# Robb Armstrong

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**Robb Armstrong** (born March 4, 1962) is an [African American](/source/African_American) [cartoonist](/source/Cartoonist), best known for creating the [comic strip](/source/Comic_strip) *[Jump Start](/source/Jump_Start_(comic_strip))*. *Jump Start* is the most widely syndicated daily strip written by an African American.

## Early life and education

Armstrong was born on March 4, 1962, in [West Philadelphia](/source/West_Philadelphia), Pennsylvania.[1] Armstrong's mother, Dorothy was a seamstress. He was the youngest of the five children.[2][3]

Armstrong attended the [Shipley School](/source/Shipley_School) in [Bryn Mawr](/source/Bryn_Mawr,_Pennsylvania).[1][4] During the senior year of high-school he completed a three-week internship with cartoonist [Signe Wilkinson](/source/Signe_Wilkinson).[5][6] He studied advertising design at the [College of Visual and Performing Arts](/source/Syracuse_University_College_of_Visual_and_Performing_Arts) at [Syracuse University](/source/Syracuse_University) and graduated with a [Bachelor of Fine Arts](/source/Bachelor_of_Fine_Arts) degree.[7][8]

## Career

### Early career

During college, he began submitting his comic *Hector* to [The Daily Orange](/source/The_Daily_Orange) his freshman year and later became art director at the newspaper. *Hector* is a cynical, lazy black college kid who is accompanied by Meatball and Julias; a dog with human ears.[3] When this character didn't work well outside the college boundaries, he worked over the next four years to reshape *Hector* into *Jump Start*.[6][7] During his early years as a cartoonist, he held a [day-job](/source/Job_(role)) at *Weightman advertising* in Philadelphia.[5]

### *Jump Start*

*[Jump Start](/source/Jump_Start_(comic_strip))*, Armstrong's comic strip revolves around the trials and tribulations of a middle-class Black family in Philadelphia that is made up of Joseph "Joe" Cobb Sr., a city police officer, and Marcy Cobb, a nurse and their four children.[3][9][10] The family is named after the [Cobbs Creek](/source/Cobbs_Creek,_Philadelphia) neighborhood located in [West Philadelphia](/source/West_Philadelphia).[1]

After being picked for syndication by [United Feature Syndicate](/source/United_Feature_Syndicate) in October 1989, the cartoon appeared in 69 papers within six months of launch.[5][6] Since its launch in 1989 around 10,000 comics have been created. As of 2018, it is syndicated in over 300 newspapers throughout North America, including *[The Los Angeles Times](/source/The_Los_Angeles_Times)*, *[New York Daily News](/source/New_York_Daily_News)*, and*[The Boston Globe](/source/The_Boston_Globe)*.[2]

In 2020, Armstrong stated that he is working on a possible live-action comedy television show based on *Jump Start*.[7][11][12]

### Other work

In October 2010, Armstrong's work was featured in *The Original Art of the Funny Papers* exhibition at Syracuse university's XL Projects gallery in [Armory Square](/source/Armory_Square).[13][14] On May 19, 2012, Armstrong received an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters, *Honoris causa* degree from [Holy Family University](/source/Holy_Family_University) in Pennsylvania.[15]

In 2016, Armstrong published a part self-help book, part memoir titled *Fearless: A Cartoonist's Guide to Life*.[1][11]

### Influences

Armstrong lists [Charles M. Schulz](/source/Charles_M._Schulz) as one of his influences and heroes, saying that he started drawing sketches of [Charlie Brown](/source/Charlie_Brown) at age five.[3][16][17] As part of the 1994 [animated television special](/source/Animated_television_special) *[You're in the Super Bowl, Charlie Brown](/source/You're_in_the_Super_Bowl,_Charlie_Brown)*, Schulz gave his [Franklin](/source/Franklin_(Peanuts)), the *[Peanuts](/source/Peanuts)* strip's Black character, the surname Armstrong, after Robb Armstrong.[9][16][17][18] Armstrong was later chosen to co-write the 2024 *Peanuts* special, *[Snoopy Presents: Welcome Home, Franklin](/source/Snoopy_Presents:_Welcome_Home,_Franklin)*, the first special to star the character.[19][20]

