Many of you viewers of this website will recognize the name – and work – of Joel Samuelson as the oft-touted "Official Cartoonist of 'The Neal Boortz Show'." However, you don't know his path to drawing political cartoons and having them posted on Boortz.com.

It was 1978 when "Garfield" first hit the newspapers. Joel was immediately enamored with the humor and artwork. When the comic strip came out with its second book, it had a section in it that taught how to draw the main character. After a first failed attempt, Joel successfully created the likeness, and subsequently led him down the path to the Dark Side. Oh, wait! Different story.

Joel earned himself a free lunch one day at the elementary school fair by turning children's thumbprints into Garfields. He was even commissioned by the 5th grade teacher to illustrate a couple of study packets for the American Revolutionary War – which began his interest in that subject.

Later that year, Joel had his first graphic design job when he designed the cover of the elementary school's yearbook. That's probably where he developed his yearning to be a publicity hound. Or it could've been from athletics. Who knows. But it never got him any dates; still hasn't.

After a year in college – and subsequent year and a half off – Joel re-enrolled in college and began drawing a comic strip, titled "Dogpound," based on dogs that he and his family had either owned or known during his lifetime. He sought syndication for the strip, yet was unsuccessful. While a student at the University of Georgia, however, "Dogpound" appeared in the student paper, "The Red & Black."

After graduating from UGA, Joel attended an advertising school in Atlanta where he learned graphic design. One day he noticed an ad in the Atlanta paper looking for an editorial cartoonist. While he had never thought about editorial cartooning, he thought he would draw up a few cartoons and fax them over. He never got a response.

Then in the political primary season of 2000, Joel kept seeing and hearing stupid and funny goings-on in the campaigns and was compelled to put them on paper. He needed a showcase because he was putting so much effort into the cartoons, it seemed a waste if no one outside his family experienced them.

Being an avid listener to The Neal Boortz Show, based in Atlanta, he started emailing his cartoons to the show. A couple of months later, Mr. Boortz finally responded and wanted to post a particular cartoon on his website for his audience of five million to see.

And the rest is history.

As well as drawing cartoons, Joel also is a graphic designer and a hobbyist woodworker. To see some of his other creative work click here.