Doug Coffin Photo by Lynn Karlin
UNION — Douglas Coffin — a renowned cartoonist, children’s author and letter cutter — will kick off his Vose Library debut exhibit during the “Zoom with Vose Wendesdays” program at 6 p.m. March 31 at the library located at 392 Common Road.
Coffin will talk about his creative talents and diverse careers. A lifelong doodler on paper of both words and images, he decided at age 23 that he wanted to be a nationally syndicated cartoonist. He went to New York City to draw the figure, supporting himself as a graphic designer, and to develop both his cartoon style and writing. He conceived of his characters — two elderly, maiden sisters who lived in a small town in New England, with a postman and a handyman for friends.
After three years, Coffin left New York for his home in Maine and launched his concept, “Cronies,” in Maine Times, a statewide paper back in the 70s.
In 1978, NEA, part of United Feature Syndicate, picked up “Cronies” and renamed it “Fletcher’s Landing,” and it was launched daily and Sunday and ran for three years. Coffin was the editorial cartoonist for the Waldo Independent for 22 of its 23-year run from 1985 to 2008 and his exhibit, due for its debut at Vose Library on Thursday, April 1, is a compilation of his cartoons showing how Belfast came to be the city it is.
In 1988, temporarily down in Philadelphia, Coffin chanced across a demonstration of the English tradition of carving letters in stone by hand by a British letter cutter. With typography, calligraphy, two-dimensional design and deep hand tool experience, he was startled to realize that he had all the skills to do this.
Thirty-two years later, he still does. His daughter joined him 10 years ago and they are Coffin & Daughter — hand-carving memorials, gravestones, donor walls and buildings in their studio on the coast of Maine.
“Much as I love designing and carving letters in stone, cartooning was my most creative, and most demanding, outlet. I am delighted to be able to post this collection at the Vose Library,” Coffin said in a library news release. “Delightfully, I published a book — ‘One Maine Christmas Eve’ in 2015, through Tilbury House Publishing in Thomaston – that mentions my favorite country fair of all times: your Union Fair.”
To request an invitation and passcode to attend this program, email debra@voselibrary.org prior to 3 p.m. March 31.
The library is currently open for curbside pick-up services and for browse and borrow in-person services by appointment. For more information, call 207-785-4733 or visit voselibrary.org.
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