Artists band together for good cause

NEW YORK — Fans of newspaper comics will instantly notice something missing in many of the strips this Friday — pants.

More than 25 cartoonists behind strips from “Blondie” to “Zippy the Pinhead” are celebrating the quirky holiday No Pants Day in a way that helps charities get clothing to those in need.

Participating artists are drawing their characters without trousers and urging readers to donate clothing to thrift and secondhand stores hardhit by COVID19.

“This was a great way to help bring communities together but also have a little bit of a laugh,” said Tea Fougner, comics editor at King Features Syndicate. “Just the idea of No Pants Day, I think, is something that everybody can feel a little bit closer to this year than in previous years.”

No Pants Day, held on the first Friday in May, is believed to have been started by a group of students at the University of Texas who thought leaving pants at home on the first Friday in May would be a fun way to end the semester.