BJ travelers cross paths … as usual 



Chip Bok, Susan Kirkman Zake

Former BJ photographer Susan Kirkman Zake was in Oregon at Otter Crest State Park and ran into BJ editorial cartoonist Arthur “Chip” Bok.

“And we weren't even on the main road,” Susan wrote. “How crazy is it that I’m clear across the country and run into Chip Bok?”

It isn’t unusual for traveling BJ folks to encounter others from Ol’ Blue Walls.

Former BJ reporter Charlene Nevada recalled: “We were walking in Berlin once and heard the words, ‘Krumel, you son of a bitch.’ We looked and lo and behold it was Derf (former BJ artist John Backderf) and Sheryl Harris,” former BJ reporter and Derf’s wife.

Former BJ 1970s State Desk reporter Paula Tucker and I landed in Aukland, New Zealand several years ago and were greeted at the airport by former BJ photographer Don Roese, who was getting ready to depart from the airport.

That wasn’t a total surprise since we knew that Don and wife Maryanne were visiting former BJ 1970s State Desk reporter Cathy Strong and that Paula and I were next in line for a reunion with Cathy, on the Massey University faculty at Wellington, New Zealand.

Sue is on the Kent State faculty in the School of Journalism and Mass Communications. She began at the BJ in 1986 and spent two decades at 44 E. Exchange Street. She had a hand in three of BJ’s four Pulitizers. She’s traveling with her husband, Bruce Zake.

Chip was a Pulitzer finalist in 1997. His web site is bokbuster.com. He got the bug in 7^th grade, thanks to inspiration from Mad Magazine, and began his career with the Clearwater, Florida Sun. He is a University of Dayton graduate and former UD hockey player.

Chip and wife Bev have four children and live in Akron. So Sue went from Kent and Akron to meet Chip in Oregon. Go figure.