Famous comic strip artists

Famous comic strip artists

Famous comic strip artists, The recent death of "Family Circus" creator Bil Keane reminds us how the pen-and-ink antics of our favorite comic characters have brought mirth to our mornings, and inspired postage stamps and even public art. Find out more about the artists behind the newspaper comic strips, past and present.

"B.C."

Johnny Hart introduced his award-winning cast of smart-aleck cavemen in 1958 and cranked out the strip until his final day in 2007.

"Blondie"

Chic Young drew beautiful Blondie and her bumbling Dagwood from 1930 until his death in 1973.

"Bloom County"

Berkeley Breathed's spastic Bill the Cat and pensive Opus the Penguin ran in papers from 1980 to 1989.

"Boondocks"

Aaron McGruder's incendiary comic about square-peg suburbanites Huey and Riley had collegiate roots and ran in major papers from 1999 to 2006.

"Calvin & Hobbes"

Bill Watterson led these partners in crime through one backyard escapade after another from 1985 to his last original strip in December 1995.

"Cathy"

Working women across the country related to Cathy Guisewite's strip throughout its 34-year run, which ended in October 2010.

"Dick Tracy"

Chester Gould had his fedora-clad gumshoe solve cartoonish crimes until his retirement in 1977.

"The Far Side"

Gary Larson explored nature's funny side until his retirement ended the single-panel strips in 1995.

"For Better or For Worse"

The chronicles of a growing Canadian family were Lynn Johnston's bread and butter from 1979 until her retirement in July 2010.

"Mark Trail"

Ed Dodd created these wilderness adventures in 1946 and wrote them until retiring in 1980.

"Peanuts"

Charles "Sparky" Schulz gained international fame with his troop of precocious kids and iconic beagle, who debuted in 1950 and ran for 50 years.

Strange Local Laws

Strange Local Laws

Weird local laws & bans.Strange laws and odd bans can be found in every American state and around the world. Want to grab your own alligator hatchlings? Don't go to Florida. Does your pickup truck sport giant plastic male genitalia? Don't visit South Carolina anytime soon. While some of these wacky laws went on the books decades ago, city councils across the country continue to enact laws that have us shaking our heads.

A fashion ban


Where: Albany, Ga.

About the ban: The town has banned wearing saggy pants in public.

The fine: Albany has garnered thousands of dollars in fines. Find out how much first-time offenders have to pay.

An ingredient ban

Where: New York, N.Y.

About the ban: Restaurants across the city were forced to stop using a controversial ingredient in 2008.

The fine: Eateries caught using the banned substance can face hefty fines. How much will they have to shell out?

A dog-walking mandate

Where: Turin, Italy

About the ban: Police in this northern Italian city rely on tipsters to turn in violators. What are they looking for?

The fine: Scofflaws can be fined up to 500 euros.

A pet-rodent ban

Where: Billings, Mont.

About the ban: It's against a city ordinance to own, sell or raise a popular pet.

The fine: Residents caught with the banned pets can be fined.How much?

No predictions allowed

Where: Hattiesburg, Miss.


About the ban: Some local business owners closed their doors after they received a violation notice last year. What law were they breaking?

The fine: We're not sure exactly what these particular residents would pay, but some Hattiesburg fines are pretty high.

Unhappy meals?

Where: Santa Clara, Calif.

About the ban: Kids in this Silicone Valley city may be disappointed to find something missing in their Happy Meals. What does the law say?


The fine: Restaurants face large fines if they're found in violation.

A wintertime-fun ban

Where: Belton, Mo.

About the ban: A cold-weather pastime is forbidden under a city ordinance. What can get you in trouble?

The penalty:What happens if you're caught?

A footwear ban

Where: Carmel-by-the-Sea, Calif.


About the ban: A well-known actor used to be mayor of this coastal city, where an unusual law was enacted in 1963. What type of shoe is banned on city streets?


The fine: The law isn't enforced, but tourists can buy a "souvenir license" to take home with them.

A bodily function ban

Where: St. Peters, Mo.

About the ban: The law passed last year after the mayor saw a man perform a distasteful act in front of city hall. What did they ban?


The fine: We couldn't find any instances since the Missouri law was enacted, but an Ohio teen was fined in 2009 for the violation.

Best trick-or-treat cites in America

Best trick-or-treat cites in America

Best trick-or-treat cites in America, Zillow.com has ranked the best cities for trick-or-treating based on home prices, crime rates, population density and walkability. See if your city made it into the top 20:Real estate website Zillow.com took all those factors into consideration when crafting its third annual 2011 Zillow Trick-or-Treat Housing Index, released today, ranking the 20 best cities in the country for Halloween.

Zillow used its own Home Value Index and Walk Score, along with population density and local crime data, to determine the rankings

Celebrities with children by different women

Celebrities with children by different women

Celebrities with children by different women.Famous men with several baby mamas, With the number of out-of-wedlock births on the rise, unwed parents aren’t unheard of these days. But some famous guys have taken the situation to a whole new level. Read through to see who has multiple baby mamas.

Marc Anthony

This award-winning singer/songwriter is father to fraternal twins with this mega-star. Their divorce is not his first.

Tom Brady

This Super Bowl-winning quarterback has a son with his top-paid supermodel wife.See pic of the athlete and his model wife with their son.

Antonio Cromartie

The NFL cornerback struggled to remember his kids’ names when he appeared on HBO’s “Hard Knocks.” See him with his youngest child.

Oscar de la Hoya

The retired world champion boxer and recent rehab patient – whose daughter appeared on a reality show with her mother– has two kids with his current wife.

