Jim Scancarelli
"Gasoline Alley" and the Wallet family have charmed and amused newspaper readers for more than 75 years. Jim Scancarelli took over the responsibilities of drawing and writing the strip in April 1986, following the death of the legendary Dick Moores, who presided over "The Alley" for more than 30 years. Scancarelli is the third cartoonist to write and draw "Gasoline Alley," originally created by Frank King.
Scancarelli started on "Gasoline Alley" as Moores' assistant in 1979.
"I was the only artist who interviewed for the job who had read the strip and knew the characters. Dick decided to send me strips to ink on a temporary basis to see how things would work. Evidently, I got the job because he just kept sending a set each week," he said.
Scancarelli's earliest memories of "Gasoline Alley" go back to his childhood, when his grandfather would read the comics page to him.
"Little did I realize almost 40 years later I would be sitting in the next room of the house – I bought my grandfather's home – thinking up and drawing the continuation of the Wallet family."
"Gasoline Alley" set a precedent in the cartooning world from the start as the first strip in which the characters grew older and lived normal, everyday lives along with readers. In 1988, Scancarelli offered copies of a free Wallet family tree to readers. Response was overwhelming, with more than 100,000 requests from all 50 states, Canada and the Philippines.
Before joining Moores' to produce "Gasoline Alley," Scancarelli worked with George Breisacher on "Mutt & Jeff" for two years. Winner of the 1989 Reuben Award for best story strip, Scancarelli worked in radio and television art departments before becoming a cartoonist.
Jim Scancarelli Samples
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