John Rose’s (‘86) career as a cartoonist was paved with a phone call from Fred Lasswell, the cartoonist behind the renowned Barney Google and Snuffy Smith comics.
“John, this is Fred Lasswell,” the caller said. “I really like the way you draw big noses.”
Rose became Lasswell’s inking assistant in 1998 until his death in 2001, when Rose was chosen to take over the Snuffy Smith comic strip. He became just the third person to ever draw it.
June 2019 marked the comic strip’s 100th anniversary, an accomplishment Rose attributes to its character development of the Smith family. This includes Snuffy, an endearing hillbilly known for his quirky antics.
Rose adopts what he calls the “Snuffy mindset" to maintain the comic strip’s daily production schedule. He also produces three to four editorial cartoons per week for Harrisonburg's Daily News-Record.
Rose says the support of his family—all JMU graduates—has been the most important aspect of his career. He met his wife, Karen (‘84), on the second weekend of his freshman year. He’d later surprise her with pizza in the stacks of Carrier Library while dressed as a pizza delivery man.
“He cares so deeply for all of us, and with that ability to bring that sense of humor and help to lighten when the times might not be the best times … that helps,” Karen said.
Along the way, Rose has published a variety of books and even caught the attention of the Robertsons from Duck Dynasty and Dolly Parton after featuring them in the Snuffy Smith cartoons. Awards line his home studio, including one from Walt Disney for his contributions to cartooning.
It’s moments like these when Rose realizes he can’t imagine doing anything else.
