Norm Feuti

Last updated
Norm Feuti
NormFeuti.png
Norm Feuti
Born (1970-05-14) May 14, 1970 (age 54)
United States
NationalityAmerican
Area(s) Cartoonist, author
Notable works
Retail , Gil ,
Pretending You Care: The Retail Employee Handbook

Norman Feuti (born May 14, 1970) is an American cartoonist best known for his nationally syndicated comic strips Retail and Gil .

Contents

Feuti grew up in Pascoag, Rhode Island, where he and his older sister were raised by their single mother, who worked in a screen windows factory. “Growing up in a single-parent family during America’s first ‘Great Recession’ wasn’t always easy, but I look back on my formative years fondly,” said Feuti. [1] He drew in high school but wasn't impressed enough by his drawing ability to apply to an art school. He is a resident of Plainville, Massachusetts. [2]

Retail

In Massachusetts, Feuti had over 15 years of retail management experience at seven different stores, selling everything from arts and crafts supplies, jewelry and men's footwear to clothing, giftware and toys. He first worked at a convenience store, recalling:

They insisted we wear an apron. Our clientele was generally getting out of a bar late at night, coming in, yelling that we were out of their brand of cigarettes, and we still had to put on an apron to create an air of respectability. [3]

Next, he was employed at Father and Son Shoes, selling backpacks:

As the company moved into the backpack business, it asked employees to wear a backpack around the store and compete to sell the highest number. Customers mocked him, the bag proved uncomfortable and, in the end, he said, the only contest winner was the store's manager, who received a color television. Soon, he switched to Bostonian, an upscale shoe store where the merchandise was more expensive and the customers complained more loudly. One shopper called the store to report that a shoelace had broken off. It was unclear how the lace had broken, or what it had to do with the store, but the man angrily demanded that Mr. Feuti mail him a new one, which he did. After that, Mr. Feuti worked at Learningsmith, an educational toy and gift store, where, he recalled, he encountered parents who thought that their children were little geniuses in the making. When Mr. Feuti steered one mother to a series of Looney Tunes -themed workbooks she sneered that her highly literate children "never watch television." [3]

Tapping into such past experiences, Feuti's daily comic strip Retail was launched on January 1, 2006 by King Features Syndicate. Feuti ended Retail on February 23, 2020. [4]

Gil

In 2008, Feuti created a second strip, Gil, as a web comic on his website. The main character is an eight-year-old boy named Gil who is raised by his single mother Cheryl in a poverty-stricken household. Gil also sees his father Frank occasionally, a ne'er-do-well who often offers Gil questionable advice. Secondary characters include Gil's friend and confidant Shandra and his antagonist Morgan. In 2011, Gil was picked up for syndication by King Features and launched in newspapers on January 2, 2012. [5] On January 1, 2023, Feuti announced that the Providence Journal decided to stop carrying the feature at the end of 2022. [6]

Living in Massachusetts in 2012, Feuti dreamed up Gil ideas while observing his children, along with memories of his own childhood experiences.

Books

Feuti's book Pretending You Care: The Retail Employee Handbook (Hyperion, 2007) [7] is a manual for dealing with the problems of working in retail with Retail comic strips serving as illustrations.

Feuti's book The King of Kazoo (Graphix (an imprint of Scholastic) 2016) [8] is a graphic novel for children aged 9 to 12.

Related Research Articles

<i>Calvin and Hobbes</i> Comic strip by Bill Watterson

Calvin and Hobbes is a daily American comic strip created by cartoonist Bill Watterson that was syndicated from November 18, 1985, to December 31, 1995. Commonly described as "the last great newspaper comic", Calvin and Hobbes has enjoyed enduring popularity, influence, and academic and even a philosophical interest.

