Celebrity alums: Gary Larson, Kenny G
Gary Larson, WSU (1972) — That little cartoon of his, "The Far Side," has done pretty well, what with all the books, calendars and animated films. But in 1976, things didn't look so good. Larson was producing a cartoon for the Sumner News Review, which paid him $3 a week. In 1979, he talked The Seattle Times into running a weekly strip, called "Nature's Way." This paid $15 a week. About then, Larson decided on a trip to San Francisco, to see if the Chronicle was interested in his work. The newspaper told Larson they wanted to syndicate his cartoon, they wanted one each day, and they were renaming it "The Far Side."