Cartoonist Duane Abel is celebrating 30 years of his comic strip ZED, which first appeared in The Free Press Standard in Carrollton in September 1995. Abel became the youngest syndicated cartoonist ever at just 15 years old when he signed with a newspaper syndicate one month after his debut.
The comic strip now appears in nearly 75 weekly newspapers nationwide. Abel has personally autographed thousands of books sold through his publishing company, Corkey Comics Publishing, which he formed in 2005. ZED received an Ignatz Award nomination in 2006.
Beyond comics, Abel has visited more than 1,700 schools nationwide with his “Draw Your Destiny” assembly program promoting goal setting and literacy. He uses only an easel and paper for his presentations, a technique he learned from author Dav Pilkey during a school visit.
Abel’s work extends beyond ZED into theater, film and children’s books. His romantic comedy “Heartland Harmony,” which he wrote and co-produced, is available on Amazon and Tubi. His latest screenplay “A Christmas Drawn Together” begins production in January for a 2026 holiday release.
The University of Akron graduate received the school’s Distinguished Alumni Award in April and was inducted into Carrollton High School’s Alumni Hall of Fame in 2023. Abel is a member of The National Cartoonist Society and continues creating ZED from the same drawing board he has used since childhood.
An original ZED strip honoring Charles M. Schulz’s 100th birthday is housed at The Charles M. Schulz Museum. Abel plans to continue drawing the comic strip until he turns 100, giving ZED at least 55 more years of publication.
Abel lives with his wife Coral and their two sons, Zack and Clayton. More info here:https://www.corkeycomics.com/
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