Sue Scheff: Single Parenting with Ziggy!


What does Ziggy have in common with single parenting?

Tom Wilson!

Many people may wonder why a Parent Advocate would write about a cartoon character. Well, the cartoonist is not a cartoon character, he is very real and his memoir, Zig-Zagging, is a remarkable story of how Ziggy empowered Tom Wilson’s life and has given so much to people throughout the world.

Afterall, who doesn’t know and love Ziggy? Who can’t relate to some of Ziggy’s situations written in the comic strips?

Last spring I picked up Zig-Zagging and was ready to read all about how Ziggy was created and what drives him. Instead, with the turn of each page, I realized that Tom Wilson is much more than Ziggy. Sure, Ziggy is the animated Icon character we all love, but Tom Wilson is the man that gives Ziggy life. What I didn’t know was how Ziggy gave Tom Wilson life.

Tom Wilson’s father (Tom Wilson Sr.), the original creator of Ziggy, left him a legacy that he couldn’t ignore. From a young boy he would watch his father create, draw and struggle at times with his cartooning. His father worked hard and diligently and in many ways was more of a father to his work, than to the family. This is not an insult; it was how he provided for his family.
Now back to where the single parenting is connected. After Tom Wilson married his beautiful wife, Susan, and they have two wonderful boys; Susan was struck with cancer. After a long 7 year battle with breast cancer, Susan passed away. Not only was Tom devastated, he now is a single parent to their two sons. Attempting to be strong and grieve at the same time after such a loss, was overwhelming for him.


Tom Wilson’s struggles with parenting were all too familiar to me, as a single parent, that I realized this book has so much more to offer. It is not only about a cartoonist who inherited a legacy that has been extremely successful worldwide; it is about real life issues. Life. Death. Depression. Parenting. Grieving. Loss. Single parenting.


Many people assume that happiness is related to fame, good fortune, legacies etc. Tom Wilson’s struggles and triumphs will have you turning each page with a cheer, a chuckle and a tear.
What a fantastic read, and a quick read too! Perfect for a lazy weekend or plane trip. Go ahead, add a little Ziggy in your life! Single parenting may be a bit challenging, but we are never alone and there is always hope!


Order Zig-Zagging, Loving Madly, Losing Badly and How Ziggy Saved My Life by Tom Wilson on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Borders or wherever books are sold.


Also on The Examiner.com

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