Cartoonist Duane M. Abel has been selected as the 2025 Distinguished Alumni by The University of Akron and the Buchtel College of Arts and Sciences. He will be honored at an awards ceremony on April 29.
A lifelong resident of Carroll County, Abel is a 1998 graduate of Carrollton High School and was inducted into the CHS Alumni Hall of Fame in 2023. He received the Sharon A. Hollinger Memorial Scholarship to study theatre and graduated from The University of Akron in 2002 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Fine Arts. While attending the university, Duane also served as the school mascot, Zippy the Kangaroo.
Abel’s professional accomplishments include producing his nationally syndicated comic strip ZED, which is celebrating its 30th anniversary and appears in nearly 100 weekly newspapers across the country. ZED has been praised by Garfield creator Jim Davis as “a comic strip with a lot of heart.” In addition to his work as a cartoonist, Duane inspires students across the nation through his school assembly program, DRAW YOUR DESTINY!.
He has presented this assembly in over 1,600 schools across 48 states, reaching more than 500,000 students. His message teaches children how to set goals, develop a strong work ethic, foster a love of reading, pursue lifelong learning, and overcome adversity. His presentations, delivered with only a marker, a large pad of paper, and an easel—without the use of technology—have been described by school administrators as “the best they have ever seen.”
Duane’s efforts are endorsed by organizations including LEADER IN ME Lighthouse Schools, Comics In The Classroom, The Mazza Children’s Literature Museum, and The Charles M. Schulz Museum and Research Center, which houses an original ZED comic strip in its collection.
A member of the National Cartoonists Society, Duane is also listed as a notable Ohio cartoonist by The Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum at The Ohio State University.
In addition to his work in cartooning, Duane has acted in several films, including Christmas Collision and A Reluctant Heart. His screenwriting debut, the romantic comedy Heartland Harmony—filmed entirely in Carroll County and co-starring Duane—is currently available on Amazon and Tubi. His next film, A Christmas Drawn Together, is set to begin filming in Carroll County this winter.
Duane is the proud father of two boys, Zack and Clayton, and has been married to his wife Coral, owner of DanceAbel Ballroom Studio in Minerva, for over 23 years.