The following is an excerpt from the Dedication inside my second cartoon book, The Rest of Broadside, published in 1998:
A large part of the joy we feel in living comes from those with whom we live: our spouses, our friends and our families.
I have been blessed with a wonderful, beautiful wife who, for reasons unclear to me, has allowed this cartoon hobby to continue for fourteen years. She brings me more happiness than I deserve. [Our little family has since grown to include another beauty – our happy and delightful daughter.]
Like many of you, the Navy has brought me together with a host of great, forgiving characters who I am proud to call my friends. And if you – the guy or gal reading this book – get a chuckle out of a cartoon because it reminds you of someone or something that happened, then we’ve just shared an experience, and that makes us friends too.
I have a couple of families. The Navy is my family. We watch each other grow up and eventually grow old, learning life’s lessons and enduring a few hardships along the way. It is an experience I love and will never forget. These cartoons are for the extraordinary men and women who serve faithfully – you’re my brothers and sisters.
The other family, my real family, taught me the true meaning of the word joy. The architect of that joy was the incredible, lovable, cheerful guy everyone called Big Lou. We called him Dad. This book is dedicated to him.
We miss you, big guy.
Happy Father’s Day to you all.
