Brad Diller

Interview part 7

2012-01-06T12:21:00.001-08:00

This is the seventh and final segment of the interview I did covering my artistic career, my influences, and many great, interesting, and sometimes hilarious moments along the way. In this segment, I talk about my views on web versus print, what I think makes a successful web cartoonist, and my advice to new cartoonists.

Interview part 6

2011-12-20T11:36:00.000-08:00

This is part six of the continuing interview I did covering my artistic career, my influences, and many great, interesting, and sometimes hilarious moments along the way. In this segment, I talk about the characters themselves, Bud, Pearl, Junior, Peaches, and Ninja the Cat.

Interview part 5

2011-12-13T14:58:00.000-08:00

This is part five of the continuing interview I did covering my artistic career, my influences, and many great, interesting, and sometimes hilarious moments along the way. In this segment, I show you the step by step process that goes into creating each Funday Morning comic strip.

See you next week for part six!

Interview part 4

2011-12-06T17:09:00.001-08:00

This is part four of the continuing interview I did covering my artistic career, my influences, and many great, interesting, and sometimes hilarious moments along the way.

See you next week for part five!

Interview part 3

2011-11-28T21:23:00.001-08:00

Here's part three of the continuing interview I did covering my artistic career, my influences, and many great, interesting, and sometimes hilarious moments along the way.

Part four will be posted next week, part five the week after that, and so on all the way to the end!

Book Signing at Taylor Books!

2011-10-22T17:45:00.000-07:00

Yours truly setting up.

Lon Kelly, myself and Greg Florence.

Bill and Helen Craver. Bill and I have known each other since we were eight years old.

Joe Bolyard is a Charleston artist I became acquainted with on Facebook. It was nice to meet him in person.

Steve Hill and I. We've been friends for about thirty years. Steve is an extraordinary musician and plays bass on the Mountain Stage NPR radio show. He was the person who told me I should be reading the Far Side.

Beth Chesney Frampton and I. Beth's dad baptized me when I was a baby. More than a few folks think it didn't quite take.

My stepmother, Ruth.

A blurry shot of Nathan Diller singing in the cafe.

My brother rocking the house.

That's Rudy Panucci on the far left. Rudy has been documenting the local music and art scene in Charleston for around ten years. I think someone should write a story about him. Not sure who the woman is, but she's having fun!

My brother Brian, my sisters Kathy and Charlotte and myself.

Waiting to film an interview for the television show, West Virginia Authors.

Show host, Gordon Simmons and I talking about cartoons. I was much more nervous than I appear.

Happy Birthday, Stanley Mouse

2011-10-04T09:57:00.000-07:00

Let's wish a happy birthday to Stanley Mouse! His iconic artwork personified the sixties!

Interview With Brad Diller Part II

2011-10-04T06:15:00.000-07:00

Here's part 2 of my video interview. It's almost like it's interesting.

Tuesday Toon Up: Mungo Jerry

2011-09-06T04:32:00.000-07:00

I always mourn the passing of summer. As a young man, I'd spend my weekends camping at a lake, swimming and just soaking up sun. I always experience a sense of dread as the autumn chill hits after Labor Day. Let's say goodbye to long days and warm night's with Mungo Jerry - a theme from my youth.

Happy Birthday, Jack Kirby!

2011-08-28T06:49:00.000-07:00

Jack Kirby may be gone, but his influence in comic books will live forever! Let's wish Mr. Kirby a happy birthday! For more on his career, click here.

Happy Birthday, Brant Parker!!!

2011-08-26T04:50:00.000-07:00

Today is the birthday of Wizard of Id creator, Brant Parker. For more on Parker's cartooning career and collaboration with Johnny Hart (BC), click here!

Spread The Word

2011-08-24T04:07:00.000-07:00

I have two cartoons on other websites this week. It always makes me proud when someone enjoys my work enough to share it with their fellow websters.

The first is a guest strip I wrote for the Mighty Monocle. Mighty Monocle is a webcomic by Darren Rolfe about a flabby American who is a superhero in England. Dareen is on vacation and asked if I'd write a filler strip for him. At first, I was reluctant, because I am more comfortable in a single panel format, but I somehow managed to drag the joke out to three. You can see my awful hand lettering here.

The second is a panel I created earlier this year that Tom Racine of Tall Tale Radio fame, featured on his new website, Geek Papas. Geek Papas is a podcast focusing on geek culture, and specifically, fatherhood in geek culture. Check out their websites and enjoy yourself! Have a great day!

