Tim Hollis - Birmingham

Unlike so many of the others on this site, I am not a cartoonist, strictly speaking... I am an author, but as a kid I thought I was going to go into cartooning. Between 1971 and 1980 I turned out hundreds of stories featuring my own set of cartoon characters, all of whom lived in a magical Oz-like country known as Weird World. (Great name, huh?) Once I graduated from high school, those characters lay dormant for nearly 20 years.

After my writing career got underway, I started being asked to speak to elementary school students about creative writing. I knew that the type of books I write (DIXIE BEFORE DISNEY; BIRMINGHAM'S THEATER & RETAIL DISTRICT; MOUSE TRACKS: THE STORY OF WALT DISNEY RECORDS and on and on) would mean nothing to young kids, so in desperation I dragged the Weird World cast out of mothballs and I now use those characters and the stories to show today's kids just what they can study up if they put their minds to it. About the only occasion I have to draw these offbeat characters is in my school programs, but the kids react to them in exactly the same way as the kids who were in school with me 30 years ago. You'll see a few of the many characters here.

Oh, and just a word to you female cartoonists who may be reading this. Pay special attention to that one character who was a strong girl named Muscles Mahogany. In my school appearances, I use a live actress to play that part in a short skit at the end of the program... so, if you ever decide you would like to live the part of a cartoon character as well as creating your own, get in touch with me and I might be able to use your help!

I could also talk about the two-story museum of vintage cartoon memorabilia that is attached to my house, but that's another story for another time.

Tim Hollis on amazon.com

Tim is also a big contributor to Birmingham Rewound

email: Hollis1963[at]aol.com