When I was researching my biography, Will Eisner, A Spirited Life, one of the biggest surprises for me was learning that two extremely successful daily cartoonists, Ray Billingsley of “Curtis," and Patrick McDonnell of “Mutts,” were once students of Eisner’s at the New York School of Visual Arts. Eisner spoke highly of both men, and he developed an ongoing mentor-style relationship with Billingsley, who was a very young man, just about 16, when he first took Eisner’s class. Billingsley’s strip, “Curtis,” brings a black perspective to the daily comics pages of more than 250 newspapers. It’s a steady performer recognized by the American Cancer Society for Curtis’ efforts to get his father to stop smoking. And Billingsley takes the detour from the usual story lines every December for an original Kwanzaa tale.
Ray Billingsley Website • Facebook
UPDATE: May 23, 2007The most talked about "Mr. Media Interview" to date - by far - was the one above with "Curtis" cartoonist Ray Billingsley. He hit a nerve by taking issue with book publishers who have been unwilling to produce a collection of his strip in nearly two decades. The interview led to not one but two stories on EditorandPublisher.com - including a condemnation of his remarks by the current president of the National Cartoonists Society, Rick Stromoski ("Soup to Nutz") - and a lengthy discussion on the popular web site, The Comics Curmudgeon. Billingsley isn't letting the issue die down, either, with the NCS' annual Reuben Awards just around the corner. A recent Sunday strip has generated even more controversy, this time on The Comics Journal Message Board. Read the strip and what's been written here. Or feel free to click on "Comments" below and add your thoughts here.
What I find interesting is that Billingsley hasn't directly mention the name of the publisher of the vast majority of comic strip compilations - even though it's pretty obvious with whom he's so frustrated. I also wonder why no Black-oriented book publisher has stepped forward - yet. If you'd like to hear more from Billingsley on this subject - live and in person, he'll be one of the guest speakers at the Festival of Cartoon Art, Oct. 25-27, 2007, sponsored by Ohio State University's Cartoon Research Library.
