"Puttin'-a-whuppin’
on the ignorant, gap-toothed redneck stereotype"
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Press Release
Fueled by their deep love of the South and
having grown weary of the stereotype portraying most
Southerners as ignorant, gap-toothed rednecks, Davis
Mauldin and Joe Ruisi have launched a cartoon strip
called “ilovedixie.com.” Ike and Henry, the strip’s
main characters are puttin'-a-whuppin’ on the
mean-spirited, inaccurate image that has been sold
to large sections of the nation regarding the good
folks from the South.
Ike, a black, middle aged, pharmacist, and
Henry, a white, 50ish, entrepreneur, are close
friends and proud, lifelong Southerners. They love
Dixie and wax eloquent about the blessings of living
south of the Mason-Dixon line. Frequently, they poke
fun at Yankees (a Yankee is defined as an obnoxious
liberal, contemptuous of Southern culture, telling
us how to live) and their perceptions that are off
base. Their comments range from good natured humor
to country wisdom to politically incorrect
commentary (“Politicians should be limited to two
terms... one in office and one in jail”).
Continually listening in, Henry’s hound dog
Wallace interrupts his perpetual snooze to offer
pithy doggie commentary in thought balloons about
the conversation at hand.
Ike and Henry are unapologetically and
consistently politically incorrect. They are
Christians without being preachy. They love Southern
values and institutions, such as family, chivalry,
country music, NASCAR, huntin', fishin', SEC
football, and grits. There is no racial tension
between the two men ... Ike and Henry genuinely like
each other. The strip portrays Southern folks as the
majority really are: people of faith, friendly,
family oriented, laid back, helpful, and
humorous - with a large dollop of country-inspired
common sense.
The inherent goodness of Southern culture and
values has been ridiculed too long in favor of race
baiting and attacks on family, heritage, and
history. Ike and Henry - with Wallace’s help - are
on a mission to revive Southron pride and to
preserve and celebrate all that is good and positive
about the South.
ilovedixie.com is a collective effort by an
unlikely north/south duo, Joe Ruisi and Davis
Mauldin. Davis, the strip’s creator, is a lifelong
Southerner, a 30+ year political activist, and
writer. Joe, a professional cartoonist, is a
transplanted New Yorker with a certifiable Southron
heart. The two met providentially on the Internet
and immediately recognized a common passion to
promote Southern pride through a cartoon strip.
