Remembering King Features Comic Editor, Jay Kennedy

Recently, I was clearing out some moth-ridden old files from the last century and came across two letters from Jay Kennedy, who at the time was Comic Editor of King Features Syndicate. He later went on to be Editor-in-Chief until a tragic accident took his life in 2007. 
       The first letter (pictured at right) dated March 23, 1992 was an inquiry seeking what, if any interest I may have in launching a cartoon strip. The other 2-page letter was a followup after I had (apparently) sent samples of my editorial work. The correspondence well demonstrates Jay's keen eye in seeking out and honing potential strip cartoonists. 
       Personally, he was a genuinely sincere, considerate and intelligent man with a refreshing level of finesse in his approach. Soft-spoken and never the sycophant or snob, Jay frequented the AAEC (Association of American Editorial Cartoonists) meetings and regularly hung with we unwashed editorial renderers as one of us. A good friend to cartoonists, Jay's death was a tremendous loss on many fronts.

Epilogue (a little old lesson in 'Carpe Diem' ): Do I regret not stepping through the portal Jay Kennedy opened? At the time, many other things were occupying my time and I didn't feel prepared to take on a level of effort of such magnitude. So, I set it aside... temporarily. I always figured that I had time to venture into that realm at some point in the future. I filed those letters away with every intent to revisit the notion another day; a day when I had the time and a cleaner slate. 

Let's see now... what was that 1600's Robert Herrick poem about "gathering rosebuds while ye may?"

Twenty-three years later, I stumbled across those letters. Therein lies the rub. 
In a word, "Rosebud."

+++++

Recent Cartoons (click on Images for larger view)

"Know Wrest for the Ticketed"

"Hosed"

 

The local community is inflamed that No. 210, Alexandria's new multimillion dollar fire station, will remain without firefighters until 2016.

"Barge Inn Alexandria"

 

"Spring Backward"

 

Magic Bullet No. 10 at Newsstands!

  

The tenth edition of the comics anthology newspaper,Magic Bullet — the showcase of Washington DC area cartoonists, featuring work by some of the top professionals in the region — is now available at newsstands, coffee shops and wherever the erudite hang out in the metro DC area. To see where you can pick up your FREE copy of the 48 page issue, link to the Magic Bullet Locator. 

 

Glimpse of Art

Here's a sliver from my full page illustration in the upcoming issue of Magic Bullet. To see the entire picture, be sure to pick up your FREE COPY.