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Here is my submission to The Stockton Con Tony DeZuniga Art Contest honoring the late great Morrie Turner who past away January of this year. Morrie Turner was the creator of the first racially integrated comic strip Wee Pals which was published in 1965. Morrie Turner was a Protege of the late Charles Shultz the creator of Charlie Brown and the rest of the Peanuts gang. According to lore Morrie urged Charles to add more diversity to his Peanuts strip so Charles told Morrie that Morrie should create an integrated comic strip. And the rest is history.

Morrie wasn't the first African-American cartoonist.But he was the first cartoonist to get a multicultural comic strip syndicated.

Turner’s aim, according to the biography posted by his syndicate (Creators), was “to portray a world without prejudice, a world in which people’s differences — race, religion, gender and physical and mental ability — are cherished, not scorned.”

Luckily I met Morrie at the first Stockton con in 2012. I told I remember reading one of his books as a kid.I also gave him a print of the Storm illustration that AJ and I collaborated on. Morrie liked it and told me I was very talented.He told me to keep doing what I'm doing and to never give up. I bought one of his books and he signed it for me.

The theme of the Stockton Con art contest was to have his Wee Pal characters meet superheroes or be superheroes.I felt it was only fitting that I paired his Wee Pals characters with the X-men. The X-men under the Chris Claremont became all new and all different. Under his direction the X-men became the most multicultural and diverse in terms of showing characters of different races,ethnicities,cultures, and backgrounds. X-men also changed the way women characters were written.

Morrie Turners Wee Pals predates the introduction of the X-men that we know and love.Which introduced Storm,Wolverine,Collossus,Banshee, Nightcrawler, Thunderbird, and Sunfire in Giant Size X-Men #1. I feel because of Morrie Turners Wee Pals it let american readers and comic strip and book realize how much cultural diversity can add to the medium.

As an African-American myself I see Morrie Turner as an Inspiration for other African-American cartoonists and comic book artists. So God Bless and Rest in Peace Mr Turner

Description
Here is my submission to The Stockton Con Tony DeZuniga Art Contest honoring the late great Morrie Turner who past away January of this year. Morrie Turner was the creator of the first racially integrated comic strip Wee Pals which was published in 1965. Morrie Turner was a Protege of the late Charles Shultz the creator of Charlie Brown and the rest of the Peanuts gang. According to lore Morrie urged Charles to add more diversity to his Peanuts strip so Charles told Morrie that Morrie should create an integrated comic strip. And the rest is history.

Morrie wasn't the first African-American cartoonist.But he was the first cartoonist to get a multicultural comic strip syndicated.

Turner’s aim, according to the biography posted by his syndicate (Creators), was “to portray a world without prejudice, a world in which people’s differences — race, religion, gender and physical and mental ability — are cherished, not scorned.”

Luckily I met Morrie at the first Stockton con in 2012. I told I remember reading one of his books as a kid.I also gave him a print of the Storm illustration that AJ and I collaborated on. Morrie liked it and told me I was very talented.He told me to keep doing what I'm doing and to never give up. I bought one of his books and he signed it for me.

The theme of the Stockton Con art contest was to have his Wee Pal characters meet superheroes or be superheroes.I felt it was only fitting that I paired his Wee Pals characters with the X-men. The X-men under the Chris Claremont became all new and all different. Under his direction the X-men became the most multicultural and diverse in terms of showing characters of different races,ethnicities,cultures, and backgrounds. X-men also changed the way women characters were written.

Morrie Turners Wee Pals predates the introduction of the X-men that we know and love.Which introduced Storm,Wolverine,Collossus,Banshee, Nightcrawler, Thunderbird, and Sunfire in Giant Size X-Men #1. I feel because of Morrie Turners Wee Pals it let american readers and comic strip and book realize how much cultural diversity can add to the medium.

As an African-American myself I see Morrie Turner as an Inspiration for other African-American cartoonists and comic book artists. So God Bless and Rest in Peace Mr Turner