News Release

Katie Couric Gives Wink His Kiss

New York  (12/24/2003)  What happens when America's favorite circus bear falls in love with America's favorite television news anchor, Katie Couric? He gets a Christmas kiss from Katie, that's what.

Wink is the Harley-Davidson riding bear that endears himself to more than two million newspaper and online fans each day in the syndicated comic strip Big Top, by Indianapolis cartoonist and fine artist Rob Harrell. And this Christmas, the circus came to town -- New York City, that is. Harrell's offbeat -- sometimes wayward -- comic strip circus featured a performance at the famous Rockefeller Plaza. The story takes place in strips running between Dec. 17 and Dec. 25. (To see the Katie strips, go to http://www.ucomics.com/bigtop beginning with Dec. 17.)

But that spells possible heartbreak for Wink, because the love of his life is right next door on the "Today" show set. He wants to buy Katie Couric an engagement ring, but in the end, will settle just for a kiss, which Winks knows will "taste just like sunshine."

Did he get his wish? He did! Harrell was interviewed via satellite from a studio in Indianapolis Wednesday, Christmas eve day on the Today Show. The sweet-as-sunshine Katie Couric did indeed blow Wink a kiss on the air -- although she professed an aversion to interspecies marriages. She asked if Wink was Harrell's alter ego, to which he agreed, adding that all of his characters have aspects of his personality.

Harrell has been making readers laugh with the antics of his comic strips since “Freak Out,” a strip he created in fourth grade. He spent his years in high school and DePauw University designing several strips and honing his talents while still branching out for alternative means of income. Upon graduation from Ringling School of Art and Design in Sarasota, Florida, Rob revived his love of cartooning. Coming from that kind of background, the basis for a comic strip about a circus was not far behind.

The daily and Sunday comic strip chronicles the life of a little boy named Pete growing up in a circus family of talking animals. As he grows up, discussions with Wink and his fellow performers help keep Pete grounded in his innocent ways. Wink has had a healthy, albeit obsessive, love for Katie Couric for quite some time.

These days, Rob’s work has a much bigger audience than just his fourth-grade classmates. Big Top is distributed to about 50 media outlets nationwide, including the Detroit Free Press and the Portland Oregonian. It also appears in newspapers in Paris, Hong Kong and Singapore.

“I thought it would be fun to write in a real town the circus would be visiting and to create a love interest between Wink and Katie,” says Rob, who is quick to add that this is not a vicarious relationship -- Harrell is engaged to a wonderful woman.

On behalf of Wink and in the spirit of holiday cheer, Universal Press Syndicate has sent Katie flowers, candy and a framed, signed comic strip she can proudly display on her wall. “This was dreamy, not only for Wink, but for us at Universal Press Syndicate” says Kerr. "We appreciated this Christmas gift."

Creator(s):

Contact(s): Kathie Kerr (800/255-6734, ext. 6945) kkerr@amuniversal.com

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