November 9th, 2016

Ask a Cartoonist: Happy Veteran’s Day!

by Tea

Friday is Veteran’s Day, and we here at Comics Kingdom wanted to take a moment to honor the brave people of this country who have offered their service to protect their fellow Americans as well as those in need abroad.

I asked our cartoonists to share their stories of veterans real and fictional, their own stories of military service, and their best wishes to all you veterans out there for your special day!

Bill Griffith, Zippy the Pinhead:

My Dad was an Army veteran of the WWII generation. I grew up as a “ban the bomb” protester, so we didn’t agree on much when it came to the military. Still, I respected his service (he volunteered the day after Pearl Harbor). Here are some of my memories of my life as an “Army Brat”:

 

And here’s a page from my graphic memoir, “Invisible Ink”, in which I find some letters written by my Dad to my Uncle Al during the war, when they were both in the Army—my father as a Second Lieutenant and my Uncle as a private. They opened my eyes to a part of my old man I never really knew.

Ron Ferdinand, Dennis the Menace:

A salute to all our veterans….including Dennis’ dear ol’ Dad!

 

Bill Holbrook, Kevin & Kell, on the Fastrack, & Safe Havens:

Dethany, of course, comes from a military family. Her mother is a colonel in the Air Force.

 

John Rose, Barney Google & Snuffy Smith:

In 1940, in the Barney Google and Snuffy Smith comic strip, Snuffy Smith was inducted into the Army after saving the life of a General. In 1941, Barney Google joined the war effort by signing up with the Navy. Their military (mis)adventures continued through 1945. The comic strips from the military years are being featured right now in the Comics Kingdom Vintage Barney Google and Snuffy Smith section if you would like to check them out. Since Snuffy is a “Veteran,” I often observe Veterans Day in the comic strip. This is one of my favorite Veterans Day strips from years past. Thank you to our all Veterans!

 

Isabella Bannerman, Six Chix:

A friend of mine was volunteering to train service dogs on her weekends. It was a really fun project, and I got to meet a lot of those cute puppies. At one of their fundraising events (that this same friend helped to organize) I met some of the veterans that those dogs had helped. I was so impressed by their stories, that I drew this cartoon, for a Six Chix Memorial Day.

Mort Walker, Beetle Bailey: