Kevin and Kell

I’m still trying to process the 80th Annual Reuben Awards. For three days in Columbus, Ohio; cartoonists, illustrators, wirters, animators, editors, and fans came together to celebrate the people who make this art from so special. The National Cartoonists Society was founding in 1946, and there was something really meaningful about marking 80 years in a city with such a deep connection to cartooning history. Columbus was an amazing host. Between the National Cartoonists Society conference, the Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum, and the energy around Cartoon Crossroads Columbus, the whole weekend felt like a love letter to the craft. And honestly, I felt like a kid in the candy store! Working with King Features means I get to be around some truly legendary creators, but imposter syndrome definitely creeps in sometimes. Then you find yourself standing in a room with cartoonists whose work you’ve admired for years, talking shop, sharing a laugh, or watching them draw for a crowd, and it all becomes altogether rewarding. King Features was proud to be represented by an incredible group of nominees: Ricardo Siri, better known as Liniers (Macanudo), Ricardo Martinez (Goomer), […]

Talking to Bill Holbrook feels a little strange at first. Not because he’s hard to talk to, the opposite actually. It’s just that you’re sitting across from someone who’s been doing three daily comic strips for decades, and he talks about it like it’s… normal. No big mythology around it. No “I can’t believe I pulled this off.” It’s just how his weeks are structured. That’s kind of the energy of this episode. It’s not a victory lap. It’s more like catching someone mid-process and realizing the process never really stopped. We get into On the Fastrack early on, and how it started versus what it became. The Dethany piece is the one that sticks. She wasn’t supposed to take over the strip. He thought maybe a few jokes, see where it goes. Then it just kept working. “The gags just kept coming.” ~Bill Holbrook And that was it. Audience picked up on it fast, and suddenly the center of the strip shifted. Not some long-term plan, just paying attention and not fighting it. Safe Havens goes in a completely different direction, which is part of the fun of hearing […]