnist for Detroit Free Press, Lee Mendelson, the producer of famed Christmas special “It’s a Charlie Brown Christmas,” pitched the story to CBS before it was written and CBS signed off on it. That left Charles Schulz four days to write it.

The Mercury News is reporting that Michael Kilian, the writer behind “Dick Tracy,” died yesterday at age 66. He led an impressive life having been a reporter, columnist, author, and of course the collaborator with Dick Locher on “Dick Tracy.” Chicago Tribune managing editor James O’Shea called Kilian “a consummate journalist and author, prolific, professional […]

E&P has a quick blurp about Karen Montague-Reyes having to leave her home (for the 3rd time) because of a hurricane. I suspect she’s not alone. Editorial cartoonist Steve Kelly was also displaced from New Orleans due to Katrina.

The Wichita Eagle has an article on the history and impact of Doonesbury.

Dilbert creator, Scott Adams, is searching for the weaseliest people for his annual award. Once again, “Dilbert” comic strip creator Scott Adams is asking his fans to expose this year’s “weaseliest” people and corporations by casting votes in his Fourth Annual Dilbert Weasel Awards. Polls are open through Nov. 6 on Dilbert.com. Results will be […]

Scott Adams, creator of Dilbert has launched a blog. If you’re reading this on company time, congratulations on beating the system. If you’re reading it on your own time, you really need to find a job where they pay you to do this sort of thing. Link to blog

Ohio gubernatorial candidate Mike Coleman has begun distributing poster size cartoon lampooning Ohio politicians – mostly of his own party. Haas (Coleman campaign manager) said the poster is a marriage between old and new technology ? political cartooning and Internet display and distribution. The artwork is great and the posters are easy to understand – […]

Speaking of cartoonists and their motivations, the Advocate is running a lengthy story on Ranan Lurie, his political cartoons and what he hopes to accomplish with a soon to be unveiled painting at the U.N. “The Uniting Painting,” initiated nearly 40 years ago at Lurie’s former home in Stamford, will be unveiled Nov. 1 in […]

I’m often inspired by the motivations of cartoonists. Some are in it for the money, some for the love of the art and some, like Morrie Turner, are trying to make a difference. The Lodi News-Sentinel ran a story about a recent appearance of Morries in their community where he talked about: his life, his […]

With the release of the coffee table, “Little Nemo in Slumberland: So Many Splendid Sundays!”, the San Francisco Chronicle’s art critic has written up a review of the 100 year old strip. The coffee book contains 120 of the best Sunday strips. Readers today will find the text and dialogue of “Nemo” quaint, but the […]

In a festival to spotlight Chicano and Latino writers, Lalo Alcaraz will be reading from some of his works (not sure how that works for a cartoonist, but oh well). So if you’re in the St. Paul Minnesota area and are a fan of Lalo, carve out some time on Tuesday night. Noted Latino author […]

The October 31 edition of Newsweek will have a story about the upcoming Boondocks television series. TV cartoons often get away with outrageous situations and dialogue that no live-action show could touch, from Homer’s gay-marriage ministry on “The Simpsons” to the infamous “South Park” episode about?well, take your pick. “Boondocks” is every bit as political […]

Garry Trudeau, Doonsbury cartoonist, has an account in the San Francisco Chronicle about his research and meeting with soldiers returning from Iraq so that he could better approach the subject. If I feel prepared — if I feel there’s been enough collecting, enough churn, enough marination — it gives me the confidence to know I […]

Jim Morin, editorial cartoonst for the Daily Herald in Miami Florida, is now one of three artists that are providing free paintings of soldiers killed while in active service. Project Compassion is a non-profit organization based out of Utah. Project Compassion is a way to say ?Thank you? to those American servicemen and women who […]

I had read a mention in an article that Dick Wright, syndicated editorial cartoonist, was a pastor in a church. After a little googling, I found this article that goes into depth about Wright’s involvement in his church. Mr. Wright, who lives in Warrenton, founded Community Christian Fellowship in 1999, when the church he was […]