Zombie comic tries to make a point

The flag is labeled white in case the coloring gnomes at King Features screw things up.

Grin and Bear It grasps for relevance. Senility illustrated.

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Cartooning does bring out the demented aspects of my personality. Today, I spent a great deal of time making sure that a drawing of a poo-flinging machine could work plausibly. I had no problem with a monkey wearing glasses, speaking and presenting a drawing. The details that I fixate upon sometimes worry me.

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Christmas came early: http://news.google.com/news?hl=en&tab=wn&ned=us&q=Ann+Coulter&btnG=Search+News

Ann Coulter, the leggy reactionary broke her jaw and the mouth that roared has been wired shut.

Who's going to blow Sean Hannity for the next few weeks?

Realistic drawing

I sometimes entertain fantasies about drawing realistically. I'm sure my skills would improve with practice. A book recently hit the shelves that has two of my drawings in it: http://www.tamu.edu/upress/BOOKS/2008/adamsrattlesnake.htm. One of the drawings is quite realistic and the other combines realistic with cartoony.

I find I can draw more freely in a cartoon style. I get too caught up in getting it right and end up feeling frustrated. I do envy those who can draw realistically.

I can draw a reasonable facsimile of something that I am looking at, although the perspective can get a little weird.

I've been experimenting with a simpler cartoon style. Those cartoons should go up in a couple of weeks.

In comics, great writing can overcome bad art. Look at XCKD or Wellington Grey - both stick figure comics.

Embracing the gray

I want to apply Karen Moy's writing technique to my own cartoon writing; conceive an interesting plot and then write the opposite. In my case, think of something really sad and then write the opposite.

There is still a glimmer of interesting. Jeff goes to Mary's apartment that afternoon and she is not there. But that would be interesting so Jeff will show up and find Mary there.

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My hair is now 75% gray, maybe more, but it is hard to tell because my non-gray color is sandy blond with a touch of red. The gray has intensified in the past few months. I've embraced the gray in reality (having thick, wavy hair helps take away the sting of pre-mature gray - thanks, Dad.) but I'm not ready to change my cartoon self-portraits. When I've drawn cartoon self-portraits I've used the current hair length but I just can't bring myself to use the 10% gray to color my cartoon alter-ego's hair. I used a light brown for my cartoon alter-ego so I was not completely accurate there either. This change has happened somewhat gradually (starting at age 25) in reality whereas it would be a sudden change for the cartoon alter-ego.

Unless, I write something about it very few people would know when I choose to inject myself into my cartoons. I guess the alter-ego can keep the light brown hair.

63 slides

I've spent most of today and several evenings scanning slides. 63 so far. I will see slides in my sleep. I scan two slides at a time on my home scanner and can scan 4 slides at a time on the work scanner.

The process has gone faster thanks to a faculty member who allowed me to take a scanner that he no longer uses. It's an Epson 4490 and I like it so far. It scans slides only up to 1200 DPI but that is better than the nothing that 2 HP scanners did.

If I receive a third HP scanner that does not fully function, I will definitely look at an Epson.

At least the slides have interesting content. Wolves in the high Arctic. Lots of wolf pup pictures.

Right now, I'm listening to my Julie London channel on Pandora. I got tired of scanning and color correcting slides for today.

Now, I go finish coloring and lettering the last You've Been Warned panel. I've put two hours into this panel so far.

Hot pockets in the den

I cannot count the number of times that I've sat in my den and the desire for a Hot Pocket hits me. I wanted a Hot Pocket but did not feel like traveling all the way to the kitchen to prepare one. I usually let the desire pass. Yes, I can be that lazy.

Ron Amalfi has solved his Hot Pocket dilemma by installing a microwave in his den. He does not have to tear himself away from the latest James Patterson thriller in order to prepare a Hot Pocket.

No wonder Mary let Jeff leave, Ron can enable her need to meddle and he has a microwave oven in his den. How cool is that? I bet a man who can afford a den microwave has a lot of money, more than a mere doctor.


Speaking of James Patterson, I drew the last You've Been Warned panel today. I still need to scan, color and add lettering but tomorrow I can resume drawing regular gag cartoons.

The Bryan-College Station Eagle has added comments to its online articles. You can't sent a letter to the editor anonymously but you can write whatever bit of ugliness you want anonymously. Real professional. Ugliness exists in the community but it does not need an anonymous public forum.

Preview Gag

This a preview of a gag that I will draw tomorrow. The sketchcast moves a bit slow because I'm still getting the hang of the tools.

