Zig-Zagging: A Ziggy Memoir

In his new memoir, Zig-Zagging: Losing Madly, Losing Badly... How Ziggy Saved My Life, Tom Wilson describes the game he would play as a boy with his father, Ziggy creator Tom Wilson Sr. 

"This game of ours always began the same. Dad would draw a picture of Ziggy happily strolling along, unaware of some horrible misfortune about to befall him. Ziggy might be zooming off a cliff, walking unknowingly into an open manhole, or oblivious to a meteor plummeting head-on his way. After Ziggy had been drawn into one of these dire circumstances, Dad would flip the placemat around, hand me his pen, and say, "Tommy, it's time for you to SAVE ZIGGY!"

By the mid 1980s, with his father in failing health, Tom really would step in to save the character his father created, which he has been writing and illustrating for over 20 years. 

But years later, the younger Wilson was hit with a series of struggles: his leg was crushed in a car accident, his wife died at age 44 of breast cancer, and he was left with their two sons and his seriously ill father. Wilson’s faith was overtaken by depression.

With his trademark humor and self-effacing wisdom, Tom invites you into his intimate life as he searches for hope and strength to overcome his own life detours. In an ironic twist of art imitating life, Tom reveals how Ziggy's own weekly syndicated quest for answers was the unforeseen catalyst that enabled him to say yes to life again and face his greatest challenges.

Here's a photo from the book of Tom Sr. 

And a nice description in the book of Ziggy's appeal, from the younger Tom: 

"Ziggy is simple; nothing gets in the way of the message. He's friendly and lovable. If this guy shows up at your door, you're not going to get out the shotgun. You're going to welcome him in because he's looking right at you with complete sincerity and all the goodness in his heart."

Tom's story is a compelling one, with Ziggy panels sprinkled in throughout the narrative. As a companion read, I'd recommend A Little Character Goes A Long Way: A 35-Year Collection of Ziggy Favorites, which features some of the highlights of both Tom and Tom Sr.'s work on Ziggy throughout the years. 

Whether you're a longtime fan of Ziggy or not, this memoir is a great look at relationships, loss, acceptance and the simple character that provided comfort and inspiration to his creator through good times and bad. 

-LW

Comments

[Tom Gammill]

Wow, I had no idea there was so much going on behind the scenes at Ziggy. I just ordered the book from Amazon, can't wait to read it.

[MTatulli]

One of the highlights for me while attending the Book Expos has always been talking with Tom.
What a swell guy and how the fans truly love what does with ZIGGY!

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I was only able to meet his dad a couple of times and he was amazing, but let me say this, Tom Wilson Jr. is hands-down one of the best guys in comics.

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Worked with Tom a lot of years, on and off. Are you presently doing cartoons yourself?
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