From Tracee Cornforth,
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Menopause. It can be a real drag sometimes--trying to find the right hormone combination to ease the hot flashes, night sweats, weight gain, and myriad of other symptoms that women experience during mid-life. It's been said that "laughter is the best medicine," so this week I had a conversation with Minnie Pauz creator Dee Adams.

What were you doing before you created Minnie Pauz?

I had been selling baby pictures, then broke my ankle, lost my job, my car and health insurance, so I was forced into self-employment. That led to jobs such as bartending, driving a cab, sign painting and ultimately to learning the computer and starting a web design business, Dream Studios Web Design.

What made you decide to create Minnie Pauz?

Actually, I was trying to drag myself out of a deep depression! If you ever doubt that God gives you what you need just talk to me about it! I honestly believe it was a miracle that placed the name and concept of "Minnie" in my head at that time! I had never done anything like that before (cartoons) and my sense of humor was certainly not very active during that period of my life, so I have no other explanation about "why".

Is Minnie based on anyone in real life?

Uhhh.....well, maybe! hahahah....actually, I have to admit that I was the model for the original concept. But the success of Minnie has come because she's "everywoman". Not necessarily because of her physical appearance (although so many women have written that I must be somehow using them as a model!), but because she is dealing with universal issues affecting such a large segment of society today, the baby boomers!

How do you get your ideas for new cartoons?

The ideas come from my experiences, from reading jokes and from fans who send in ideas from THEIR experiences! I also get caption ideas from my contest online, where I put a cartoon with no caption and readers submit their ideas. Then everyone gets a chance to vote on the funniest caption and the winner receives a free "Minnie" coffee mug.

How long does it take you to create a new cartoon?

Once I have the caption in my mind and the drawing idea, it's possible to finish one in an hour, but usually it takes about two hours. Sometimes I have either the drawing or just the caption and can't get the other part. In this case, it can take several days or even weeks to complete the cartoon.

Do you draw your cartoons by hand? What type of artistic media to you use to create Minnie Pauz?

I start out sketching in pencil and then inking with a Sharpie pen. Then I scan the drawing into the computer for coloring. (I do the drawings on laserprint paper)

What is your favorite Minnie Pauz cartoon? Why?

I would have to choose "Zoo" as my favorite, for several reasons.

1. I think it has the greatest "laugh-out-loud" factor with or without the caption.
   
2. It was one of the first "improved" drawings I did after some great input.
   
3. I used to draw that elephant butt for my kids when they were little and it was like a bolt of lighting when I realized how similar Minnie's backside was to it!