Nationally acclaimed cartoonist, filmmaker, producer, and writer Joe Young has earned a recognition that few of us have. In 1999, Young became a Guinness Book of World Records holder for creating the longest comic strip in the world.
In this digital exclusive, he shares the story of how the community came out to support him in his quest for this honor.
Watch our full interview with cartoonist Joe Young.
This interview was originally part of our March 24, 2022 show.
Read the full transcript:
Joe Young, Cartoonist/Filmmaker: One summer, I wanted to do a big project for kids where it would focus on literacy. And I know comic strips.
So I said, “I want to do a big jumbo comic strip the length of a football field.” People thought I was crazy!
So the city of Hartford gave me a whole park, a whole facility. They built a big easel to do it. I called all my friends. I called the person who got me in this, Gayle King. You see the personality. Ray Allen came out and supported.
And and we had 5,000 kids from all over. They said 2,000 — it was really 5,000 — from all over New England to paint on this comic strip. And when you do good stuff, good stuff happens.
And so, the Hartford Courant covered it. Then it hit the Associated Press, then it took off. The New York Times da da da. And then Guinness World Record people heard about it.
Then they came out and measured, and I got a Guinness World Record. Then Ripley’s Believe It or Not Heard about it. And so things springboard.
And then the White House got wind of it. And I was a recipient of the Daily Point of Light award in ’99 from the White House.
If you’re positive and Rumi said it, the great sage, he said, “What you are seeking is seeking you.” I believe that.
