Rust & Wrinkles

About the Book

As a child, caught in the middle of his family's breakup, he ricocheted between his parent's shallow rooted homes over the years, criss-crossing the nation many times. "By the time I was 30," King said," I'd lived in 35 houses!"

Through it all, the only thread of tangible continuity was the family car: a drop-dead, arrest-me-red, rag-topped, road bullet.

Whatever your background, Rust & Wrinkles will awaken your own fond memories of the family car as he takes you out for an epic cross-country joyride.

A Note from the Author:

Welcome to this anniversary edition of Rust & Wrinkles: Growing Old Together!

I'm a little older now — and a lot more rusty. It's been 15 years since I first sat down to sketch out the first panel of this series. In some respects a lifetime. My daughter, caricatured on the cover has gone from kindergarten to college. My son has a good six inches on his old man and can carry me on his shoulders now. The divorce monster ate all my Alfas. I lost my home and business. I lost everything. I became (gasp!) a pedestrian.

And then I saw her.

The fantasy I penned as a melancholy bookend to my story appeared in the flesh. On the side of the road just as I had imagined. Shortly after that, as we walked together for the first time we found THE CAR curbside as well.

Many years and many cartoons later (even one with Star Trek's Capt. Kirk himself!) I felt it worthwhile to tell you how the story really ended — and began anew.

You'll not find it half as strange as that poor girl did — when I showed her the original book, and tried to convince her she was the incarnation of my lonely imagination.

But it did make one heckuva marriage proposal! I asked, "What is your name?" She said, "Angel."

About the Author

2004 Pulitzer Prize Nominee, Joe King reissues this — his first book — 15 years after the first strip was published! He recalls fondly, that these early comics finally legitimized his driveway of semi-exotic Italian machinery as valid tax deductions.

As a child, caught in the middle of his family's breakup, he ricocheted between his parent's shallow rooted homes over the years, criss-crossing the nation many times. "By the time I was 30," King said," I'd lived in 35 houses!" Through it all, the only thread of tangible continuity was the family car: a drop-dead, arrest-me-red, rag-topped, road bullet.

"People changed. People left. The car was always there, and if it did go away — it always took me with it."

"That Joe Guy", as King refers to himself, believes that whatever your background, Rust & Wrinkles will awaken your own fond memories of the family car as he takes you out for an epic cross-country joyride. "It's like Aladdin's Lamp." He says, "Most people know the story, they just don't believe in it. But watch their face when they come across someone polishing an old car they remember from their youth — they become enchanted."

Today Joe is being laughed at in more than 20 different countries. He can be found any evening with Angela, the love of his life as they stroll the South Bay shore.

Joe is the author of the Funny Paperz editorial cartoon series, also available from Trafford Publishing: Funny Paperz #1: Bestest Editorial Cartoons of the Year — 2002, Funny Paperz #2: Bestest Editorial Cartoons of the Year — 2003, Funny Paperz #3: Bestest Editorial Cartoons of the Year — 2004, and coming soon — Funny Paperz #4: Bestest Editorial Cartoons of the Year — 2005.