Washington Post

The Linda Jones Archive: Herblock and Chuck Jones

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The Pulitzer Prize-winning and world-renowned political cartoonist, Herblock, was a fan of Chuck Jones. So much so, that he called Jones up one day in the summer of 1978 and introduced himself. They spent several hours on the phone and became life-long friends. This is part of letter that Chuck Jones wrote to Herblock a few days after that initial phone conversation.Dear Herb Block,

I have been told on extremely good authority that there is a time to live, a time to love, a time to die, a time to etcetera -- all indisputably true, all, philosophically speaking, absolutely meaningless, but -- there certainly is always time to be surprised and delighted as I was when you called the other day. I have known courageous people, wise people, intelligent people and brilliantly talented people but seldom people who possess more than two of those qulities and I don't need more fingers than I have to count those who posess all of those qualities. You are in illustrious company, Herb Block: Mark Twain, F.D.R., Walt Kelly, R.L. Stevenson, Vachel Lindsay, Beatrix Potter -- a few more perhaps -- shall I grow more fingers?

...thank you again for the stimulating call -- it justified the entire history of the Bell System. Best regards, Chuck