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MORE FROM MURPHY
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Creator Of Maxine
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nnnnnnnnnnnnnnJohn Wagner, Hallmark artist since 1970, says Maxine was inspired by his mother, his maiden aunts, and his grandmother, the woman who bought him art lessons when ‘fill in the pumpkins’ was about the extent of his art classes at St John’s Catholic School in Leonia, N.J.
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nJohn remembers doodling as a preschooler and says both his grandmother and his mother encouraged his artistic interests. He eventually attended the Vesper George School of Art in Boston and landed at Hallmark as part of a new artists group. But it was the birth of the humorous Shoebox Greetings (a tiny little division of Hallmark) in 1986 that added a new dimension to John’s professional life. The Shoebox’s way of seeing the world unleashed his talents and he created Maxine.
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Why the name ‘Maxine’? ‘People at Shoebox started referring to the character as ‘John Wagner’s old lady,’ and I knew that would get me into trouble with my wife,’ John says. The Shoebox team had a contest among themselves to name the character and three of the approximately 30 entries suggested ‘Maxine’. John says the name is perfect.
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nJohn, who says he’s humbled by such acceptance of Maxine, admits he’s proud of her. Now you know the story of how Maxine came to be.
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For you real SJPD Vintage cops this is Walt Robinson and I (Craig Shuey) on the way to the Guinness Storehouse in Dublin.
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Note the bar we are standing in front of.
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Easter Egg Puns
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- Hope you have an egg-stra special Easter.
- What an egg-citing day.
- I like to look on the sunny side.
- Are you an Easter eggs-pert?
- Felt cute, might have an egg-cellent Easter later.
- Eggs love you very much.
- Over-easy like Sunday morning.
- I’m putting all my eggs in one basket.
- You might not carrot all, but you’re irresistible!
- Don’t worry, there are enough eggs to go around.
- This Easter Sunday, I might whisk it!
- Who else is egg-cited for Easter?
- All of this celebrating is eggs-hausting.
- Those Easter eggs are really to dye for.
- Easter celebrations are a great way to get people out of their shells.
- I’m egg-stremely ready for this egg hunt.
- I have so many egg puns, it’s not even bunny.
- Let’s hope these Easter eggs are all they’re cracked up to be.
- I need to eggs-ercise off all this chocolate.
- How was your Easter? I’m dyeing to know.
- Not decorating any eggs today? Yolk’s on you.
- The Easter Bunny must get a lot of eggs-ercise.
- Look on the sunny side: It’s Easter!
- Way too egg-cited about this eggs-cellent holiday.
- I’ve been dyeing to decorate some Easter eggs!
- I need to shell out for some more Easter chocolate!
- What do all the eggs want to do when the egg hunt starts? Scramble!
- All these Easter puns crack me up.
- That’s all for Easter Sunday, yolks.
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