Leaping Lizzards, Sandy

Back in 1924 Little Orphan Annie and I were born. She came on the scene in August and I showed up in November.We traveled down the long road together. We both had red hair but there the resemblance ended. She was an orphan and I had a full blown family. Mother, Dad,Joe, Mart, Paul and I. She was adopted by Daddy Warbucks who made his money pretty much like Haliburton and was obscenely rich. She had a friend named Punjab, an Indian Prince. My dad worked for the Big Four Railroad and barely eked out a living. She had a dog named Sandy, I had my Grandpa Charters, the blacksmith, and my Grandpa Morrissey, the cattle trader/farmer. and a dog named Trixie. Annie had eyes that looked like marshmallows and mine were blue, Sandy's eyes were like marshmallows, also. Trixie's were brown. Unlike me she never aged nor did she ever change her dress. Her dress was red, long sleeved and had white collars and cuffs. My dresses were varied and usually had former owners, but were never red. She had many adventures and pretty much spurned the luxury life offered her by Daddy Warbucks. Her favorite expletive, when she got in some of her fixes was, "Leaping Lizzards, Sandy." Mine was, "Rats!"

So, maybe you can understand my sorrow and regret to hear that after 85 years of her saga printed in the daily papers across the country she is leaving. Yes, it's true. Her last published account will take place on June 13th, 2010. It behooves me to think I will not get to see or read her swan song or strip because our paper does not print her strip on their comic page. In recent years the name of the strip changed to just plain, "Annie". Goodbye, Annie, you will be sorely missed, I hope you find a new venue because I don't intend to quit so you should not either.Ciao