Tuesday Toon-Up: No Preview

2011-08-23T08:41:00.000-07:00

A bit of an update for the two people who read my blog.

I've not been too active on twitter lately as there's much going on at the office. For the people who follow me, please forgive me. When I've nothing to contribute to a conversation, I tend to clam up. Most of my close associates wish I would contribute less to my day-to-day discussions, but the rain forest needs carbon dioxide.

I'll be traveling next week, so I'll be pulling from my archive and posting older cartoons with some accompanying dialog. Hopefully, you'll find some of this amusing.

As a few of you may be aware, I was at Strip Con in Dallas a few weeks back. I needed to sell 67 books to pay for the trip. I sold two. Such is life. So, let's close with the Rolling Stones performing, 'You Can't Always Get What You Want' on the David Frost show. For some reason, previews aren't appearing in my blog for the last couple of weeks, so the link will take you to the page. Enjoy!!!

Happy Birthday, Mr. Herriman!

2011-08-22T04:23:00.000-07:00

Let's wish a happy birthday to the late, great George Herriman, creator of the magnificent 'Krazy Kat!'

Book Review

2011-08-19T07:39:00.000-07:00

Rudy Panucci, a journalist and blogger from my hometown of Charleston, WV has reviewed my book! Please take a gander, folks!

Tuesday Toon-Up: Sleepless

2011-08-09T03:45:00.000-07:00

In the 90s, I was reviewing music for my local newspaper when a King Crimson CD arrived in the mail. I hadn't paid much attention to the band in years. I was more intrigued by guitarist Robert Fripp's collaborations with artists like Brian Eno and Bowie. King Crimson's work seemed to have wandered away from song writing and more into improvisational meandering.

The album was called 'Thrak' and Adrian Belew's contributions piqued my interest again. This song was on a double live album (BaBoom) that came out shortly afterward. LOve Tony Levin and love Bill Bruford.

It's four o'clock in the morning, so this tune seems appropriate. Enjoy!

Interview with Brad Diller

2011-08-05T15:16:00.000-07:00

Here's part one of an interview I did covering my artistic career, my influences, and many great, interesting, and sometimes hilarious moments along the way.

Tuesday Toon-Up: Penguin Cafe

2011-08-02T05:18:00.000-07:00

Been a while since I posted and I apologize. Summer has been a bit hectic and I ignored my blog.

When I feel down in the dumps, I listen to this song. Most folks will associate it with the film 'Napolean Dynamite.' The tune is 'Music For A Found Harmonium.' It was written by Simon Jeffes, creator of the Penguin Cafe musical ensemble. There's something about the pace of the melody I find uplifting and it puts me in a good mood. I hope it does the same for you. Enjoy!

Happy Birthday, Mr. Watterson!

2011-07-05T08:59:00.000-07:00

Today is the birthday of Bill Watterson, the genius behind Calvin & Hobbes. Let's hope he has 53 more years ahead of him.

Tuesday Toon-Up: Dave Alvin

2011-07-05T08:50:00.000-07:00

For some reason, I've been playing the hell out of Dave Alvin lately. Let's check out his ballad, 'King of California.' Enjoy

Tuesday toon-Up: Eurythmics

2011-06-28T10:34:00.000-07:00

For no particular reason, I thought I'd post this old Eurythmics tune from their first album. Enjoy!

Happy Birthday, Berke Breathed!

2011-06-21T03:54:00.000-07:00

Let's all wish Bloom County creator, Berkeley Breathed a happy birthday! For more on his cartooning and film career, go here.

Tuesday Toon-Up: Clarence Clemons

2011-06-21T03:18:00.000-07:00

This weeks video is the famous saxophone coda solo from 'Jungleland.' Rest in peace, Clarence Clemons.

Tuesday Toon-Up: Paperback Writer

2011-06-07T03:59:00.000-07:00

Well, well, well, I FINALLY finished my book. Assembling a collection of cartoons was an arduous enough affair, that I must tip my hat to anyone who ever wrote anything longer than a grocery list. Let's celebrate with the Beatles! Enjoy!

Tuesday Toon-Up: Peter Gabriel

2011-05-31T03:20:00.000-07:00

There's been some angry weather lately so I thought I'd post this tune from Peter Gabriel. Enjoy!