## Personal life

Armstrong has two children and is married to Crystal D. Armstrong, an events planner.[21] They reside in [Los Angeles](/source/Los_Angeles), [California](/source/California).[1]

A great uncle, [Eugene Benson](/source/Gene_Benson), played baseball in the [Negro league](/source/Negro_league) and the majors.[22]

## Publications

- Armstrong, Robb (1997). *JumpStart*. Kansas City: Andrews McMeel Publishing. ISBN 9780836236613. [OCLC 37923054](https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/37923054)
- Armstrong, Robb (2016). *Fearless: A Cartoonist's Guide to Life*. New York: Reader's Digest. ISBN 9781621452874. [OCLC 990821669](https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/990821669)

## References

1. Wellington, Elizabeth (April 26, 2016). ["'Jump Start' Comic Strip Creator's New Book Part Memoir, Part Self-Help"](https://www.inquirer.com/philly/columnists/elizabeth_wellington/20160426__quot_Jump_Start_quot__comic_strip_creator_s_new_book_part_memoir__part_self-help.html). *The Philadelphia Inquirer*. Retrieved 17 October 2020.

1. ["Armstrong: JumpStart's positive depiction of African American life is refreshing"](http://www.philly.com/philly/living/20160321_Armstrong__JumpStart_s_positive_depiction_of_African_American_life_is_refreshing.html). *Philly.com*. Retrieved 2018-07-30.

1. Hillinger, Charles (27 January 1991). ["Jump-Start Creator is Beating the Odds"](https://www.newspapers.com/clip/67791894/). *[The Los Angeles Times](/source/The_Los_Angeles_Times)*. p. 138. Retrieved 16 January 2021. – via [Newspapers.com](/source/Newspapers.com)

1. ["Shipley School honors alumni, continues 125th Anniversary Celebration with special programming this spring"](https://www.mainlinemedianews.com/lifestyle/shipley-school-honors-alumni-continues-125th-anniversary-celebration-with-special-programming-this-spring/article_5e796834-7729-11e9-b3fc-5f3ad565fd59.html). *Main Line Media News*. May 21, 2019. Retrieved 17 October 2020.

1. Soulsman, Gary (1 April 1990). ["Comic: New strip focuses on marital togetherness"](https://www.newspapers.com/clip/66644319/). *The News Journal*. pp. H1, 85. Retrieved 2 January 2021. – via [Newspapers.com](/source/Newspapers.com)

1. Soulsman, Gary (1 April 1990). ["Comic: New strip focuses on marital togetherness"](https://www.newspapers.com/clip/66644431/). *The News Journal*. pp. H6, 90. Retrieved 2 January 2021. – via [Newspapers.com](/source/Newspapers.com)

1. Walker, Julia (14 October 2020). ["Cartoonist Robb Armstrong reminisces time at SU, discusses new book"](http://dailyorange.com/2020/10/cartoonist-robb-armstrong-reminisces-time-su-discusses-new-book/). *The Daily Orange*. Retrieved 17 October 2020.

1. Charboneau, Jeffrey (1995). ["Just for laughs"](https://surface.syr.edu/sumagazine/vol12/iss2/7/). *[Syracuse University Magazine](/source/Syracuse_University_Magazine)*. Vol. 12, no. 2. pp. 22–23. Retrieved 28 March 2023.

1. Nelson, Connie (July 27, 2020). ["'Jump Start,' one of the first comics about Black Americans, comes to the Sunday Star Tribune"](https://web.archive.org/web/20240218002656/https://www.startribune.com/jump-start-one-of-the-first-comics-about-black-americans-comes-to-the-sunday-star-tribune/571922032/). *Star Tribune*. Archived from [the original](https://www.startribune.com/jump-start-one-of-the-first-comics-about-black-americans-comes-to-the-sunday-star-tribune/571922032/) on February 18, 2024. Retrieved 17 October 2020.

