Ziggy (comic strip)
| Ziggy | |
|---|---|
Universal Uclick/Andrews McMeel Syndication | |
| Publisher(s) | Andrews McMeel Publishing |
| Genre(s) | Humor, gag cartoon, gag-a-day |
Ziggy is an American cartoon series about an eponymous character who suffers an endless stream of misfortunes and sad but sympathetic daily events. It was created by Tom Wilson, a former American Greetings executive, and distributed by Andrews McMeel Syndication. In 1987, his son Tom Wilson II took over writing and drawing the comic strip.[1]
History
Ziggy, nameless at his conception, has been visible in some form or another since the mid-1960s.
In 1987, after years of preparation, the strip was taken over by Tom Wilson's son, Tom Wilson II.
Tom Wilson I died on September 16, 2011, at the age of 80. His son continues to produce the strip as of 2022[update].
Ziggy's traits
Ziggy, the constantly unfortunate but sympathetic protagonist, is a diminutive, bald, barefoot, almost featureless character (save for his large nose). He is often drawn in just his shirt with no pants on, though the lower half of his torso is never seen. He lives in a simple house with a garden, and he is often seen working at an office job, at which his foibles often reflect the absurdities that many readers encounter on a daily basis.
On the name Ziggy, Tom Wilson II noted:
The name Ziggy derived from his father's school experience of being the last alphabetically. When a new classmate arrived with a last name beginning with "Z," the idea took root with the friendly sounding "y" ending, such as Billy or Tommy. "Ziggy is a last-in-line character," the son said in a phone interview. "The last picked for everything and kind of a lovable kind of loser character."[6]
Ziggy is seen throughout the years as an animal lover, and he is the owner of a number of pets, including a dog (Fuzz), a cat (Sid), a parrot (Josh),[7] and a duck (Wack) all of whom seem to possess some anthropomorphic qualities. For example, in a strip written in the 2000s, his pet fish Goldie[7] and his pet cat expressed noticeable displeasure with their owner because he told them that he ate catfish for dinner the night before. Despite them often playing a part in Ziggy's mishaps and misadventures, the love and affection he gives to and receives from his animals is often very different than his interactions with the various human beings he encounters during his days. Tom Wilson often juxtaposed Ziggy's human interactions with his animal interactions for comedic and emotional effect.[8]
One of the great appeals of the comic strip is how Ziggy himself deals with the endless stream of misfortunes which befall him on a daily basis. The character is frequently depicted in
In other media
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The animated 1982
In 2002, Ziggy became the official spokescharacter for the
References
- ^ "Celebrating Ziggy". American Profile. June 16, 2011. Retrieved October 25, 2023.
- ^ "Pellegrino v. American Greetings Corp., 592 F. Supp. 459 (D.S.D. 1984)". Justia. Retrieved March 9, 2018.
- ^ "Hürriyet Daily News – Archive news detail". Hürriyet Daily News – LEADING NEWS SOURCE FOR TURKEY AND THE REGION. Retrieved August 28, 2017.
- TribLive(April 13, 2012).
- ISBN 978-0-472-11756-7.
- ^ The Associated Press "Ziggy creator dies, but comic strip lives on," Today show website (Oct. 14, 2016).
- ^ a b "December 15, 2019 Ziggy strip".
- ^ Martin, Douglas (September 21, 2011). "Tom Wilson, Cartoonist Behind 'Ziggy,' Dies at 80". The New York Times. Retrieved August 28, 2017.