Tuesday Toon-Up

2011-05-24T04:19:00.000-07:00

Feeling a little homesick for West Virginia, so I thought I'd post some amazing bluegrass. I practiced the saxophone longer than this kid has been alive and never could come close to being this listenable. Enjoy!

Tuesday Toon-Up: Coldplay

2011-05-11T04:00:00.000-07:00

I apologize for ignoring my blog. I'm trying to finish a book and the devils in the details. In the mean time, let's listen to Coldplay. Enjoy!

Tuesday Toon-Up: Rancid!

2011-04-26T04:43:00.000-07:00

I was late to the party with punk. I never gave it much attention until the late 90s when my editor at the Reno Gazette Journal gave me a copy of Out Come The Wolves.

This song was the first to catch my atrophied ear and draw me out of my introspective jazz phase and back into the raucous world of rock. The album is full of great tunes, but this is still my favorite. Enjoy!

Tuesday Tune-Up: Leo Kottke

2011-04-19T03:53:00.000-07:00

I interviewd Leo Kottke in the early 90s. One of the toughest interviews I ever did, because he's such a low key guy. I've always loved slide guitar, so I thought I'd post this. Enjoy!

Tuesday Toon-Up: Paul Simon

2011-04-12T03:33:00.000-07:00

My sister wore the grooves out of this record when it came out in 1987. Paul Simon is releasing a new album today, so I decided to share this video. Great stuff from the height of his career. Enjoy!

Profile of Sam Gross in the Comics Journal

2011-04-07T03:54:00.000-07:00

Anyone who read National Lampoon will recognize Sam Gross's cartoons - he's one of the funniest and most courageous cartoonists out there! Enjoy!

Great Interview With Scott Kurtz Of PVP Online!

2011-04-06T16:02:00.000-07:00

Anyone who follows webcomics is familiar with Scott Kurtz. Scott has been posting cartoons on the web for over ten years and created a genre in the process. Listen to his inspiring story in this webTV interview with David Siteman Garland.

Tuesday Toon-Up; Bad To The Bone

2011-04-05T03:51:00.000-07:00

I always wondered why I couldn't get this saxophone solo to sound like the record. He's playing alto and I played tenor. Story of my life. Enjoy!

The Most Famous People Who Never Lived

2011-04-04T07:03:00.000-07:00

I found this while cruising news sights. Quick read about famous people who never existed. Enjoy!

Crumb On Crumb

2011-04-01T07:34:00.000-07:00

Here's an Associated Press video of Robert Crumb interviewed for his art show.

Tuesday Toon-Up: Sexy Sax!

2011-03-29T03:53:00.000-07:00

I used to play the saxophone as a hobby and got a real kick out this. The mullet and suspenders really take this whole performance to a new level. If anyone knows more about who this is and his background, I'd love to hear it. Enjoy!

Happy Birthday, Mort Drucker!

2011-03-22T16:00:00.000-07:00

Today is the 82nd birthday of one of my favorite caricaturists - Mort Drucker! Mr. Drucker is best known for his work in Mad magazine, specializing in movie satires. let's hope he has 82 more!

Tuesday Toon-Up: Rockpile

2011-03-22T15:53:00.000-07:00

My brother used to play this tune back in the day - I think Graham Parker wrote it. Too bad Rockpile only hung together for one album. This is off of Dave Edmunds' solo album 'Repeat When Necessary.' I'm going to write one more sentence that only has cohesive meaning to me and then tell you to "Enjoy!"

Interview with Nicole Hollander

2011-03-18T04:09:00.000-07:00

Recently, a reader on Face Book commented on how the notes on the refrigerator in my cartoon kitchen told a second joke. I have to give credit where credit's due, I was inspired by the cat's in Nicole Hollander's classic cartoon, 'Sylvia.' Here's an interview with Ms. Hollander I found on You Tube. Enjoy!

Paper Cuts

2011-03-17T08:45:00.000-07:00

This popped up on my screen when I was surfing through Stumble Upon. I thought some folks out there might enjoy it!

Tuesday Toon-Up: Phantogram

2011-03-15T03:22:00.000-07:00

Each week, a couple of folks in the shop have a duel to see who picks the coolest song of the week. Phantogram won last week with "When I'm Small." Enjoy!

