FRESHLY SQUEEZED

Here’s a note from Ed Stein, formerly the editorial cartoonist on the Rocky Mountain News, freelancing since the demise of that honored albeit tattered tabloid: “On September 20, my new comic strip, Freshly Squeezed, distributed by United Feature Syndicate, will launch in daily newspapers. Those of you who followed my Denver Square comic strip feature in the Rocky Mountain News will recognize the characters, although they’ve been updated a bit. In the new strip, Irv and Sarah, Liz’s parents and Nate’s grandparents, have lost their retirement savings in the economic collapse, and have moved in with their grown children and their grandchild. That’s when the inter-generational fun begins.

“According the Pew Research Center, multi-generation families are growing rapidly, with 49 million Americans living in multi-generation homes as of 2008, largely as a result of economic trends, and that number is surely larger today. Folks over 65 are the most likely to live this way. In other words, the strip is relevant and timely. And well-drawn and funny, and emotionally honest, if I do say so myself.”

Probably Stein can get away with saying the strip is honest because, deprived of a salaried perch for the last 18 months or so, he has probably faced situations not unlike those Irv and Sarah are facing. Stein’s Denver Square strip was a gem, a shining moment in newspaper comic strippery, and you can find a healthy sampling at the Usual Place, Opus 224 where we reprinted some of the strips.

Here's a Freshly Squeezed Sunday. You can see more samples of the feature here.