Bring a comic back
Beginning Tuesday, March 11, we will add five comics to our daily comics page that readers told us they like, and to make room we have canceled some that our readers told us were their least favorite: B.C, Hagar the Horrible, Marmaduke, Garfield, Get Fuzzy, Dennis the Menace and Cornered. Vote at DaytonDailyNews.com/ComicsPoll through March 19 to tell us which one of those seven comics you would like to see returned and we will bring it back later this spring or you can vote by phone by calling 937-225-2100.
Cartoonist Brian Basset, whose popular “Red and Rover” comic strip will appear daily in our newspaper beginning Tuesday, March 11, is carrying on a treasured family tradition.
His dad, Gene Basset, spent 40 years behind the drawing board as a sports, theatrical and political cartoonist. Basset began drawing as a kid and after high school headed for The Ohio State University.
“I appreciate my years attending Ohio State now more than ever,” Basset said. “Looking back, I can see how it gave me the chance to grow as an individual, but also a cartoonist.”
He says the instructors in Ohio State’s Fine Arts Program were terrific.
“The three years I drew for the school paper, The Lantern, prepared me for the rigors of meeting deadlines, working with editors, as well as allowing me the opportunity to develop a defined style that I have tweaked over the years,” Basset said. “I found out quickly that there is nothing like the embarrassment of having unpolished work published to motivate one to get better at their craft.”
After college he headed for The Seattle Times as one of the youngest political cartoonists in the country. It was in those years he came up with “Adam,” a comic that revolved around a stay-at-home father of three now known as “Adam@home.”
In 2000, Basset introduced “Red and Rover,” the retro-feel strip that revolves around the unconditional love between a boy and his dog. Just like Charlie and Snoopy, 10-year-old Red and his faithful canine companion, Rover, forged their fellowship in a gentler time, when friends were forever and loyalty was unquestioned. Red’s 17-year-old brother, Martin, plays the foil, while Red’s parents, Carol and Charlie, attempt to keep everything running smoothly.
“Simply put, our pets make us more human,” said Basset, who lives in Seattle and is active around the country in animal-related charities. “They teach us what it means to love, nurture, care and grieve — and then be able to love again. That is why I believe childhood is such an important time to have a pet.”
Our readers agree.
“I am a family man with a dog that is literally one of the family so I can easily relate to ‘Baby Blues’ and ‘Red and Rover’ commented Lansing Ellis of West Chester. Russell Schiappacasse of Harrison Twp. said: “I love the interactions of children and their pets!”
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