Caricature: Gerald Scarfe

2011-03-14T04:44:00.000-07:00

Here's a BBC profile of British caricaturist Gerald Scarfe. Enjoy!

Lionel Richie's Missing

2011-03-09T14:10:00.001-08:00

Tuesday Toon-Up

2011-03-08T14:07:00.000-08:00

I always loved open tuning on guitar. A friend posted this on Face Book and I had to share it. Love the casual enjoyment in the facial expression as well as the simple melody. Enjoy!

Sac Con Round Up

2011-03-07T04:33:00.000-08:00

I always enjoy cons because I get to meet and reconnect with creators and see some strange people. Sac Con is a one day event that takes place in Sacramento a couple of times a year and this is the fourth I've displayed - third time in artist alley.

It was great to see the Dan and Eben from Eben07 again. I met them at Indy Euphoria last June and really enjoy both their creation and their company. I also signed up some new funsters for email distribution of my comic. Interesting side note: I signed up a gentleman last year for my email who manages a trailer park and he puts my cartoons in his monthly newsletter that's distributed to all the renters in his park. (I've considered setting up a table at RV conventions to see how my humor would go over with RVers, but I've been afraid to insult anyone. Food for thought.)

I was looking forward to the panel session Dan and Eben were scheduled to present about making webcomics, but the whole thing fell through because there was no place to hold the forum. We ended up having a casual conversation, rather than a full-blown panel session.

Thinking about my con presence, it's obvious I'm going to have to step up my game. I'm working on a better display and booth design I hope will be ready by April 16th when I'm scheduled for Decepti-Kon in Sacramento. This is a convention celebrating the merger of American and Japanese culture. Lots of manga and anime. Should be interesting.

I also got to reconnect with Jason Dube of Scattered Comics fame. jason's a great guy who has given me lots of tips on stepping up my convention presence. If only I'd listen.

And finally, I got to meet Trina Robbins!

Happy Birthday, Dr. Seuss!

2011-03-02T08:59:00.000-08:00

Today is the birthday of Theodor Seuss Geisel, creator and author of the immortal Cat In The Hat, Green Eggs & Ham, Horton Hears a Who and, of course, How The Grinch Stole Christmas! All together, he published 44 children's books.

Let us tip our striped top hats to the coolest cat around.

Tuesday Toon-Up: The Who

2011-03-01T07:35:00.000-08:00

Sorry I haven't posted in a while. My 3D life got in the way and I haven't had much to say. Today's musical pick is The Who in celebration of Roger Daltrey's 67th birthday. This was Keith Moon's last live performance with the band. My kid brother and I used to destroy the bedroom furniture listening to Who's Next. This record was the soundtrack of my youth. Happy birthday, Mr. Daltrey. Enjoy!

Who Will Be Cartoonist Of The Year?

2011-02-25T03:25:00.000-08:00

Here's a link to the finalists for cartoonist of the year from the National Cartoonist Society.

Edward Gorey on NPR

2011-02-21T07:45:00.000-08:00

Here's a link to a story on NPR about the famous illustrator, Edward Gorey. Enjoy!

http://www.npr.org/templates/transcript/transcript.php?storyId=133869853

To Hell With The Trophy! Give Me Money!

2011-02-18T06:28:00.000-08:00

It's been a while since I posted anything from my portfolio, so I thought I'd write about an illustration I created when I worked at the Nashville Banner. The story was about how to train your voice for public speaking.

My original sketch was a character doing a version of a bicep curl with his tongue. One of my fellow designers suggested the speed bag work out on the uvula. It was a much easier image for the reader to instantly 'get' and made for a far better page layout. The final art was created in Macromedia Freehand and the page layout was QuarkXpress (I didn't design the page).

This image won an award from the Society of News Design, an organization whose recognition I found deeply flattering. However, it didn't include a raise, much to my dismay.

Later, when I became a freelance artist, I took the vector file and imported it into PhotoShop and played around with it. I still use this as a showcase piece when anyone asks about my prior career.

Happy Birthday, B.C.

2011-02-17T09:38:00.000-08:00

Today is the 53rd birthday of Johnny Hart's B.C. Drop by Creator's Syndicate and say hello.

Video Post about George Herriman, the creator of Krazy Kat

2011-02-17T09:31:00.000-08:00

Mike Lynch posted this short video on his blog. It's a preview about a new book coming out about George Herriman. Enjoy!

