I am wishing all my cartoon-enthusiast friends could be here at Ohio State University for the Festival of Cartoon Art, which this year is celebrating the 100th anniversary of Krazy Kat. The first day featured a series of academic talks with a major portion dedicated to cartoonist George Herriman and his comic heroes, Krazy Kat and Ignatz. As my husband said, Krazy Kat” did much to inspire me to create a feature that went beyond the mere actions of ordinary children.”

Jean Schulz with the 2001 winner of the Charles M. Schulz award, Nate Beeler, and Sue Porter,
the Vice President of Programs at the Scripps Howard Foundation, who sponsors the award.

During a dinner at the home of Gordon Gee, the President of Ohio State University, we listened to the music of Vince Guaraldi and of Clark Gesner, who wrote and composed Happiness as well as the rest of the music for the musical You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown. Listening to their music, I am reminded how much of the wonderful feelings surrounding Peanuts and Sparky come from the pens of others. It is tremendous to think of the joy that both Guaraldi and Gesner have brought to our world.

—Jean Schulz