In this engaging conversation, Cathy Guisewite, the creator of the iconic syndicated comic strip ‘Cathy’, shares her journey through the world of cartooning, the challenges she faced as a female cartoonist, and the cultural impact of her work. From her early days of struggling with drawing to her experiences on The Tonight Show, Cathy reflects on her evolution as an artist and the significance of her comic strip in addressing women’s issues. She discusses the release of her 50th Anniversary Collection and the bittersweet feelings surrounding the end of her long-running strip.

Cathy 50th Anniversary Collection

Takeaways

• Cathy Guisewite’s comic strip ‘Cathy’ ran for 34 years in over 1,400 newspapers.
• She faced unique challenges as a female cartoonist in a male-dominated industry.
• Cathy’s work resonated with readers, providing humor and insight into women’s lives.
• The evolution of her character mirrored the changing landscape of feminism.
• Cathy received heartfelt letters from readers that kept her motivated throughout her career.
• Her experiences on The Tonight Show were both terrifying and rewarding.
• Cathy’s creative process involved rewriting and refining her strips up until the deadline.
• The 50th Anniversary Collection serves as a scrapbook of her career and the cultural conversations it sparked.
• Cathy’s daughter helped digitize her work for the anniversary collection, leading to humorous reflections on past comics.
• The end of ‘Cathy’ was not as planned as she would have liked, but it still resonated with readers.