An Open Letter To "Get Fuzzy" Cartoonist Darby Conley
An interesting post in "The Brian Alvey Weblog" titled "Darby Conley Is My Best Friend" (dated April 18, 2004) caught my eye. It was a post addressing a previous interview Mr.Alvey had conducted with the talented “Get Fuzzy” cartoon strip creator and a fan who later wrote him pleading for Mr.Conley’s contact information. The author explained that while he had interviewed the well known cartoonist, he wasn’t his best friend and had no idea where to find him. The syndicate had arranged for Darby to call Mr. Alvey and he was thankful. With comment after comment that appended this published post, it quickly became one mass appeal from other fans for friendship and in some cases, more. "All of this fuss would blow Darby clear away", I thought, shaking my head in amazement. Though I didn’t know him very well or for very long, Darby Conley and I corresponded in the late 90’s-when we were both 27 and equally determined to at last make a mark in our given fields.
We'd met online. We emailed one-another. We'd exchanged photos (somewhere I have this great shot of him on a boat in shades with his similarly wacky brother-Singer-Guitarist Tim Conley from Georgia's beloved "Fuzzy Sprouts". Darby had named the cartoon after the band.) He had not long before left teaching elementary gym classes to pursue his true passion: a new comic strip he had developed called GET FUZZY about a single named Rob and his naive but sensitive dog satchel and his rude and mischevious (but somehow lovable) cat Bucky. He had been working hard not only on the actual artwork but at the task of getting the strip before the eyes of the San Francisco Chronicle editor-and was waiting on their response. I remember vividly his excitement and astonishment when they agreed to print it. They realized what I had-that dark-haired Darby possessed something special: A great idea; an even greater heart.
He was intelligent, down to earth and with the abundant sense of humor came movie star good looks. I must admit I let myself daydream of more than casual online friendship. I chuckle to recall how we’d spoken about Bucky as though he were his flesh and blood feline family, imagining his reactions in increasingly inventive situations. We decided if Darb and I were ever to actually hung out, jealous Bucky would surely revolt. (Surprisingly, Darby never owned a real cat.) And so, poking fun at the unfortunate unlikelyhood, I made and sent Darby a mock up of one of his Get Fuzzy comics-adding drawings of he and myself with an ice cream cone on my face-Bucky’s way of saying three was a crowd. Whether he’d found the gesture funny, flattering or frightening I never knew, but he continued to chat with me until he simply became too swamped with work. Shortly after, he signed with The United Media Syndicate and only four years later Get Fuzzy was published not only in every major newspaper in the United States but in more than 220 worldwide. There are Get Fuzzy Books and other merchandise. There’s even a movie in the works. Though I haven’t heard from him since, I remember him with great fondness and respect, and feel priviledged to have had the brief opportunity to know him. For all the laughter he has brought to the masses, none is more intoxicating than his own.
To Darby, I extend my sincere congratulations. I can think of no one who deserves success as much as you.
We'd met online. We emailed one-another. We'd exchanged photos (somewhere I have this great shot of him on a boat in shades with his similarly wacky brother-Singer-Guitarist Tim Conley from Georgia's beloved "Fuzzy Sprouts". Darby had named the cartoon after the band.) He had not long before left teaching elementary gym classes to pursue his true passion: a new comic strip he had developed called GET FUZZY about a single named Rob and his naive but sensitive dog satchel and his rude and mischevious (but somehow lovable) cat Bucky. He had been working hard not only on the actual artwork but at the task of getting the strip before the eyes of the San Francisco Chronicle editor-and was waiting on their response. I remember vividly his excitement and astonishment when they agreed to print it. They realized what I had-that dark-haired Darby possessed something special: A great idea; an even greater heart.
He was intelligent, down to earth and with the abundant sense of humor came movie star good looks. I must admit I let myself daydream of more than casual online friendship. I chuckle to recall how we’d spoken about Bucky as though he were his flesh and blood feline family, imagining his reactions in increasingly inventive situations. We decided if Darb and I were ever to actually hung out, jealous Bucky would surely revolt. (Surprisingly, Darby never owned a real cat.) And so, poking fun at the unfortunate unlikelyhood, I made and sent Darby a mock up of one of his Get Fuzzy comics-adding drawings of he and myself with an ice cream cone on my face-Bucky’s way of saying three was a crowd. Whether he’d found the gesture funny, flattering or frightening I never knew, but he continued to chat with me until he simply became too swamped with work. Shortly after, he signed with The United Media Syndicate and only four years later Get Fuzzy was published not only in every major newspaper in the United States but in more than 220 worldwide. There are Get Fuzzy Books and other merchandise. There’s even a movie in the works. Though I haven’t heard from him since, I remember him with great fondness and respect, and feel priviledged to have had the brief opportunity to know him. For all the laughter he has brought to the masses, none is more intoxicating than his own.
To Darby, I extend my sincere congratulations. I can think of no one who deserves success as much as you.
posted by Melody at 4:55 PM
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