Online and Print Puzzle Master Says African American Roots Played Role in His Career

Market Wire, 20050229

Timothy Parker says his African American roots played a role in his choice of careers today.

Named the "World's Most Syndicated Puzzle Compiler" by Guinness World Records, Parker is creator of the hottest puzzles on the Web and in print. In 2002, his was the first crossword puzzle to appear in the 80-year history of Reader's Digest magazine.

His newest book, "Universal Crosswords: 100 Editors' Favorite Puzzles," is a must-have for puzzle fans, and a series of other crossword books is in the making. Always the consummate entertainer, Parker has two television game shows in the wings.

An assistant pastor at his church in Baltimore, Md., Parker attributes much of his success to the manner in which he was brought up -- interacting around the dinner table with his own family. That partially inspired him to launch his newest crossword puzzle syndicated by Universal Press Syndicate called "Family Time Puzzle," one in which adults and kids are encouraged to play together with fun clues for both.

"I was encouraged early to become a great reader and draw my own conclusions. I felt no restrictions in becoming the world's top puzzle master in a field that is not known for having many African Americans among its ranks," says Parker.

Parker got into the puzzle business after pursuing a marketing career in the corporate sector and with his own firm. In 1999, he formed Master Puzzles Inc., bringing the talents of more than 100 of the world's top puzzle masters into one organization. His Universal Crossword, Universal Wordsearch and Universal Puzzles appear daily in more than 800 locations, including print newspapers and Web sites. Online versions of his puzzles are distributed by uclick, the digital comics provider.

When Parker isn't having fun with words, he's an ardent baseball fan, enjoys writing short stories, and is active in his church. He lives in Baltimore, Md., with his wife, Giselle, and their two children.

Universal Press Syndicate, Andrews McMeel Publishing and uclick are companies of Andrews McMeel Universal, based in Kansas City, Mo. Consumer web sites include www.uComics.com, www.uExpress.com, www.uPuzzles.com and www.mycomicspage.com.