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Last week we discovered The Cartoon Factory Ltd. a small syndicate servicing weekly and bi-weekly newspapers that distributed comic strips and panels from July 5, 1981 to March 28, 1982. The full roster of The Cartoon Factory could be run on one page.

above: The Morton County and Mandan News comics page of January 17, 1982

The cartoonists and comic titles remained the same throughout the syndicates existence as did the placement of comics. This week we will try to find out about the cartoonists who filled the left side of the comics page.

above: Chula Vista Star-News comics page from November 12, 1981

Ron Stanfield

Ron Stanfield did the Snavely panel for The Cartoon Factory. He had been a gag cartoonist for magazines since at least 1966 and continued doing cartoons until at least 1978. In the early 1980s he found another passion – the banjo. Ron started playing the banjo and composing music for it for the rest of his life.

Reseaching Ron I find that he passed away just two months ago.

Chuck Vadun

above: Chuck Vadun for The New Breed May 18, 2002

Chuck Vadun did Bottom Lines, a panel for The Cartoon Factory. Don’t know when he began his cartooning career, whether it was before or during his successful career as an Ad Man. After his tour of duty with The Cartoon Factory he moved over to United Feature Syndicate where he put his paying job to good use doing ADventures from 1982-1986. His urge to cartoon never faded and in 2001 and 2002 he was contributing to King Features’ The New Breed. Unforunately 2002 is when Vadun passed away.

Mike Kreffel

above: Sloppy Seconds – More Trouble Than They’re Worth album cover by Mike Kreffel

Mike Kreffel (1942-2008) did the Gillbert comic strip for The Cartoon Factory. Kreffel would go on to be an illustrator and a “girlie” cartoonist, supposedly even getting into Playboy.

Jerry Steadham

Jerry Steadham was the cartoonist for Newsmonger Report. In the 1970s Jerry was part of the Steadham, Hickman & Co. ad agency. Other than that ???????? We will come across him again farther down this page.

Fred Womack

Fred Womack feature article in the October 15, 1981 Boscobel Dial

Fred Womack created Horse & Feathers for The Cartoon Factory. Before and after the strip Womack was a commercial and advertising artist. He also became an illustrator of children’s books.

above: Fred Womack illustrating Hilaire Belloc’s The Elephant

Fred passed away in 2008.

Mark Segelman

Mark Segelman did Snouts for The Cartoon Factory. Segelman made (and still makes as far as I know) his bones as an attorney-at-law. He also writes fiction and poetry In 1977 Nutshell profiled up and coming college cartoonists, Mark was featured alongside Kevin Kallagher, Paul Duginski, Bob Staake, Mark Mayerson and others:

Mark Segelman college profile in Nutshell 1977

Craig Boldman

Tailpoe by Craig Boldman

Craig Boldman partnered with Jim Erskine to create Clipper’s Ship for The Cartoon Factory. According to Craig’s LinkedIn page this effort was at the beginning of Craig’s career in comics, not long after attending The Joe Kubert School:

From 1979 to 1989 I was the Graphic Arts professional for Adelman Robinson & Associates, an agency that specialized in media for the amusement park industry. I produced print materials for their client parks, including designing park mascots.

For six years starting in 1982 I was a contract writer for Gibson Greeting Cards.

A couple years after Clipper’s Ship he was writing for DC Comics and then became a regular writer for Archie comic books and the Archie comic strip. His list of credits include a number of independent and personal projects.

To this day his Archie comic strip remains in newspaper’s funny pages.

Jim Erskine

Jim Erskine partnered with Craig Boldman to create Clipper’s Ship (that sounds familiar). Jim had been a published cartoonist before Clipper’s Ship and continued to be afterward. From the Rolling Donut Press about page:

Jim Erskine is the author of over thirty humor and children’s books, including New York Times Bestsellers “How to Fold A Banana”,  and “Throw A Tomato”.
Jim operates the popular homeschooling website Homeschool Freebie.com.

Sears

Sears partnered with Jerry Steadham to draw(?) Sen. Boondoggle.

And that is all I know about Sears.

Jerry Steadham

Jerry Steadham with Sears created Sen. Boondoggle.

Scroll up about six names for our bare bones Jerry Steadham profile.

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