Charlie Daniel and Brad Boring were trying to do some healing on the operating floor at East Tennessee Children’s Hospital Friday morning.
But their hand-held instruments of surgical repair were drawing pens and markers.
The two News Sentinel cartoonists were sketching personalized cartoons for the young patients to help them do some emotional mending while the doctors took care of the needed physical repairs.
“It’s so rewarding to me to do something like this,” said Daniel, the paper’s longtime editorial cartoonist and creator of the Sunday “Rosy’s Diner” comic strip.
According to Cheryl Allmon, the ETCH director of volunteer services, the visit was in connection with Monday’s Peyton Manning Golf Classic that benefits the hospital. The two teamed up to draw jointly the cartoon on the T-shirts being used for this year’s tournament, so they offered to visit some of the patient rooms.
“It’s fun to have somebody come in, do the cartoon and interact with them,” said Allmon. “They have a great time.”
Daniel and Boring, who have made previous visits to the hospital, also seemed to be enjoying it. In fact, although editorial cartoonists often use light tables for drawing, the children were doing the brightening for them Friday.
“I get more out of it than they do. I really do,” said Daniel.
The two first went into the room of Wade Boyce, and Daniel drew Rosy from the strip and personalized it for Wade. Then, on the same piece of paper, Boring completed his sketch.
The scene was repeated in the next room for Lola Widener, whose baby sister, Stella, was a patient. There, however, the two cartoonists met their match after learning Lola was a skilled coloring book artist who had examples to show them.
“Maybe Lola will autograph one for Charlie,” Boring quipped.
Her father, Jonathan Widener, who said art talent runs in the family, appreciated the visit.
“To see someone else come in and spend time with them and get them occupied and let them see how much fun it is, is nice,” he said.
The pair then visited the room of Delilah Hodge, who broke her arm at vacation Bible school the day before. There, Boring quipped again about Rosy wearing too much makeup and jokingly told Delilah the character dips her face in a big bowl of makeup.
A full-time senior loan officer at Mortgage Investors Group and the creator of the “Boringtoons” comic strip in Go Knoxville magazine, Boring was definitely enjoying it all.
“It’s real rewarding to come down here with the kids and watch their faces brighten up when we walk in,” he said.
