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A Cartoonist's Mother's Love Affair With a Cartoonist

Connecticut Public Radio | By Colin McEnroe
Published September 24, 2015 at 1:00 PM EDT
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Cover art from Bill Griffith's new memoir, "Invisible Ink: My Mother's Secret Love Affair with a Famous Cartoonist."
Bill Griffith
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Bill Griffith - Cartoonist, creator of "Zippy the Pinhead" and author of Invisible Ink: My Mother's Secret Love Affair with a Famous Cartoonist
Chion Wolf / WNPR

I first met cartoonist Bill Griffith back in the 1980s. I arranged for us to tour a Boston-area Hostess Twinkie plant, which sounds like a weird first date but makes perfect sense if you're familiar with his creation "Zippy the Pinhead," an unwitting surrealist who swims happily through a sea of taco sauce, processed cheese and, well, Twinkies.

Lately, when I've run into Bill he has mentioned a very different kind of project: a memoir about his late mother and specifically about her love affair with, of all things a, cartoonist. Now I've read the memoir which is basically Zippy Meets Freud. It's a great trip and we're going to take you on it now. Bring your own Twinkies.

GUEST:
  • Bill Griffith - Cartoonist, creator of "Zippy the Pinhead" and author of Invisible Ink: My Mother's Secret Love Affair with a Famous Cartoonist

MUSIC:

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Tucker Ives and Chion Wolf contributed to this show.
Colin McEnroe
Colin McEnroe is a radio host, newspaper columnist, magazine writer, author, playwright, lecturer, moderator, college instructor and occasional singer. Colin can be reached at colin@ctpublic.org.
See stories by Colin McEnroe

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SOMOS CONNECTICUT es una iniciativa de Connecticut Public, la emisora local de NPR y PBS del estado, que busca elevar nuestras historias latinas y expandir programación que alza y informa nuestras comunidades latinas locales. Visita CTPublic.org/latino para más reportajes y recursos. Para noticias, suscríbase a nuestro boletín informativo en ctpublic.org/newsletters.

The independent journalism and non-commercial programming you rely on every day is in danger.

If you’re reading this, you believe in trusted journalism and in learning without paywalls. You value access to educational content kids love and enriching cultural programming.

Now all of that is at risk.

Federal funding for public media is under threat and if it goes, the impact to our communities will be devastating.

Together, we can defend it. It’s time to protect what matters.

Your voice has protected public media before. Now, it’s needed again. Learn how you can protect the news and programming you depend on.

Protect Connecticut Public