Eagle Scout Helped By Universal Cartoonists Dies at 19

By: E&P Staff Derek Lee Slinger, who was helped in late 2004 by various Universal Press Syndicate creators, has died at the age of 19 after a three-year fight with cancer.

The Raymore, Mo., teen wanted to qualify for an Eagle Scout badge by creating a coloring book based on a poem he had written for his younger sister, Leslee, and then distributing copies of the book to children's hospitals. But he was too ill to draw it.

Kansas City-based Universal learned about the project, and asked its creators to contribute illustrations to accompany Slinger's poem.

Four Universal creators contributed existing art to the book, and others drew new illustrations. They included Bill Amend ("FoxTrot"), Mike Baldwin ("Cornered"), Carlos Castellanos ("Baldo"), Jim Davis ("Garfield"), Betty Debnam/Wendy Daley ("The Mini Page"), Chip Dunham ("Overboard"), Paul Gilligan ("Pooch Cafe"), Jillian Gilliland ("Tell Me a Story"), Rob Harrell ("Big Top"), Bill Hinds ("Cleats"), Steve Moore ("In the Bleachers"), Mark Pett ("Lucky Cow"), Mark Tatulli ("Heart of the City"), and Tom Wilson ("Ziggy").

Slinger qualified for his Eagle Scout badge -- and the coloring book ended up being distributed to 20,000 patients in 50 children's hospitals.