LYNDHURST, Ohio - Jill Kaplan is a graphic designer who works from home, takes care of a family of four, yet still finds time to record her thoughts in a daily journal.
That's nothing compared with Terri Libenson, an artist who juggles a family of four plus two jobs - including one that brings Jill to life in the panels of the cartoon strip "The Pajama Diaries."
The strip, which debuted in March and now runs in more than 20 newspapers, gives the funny pages a first-person look at the plight of the modern mom.
"They all face so many challenges today that a lot of women haven't faced in earlier years. They're expected to do more, be more," Libenson said. "It's something I'm trying to break down within this strip - sort of take apart that whole notion of being a supermom, that you have to be everything to everybody. That's something I struggle with personally."
The strip is rooted in Libenson's real-life experiences.
The 36-year-old Libenson is raising two daughters, Mollie, 6, and Nikki, 3, with husband, Michael Davis, who works full-time as an information technology project manager.
Besides the cartoon strip, Libenson writes humor cards for American Greetings. She does it all from her suburban Cleveland home, where sippy cups dry in a plastic container on the kitchen counter and the electrical outlets are filled with safety plugs.
The house is model-home clean, but Libenson assures that's only because of the "For Sale" sign in the front yard. Otherwise, the place might look like Jill's home in the strip, with scattered crayons and cereal crumbs comprising part of the decor.
Each strip is told from the perspective of Jill's Web log, which provides personal insight into her attempts to fulfill roles as mother, wife and business professional.
"She tries," Libenson said.
The subject matter ranges from silly (the kids applauding Jill for fitting her rear end into her jeans) to social commentary.
In one Sunday strip, Libenson took on what she calls a double standard in the business world: fathers looked at as heroes if they leave work early to attend a child's recital, but mothers viewed as uncommitted if they do the same.
Not exactly "Family Circus" cute, the strip also examines marital intimacy.
Some newspapers got angry letters from readers over a strip in which husband, Rob, tried to get intimate with Jill while he was home from work ill. Despite the criticism, Libenson plans to keep exploring the couple's love life.
"It's an honest part of the diary," Libenson said. "I think it would be a little bit dishonest not to mention it. If you have a healthy marriage, it's got to work itself in there somewhere."
It's also part of what interested King Features Syndicate.
"The primary attraction was a very honest vision of her life," said Jay Kennedy, editor-in-chief at King Features. "This is a little more autobiographical than most."
Its narrative approach also sets it apart from other strips.
"The Pajama Diaries" was one of three new strips selected from the thousands of submissions King Features receives each year. Just as tough can be getting it into tight-on-space newspapers.
Most strips fail in the first couple years. Kennedy thinks Libenson's has a shot to last.
Libenson is sure never to run out of ideas. She plans to have her cartoon characters age, so she'll always be able to glean inspiration from her family.
"I carry Post-its with me all the time and jot notes down and stick them in a giant envelope so I can use them for later," she said. "Usually, they are just a starting point and I carry it a little bit further."
ON THE NET
King Features Syndicate: http://www.kingfeatures.com
