Comments on: Erin Russell wins Charles M. Schulz award for top college cartoonist

By: Aaron Teeling

Aaron Teeling — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 13:30:14 +0000

Jody Lindke was talented in various subjects from an early age.
For anyone who every read her comic, she was much like the main character and she drew the supporting cast from people she knew. She also pulled double duty creating political satires for the local Reno newspaper.

She was equally talented in science and math, and there was a point in her life she considered being a doctor. Literature was her favorite and her true calling, which is why you probably haven’t seen her syndicated, (IIRC, although there was interest in her work prior to winning the award).

She married a classmate with the last name of Johnson but I believe she kept her maiden name (Don’t recall exactly why).

Last I heard she was working on a movie manuscript about 4 years ago, trying to pitch it in Hollywood. I assume she is still married.

If anyone knows where she is or how to get a hold of her please let her know that ‘niknup’ has been looking for her and can be found in Virginia.

By: The Daily Cartoonist | News and blog about comic strips, editorial cartoons, cartoons

Wed, 02 Jan 2008 08:39:02 +0000

[...] for a second time in a row; Steve Benson took home the Scripps Howard National Journalism Award; Erin Russell won the Charles M. Schulz award for top college cartoonist and Walt Handelsman, Nick Anderson, Mike Thompson’s names were leaked as the likely Pulitzer [...]

By: Steve Weller

Steve Weller — Tue, 14 Aug 2007 21:13:12 +0000

Congrats! I tried to win that a few years back and thought they had stopped running it! Maybe I’ll enter it again this year…
“Scootah Steve”
Utah State University
Alan Gardner’s Alma Mater

By: Richard Orlin

Richard Orlin — Thu, 05 Apr 2007 03:26:09 +0000

Alan: I’m not “unknown”. I just haven’t done any cartooning since I went to work for the Federal government in 1993. I’ve been traveling around the world, courtesy of the Foreign Service. Probably a lot of usable material there, but I’ve been too busy earning a living. Perhaps when I retire I will take up the pen again.

By: Frank Pauer

Frank Pauer — Mon, 12 Mar 2007 17:45:34 +0000

I should note that, for all of us “older” guys nearer the bottom of the list, you didn’t have to be an enrolled college student to enter the competition then. It was open to anyone who wanted to further their craft, and the $2,000 at that time helped a lot. I took the money, and then two weeks off work (I was a cartoonist at the Dayton Daily News/Journal Herald), drove up to NYC and Connecticut and visited as many cartoonists as I could. Winning the award was pretty cool then. Still is.

By: Rich

Rich — Sun, 11 Mar 2007 15:54:30 +0000

Congrats to Erin on the award. I like the samples at her web site. Good choice of stip name.

Well, based on Doug’s research, the dream to become the first female african-american to be nationally syndicated isn’t going to happen, but I’m sure just being nationally syndicated works too! Good luck with that, looks like you’re off to a goodd start.

By: Charles Brubaker

Charles Brubaker — Sun, 11 Mar 2007 10:49:26 +0000

Never mind. Turned out he was only a finalist.

By: Charles Brubaker

Charles Brubaker — Sun, 11 Mar 2007 10:36:52 +0000

Thanks for the list?

But didn’t D.C. Simpson win the Schulz award at least once? He was drawing a comic called “Ozy and Millie” for his college paper (which is still running, as a webcomic)

By: Brian Fairrington

Brian Fairrington — Sun, 11 Mar 2007 07:12:15 +0000

Great Charles Schulz Award list, I’ve never seen a complete list before. Even though it lists me as a 1997 winner I actually did not win until 1998 (but it was for 1997 cartoons I guess)

Secondly, I tried to enter again after I won but was told off the record that they don’t award it to past winners, so I believe I was only a finalist the following year.

I see there has been a two time winner recently….and at 10 grand a pop! It was only $2500 back when I won. Winning 20 grand in college would have been like winning the lottery! haha- Anyway, well deserved and congrats to all this years winners.

By: Doug Johnson

Doug Johnson — Sun, 11 Mar 2007 02:41:44 +0000

BLACK FEMALE CARTOONISTS

It looks like the http://www.jadedjoy.com website said that Erin Russell wanted to become the first black female to have a nationally syndicated DAILY comic strip.

Jackie Ormes, creator of the comic strip, Torchy Brown, was the first black female cartoonist with a nationally syndicated weekly strip in 1937.

Barbara Brandon-Croft, creator of the now defunct Where I’m Coming From (Universal) was the second black female cartoonist with a nationally syndicated weekly strip in 1989.

And, Alan, I’m sorry about the mix-up on the results for 1995. I must have mis-read the results. Thanks for posting this really interesting info.

I really like Erin’s Jaded Joy strip. It definitely has a younger pop culture flavor.