Seniors drawn together

Upon my abrupt change in employment a couple of months ago, I received many questions from family, friends and a surprising number of people I don’t personally know. After the heartfelt expressions of care, one of the most common questions I heard was, “what about the graduation cartoon?"

It seems I unwittingly started a tradition which I am delighted to know many people annually look forward to. In 2000 I drew a cartoon saluting that year's graduating class. That first year I drew a baby bird representing the class of 2000 being gently pushed out of the WCHS nest. Beginning in 2001, and for every year thereafter, I drew a few seniors to represent their entire class as my small way to say congratulations to the graduates. I have fun doing it, and people seem to have fun seeing it. To my surprise, it has become a tradition people look forward to.

Happily, the Main Street Journal provides a place for me to continue that tradition. In fact, the graduation cartoon was even brought up by my bosses in my job interview.

I’m taking a break from drawing this year’s cartoon to write this column. When it is complete, it will be my 26th annual graduation cartoon and I will have drawn 122 different graduates. There’s no real science to my selection process. I draw friends, kids of friends, seniors someone has asked me to draw, seniors my wife has told me I’d better draw, and some I don’t know but who seemed like they’d be fun or easy to draw.

I always try to center the cartoon around some gag that has some relevance to what went on in the school year. Some of the ideas are better than others, but it’s all just an excuse to draw a few kids and celebrate the graduating class. Every year it gets a little more sobering to realize how long I’ve been doing this. The first graduates I included are now 42. I was working on my eighth graduation cartoon the year most of this year’s seniors were born. I don’t think I have drawn a child of a previous subject yet, but that year is coming quickly.

In keeping with tradition, the cartoon will be posted on Friday, graduation day. As memories of my own graduation day become fainter and fainter (although I do remember Al Gore was a speaker), I encourage this year's group of graduates to soak up all the events of the day. It's a momentous time in your life and, sadly, it may be the last time you see many of your classmates. Enjoy it, seniors, and good luck in the next chapter of your lives. Congratulations graduates.

Main Street Journal Design Editor Seth Wright can be contacted at seth.wright@mainstreetmedia.llc.