Disclaimer: I'm not some anti-smoking fanatic. As long as you don't blow in my face or force me to breathe your second hand smoke and expect me to pay for your medical bills then you can do what you want. This cartoon was inspired by the smoker who sat on a bench outside to smoke and then put out his/her butts on the ground and left them there. 10 steps away from a trash can. A trash can with a nice ledge that would have allowed the smoker to put out his/her butts. 10 steps and I would not have been forced to think less of you or been inspired to draw a cartoon. If you are the smoker in question and you see this rough drawing and the finished product in a couple of weeks, yes, this cartoon is about you.

Agnostic Hymns

Agnostics do sing hymns. They may have some doubt about the truth of the lyrics but they do sing anyway. Agnostic hymns would be funny, for example, "Nearer my God to Thee, Maybe" I'm sure others can come up with something funnier. Feel free to share in the comments.

First, it was Vera's idea to go riding in Clifton, second you don't own the stables, third watch where you point that finger, fourth take off that helmet and finally get a car in which the door does not close automatically between panels.

I really wonder about Giella's technique. Does he draw the panels on separate sheets of paper and then the syndicate puts them together? If he's drawing the panels side by side he really needs to get something checked - eye sight, perception, ability to move neck or eyes to the left. The steps are basic:

1. Draw panel one with car door open
2. Draw second panel but before drawing car
3. Glance slightly to the left and note the open car door in the first panel
4. Draw car in second panel with an open door

It just occurred to me, maybe Giella draws the right panel first. That would explain some of the continuity errors but then he just has to do the same steps as above except glancing to the right and carrying that information to the left panel.

Giella does draw better than me but even with my limited skills I make the effort to keep some continuity between my panels on the rare occasion that I draw multiple panel comics. I don't think Giella tries anymore.

Common Plugger premise: Pluggers are old (somewhere between 60 and 70). Okay, but this Plugger is extraordinarily old. At least 85 years old, assuming that the hairstyle that she has had since 1941 is an adult hairstyle. She is one hot geriatric mama. She looks good for over 80.

Do Pluggers age in human years or in the years of their respective species?

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I love Mary Worth because I can skip reading it for a week and not miss anything. Bonus avatar: Dawn Weston regarding pool party.

A new week and a sense of focus. I drew 15 cartoons while on vacation. I managed to scan, color and letter two of them. I have one scanned but it still needs color and lettering.

I registered for the San Antonio Marathon (Nov. 11, 2007). I will begin training for that race next week. I downloaded a training plan from Runner's World. It only has two days of running a week. This plan emphasizes quality over quantity. I could slip in an extra easy run if I wanted to. I will have the opportunity to try tempo runs and speed work.

This week I plan on just doing three 30 minute runs incorporating slow/ fast intervals.

I anticipate a busy week at work.

Cartoons

It turns out that I had two cartoons in my backlog. I drew four cartoons today. Three with gags and one funny drawing begging for a funny caption or dialog.

The next step is scanning, coloring and lettering.

Walter and I may watch the fireworks show at the George Bush Library. Our church is a prime viewing location and for the first time church members are actually using the area to view the fireworks.

This assumes that it does not get rained out or Walter is too tired from his travels to Temple. If either is the case then I will insist on at least celebrating the day with some ice cream.

The idiot neighbors will set off firecrackers despite city ordinances against that activity. I may have to spend some time calming down dogs. Ah, the joys of calming down 80 pounds of frightened Bull mastiff/ Pit Bull.

I did not update last night. I was tired last night and did not feel like getting out of bed early this morning to update. It takes a couple of days to get the hang of the time change. I have some time off coming. I need it. I've been easily distracted lately.

I would use this excuse if I were a bus driver or better, an ice cream truck driver. Can't get in trouble if the kids don't get ice cream. If the kids don't make it to school, big trouble. I don't think for a minute that they are learning anything other than the stuff on the standardized test but at least they are in one place for a while rather than roaming the streets.

I need to go clothes shopping more often so that I can understand this cartoon. I need to buy some new pants. Too bad the artist did not draw examples of "editor" and "publicist" style pants so that I can determine whether or not this will be one more source of frustration when I shop for pants. My pants needs are simple: two legs, fly on the front, the hem lands at minimum on the top of my feet, pockets, straight legs, waist lands somewhere between my navel and hip bones, machine washable, and not required to purchase accessories, peripherals or shoes just to wear them.

The best daylight savings time cartoon. I'm amazed that Mark Parisi can come up with this brilliant stuff day after day.

Who still owns a little radio without headphones? Maybe that's why the old man is pissed off - some kid using a transistor radio. From the balloon coming out of the radio, the kid must be listening to some form of punk bluegrass. That would make me take up my cane and start cursing at the top of my lungs.

Cartoonists cannot help themselves. The fourth wall demands to be breached occasionally. It's funny most of the time but there are some cartoonists that can still screw it up.