shared by Andrew Beall, her brother-in-law
I have been a fan of the characters created by Charles Schulz since I was very little. Charlie Brown, Snoopy, Linus and the rest made an impression on me at a very early age. It was exciting to me to find out that Marlo and her sisters shared my appreciation for the work of Mr. Schulz. Arlene is a big Woodstock fan. And Cindy, used Snoopy as her nickname in various UCLA activities.
Cindy ran for the office of Financial Supports Commissioner in the student government at UCLA. As part of her campaign, she and the other members of her political slate got together and made large, billboard size signs to represent them. Cindy knew that she wanted to have Snoopy be a part of her sign, so she asked me to draw out an idea for her. We worked on it together, and one Saturday morning, gathered with her friends in a park to make the signs. I went under the impression that I was only going to work on Cindy's sign, but ended up being asked to help on several others. It was a fun day, and Cindy's sign turned out just like how she wanted it to.
I was very proud of her when she won the election, and took her place as part of the student government. She was able to make a difference in her own way.
Since Cindy passed away, I have always known that she is watching over my family, helping us when we need her. She helped to get Marlo and I back in the bay area, got me a job at Pixar, and kept us safe and happy. Last May I met the family of Charles Schulz, and they offered me a job. It came about in a way that was surprising and unexpected. Because of this, I knew that Cindy was pushing me to make a change in my life.
Now I get to draw Snoopy for a living. Things have come full circle you could say, as my love of the Peanuts characters, and my love of my sister have joined into one amazing opportunity. I think of Cindy when I draw Snoopy, and I'm happy she is with me.
No comments:
Post a Comment