<i>Dennis the Menace</i> (U.S. comics) American newspaper comic strip

Dennis the Menace is a daily syndicated newspaper comic strip originally created, written, and illustrated by Hank Ketcham. The comic strip made its debut on March 12, 1951 in 16 newspapers and was originally distributed by Post-Hall Syndicate. It is now written and drawn by Ketcham's former assistants, Marcus Hamilton, Ron Ferdinand, and son Scott Ketcham, and distributed to at least 1,000 newspapers in 48 countries and in 19 languages by King Features Syndicate. The comic strip usually runs for a single panel on weekdays and a full strip on Sundays.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jim Davis (cartoonist)</span> American cartoonist and creator of Garfield (born 1945)

James Robert Davis is an American cartoonist, screenwriter, and producer. He is best known as the creator of the comic strips Garfield and U.S. Acres. Published since 1978, Garfield is one of the world's most widely syndicated comic strips. Davis's other comics work includes Tumbleweeds, Gnorm Gnat, and Mr. Potato Head.

Marvin, later called Marvin & Family, is a daily newspaper comic strip created by cartoonist Tom Armstrong and distributed in the U.S. by Hearst's King Features Syndicate. Debuting in 1982, it revolves around the life and times of a young baby boy named Marvin, along with his parents, Jeff and Jenny Miller, and their dog Bitsy. In 1989, CBS aired a special, "Marvin, Baby of the Year."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Johnny Hart</span> American cartoonist

John Lewis Hart was an American cartoonist noted as the creator of the comic strips B.C. and The Wizard of Id. Brant Parker co-produced and illustrated The Wizard of Id. Hart was recognized with several awards, including the Swedish Adamson Award and five from the National Cartoonists Society. In his later years, he was known for incorporating Christian themes and messages into his strips. Hart was referred to by Chuck Colson in a Breakpoint column as "the most widely read Christian of our time," over C. S. Lewis, Frank E. Peretti, and Billy Graham.

<i>The Family Circus</i> Comic strip

The Family Circus is a syndicated comic strip created by cartoonist Bil Keane and, since Keane's death in 2011, written, inked and rendered (colored) by his son Jeff Keane. The strip generally uses a single captioned panel with a round border, hence the original name of the series, which was changed following objections from the magazine Family Circle. The series debuted February 29, 1960, and has been in continuous production ever since. According to publisher King Features Syndicate, it is the most widely syndicated cartoon panel in the world, appearing in 1,500 newspapers. Compilations of Family Circus comic strips have sold more than 13 million copies worldwide.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chic Young</span> American comic strip cartoonist (1901–1973)

Murat Bernard "Chic" Young was an American cartoonist who created the comic strip Blondie. His 1919 William McKinley High School Yearbook cites his nickname as Chicken, source of his familiar pen name and signature. According to King Features Syndicate, Young had a daily readership of 52 million. Stan Drake, who drew Blondie in the 1980s and 1990s, stated that Young "has to go down in history as one of the geniuses of the industry."

<i>Cathy</i> American comic strip

Cathy is an American gag-a-day comic strip, drawn by Cathy Guisewite from 1976 until 2010. The comic follows Cathy, a woman who struggles through the "four basic guilt groups" of life: food, love, family, and work. The strip gently pokes fun at the lives and foibles of modern women. The strip's debut was on November 22, 1976, and it appeared in over 1,400 newspapers at its peak. The strips have been compiled into more than 20 books. Three television specials were also created. Guisewite received the National Cartoonists Society Reuben Award in 1992 for the strip.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">King Features Syndicate</span> American print syndication company

King Features Syndicate, Inc. is an American content distribution and animation studio, consumer product licensing and print syndication company owned by Hearst Communications that distributes about 150 comic strips, newspaper columns, editorial cartoons, puzzles, and games to nearly 5,000 newspapers worldwide. King Features Syndicate also produces intellectual properties, develops new content and franchises, and licenses its classic characters and properties.

<i>Henry</i> (comics) Comic strip created by Carl Anderson

Henry is a comic strip created in 1932 by Carl Thomas Anderson. The title character is a young bald boy who is mostly mute in the comics. Except in a few early episodes, when the comic strip character communicates, he does so largely but not entirely through pantomime. He also spoke in a comic book series of 1946–1961 and in at least one Betty Boop cartoon from 1935 in which Betty Boop has a pet shop and Henry speaks to a dog in the window.

