The Pajama Diaries

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), […]

If you’ve ever balanced a work deadline with a school pickup, The Pajama Diaries felt like a mirror. In our latest episode, creator Terri Libenson walks us through the moment she realized a candid diary voice could take readers straight into Jill Kaplan’s head—and why she let Jill, Rob, Amy, and Jess grow up on the page, milestones and all. Terri shares how the launch went from “Mother’s Day 2006” to “surprise, you’re up in March” after The Boondocks retired—while she was also parenting two little kids and working at American Greetings. Chaos? Absolutely. But that pressure-cooker helped define the strip’s tone and rhythms. We talk about drawing from real life without making loved ones the joke, and the arcs that cut closest to the bone, including a personal health storyline that sparked a wave of heartfelt letters from readers living with the same condition. Why end a beloved strip? For Terri, it was a mix of creative timing and practicality. As Emmie & Friends gained momentum, juggling daily tasks and two books a year became impossible. She misses PJD—and still smiles at how much of its humor and “label-everything” […]