1. Gitt, Tammie (February 5, 2018). ["5 Questions: Cartoonist injects humor into serious messages"](https://cumberlink.com/news/local/communities/carlisle/5-questions-cartoonist-injects-humor-into-serious-messages/article_ed24c396-c067-5f86-8d4d-a475b0d2f9ff.html). *The Sentinel*. Retrieved 17 October 2020.

1. Gibbs, Adrienne Samuels (23 July 2016). ["Black Cartoonist Draws Lessons from Losses"](https://www.ebony.com/entertainment/fearless-jumpstart-robb-armstrong/). *EBONY*. Retrieved 17 October 2020.

1. Hegarty, Tasha (23 November 2014). ["Fox adapting Jump Start comic"](https://www.digitalspy.com/tv/ustv/a611853/jump-start-comic-strip-to-be-adapted-as-a-family-comedy-for-fox/). *Digital Spy*. Retrieved 17 October 2020.

1. Seely, Hart (10 October 2010). ["Syracuse University Exhibit Showcases Comic Strips"](https://www.syracuse.com/entertainment/2010/10/syracuse_university_exhibit_sh.html). *The Post-Standard*. Retrieved 17 October 2020.

1. ["Famous syndicated cartoons to be exhibited at XL Projects Oct. 6-31"](https://surface.syr.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1015&context=vpa_news). *Surface Repository*. Syracuse University VPA. Retrieved 17 October 2020.

1. ["Distinguished Alumni Award Presented to Robbin Armstrong '81 and Paolo Malabuyo '91 April 29, 2016"](https://www.shipleyschool.org/page/news-detail---alumni-spotlight?pk=1037221). *The Shipley School*. 2016-04-27. Retrieved 2018-07-30.

1. ["'Peanuts' Character Franklin Turns 50"](https://www.npr.org/2018/07/29/633544308/peanuts-character-franklin-turns-50). *NPR.org*. Retrieved 2018-07-29.

1. Axelrod, Jim (August 2, 2018). ["The surprising story behind Franklin, the first black "Peanuts" character"](https://www.cbsnews.com/news/the-surprising-story-behind-franklin-the-first-black-peanuts-character/). *CBS News*. Retrieved 17 October 2020.

1. Benbow, Candice Marie (1 March 2022). ["The beloved 'Peanuts' animated franchise establishes endowments at two HBCUs"](https://thegrio.com/2022/03/01/peanuts-endowments-hbcus/). *[TheGrio](/source/TheGrio)*. Retrieved 15 May 2022.

1. Zahed, Ramin (February 1, 2024). ["'Welcome Home, Franklin': A Peanuts Trailblazer Gets His Own Special"](https://www.animationmagazine.net/2024/02/welcome-home-franklin-a-peanuts-trailblazer-gets-his-own-special/). *www.animationmagazine.net*

1. Amatangelo, Amy (2024-02-15). ["'Welcome Home, Franklin' tells the backstory of the first Black 'Peanuts' character"](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/tv/story/2024-02-15/snoopy-presents-welcome-home-franklin-robb-armstrong). *Los Angeles Times*. Retrieved 2024-02-18.

1. ["Robb Armstrong (JumpStart)"](https://www.gocomics.com/blog/3356/robb-armstrong-jumpstart). *GoComics*. 2013-10-25. Retrieved 2018-07-30.

1. Armstrong, Robb (2024-02-26). ["JumpStart by Robb Armstrong for February 26, 2024 | GoComics.com"](https://www.gocomics.com/jumpstart/2024/02/26?ct=v&cti=76520&comments=visible#comments). *GoComics*. Retrieved 2024-10-11.

## External links

- [Official website](https://www.robbarmstrong.com)
- [Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum Art Database](https://osucartoons.pastperfectonline.com/vocabulary?keyword=Armstrong%2C+Robb%2C+1962-&letter=A&searchtype=creator&showsearch=true)

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Robb Armstrong](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robb_Armstrong) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robb_Armstrong?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.