Clint Eastwood

The octogenarian Academy Award winner known for his womanizing ways – has put at least two of his children in his movies. See him with his daughters at the Golden Globes

Marshall Faulk

It was revealed in a 2003 trial that the NFL Hall of Fame inductee was paying thousands in child support for three of his kids. See him with one of his daughters.

Travis Henry

The imprisoned former NFL running back was once arrested for falling behind on child support.

Evander Holyfield

The four-time heavyweight champ and “Dancing With the Stars” contestant has been sued for unpaid child support and his $10 million house was auctioned off in 2008.

Mick Jagger

The grandfather and Rolling Stones front man has been linked to several women over the decades, but only married two of them.

Shawn Kemp

The longtime NBA power forward has a son who is following in his athletic footsteps. Does he look like his dad?

Ray Lewis

The Baltimore Ravens Pro Bowler has avoided prison but not thousands of dollars in child support payments.

Lil Wayne

The “How to Love” rapper made headlines when he fathered two babies in the same year. See him goofing around with his kids.

Calvin Murphy

The former Houston Rockets guard was accused of molesting five of his daughters in 2004. What was the verdict?

Rod Stewart

The “Maggie May” rocker became a dad for the eighth time and a grandfather for the first time this year.

Steven Tyler

The Aerosmith front man says he regrets choosing drugs over fatherhood, but has fathered four children, one of whom is this actress look-alike.

Children of politicians

Politicians' kids' troubles
Last month, the governor of Missouri's 21-year-old son was charged with possessio. He's not the only politician's kid to be accused of breaking the law. Whether it's DUIs, drugs, battery, sexual misconduct or smuggling illegal immigrants, we look at some past misdeeds committed by politicians' children.

Ashley Biden

The politician: Vice President Joe Biden (D)

The daughter: Ashley Biden

The trouble: Biden was arrested twice: once in 1999 and again in in 2002. In the latter incident, a policewoman reported that a bottle was thrown at her from the crowd. When she moved to confront the culprit, Ashley allegedly had an incident with a police offer. See her alleged actions.

The punishment: Was she convicted?

John Boyd

The politician: Former congressman Allen Boyd (D)

The son: John Boyd


The trouble: In 2008, Boyd was caught smuggling at the Arizona-Mexico border. A search of his car turned up other illegal items.


The punishment: Boyd pleaded guilty. What was his punishment?

Danny L. Burton II


The politician: Congressman Dan Burton (R)

The son: Danny L. Burton II

The trouble: In 1994, when Burton was 18, he was arrested with 7 pounds of marijuana and charged with possession with the intent to distribute. The charges were dropped. Six months later, he was arrested again, this time in his Indianapolis apartment. What did police find?


The punishment: Federal and Indiana state attorneys decided not to prosecute Burton, but a Louisiana judge was unmoved. What was his punishment?

Bush daughters


The politician: President George W. Bush (R)

The daughters: Jenna Hager and Barbara Bush

The trouble: In 2001 the twin sisters found themselves making headlines after police cited them for misrepresenting their ages in an attempt to purchase alcohol at a famous Tex-Mex restaurant in Austin, Texas. They were 19 at the time, and 21 is the legal drinking age in Texas.

The punishment: Both pleaded not guilty, and their cases were dismissed after their punishments were fulfilled. What did they have to do?

Noelle Bush

The politician: Gov. Jeb Bush (R)

The daughter: Noelle Bush

The trouble: In 2002 Noelle Bush was arrested for prescription drug fraud. She left several messages on a pharmacist's machine, posing as Dr. Noelle Scidmore. What drugs did she want?


The punishment: Bush was sentenced to mandatory drug treatment. While in the program she was found with hard drugs and finally wound up in prison

Caroline Giuliani

The politician: Rudy Giuliani (R)

The daughter: Caroline Giuliani


The trouble: In 2010, Caroline Giuliani was arrested at a New York City cosmetics store. A security camera caught her shoplifting.

The punishment: She was charged with petit larceny. What was her sentence?

Al Gore III

The politician: Former Vice President Al Gore (D)

The son: Al Gore III

The trouble: In 2007, the younger Gore was stopped by police for speeding.After allegedly smelling marijuana, the officers searched the vehicle and found a portable pharmacy full of drugs.

The punishment: Gore pleaded guilty to possession of marijuana and the prescription drugs. What was his sentence?

Alexandra Kerry


The politician: Sen. John Kerry (D)

The daughter: Alexandra Kerry

The trouble: In 2009 Alexandra Kerry was pulled over by police and failed a field sobriety test. She refused a Breathalyzer and was taken back to the police station for testing. Did she pass?

The punishment: Based on her test results, prosecutors made a decision before the case came to trial. What happened?

D'Anne Leigh Mica

The politician: Congressman John Mica (R)


The daughter: D'Anne Leigh Mica

The trouble: Driving home from a Mexican restaurant in 2010, D'Anne Leigh Mica was pulled over by police and admitted to having had cocktails.

The punishment: Despite the evidence, Mica's attorney challenged the legality of the traffic stop. What happened?

Jeffrey Rush

The politician: Congressman Bobby Rush (D)


The son: Jeffrey Rush

The trouble: Jeffrey Rush was head of security at a halfway house for women. In 2007 he arranged to have sex with an inmate off-site. He was found guilty of sexual misconduct and sentenced to 30 months' probation, but kept his job. Why did he lose it a year later?

The punishment: A grand jury handed down multiple counts of official misconduct, but in a deal with prosecutors, Rush pleaded guilty to only a few counts. What was his sentence?