I flew to New York and caught a bus to the East Side Terminal. It was pouring rain, so I made the first of what would become many NYC sidewalk umbrella purchases and, with my suitcase and portfolio in hand, marched the breadth of Manhattan to my hotel on the West Side. The next day I made Universal Press my first stop. John McMeel met with me and was simply wonderful. While he looked through my work, he gave me a Doonesbury book to look at. I was seeing it for the first time, and even though McMeel had some favorable things to say about my work, from what I was reading, I could see that Universal Press had no need for me. Even so, John McMeel, in his engaging and charming way, left me feeling very positive and encouraged about my prospects.
*From the introduction to The Complete Funky Winkerbean Vol. One
