At 79, most people are retired and enjoy their time of leisure. But cartoonist Morrie Turner is still hard at work drawing his famous “Wee Pals” strip.

His strip, which features kids of different races, backgrounds and abilities who don’t always agree with each other but always respect their differences, appears in over 100 newspapers nationwide, including The Sacramento Bee.

Turner was the first African American syndicated cartoonist, having drawn comics for 38 years. His teachers in the 1930s and 1940s didn’t encourage him to pursue a career in art for obvious reasons. But he met and became friends with “Peanuts” creator Charles Schulz.

“I wanted to create a black version of ‘Peanuts,'” said the civil rights activist. So he created “Dinky Fellas,” which featured only black characters. Being in support of integration, he created “Wee Pals” featuring Randy, an African American; Paul, a Chicano; and Ralph, a white and often bigoted child.

He has said it was one of the smartest decisions he has ever made.

In 1961, the United Features Syndicate picked up his “Wee Pals” and they appeared in nine newspapers. After the assassination of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. in 1968, newspapers sought the strip, devoted to racial harmony. Turner sadly credits the assassination of King as the force that carried the strip to national syndication. His strip went from nine newspapers to 60.

With lively word play, a deceptively simple drawing style, and a clear perception of love of humanity, Turner presents a world where people can live, learn, work and play together regardless of racial, religious, or physical differences.

He said his characters are used to promote brotherhood and multiculturalism.

“I want people to work together and respect one another,” he said.Turner also created “Soul Corner,” a short, descriptive biographical panel that he draws to highlight the contributions of people of color to American society.

“I try to focus on real people who we don’t normally hear about,” he said.

Turner has received numerous awards, including this year’s 2003 National Cartoonists Society Milt Caniff Lifetime Achievement Award, which will be presented in May.

And Turner has no intentions to stop drawing.

“I will continue to draw as long as I can,” he said. “It’s what I love to do.”

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