Tuesday Toon Up _ John McLaughlin & Paco de Lucia

2011-01-25T08:52:00.000-08:00

My finger nails flew off when I saw this. I love these guys together. Enjoy!

You've Got My Attention!

2011-01-24T10:17:00.000-08:00

I thought I'd give you folks a peak at the online viewing I do on a weekly basis. This is a list of the blogs, journals, podcasts and cartoons I think are intriguing.

•Webcomics Weekly• A podcast with four creators about their experiences as online creators. Scott Kurtz, Brad Guigar, Dave Kellet and Kris Straub are all excellent cartoonists who were at the forefront of online comics. Their conversations are lively, insightful and sometimes profane.

•Tall Tale Features• Tom Racine does excellent podcasts and video interviews with both online and syndicated creators. He also features insiders in the newspaper syndication business that makes this especially well rounded. The best broadcasting standard of any podcast I've heard so far.

•Comic Riffs• Washington Post writer Michael Cavna's blog about all things surrounding comics, animation, movies or cartoons. This blog is always on top as far as the latest scoop in any of the above and Mr. Cavna is a great writer.

•The Daily Cartoonist• Alan Gardner launched TDC in 2005 as an open forum to all things cartoon related. The comments section is especially interesting reading as the pros express themselves in what used to be newsroom only rants.

•Dan Piraro• The Bizarro creator uses his blog to talk about the inspiration behind his cartoons, as well as a manifesto for his personal views on politics, religion, music or whatever else he considers interesting. His writing is as funny as his cartoons.

•Rina Piccolo• Funny, honest and candid, Ms. Piccolo's accomplishments are enviable. She writes three comic strips (Tina's Groove, Six Chix, Velia, Dear), has been published in the New Yorker, as well as maintaining a highly entertaining blog. All are executed with amazing quality.

•David-Wasting-Paper• A great peek at the creators behind all kinds of comics and cartoons.

•Mike Lynch• Daily news and deep trivia from a guy earning his living as a magazine cartoonist. He obviously loves the art form.

•Webcomic Alliance• Four creators deliver a weekly podcast describing the problems and (hopefully) solutions that arise for online creators.

There are a lot more folks online that I read, but this list is primarily where I go for inspiration, education and insight. I hope there's something relevant in this for you. Enjoy!

Happy Birthday To... A Lot Of People!

2011-01-20T09:11:00.000-08:00

Today is the birthday of several noteworthy people in the cartooning world.

Norman Mingo: The illustrator who created the definitive version of Mad magazine's Alfred E. Neuman

Harold Gray: The creator of Little Orphan Annie

Bill Griffith: The creator of Zippy The Pinhead.

Goodbye, Mr. Locher

2011-01-19T08:37:00.000-08:00

Tribune Media has announced the retirement of Dick Locher as the artist for iconic newspaper comic Dick Tracy. He's illustrated the cartoon for the last 32 years! Mr. Locher will continue to produce his syndicated political cartoons through Tribune. The full scoop is here.

Why I Love You Tube

2011-01-19T06:06:00.000-08:00

Last June, I did and interview on the web and one of the questions was whether I thought the internet was a blessing or a curse. While the web can be a huge time waster, it offers me a method of observing and connecting to creators I've admired all my life, but would never have the chance to meet.

Here's a video interview with the great Jack Davis. When I look at his art, it reflects how much fun he seems to have when he's creating the work. Enjoy!

Tuesday Toon-UP: Step To The Rhythm

2011-01-18T04:07:00.000-08:00

Today's musical interlude isn't a song. It's a video record of some European sociologists who tried an experiment to get more people to use the stairs. I especially love the old man at the end as he teeters over to ascend the piano keys. Enjoy!

Happy Birthday to Antonio Prohias!

2011-01-17T07:27:00.000-08:00

Today is the birthday of Antonio Prohias, creator of Spy vs Spy for Mad magazine!

Here's a short bio.

Happy Birthday to Stephan Pastis!

2011-01-16T14:51:00.000-08:00

Let's all wish Stephan Pastis a happy birthday today! Pastis is the creator of the hysterically funny 'Pearls Before Swine.' He's equally funny in person, as you'll see in the video I posted below. Warning, the language is not for kids.

Happy Birthday, Richard Outcault!

2011-01-14T09:33:00.000-08:00

Today is the birthday of Richard Outcault, the creator of Buster Brown and the Yellow Kid. Born in Lancaster, Ohio in 1863, Outcault is widely considered the inventor of the modern comic strip. Click here for a complete biography.

