'Ziggy' cartoonist celebrates 35 years of cartoon pages

Cartoonist Tom Wilson didn't create the perennially popular "Ziggy." He took it over from hs father some 20 years ago.

And Wilson says he loves the hapless little guy, who began as a greeting-card character and is now celebrating 35 years on the comics pages.

"There's something nice about watching your kid grow up and make something of himself," Wilson said by phone during a Las Vegas vacation. "I love what Ziggy has become for people. Years ago someone said he had become a classic — but recently the word 'icon' has been used, and I like that even better."

When pressed, Wilson concedes that Ziggy may be more like "the successful brother" who has a lot in common with both Wilson and his dad.

Wilson's dad has suffered a stroke that has robbed him of his mobility, but a bout with cancer has been successful, and Wilson says his father is generally in good health now. "I always wanted to follow in Dad's footsteps more than any other man. He's the most creative man I've ever met.

"I always wanted to help and throw out ideas. I started doing some writing. Then Dad started letting me do the inking — then finally, the strip itself. It was more evolutionary than a passing of the torch. I did my own cartoon strip, "Ugh," for four years before (doing 'Ziggy') became official."

It was a little like taking over the family business — especially since a number of products have been licensed to take on the Ziggy image or name. "If you type in 'Ziggy' on eBay, 600 to 700 items pop up. I don't even remember us doing some of them."

The Ziggy panel appears in more than 600 newspapers across the country, including the Deseret Morning News. "We have a very loyal fan base," said Wilson. "When they do test polls or drop a strip and see who complains, 'Ziggy' has had one of the most faithful of readerships. People also send ideas for 'Ziggy.' "

But Wilson retains control of the content of "Ziggy" — much of it coming from notebooks that he has compiled. "It has to be an idea that works for Ziggy. He has a gentle, philosophical humor. I love other types of humor, too, but for the most part, I ask myself 'What would Ziggy do?' or 'How would Ziggy respond to that idea?' "

Wilson's dad drew "simply," and he follows the same tradition. "Dad also had a knack for saying things precisely. We're in a panel format, and newspapers are shrinking and the panels get hit pretty hard. I have to cram a lot into a concise little space and still protect Ziggy's personality."