Moving to Mississippi didn’t make a bit of sense on paper. I had a great job (at Copley News Service in San Diego), had a great boss and worked with amazing people. And I lived in San Diego — don’t knock it until you’ve been there. But I took the leap of faith and came here.
If you don’t like me or my cartoons, blame Dan Turner. He was my editor in Conroe, Texas (the job before San Diego). He’s also a native of Philadelphia, Mississippi. He called me one afternoon and told me that he’d been at The Clarion-Ledger for a training session and noticed that they were hiring a cartoonist. I initially didn’t think it was for me — but he said that I’d be perfect here. That people would love my work and I’d be very happy.
Dan Turner is very convincing — and a wise man.
Amy and I were thinking of starting a family and having only one state between us and our families seemed like a good idea (no matter how many times I now cuss Alabama and the road construction on I-20). I remember driving across the state line in Vicksburg. I saw the river. I thought “This is my state.” (Someone owes me royalties, me thinks). I still feel that way when I cross back into Mississippi. I called David Hampton back after he offered me the job and said “yes.”
I’m not a native Mississippian. But my three boys are. And we’ve chosen to raise them here. Someday they’ll do like I did and spread their wings to chase their dreams. I hope they have as much luck as I have.
I’ll keep drawing for as long as I am able to. But for as long as I live, I’ll be grateful for the time I’ve spent here. And to all the people I’ve drawn, thank you, too. You’ve made my job easy.
Everyday I live my childhood dream and get paid for it. And I get to do it in a cartoonist’s paradise. I’m the luckiest man alive.