This is a different post but one of great importance. After years of “What’s in it for me?”, it’s time for a little “What can I do to help?” As part of the government’s push to get people to volunteer, the National Cartoonists Society asked members to draw something into their strips. Many of the members of the Berndt Toast Gang earn their living in other parts of the field but we still wanted to help. This is where the Ink Well Foundation comes into the picture. It’s a group of cartoonists, animators, and entertainers who visit various children’s hospitals and hospices around the country. Last Friday, we made our second visit to St. Mary’s Children’s Hospital. St. Mary’s offers long-term care for children with life-limiting conditions. But kids are kids, resilient, funny, always great inspiration and thrilled by what we cartoonists do. We would be lost without them, they are our biggest fans.
Ray Alma, animator, illustrator and caricaturist, is our liaison between St. Mary’s and the Ink Well Foundation. Ray and I were joined by Joe Vissichelli (caricaturist), Tim Savage (art director and illustrator), Joyce Pendretti (face-painter, and the hit of the evening), Howard Beckerman (animation legend, professor, and author), Dan Danglo (fellow animator, Felix the Cat is just one of his great projects), and Mark Mitchell (famed Disney artist, all the way from Massachusetts).
The staff at St. Mary’s are extraordinary. Wonderful, caring people making a difference in many lives. It takes a special group to welcome a bunch of cartoonists in to disrupt their busy schedule and doing it all with a smile.
Along with the great kids and staff, in the back row: Joyce Pendretti (in black), Mark Mitchell (sporting the sporty hat), Dan Danglo, me, Joe Vissichelli, Howard Beckerman, and Tim Savage. Ray's out front!