<i>Smitty</i> (comic strip) American comic strip by Walter Berndt

Smitty was a newspaper comic strip created in the early 1920s by Walter Berndt. Syndicated nationally by the Chicago Tribune New York News Syndicate, it ran from November 27, 1922, to 1974 and brought Berndt a Reuben Award in 1969.

<i>Grandma</i> (comic strip) American comic strip by Charles Kuhn

Grandma is a comic strip by Charles Kuhn that ran from April 14, 1947, to June 28, 1969. He usually signed the strip "Chas. Kuhn".

<i>My Cage</i> American comic strip by Melissa DaJesus and Ed Power

My Cage is an American daily comic strip by Melissa DeJesus and Ed Power and was distributed by King Features Syndicate. The strip debuted on May 6, 2007, while the final strip ran on October 31, 2010. My Cage was the first "manga-inspired" comic to be syndicated by King Features. The strip was then in reruns on Universal Uclick's gocomics.com from November 5, 2011 until November 5, 2020.

<i>Retail</i> (comic strip) 2006-2020 syndicated comic strip distributed by King Features Syndicate

Retail is a syndicated comic strip distributed by King Features Syndicate. It was authored and illustrated by Norm Feuti. It ran in newspapers from 2006 to 2020, and throughout its run gained quickly in popularity following articles in The New York Times and TIME Magazine. In January 2020, Feuti announced that he planned to end the strip in order to focus on his career as a children's book author. The final strip was published on February 23, 2020.

<i>Young Tom Edison</i> 1940 film by Norman Taurog

Young Tom Edison is a 1940 biographical film about the early life of inventor Thomas Edison directed by Norman Taurog and starring Mickey Rooney. The film was the first of a complementary pair of Edison biopics that Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer released in 1940. Edison, the Man, starring Spencer Tracy, followed two months later, completing the two-part story of Edison's life.

Cul de Sac is an American comic strip created by Richard Thompson. It was distributed by Universal Press Syndicate/Universal Uclick to 150 worldwide newspapers from 2004 to 2012.

Morrie Brickman was a cartoonist. His nationally syndicated comic strip The Small Society was published in over 300 papers, including 35 foreign publications.

Gil is a syndicated comic strip written and illustrated by the American cartoonist Norm Feuti. It is distributed by King Features Syndicate.

Jim Hardy is a 1936-1942 American adventure comic strip written and drawn by Dick Moores and distributed by United Features Syndicate. It was Moores' first solo comic strip work, before he gained renown for his work on Gasoline Alley. The strip told the story of Jim Hardy, a down-on-his-luck "man against the world".

William Raphael Louis Dwyer, Jr., known as Bil Dwyer, was an American cartoonist and humorist. He was known for several newspaper comic strips in the 1930s and 1950s, including Dumb Dora and Sandy Hill, as well as a series of humorous books of Southern slang published in the 1970s.

References

  1. Moore, Matt. “Seriously Funny”. Associated Press, March 6, 2012.
  2. "New kid on the page". The Sun Chronicle. Retrieved 29 December 2015.
  3. 1 2 Barbaro, Michael. "Panel by Comic Panel, a Retail Clerk Exacts His Revenge". The New York Times, December 31, 2005.
  4. "Retail Comic Strip". 4 October 2009.
  5. Racine, Tom. "Norm Feuti Returns". Tall Tale Radio, September 26, 2011.
  6. https://www.normfeuticartoons.com/blog/gil-has-ended/ [ bare URL ]
  7. Locally drawn comic strip 'Retail' about to hit retailers nationwide The Sun Chronicle 12 October 2012
  8. "Review of the Day: The King of Kazoo by Norm Feuti". School Library Journal. 20 May 2016. Retrieved 21 July 2016.