Suzy Spafford facts for kids

Suzy Spafford (born in 1945) is an American cartoonist who creates fun and imaginative animal characters. She is also known as Suzy Spafford Lidstrom. Her famous "Suzy's Zoo" collection includes greeting cards, stickers, and calendars. These popular products are sold in many stores worldwide.

Suzy Spafford has also written many books for kids. One of her well-known book series is called Tales from Duckport.

Starting a Creative Business

Suzy Spafford started her company, "Suzy's Zoo," in 1968. She was still a student at San Diego State University at the time. There, she was studying art to get her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree.

In 1999, she added a new collection for babies and toddlers. This line of products was named Little Suzy's Zoo.

Meet the Suzy's Zoo Characters

Suzy Spafford's drawings are often funny and feature over 200 different animal characters. You can find rabbits, turtles, snails, and even ostriches in her art. These animals are drawn in bright colors. They often wear clothes and shoes, and always have happy faces.

Her very first fully developed character was a mix between a chicken and a duck. This cheerful character is known as Suzy Ducken. Each animal character has its own unique personality and a special story. They all live together in a make-believe town called Duckport.

At first, Suzy drew all the characters herself. But as her business grew, she quickly needed to hire helpers. By 2002, Suzy's Zoo had 50 employees. The company was making about $50 million in sales each year.

Suzy Spafford's Life Story

Suzy Spafford was born in 1945 in Toledo, Ohio. She grew up in San Diego, California. Today, she still lives there with her husband, Ray Lidstrom. Ray is the president of her company, Suzy's Zoo Studios.

Suzy went to Point Loma High School. She later graduated from San Diego State University. She is also a member of the Kappa Delta sorority.

How Suzy Became an Artist

Suzy Spafford has been drawing since she was only three years old. She was especially inspired by the imaginative drawings of Ted Geisel, also known as "Dr. Seuss." She calls him "one of my heroes."

Her parents supported her artistic talent from a young age. They enrolled her in painting classes. Later, she took private lessons to learn watercolor painting. By the time she was in college, she was selling her watercolor landscape paintings at art fairs.

During quiet times at these fairs, she would draw small animal cartoons. These cartoons showed animals doing everyday things, like playing golf or fishing. Customers loved these animal drawings. This made her focus more and more on the style that eventually became Suzy's Zoo.

Suzy is a founding member of the San Diego Watercolor Society. She also serves on the boards of several charities. These include the Rees-Stealy Research Foundation and the San Diego/Imperial Council of the Girl Scouts of the USA.

Awards and Recognition

Suzy Spafford has received several awards for her creative work.

• In 1996, she won the National Cartoonist Society Greeting Card Award.
• In 1997, she was given the Kappa Delta Woman of Achievement Award.
• In 2003, the local Girl Scout council honored her. They gave her their annual "Cool Women" award. This award celebrates local women who are great role models for girls. It recognizes how they balance their work, family, friends, and community service.

Suzy's Zoo on TV

An animated TV show based on Suzy's Zoo characters was created. It is called Suzy's Zoo: A Day with Witzy. This show was made by Suzy's Zoo Film Partners and the Tokyo Broadcasting System (TBS) network.

The series started airing on BabyFirstTV on March 23, 2015. In the show, Alyson Leigh Rosenfeld provides the voice for the character Witzy.