Cartoonists to Protest Lack of Color in the Comics

Cartooning has always been an intensely competitive business; it can take years before even the most talented artist takes off. Charles Schulz labored for years before "Peanuts" caught on with the public. Then there's the fact that not all cartoonists are created equal. Some simply are more talented than others, says Aaron McGruder, whose hard-hitting strip, "Boondocks," was a big hit between 1999 and 2006, syndicated in more than 300 papers.

"I don't look at it as a purely racial or racist issue," says McGruder, who is African American. "I'm sure it's a factor. But I'm not convinced. Despite the hurdles and the issues of race, I was given more than a fair shot. Nobody ever mistook my strip for 'Curtis.'

"The industry itself is struggling. It's like they're the black passengers on the Titanic protesting to get to the top deck, and overlooking the fact that the whole ship is sinking."

Which is to say that this is also about economics: The more newspapers one's strip appears in, the fatter the paycheck. Observes Bentley, who's been drawing "Herb and Jamaal" for more than 20 years: "We're all in this because we want to have a voice within the paper. But this is also for us to make a living. We can't make a living if there isn't enough to sustain a life."

For nearly six years, Gary has enjoyed success with his race-neutral strip, "Working It Out," a satiric look at office politics featuring mostly white characters. The strip runs in 40 papers, a respectable number for a strip that's relatively new. Last April, he launched "Cafe con Leche," which is based on his life and explores married life between an African American and a Latina. Only two papers to date have picked it up, the Indianapolis Star and the Florida Sentinel Bulletin in Tampa, an African American paper.

"It's always like, 'We have "Watch Your Head," ' or this other cartoon, and that's discouraging to me," Gary says. "The only thing we have in common is minority characters. It's really sad."

"I doubt it's going to inspire some kind of change or some nationwide revolution or anything," says Thomas, who lives in Alexandria. But the Sunday comics sketch-in, if nothing else, might bring "a little visibility, get people to think about it."