Author Cullen Murphy to Speak at Mark Twain Library

On Sunday, April 29 at 3:00 pm, Cullen Murphy, former editor at large of Vanity Fair and former managing editor of The Atlantic, will appear at the Mark Twain Library for a talk, sale and signing of his new book, Cartoon County.   

In the 1950s and ’60s, the heyday of syndicated newspaper comic strips, Fairfield County was a haven for many of the artists who created these strips. The towns of Westport, Stamford, Greenwich, and New Canaan were home to cartoonists and illustrators such as Mort Walker (creator of Beetle Bailey and Hi and Lois), Bud Sagendorf (who drew Popeye), Stan Drake (who drew The Heart of Juliet Jones and Blondie), Dik Browne (creator of Hägar the Horrible), and Charles Saxon (whose work appeared on the cover of The New Yorker more than 90 times over the course of his career). John Cullen Murphy, the artist behind Big Ben Bolt and, later, the extremely popular Prince Valiant, stood right at the center of this colorful mélange.

With Cartoon County, Cullen Murphy—son of John Cullen Murphy; author of previous books such as Are We Rome?; and his father’s collaborator on Prince Valiant for close to three decades—offers up a loving history and tribute to his father, the artists who were his friends and peers, and the enduring work they created together.

Please register online, at the Library or call 203-938-2545 for information.

The Mark Twain Library is owned by the Mark Twain Library Association.  It was founded in 1908 by Samuel Clemens – Mark Twain himself – one of Redding’s most celebrated residents.  Visit www.marktwainlibrary.org, for more information.