For the first entry to the new blog section, I’ll address the reasoning behind the name Zzack Toons.
How did I come up with that name?
The origin of the name dates back over twenty years – when I was about 13 years old.
See, there was this girl at school. Why does it seem to always be about a girl?
Anywho, I had a huge crush on this girl. My best friend knew, and one day while I was hanging out at his house, he wanted to call her on my behalf. I was super shy, so I agreed as long as she didn’t know I was there at his house.
While my friend was talking to her on the phone, she heard my not-so-quiet giggling in the background, and asked who was there with him. He responded, “oh, that is my cousin Zack Zimmerman.”
Enter the name Zack.
Around the same time, I was drawing cartoons all the time. On notebooks, textbook covers (the homemade brown paper bag kind), and even school desk tops (in ink no less)! I had a recurring character, a character that had these three long strands of hair that shot out over his eyes. To remember the moment when my friend called the girl I liked, this recurring character was given the name Zack Zimmerman, a reference to myself. Suddenly the character had far more meaning, as he became a representation of me in cartoon form.
Obviously Zack is a cartoon character I continue to use today, though his appearance has evolved over the years.
When I decided to create a cartoon series name, I chose the name Zzack Toons. The two Z’s are there on purpose – they represent the initials for Zack Zimmerman. I also liked the name, since I thought it was unique enough that I figured no one else would think up the same name.
So now you know the significance behind the name.
-RA