Curious Iowa: Is Tom Underwood still creating Wuzzles?

If you’ve flipped through the pages of The Gazette or other English-language newspapers across the globe, you likely have run into Wuzzles, a rebus word puzzle created by Tom Underwood.

Curious Iowan Amy Foster, of Cedar Rapids, said she feels a sense of pride when she finds Wuzzles in newspapers in other cities after learning Wuzzles originated in Cedar Rapids. Foster wondered whether Underwood still is creating Wuzzles.

It’s a fun question for Curious Iowa, a Gazette series that seeks to answer Iowans’ questions about the state, its culture and the people who live here.

Puzzle fans know Underwood’s name well — it’s the clue that helps solve Crypto-Quote, another word puzzle Underwood created and continues to produce.

What some fans may not know is that Tom Underwood is a pen name used by Tom Ecker, 88, of Cedar Rapids.

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Creating puzzles

Ecker still is creating the Wuzzles that readers solve in The Gazette every day. In fact, he has puzzles already prepared for well into 2024.

We asked Ecker whether he would ever stop making Wuzzles.

“When I croak,” he said.

“He won’t retire,” Ecker’s wife, Carol, said.

Ecker said he was introduced to rebus puzzles, words and symbols that tell a story or reveal a phrase, by a co-worker in the 1970s. Ecker said the puzzles were “cute,” but he wanted to make his own. Interestingly, he had never been a fan of crossword puzzles or word searches.

“This was my first attempt and, suddenly, it took off and I didn’t know what to do.” Ecker said. “It was a bit much.”

It started out with Ecker creating Wuzzles when he felt like it.

“Sometimes I’d go on for days and sometimes it would be long periods of time when I wouldn’t even think about it,” Ecker said.

The Gazette has previously reported that by 1982, Ecker had created over 3,500 Wuzzles. That year, Ecker pitched Wuzzles to The Gazette’s managing editor John Robertson.

Robertson agreed to a two-week trial period. Ecker said that when he tried to call The Gazette office after the trial period, the phone lines were jammed with readers asking where the Wuzzles had gone.

How Tom Ecker became Tom Underwood

At the time Wuzzles debuted in The Gazette, Ecker was working as the athletic director for the Cedar Rapids Community School District, where the superintendent did not approve of moonlighting.

To ensure the superintendent wouldn’t find out about Ecker’s second job, “I changed my name to Tom Underwood. The reason I picked Tom Underwood is because I could remember Tom and the Underwood part was also a puzzle, Tom under wood.”

In 1983, The Gazette ran an article revealing Tom Underwood’s identity: Tom Ecker.

“I think it was something that I just decided because I was tired of hiding it,” Ecker said. “There were some Gazette people who knew but most people didn’t know. Gazette people were very quiet about it.”

In 1985, the North American Syndicate, an affiliate of King Features Syndicate, syndicated Wuzzles, meaning it offered it for sale to other publications. The King syndicate properties at the time included the comics Popeye, Blondie and Beetle Bailey.

Wuzzles was joined by Crypto-Quote and Diamond Criss Cross, also created by Ecker. Diamond Criss Cross was published in The Gazette daily “until Sudoku knocked it out,” Carol Ecker said.

Of the puzzles he’s created, Ecker said Crypto-Quote is his personal favorite.

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How are Wuzzles made?

Wuzzles are handmade by Ecker.

During The Gazette interview, he showed off hand-drawn tables and lists of words and phrases building on words like “on,” “in,” “under” and “after.” For example, the word “scrutiny” becomes a large E with the letters ‘scrut’ inside.

“Everything’s in a box, always. Although sometimes we go outside the box because we can,” Ecker said. “But, from then on, it’s just a matter of trying to envision something that they can’t see unless they do the puzzle.”

Ecker explained that he puts together a schedule so that the concepts used to create the puzzles are spread out.

“It’s not easy, but it’s fun,” he said.

Ecker draws inspiration for Wuzzles from everything. He has a collection of dictionaries that he uses as a hunting ground for possible Wuzzles.

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“You also look at the road signs, menus,” Ecker said. “I remember going into a restaurant in Hannibal, Mo., once and when I came out, I had a whole bunch of Wuzzles because their menu was just full of them, and I thought, ‘Wow, this is a minefield.’ ”

Ecker keeps a pocket full of pens on him at all times in case inspiration strikes. Carol said her husband has been known to write down his ideas on cocktail napkins.

Errors are rare since Ecker solves each puzzle himself before submitting them for publication, but it happens.

“There was a ‘D’ that should have been another letter and, boy, did he hear about it from friends the next day,” Carol Ecker said. “I’m sure he had emails, too. There was face-to-face, people that said, ‘I have a bone to pick with you. There was a mistake in this morning’s Crypto-Quote.’ “

Fan mail is appreciated, though.

“What he really likes is when kids will write him with some ideas,” Carol Ecker said. “Quite often they might have a picture in there or something, which he doesn’t use, but he loves it when kids offer ideas to him.”

After decades of making puzzles, Ecker does his best to avoid repeating an idea.

“There are occasions when I slip, but nobody would know it,” Ecker said.

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What happens when Ecker can’t make more puzzles?

Last October, Ecker experienced a “brain freeze of the worst kind.” He broke his neck in three places after falling down the basement stairs.

“Afterward, I couldn’t think of anything,” he said.

While Ecker has since recovered, the Eckers know that a day will come where Ecker can’t make his word puzzles anymore.

“(H)e’s going to reach a point where either he can’t do this anymore or he doesn’t want to,” Carol Ecker said. “He’s ahead right now, and I’m after him to keeping working on these, and he just doesn’t want to work on them.”

Ecker brushed off the concern.

“I don’t need to, I’m ahead.” Ecker said. It’s true. During our interview, Ecker showed us the Wuzzles he has planned for publication in March 2024.

Though no serious conversations have happened about continuing Wuzzles when Ecker is done doing them, Ecker has a thought.

“After I croak, I think the syndicate probably will somehow take it over because it’s too popular,” Ecker said.

In the past, the Eckers have talked about selling Wuzzles, but they don’t know who would bite.

“I don’t know anybody who could do (it),” Carol Ecker said, “I can’t do that system that he’s got because he came up with this all on his own. No computer helped him. It’s all done (with) a pen and paper.” Carol said.

For now, the Wuzzle King is here to stay.

“Every time I think I’ve got it all solved, something new comes up,” Ecker said. “And as long as there’s that bit of freshness, then I feel really good about it.”

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Comments: bailey.cichon@thegazette.com