Flo & Friends

Last updated
Flo & Friends
Author(s)John Gibel (creator), Rose Ellison King (writer) [1]
Jenny Campbell
Current status/scheduleActive daily
Launch date2002
Syndicate(s) Creators Syndicate
Genre(s)Humor, aging

Flo & Friends is an American syndicated daily comic strip drawn by Jenny Campbell and distributed by Creators Syndicate. The comic was originally created by John Gibel in 2002.

Contents

Concept

The motto of Flo & Friends is "Aging with an Attitude." The strip centers on Flo, a senior citizen whose life does not conform to stereotypes about the elderly, along with her family and friends. The main characters do not age, but the strip follows the cycle of the year and may mention current events, such as the pandemic and elections. The strip is realistic but lighthearted about the challenges of aging. A common refrain is "old age is not for sissies." There is a large cast of occasional characters who represent different aspects of and attitudes to aging.

Main characters

Creators

The strip's creator John Gibel, had the idea to create a strip about seniors while volunteering at non-profit organizations in Cleveland, Ohio. However, he felt he needed help since "he knew he wasn't funny or artistic," so he enlisted Jenny Campbell, a freelance illustrator, and John Murtha to assist. [2] Campbell assumed responsibility for the strip after the sudden death of John Gibel in early 2005.

Jenny Campbell grew up in the PhoenixScottsdale area, and graduated from Arizona State University in 1979, beginning as a fine arts major, but finishing with a BA in journalism. [3] While still in college, she started at The Arizona Republic as the paper's first female copyboy and went on to become a picture editor, occasional feature writer and sometime cartoonist. She then worked for the Pasadena Star-News and the Orange County Register . She eventually ended up in Chagrin Falls, Ohio in 1996, enabling her to connect with John Gibel through a mutual friend. [4]

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References

  1. Gardner, Alan. "FLO & FRIENDS COMIC WRITER PASSES AWAY," The Daily Cartoonist (Feb. 2, 2006).
  2. "Flo & Friends, Comic Art from Cleveland". CoolCleveland.
  3. "Flo & Friends, Comic Art from Cleveland". CoolCleveland.
  4. "Flo & Friends, Comic Art from Cleveland". CoolCleveland.



References