Bunny Hoest
Encyclopedia
Bunny Hoest sometimes labeled The Cartoon Lady, is the writer of several cartoon series, including The Lockhorns
, Laugh Parade
and Howard Huge
, all of which she inherited from her late husband Bill Hoest
. She is the co-creator of Bumper Snickers in 1974, Agatha Crumm in 1977, Laugh Parade in 1980, Howard Huge in 1981, What A Guy! in 1986 and Hunny Bunny's Short Tales in 1992.
Born in Crown Heights, Brooklyn, as Madeline Mezz, she was the only child of a doctor and an opera singer. She received the nickname "Bunny" as a child, as she recalled, "My mother and father called me Bunny from day one. They said I was little and cute and had dark eyes like a little bunny." Her father, Dr. David Mezz, was a surgeon who invented the nose clip used by springboard divers.
After attending a magnet school as a music student for four years, she graduated in 1953 from Adelphi University
, where she studied literature and creative writing, noting, “I feel that writing is a gift which should be perfected. English is a beautiful language. Why muck it up?”
When she was 19, she married Ted Jungreis, and the couple moved to Huntington, Long Island, where she raised three children. With a master's degree in secondary education from C. W. Post
, she taught English as a second language. She joined a local community theater, composing original scores for several musical comedies in addition to performing, and became a member of the Huntington Choral Society.
, creator of The Lockhorns, who needed an assistant to help compile his cartoons into books. She recalled, "I was 40 years old. My kids were 20, 18 and 15." Hoest, who had six children, was also recently divorced. The two married in 1973. She reflected, "Marrying Bill meant taking on a whole different kind of life, a new direction with much responsibility. He needed a working partner as well as a marriage partner. It was scary and challenging. I thought, what the hell, I'll give it a shot."
Soon she was writing captions for The Lockhorns, and eventually they worked together on the scripts for their other features. After Bill Hoest's death in 1988, she continued the cartoons and strips, working closely with illustrator John Reiner
, who began as Bill Hoest's assistant in 1986. They usually work three or four months in advance of publication.
In 1996, she met and married Dr. Walter T. Carpenter, Jr., who died on October 23, 2008, at the age of 97.
Her daughter is Sharon Bowers, who collaborated with Adrian Sinnott on Hunny Bunny’s Short Tale, brief bedtime stories for kids. Syndicated by King Features in the mid to late-1990s, the feature was one of the first panel cartoons delivered electronically.
According to King Features, Bunny Hoest had 200 million readers each week, a total derived from The Lockhorns (500 newspapers worldwide), Laugh Parade (80 million readers each Sunday) and the long-running Bumper Snickers for The National Enquirer
(which has a circulation of more than seven million). Bumper Snickers began in 1974 and was collected in a Signet paperback two years later.
Living in Lloyd Neck, Long Island
, she plays tennis and continues to sing with the Huntington Choral Society. She has six grandchildren and many stepchildren and step-grandchildren.
The Lockhorns
The Lockhorns is a United States single-panel cartoon created in 1968 by Bill Hoest and distributed by King Features Syndicate to 500 newspapers in 23 countries. It is continued today by Bunny Hoest and John Reiner.-Characters and story:...
, Laugh Parade
Laugh Parade
Laugh Parade was a group of weekly gag cartoons written by Bunny Hoest and drawn by John Reiner. It ran in Parade, a Sunday newspaper magazine supplement....
and Howard Huge
Howard Huge
Howard Huge is a cartoon series written by Bunny Hoest and illustrated by John Reiner. Created by Bill Hoest, the series had 80 million readers, since it ran in the Sunday supplement magazine, Parade from 1980 to 2007, continuing on a website....
, all of which she inherited from her late husband Bill Hoest
Bill Hoest
Bill Hoest was an American cartoonist best known as the creator of the gag panel series, The Lockhorns, distributed by King Features Syndicate to 500 newspapers in 23 countries, and Laugh Parade for Parade...
. She is the co-creator of Bumper Snickers in 1974, Agatha Crumm in 1977, Laugh Parade in 1980, Howard Huge in 1981, What A Guy! in 1986 and Hunny Bunny's Short Tales in 1992.
