'Adam@Home' Cartoonist Rob Harrell Gets a Little Help from His Friends

Kansas City, Mo. - This year's National Cartoonists Society 's Reuben awards banquet was particulary painful for one cartoonist, and not because the event featured real butter. "Adam@Home" cartoonist Rob Harrell took a nasty fall, breaking his leg, and had to be rushed to the hospital. 

Despite the instense pain both after the fall and during the recovery, Harrell's sense of humor and devotion to formalwear has endured:

"I always find that wearing a tux to the emergency room makes a good first impression with the doctors," he said. "While it's my leg and not my hand, the subsequent surgery, elevating of the leg and painkillers have taken their toll on my drawing abilities here for a couple of weeks.

After taking a week off the strip for surgery, Harrell got a hand when a pair of fellow cartoonists stepped in to help. Phil Dunlap of "Ink Pen" and Corey Pandolph of "The Elderberries" each contributed a week of daily comic strips as well as a Sunday strip to keep "Adam" rolling. 

Harrell has understandably thankful for their contributions:

"I'm really excited that Phil and Corey are taking over the art duties during my absence," he said. "I love both of their styles and can't wait to see what they do with Adam. I appreciate their doing this sooooo much. Despite the rumors, cartoonists are fantastic people."

Doing a weeklong set of strips for "Adam" in addition to their own presented a unique challenge to the guest artists, but Pandolph noted that he conducted the effort with consistency in mind: "Same way I approach my own work -- last minute panic." 

Asked whether Adam Newman may one day appear as the victim of a diabolical coffee-centric plot in "Ink Pen," Dunlap said such a crossover was unlikely. "But maybe Katy could do a guest stint as Captain Victorious' sidekick. That kid has chops!"

Dunlap's version of "Adam" will run from June 20 to June 25, with his Sunday appearing on July 24. Pandolph's work will appear from June 27 to July 2 and on Sunday, July 17. 

Harrell expects to resume work on "Adam@Home" this week and have new comic strips out the week of July 4, but laments, "The ballroom dancing career amy have to wait a bit longer."