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.
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