New creator for ‘Heart of the City’ comic strip
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Kathy Hilliard
Vice President, Marketing
Andrews McMeel Universal
khilliard@amuniversal.com
(816) 581-7497
KANSAS CITY, MO (April 21, 2020) — Esteemed cartoonist Christina ‘Steenz’ Stewart will take over Heart of the City from its original creator, Mark Tatulli, effective April 27 (daily) and May 24 (Sunday), announced Andrews McMeel Syndication (AMS). The beloved feature follows the antics of of Heart, the precocious yet endearing young star of the comic strip, as she navigates life in Philly with her single mom and encounters endless challenges, including dealing with her nanny, Mrs. Angelini, planning her future wedding with best friend Kat, and giving needed attention to her Karlie and Ben dolls.
“I’m very excited to begin my journey into syndicated comics!,” said Steenz. “I’ve been an avid reader of syndicated comics for as long as I can remember, from Jump Start to Zits to Calvin and Hobbes. Those were the first comics I (and many of us) have ever read. So it’ll be really cool to bring my knowledge of graphic novels and single issue comics into the comic strip realm!”
“It’s with a heavy heart (no pun intended) that I step away from the daily creation of Heart of the City after nearly 23 years,” said Tatuli. “Those characters have lived inside of me for so long it’s going to be weird that they won’t be part of my routine. That said, I’m really excited to hand them to Steenz and see where her vivid imagination leads them! Honestly, I don’t see Steenz as taking over Heart … more like taking Heart to the next level. And I couldn’t be more thrilled to see where they go!”
Long-time Heart and AMS editor Shena Wolf said, “Steenz is an incredibly talented cartoonist who brings a fresh sensibility to a much-loved strip. Her ability to take an established feature and truly make it her own is astonishing. I’ve always been a fan of the work Steenz has done in comics (both as an artist and as an editor), so the opportunity to work with her on this project was truly an honor. Steenz understands Heart, both the character and the world, and the warmth and humor that she brings to the material have made the development process (excruciating as it can be for everyone involved!) a real joy. I can’t wait for the world to meet the new Heart and fall in love all over again.”
The St. Louis-based Steenz is also an accomplished editor and professor. She’s the co-creator of the Dwayne McDuffie Award-winning graphic novel Archival Quality (Oni Press) and is featured in several short story anthologies, including the Eisner and Ignatz Award-winning Elements: Fire, Mine!, and the horror anthology Dead Beats. Steenz launched and edited the popular RPG periodical Rolled & Told as well. She participates in and creates community building comics related programming, and is a frequent panelist at several comic cons. Steenz currently teaches cartooning at Webster University while editing titles from Tapas Media and Mad Cave Studios.
Read more about Steenz in this article in The Washington Post.
About Andrews McMeel Syndication
Andrews McMeel Syndication (AMS), now in its 50th year, is the world’s largest independent newspaper feature syndicate. AMS is a division of Andrews McMeel Universal, an integrated media company based in Kansas City, Missouri, and home of iconic comics such as Calvin and Hobbes, Doonesbury, Peanuts, The Far Side and Garfield, and contemporary favorites Sarah’s Scribbles, Breaking Cat News and Phoebe and Her Unicorn. Other divisions include a global publishing house (Andrews McMeel Publishing) and Andrews McMeel Entertainment, the film and television division. No matter the medium, our aim is to bring joy and inspiration to people’s lives through the work of our talented creators (andrewsmcmeel.com).