News Release

"Lost Sheep" Finds Its Way to uclick

HARTFORD, Conn.  (04/21/2004)  Dan Thompson's plucky, incident-prone cartoon sheep George, who left his flock to make it on his own, is now on a new journey. This time it's into the world of online syndication, via uclick.

Thompson started his strip "Lost Sheep" on the incubator site Comics Sherpa. While on Comics Sherpa, Thompson more fully developed his strip with feedback from devoted fans. After only four months, "Lost Sheep" became a fan favorite and also caught the eye of uclick. Soon after, Thompson was offered an online syndication contract.

uclick is the Kansas City-based digital content provider owned by Andrews McMeel Universal which operates the consumer comics sites www.uComics.com and the relatively new incubator site ComicsSherpa.com, which, for a fee, gives aspiring cartoonists a platform for their comic creations.

"I had my sights on a wider audience," says Thompson, 32, "and I knew syndication was one way to help achieve my goal."

"Lost Sheep" is about a sheep named George who wanted more out of life than what his flock of sheep offered, so he set out on his own to explore the world. He quickly made a fast friend in roommate Joe, a quiet and easy going, nice guy. An attempted good deed by the roommates -- liberating an unhappy and obnoxious parrot named Frank from a pet shop -- came back to haunt them, in a good way, when Frank refused to fly away. Frank's stubbornness abruptly turned the quiet duo into a noisy trio. With the help of colorful friends and peculiar extended families, these unlikely comrades face the befuddling challenges each day brings as they ponder their way through life.

Where are George, Joe, Frank and the rest of the gang from "Lost Sheep" headed next?

"We're still unpacking our bags from our trip from Sherpa to uclick," says Thompson, laughing, "But we're ready for anything!"

Thompson started his professional career doing character design and animation cleanup for a small animation studio, then moved into freelance cartoon illustration and gag cartooning. A member of the National Cartoonist Society, he writes and draws cartoons for magazines, web sites and syndication. He began "Lost Sheep" in the summer of 2003 on uclick's Comics Sherpa incubator website. He and his family live in western Connecticut.

For samples of "Lost Sheep" and other comics, please go to www.ucomics.com.

Creator(s):

Contact(s): Lillian Kuras, 816/360-6933

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