Born in Crown Heights, Brooklyn, as Madeline Mezz, she was the only child of a doctor and an opera singer. She received the nickname "Bunny" as a child, as she recalled, "My mother and father called me Bunny from day one. They said I was little and cute and had dark eyes like a little bunny." Her father, Dr. David Mezz, was a surgeon who invented the nose clip used by springboard divers.
After attending a magnet school as a music student for four years, she graduated in 1953 from Adelphi University
Adelphi University
Adelphi University is a private, nonsectarian university located in Garden City, in Nassau County, New York, United States. It is the oldest institution of higher education on Long Island. For the sixth year, Adelphi University has been named a “Best Buy” in higher education by the Fiske Guide to...
, where she studied literature and creative writing, noting, “I feel that writing is a gift which should be perfected. English is a beautiful language. Why muck it up?”
When she was 19, she married Ted Jungreis, and the couple moved to Huntington, Long Island, where she raised three children. With a master's degree in secondary education from C. W. Post
Long Island University C.W. Post Campus
The C.W. Post Campus of Long Island University is a private institution of higher education located in Brookville in Nassau County, New York, United States...
, she taught English as a second language. She joined a local community theater, composing original scores for several musical comedies in addition to performing, and became a member of the Huntington Choral Society.
Cartoon connection
The couple separated after 21 years together, and not long after that, she landed a job with cartoonist Bill HoestBill Hoest
Bill Hoest was an American cartoonist best known as the creator of the gag panel series, The Lockhorns, distributed by King Features Syndicate to 500 newspapers in 23 countries, and Laugh Parade for Parade...
, creator of The Lockhorns, who needed an assistant to help compile his cartoons into books. She recalled, "I was 40 years old. My kids were 20, 18 and 15." Hoest, who had six children, was also recently divorced. The two married in 1973. She reflected, "Marrying Bill meant taking on a whole different kind of life, a new direction with much responsibility. He needed a working partner as well as a marriage partner. It was scary and challenging. I thought, what the hell, I'll give it a shot."
Soon she was writing captions for The Lockhorns, and eventually they worked together on the scripts for their other features. After Bill Hoest's death in 1988, she continued the cartoons and strips, working closely with illustrator John Reiner
John Reiner
John Reiner is a cartoonist who collaborates with writer Bunny Hoest on three cartoon series: The Lockhorns, syndicated by King Features, and Laugh Parade and Howard Huge ....
, who began as Bill Hoest's assistant in 1986. They usually work three or four months in advance of publication.
In 1996, she met and married Dr. Walter T. Carpenter, Jr., who died on October 23, 2008, at the age of 97.
Her daughter is Sharon Bowers, who collaborated with Adrian Sinnott on Hunny Bunny’s Short Tale, brief bedtime stories for kids. Syndicated by King Features in the mid to late-1990s, the feature was one of the first panel cartoons delivered electronically.
Parade of laughter
In 2001, Marcelle S. Fischer, in The New York Times, profiled Long Island's cartoonists, including Bunny Hoest:- Bunny Hoest writes the snappy one-liners for The Lockhorns, a cartoon panel about a bickering long-married couple that appears in 500 newspapers. "Be careful," Ms. Hoest said. "I'm just writing what I see. It's based on observation." Ms. Hoest's strip is drawn by John Reiner, who took over when her husband, the artist Bill Hoest, got cancer in 1986. He died in 1988. Some comics are done by teams: writers create the dialogue and storyline; illustrators sketch the panels and strips in pencil. Inkers retrace the drawing. Then the lettering is done.
According to King Features, Bunny Hoest had 200 million readers each week, a total derived from The Lockhorns (500 newspapers worldwide), Laugh Parade (80 million readers each Sunday) and the long-running Bumper Snickers for The National Enquirer
The National Enquirer
The National Enquirer is an American supermarket tabloid now published by American Media Inc . Founded in 1926, the tabloid has gone through a variety of changes over the years....
(which has a circulation of more than seven million). Bumper Snickers began in 1974 and was collected in a Signet paperback two years later.
Living in Lloyd Neck, Long Island
Lloyd Harbor, New York
Lloyd Harbor is a village in Suffolk County, New York on the North Shore of Long Island. As of the United States 2000 Census, the village population was 3,675.The Village of Lloyd Harbor is in the Town of Huntington.-History:...
, she plays tennis and continues to sing with the Huntington Choral Society. She has six grandchildren and many stepchildren and step-grandchildren.