Daily Local News (West Chester, PA)
IN THE SPOTLIGHT
Cartoonists to thank frontline workers playfully this Sunday
NEW YORK » The funny papers this Sunday will have more than laughs.
More than 70 comic strips and panels — ranging from Garry Trudeau’s “Doonesbury” to Jim Toomey’s “Sherman’s Lagoon” and Jeff Keane’s “Family Circus” — will each have six symbols hidden in the artwork to honor workers on the frontlines of the coronavirus pandemic.
Look closely and you’ll find a mask for medical workers and caregivers, a steering wheel for delivery workers, a shopping cart for grocery workers, an apple for teachers, a fork for food service workers and a microscope for medical researchers.
In “Sherman’s Lagoon,” the six items are hidden in the ocean’s reef. In “Blondie,” they appear on the computer screen of over-worked Dagwood Bumstead. In “Zits,” they hide in Jeremy Duncan’s messy bedroom.
The initiative was thought up by “Baby Blues” co-cartoonist Rick Kirkman, who wanted to show his gratitude for the helpers. He consulted his colleagues, who helped shape the idea, and it just kept growing.
“Every time somebody finds or discovers one of those little symbols in the artwork, to me, I hope that evokes a little bit of gratitude that goes out into the universe,” he said.
This Sunday would have marked the last day of the National Cartoonists Society’s annual convention, which was canceled.
“I just felt like that was a great day to do it because we’re missing that big communal feeling, but at least we get to do something together,” Kirkman said.
The cartoonists involved represent an astonishing array of syndicated and nonsyndicated strips, including “Mallard Fillmore,” “Mutts,” “Pearls Before Swine,” “Tank McNamara,” “Baldo,” “Big Nate,” “Rose Is Rose,” “Zits” and “Stone Soup.”
All the participating comics, including additional art by webcomic creators and others, will be featured at Comics Kingdom.com and GoComics.com. All the cartoonists offer links to local or national charities in their social media feeds.