HILARY PRICE on why her 'Rhymes With Orange' will turn pink this Sunday

King Features just announced that come this Sunday, more than 50 of its cartoons will turn pink as part of its initiative timed to Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Besides the monochromatic hues, the participating strips will feature a pink-ribbon symbol and the words "Cartoonists Care."

"Rhymes With Orange" creator Hilary Price is one of three King cartoonists who will also publish strips featuring breast cancer awareness themes.

"I have two main hopes for 'Comics Go Pink' campaign," Price tells Comic Riffs. "On a macro level, I hope seeing all these pink comics motivates comics lovers to go to the comicsgopink.com site and give money to the charities listed. The forking-over-money part is critical.

"On a micro level," Price continues, " I want people to know about the Breast Cancer Action Network, and I point their website -- bcaction.org -- specifically in my strip. These folks are the watchdogs of breast-cancer hype. Their concern is not only to find a cure, but also to find out the causes of the disease. They also have another great site called thinkbeforeyoupink.org."

As for her own strip's approach to the campaign, Price explains.

"I got the idea for the gag of my strip from my cousin Lauren, who two years ago, at the age of 30, was diagnosed with breast cancer," the cartoonist says. "I wanted to do a strip that talked specifically about the experience of having the disease. Lauren is a hilarious person, and was very candid about how much it sucked. I feel lucky to share her experience with my readers, and lucky that she is alive and healthy and here to see in print."

This Sunday, a full gallery of the pink strips can be viewed at comicsgopink.com, where readers can also donate to any of seven breast-cancer organizations.