Ziggy, nameless at his conception, has been visible in some form or another since the mid-1960s. Greeting card writer Tom Wilson first drew a Ziggy-like character as an elevator operator offering political commentary in editorial cartoons, however, no one would syndicate it. Ziggy eventually appeared in an American Greetings gift book, When You're Not Around which caught the eye of Kathleen Andrews, a founder of the fledgling startup Universal Press Syndicate, which badly needed a popular comic to keep it afloat. A deal was struck, a name was given and Ziggy was born. The strip began in 15 newspapers in June 1971, and that number eventually grew to over 600 publications. A Sunday strip premiered on April 1, 1973. Following years of preparation, in 1987 the strip was taken over by Tom Wilson's son, Tom Wilson II. Tom Wilson I died on September 21, 2011 at the age of 80. His son continues to produce the strip as of 2019.
Ziggy's traits
Ziggy is a diminutive, bald, barefoot, almost featureless character. He is often drawn in just his shirt with no pants on, though the lower half of his torso is never seen. He lives in a simple house with a garden, and he is often seen working at an office job, at which his foibles often reflect the absurdities that many readers encounter on a daily basis. On the name Ziggy, Tom Wilson II noted: Ziggy is seen throughout the years as an animal lover, and he is the owner of a number of pets, including a dog, a cat, a parrot, and a duck all of whom seem to possess some anthropomorphic qualities. For example, in a strip written in the 2000s, his pet fish Goldie and his pet cat expressed noticeable displeasure with their owner because he told them that he ate catfish for dinner the night before. Despite them often playing a part in Ziggy's mishaps and misadventures, the love and affection he gives to and receives from his animals is often very different than his interactions with the various human beings he encounters during his days. Tom Wilson often Ziggy's human interactions with his animal interactions for comedic and emotional effect. One of the great appeals of the comic strip is how Ziggy himself deals with the endless stream of misfortunes which befall him on a daily basis. The character is frequently depicted in surreal or arbitrary situations that allow the reader to relate to Ziggy's misfortunes and his take on life. For comedic effect, the strip often mines typical comic strip pop culture territory, such as computers, dating, office relationships, pet ownership, customer service, and many of the other perils of modern life. Since the strip has been in existence for 50 years, Ziggy has experienced the waves of societal and technological change that have swept through our culture in the last five decades. For instance, early strips show him using rotary phones, while strips put out in recent years displays Ziggy's adoption of modern technology like cell phones and flat screen TVs.
In other media
The animated 1982 Christmas television specialZiggy's Gift, which contained the Harry Nilsson song "Give, Love, Joy", won an Emmy Award. Ziggy is also notable for the high amount of merchandise and promotional material with his likeness on it. There have been annual calendars produced throughout the years, as well as various greeting cards, books, dozens of plush dolls, collectibles, holiday-themed toys, promotional items, placemats, Christmas ornaments, messenger bags, pillowcases, brooches, posters, coffee mugs, lunchboxes, and cake tins, among a vast number of others. In 2002, Ziggy became the official spokescharacter for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.
