Some Friday Laughs and the Story of Maxine

IF MY BODY WAS A CAR..

If my body was a car, this is the time 

I would be thinking about trading it in 

for a newer model. I've got bumps and

 dents and scratches in my finish and my

 paint job is getting a little dull ...
But that's not the worst of it.
My headlights are out of focus and it's especially

 hard to see things up close
My traction is not as graceful as it once was.. 

I slip and slide and skid and bump into things 

even in the best of weather..
My whitewalls are stained with varicose veins.
It takes me hours to reach my maximum speed.

My fuel rate burns inefficiently.
But here's the worst of it --

Almost every time I sneeze, cough or sputter, 

either my radiator leaks, Or my exhaust backfires!

How cool that a man has such insight into women

and this kind of humor!

John Wagner, Hallmark artist since 1970, says Maxine was inspired 

by his mother, his maiden aunts and his grandmother, the woman 

who bought him art lessons encouraging him to draw.

 He eventually attended  the Vesper George School of Art in Boston 

and landed at Hallmark as part of a new artists group. In 1986 Shoebox

 greetings unleashed his talents and he created Maxine.

'Cartoonists are sensitive to the insanities of the world; we just try

 to humanize them,' John says. 'If Maxine can get a laugh out of 

someone who feels lonely or someone who is getting older and hates 

the thought of another birthday, or if she can make someone chuckle 

about stressful interpersonal relationships, then I'm happy. 

Putting a smile on someone's face is what it's all about.'

Why the name 'Maxine'? 'People at Shoebox started referring to the

 character as 'John Wagner's old lady,' and I knew that would get 

me into trouble with my wife,' John says. The Shoebox team had a 

 contest among themselves to name the character and three of the

 approximately 30 entries suggested 'Maxine.' 

Now you know the story of how Maxine came to be.