Comments on: King Feature Editor-in-Chief Jay Kennedy perishes in drowning accident (updated)

By: CR Holiday Interview #15: Alan Gardner on the Year in Newspaper Strips and Editorial Cartooning | Technophobiac Comics

Mon, 07 Jan 2008 18:01:52 +0000

[...] so, then to give it its own category. SPURGEON: How big a story was the transition from the late Jay Kennedy to Brendan Burford at King Features, in your opinion? How have you felt about Ted Rall’s work with United thus far? GARDNER: Aside [...]

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

Wed, 07 Nov 2007 21:57:02 +0000

[...] King Features Syndicate has committed $100,000 to establish an endowed scholarship fund in honor of Jay Kennedy, who served as King Features Syndicate Editor in Chief from 1997 until his untimely death earlier this year. [...]

By: T. Brian Kelly

T. Brian Kelly — Wed, 04 Apr 2007 18:15:51 +0000

I, too, am saddened by this terrible event. I had only two contacts with Jay in my comics career. He wrote a few encouraging notes to me on an unsuccessful 1987 submission of a comic panel called “Kellian Province.” The notes and a follow-up phone call were a huge confidence booster at the time. 11 years later, I was lucky enough to sit next to him at the AAEC black-tie dinner in Las Vegas, NV and kibitz a little about comics and the cartoonist life.

Many people in this business knew him very well and liked him immensely. I can think of no greater legacy or lasting monument to a career and a life. May he rest in eternal peace.

By: Alan Thill

Alan Thill — Wed, 04 Apr 2007 03:23:41 +0000

I am so addened and surprised by this news. I never met him in person, but we corresponded on a regular basis. We had a common interest in collecting Underground Newspapers. We would be competing for the same items on eBay, but the next moment, trading items to complete our individual collections. I hope that all of Jay’s research/checklists for UG newspapers will not be lost….

By: Lisa Trusiani

Lisa Trusiani — Sun, 25 Mar 2007 13:12:57 +0000

Since family and friends are reading and writing here, my husband, Rick Parker, and I would like to extend our condolences to you. Rick lettered Spider-Man, Prince Valient, Rip Kirby, perhaps others for Jay. And I wrote Apartment 3G for Jay for 10 years. Jay was very supportive when I was learning the ropes, and I will always appreciate his offering me the opportunity to write for him. After reading these very moving posts, I wish I’d known him as a friend. However, he was friendly in his professional dealings with me, and he made my world a better place. With sadness, Lisa

By: Carol & Marc Spiegel

Carol & Marc Spiegel — Sat, 24 Mar 2007 13:00:01 +0000

We are dear friends of Sarah’s family and want to extend our deepest condolences and prayers to Jay’s family and friends as well. Jay and Sarah were such a wonderful, talented, sweet and fun couple. It’s such a tragedy to loose them both within such a short time.Hopefully it’s some comfort to know how much they were loved & respected and how much they will be remembered.Our thoughts are with you!

By: Gary Fields

Gary Fields — Wed, 21 Mar 2007 15:33:58 +0000

I was completely shocked when I read the sad news. Jay was a nice and gentle guy. I did a couple of try-outs for strips years ago and he was extremely professional and helpful in every way. He will be greatly missed.

By: D.D.Degg

D.D.Degg — Wed, 21 Mar 2007 15:18:39 +0000

And complementing Spurgeon’s piece is the less extensive but more intimate piece by David Foxley of the New York Observer.
http://www.observer.com/20070326/20070326_David_Foxley_culture_newsstory2.asp

By: Jim Keefe

Jim Keefe — Wed, 21 Mar 2007 14:16:58 +0000

Tom Spurgeon did a nice piece on Jay over at
http://www.comicsreporter.com

Scroll down to his March 20th postings or go to the following:
http://www.comicsreporter.com/index.php/jay_kennedy_1956_2007/

By: Pete murphey

Pete murphey — Wed, 21 Mar 2007 02:19:05 +0000

Marc, that is a touching and eloquent remembrance. It is helpful to hear more descriptions about Jay from people who knew him so well. It enables me to see a
much clearer, three-dimensional picture of who he was. I had the brief pleasure of working with Jay when my comic was being syndicated by King Features and experienced what most people did who crossed his path, a true comics fan, who understood the art and history of the medium inside and out, and who would go out of his way to encourage and develop artists. He was very sharp and had good instincts about what made a comic work. What made him a good editor, as others have mentioned, was that he could be direct and blunt in his criticism but always give it in a way that made you feel like he was on your side and respected your position. I think it was because he was so passionate about comics as a medium and understood the processes artists go through as they create work, that enabled him to go of his way to make those hand written notes and phone calls to artists who may have never had a shot of being syndicated. It was also a smart way of winning over cartoonists as they developed material that was syndication worthy. All else being equal, who were you going to sign with, the guy who gave you the helpful, personal, hand written feedback or phone call, when you were nowhere near being ready, or the syndicate that sent you the form letter? He was exuberant about the comic art form and savvy about the comic business. For me, and for so many other cartoonists it was that personal contact from Jay, that made one feel there was hope to continue going forward in this strange and baffling business called cartooning. Iâ€™ve always had the thought, when creating any new work that Iâ€™d always be able to get Jay to look at it and hear his response. That idea has always added to the motivation of any new cartoon endeavor Iâ€™ve worked on. Iâ€™m so very sad that I and so many other cartoonists have lost that opportunity. Jay will be sorely missed. May he rest in peace.

Pete Murphey