This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.

Community Corner

Stromoski Tells A Funny Story

Local celebrity cartoonist Rick Stromoski shares his love of wine, bread and fish for this week's Cup of Joe.

You know him as the comic strip guy: Soup to Nutz creator Rick Stromoski. You see him around town escaping the attic office where he creates his syndicated family comic strip. You see him at the schools or the library teaching kids about the craft.

But maybe you don’t know that he used to make his own award-winning wines. Or that his latest project permeates the house with the warm smell of fresh-baked artisan bread.

It was a coast-to-coast road that led to the North Main Street home he shares with wife Danna, of 24 years, and daughter, Molly, who attends Suffield Academy.

Find out what's happening in Suffieldwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Raised in New Jersey with 11 brothers and sisters, Stromoski’s dad was a former old-time radio crooner turned chiropractor. He literally draws inspiration for his comic that “that mirrors the real families we grew up in, warts and all” from the family foibles and childhood memories of his past.

He works out of his home office under a light fixture that once graced Shirley Temple’s girlhood bathroom. Rick and his brother snatched it up and saved from demolition when they were young house painters in Hollywood.

Find out what's happening in Suffieldwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

After coloring big things, he went on to immerse himself in art, designing the cute artwork on nurse's smocks, illustrating greeting cards and children’s books and finally getting his own comic strip.

“I taught myself everything in how to be a cartoonist.”Stromoski said. “I did a lot of research on marking and the business side of it… and I had a lot of mentors. I even called up Charles Schultz.”

Stromoski started out drawing dinosaurs on the back of spelling tests and feels compelled to spend a lot of time mentoring kids in the area with classes and presentations.

“We’re all born artists,” he said. “Look around any kindergarten room and kids are finger-painting and coloring like crazy.”

“It’s taught out of us” and kids become self-conscious and hampered by criticism, he explained. “I tell kids that there are no erasers in class. There are no mistakes.”

But with Stromoski, it’s not all work and no play. He loves to hang out with friends and go antiquing with Danna. He is a natural crooner, taking after his dad and often shakes things up in the office with a hairbrush microphone and a few tunes.

Then there’s fishing.

“I love to fish,” he said. “To be alone in a canoe on a lake. It’s a battle of wits between me and the fish – that I get to win!”

But in the end it always comes back to the drawing.

“It’s the best job you can have,” he said. “I love Mondays, I get to color again!”

Stromoski sometimes incorporates townspeople and topics from Suffield, so next you spot him at , make an impression – you just might find yourself in the funny pages!

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

The views expressed in this post are the author's own. Want to post on Patch?