Toon Talk - Honing My Craft

2011-01-13T04:26:00.000-08:00

A recent podcast by the Webcomics Weekly crew about an article in the Economist has created a rather heated conversation in the webcomics community. The debate on the Daily Cartoonist revolves around the question, "What is a cartoonist?"

This got me to consider the craft of cartooning and what is important to me. There are lots of cartoonists on the web I enjoy who don't display enviable drawing skills, but I get a lot out of their humor and their point of view.

Here's two examples of the same cartoon I did back in the nineties. The first image is my original finished drawing. This was ready to be printed, but something wasn't 'complete' for me. I liked the idea, but thought the final gag lacked visual punch. Because it seemed cluttered, the joke took too long to 'get.'

The second image was my final thought. The artwork stood out on the page much better with the solid blacks dominating the picture. This particular cartoon was a turning point in how I looked at my own work and trying to figure out how the audience saw it also.

As for the online debate, I try to stay out of circuitous arguments. There's merit to both sides, but the upside is, the conflict made me think about my craft, my presentation and what I value when doing my own work.

Pick Of The Week: A Year In Waiting

2011-01-12T05:43:00.000-08:00

I wish I could remember how I stumbled across this comic. A Year In Waiting is an illustrated journey about a young woman living in Austin, Texas who was laid off from her graphic design position and took a job waiting tables.

This particular comic really appealed to me since I spent eight years in the bar business. The author does a great job of conveying the situations, people and frustrations inherant in restaurants.

I couldn't find any bio information as to who she is, etc., so if anyone has the scoop, please let me know. Sorry the preview image doesn't click through to the opening page. All I could do was copy a link.

Tuesday Toon-Up; Annie Lennox

2011-01-11T06:30:00.000-08:00

The weather across the country just beckons for a song about the cold, so this week's video is Annie Lennox singing 'Cold' from her first solo album. Great voice - great song! Enjoy!

Al Jaffee Interview

2011-01-05T04:00:00.000-08:00

I read Al Jaffee's biography over the holiday break and couldn't put it down. Jaffee has been a freelancer for Mad magazine since I was in red ball jets. Here's an interview I found linked to the Wikio blog. Enjoy!

Tuesday Toon-Up; Death Cab For Cutie

2011-01-04T03:56:00.000-08:00

Trying to stay hip to new music gets tougher as I get older. Radio plays songs I was sick of before I hit my thirties and MTV abandoned a video format years ago. I couldn't find a rockin' version of 'Auld Lang Syne' to start the new year, so let's go with Death Cab For Cuties,' 'The New Year.'

I hope everyone had a great holiday and Santa spoiled you rotten. Enjoy.

Toon Talk - Just "Do" It!

2010-12-29T05:50:00.000-08:00

Most of my cartoons seem to come to me in a flash. I see the picture and hear the gag line as a finished image in my head and sketch it out very quickly. But... some have a long gestation.

Today's review goes back over 25 years. When in our twenties, my brother and I were bartenders in our hometown. There was a young woman who frequented the clubs we worked and she had one of the most interesting hairdos I can remember. The shape of her hair was like a sphere on her head bluntly cut off at the base of her neck. She looked like she'd lowered her head into a very soft pillow - her face on the verge of sinking into the quicksand of her hair. The overall appearance of this ozone depleting dome resembled the helmets of New Guinea's Asaro River mudmen.

The most fascinating aspect was the color. The back half of her head was brunette and the front half was blond, as though she'd lowered her face into a washtub of peroxide - like a half moon sitting atop her shoulders.

We never knew her name, so my brother referred to her as 'bundt cake.'

Last year, my wife and I were at the movies and a young woman I saw had teased and brutalized her hair into this Amy Winehouse hornet's nest on her head and my memory flashed back to the girl in the bar from 30 years ago, complete with the nickname - and this cartoon instantly flashed in my head. The drawing took a few iterations before I felt it had the clarity to instantly get the joke. Had it not been for my brother's offhand remark, I'm not sure if this would ever have seen the light of day. Blame him.

Tuesday Toon-Up; P.J. Harvey

2010-12-28T05:32:00.000-08:00

Let me start this post with an apology for so few postings last week. I had a medical situation to contend with and I was sidelined for several days.

That stated, let's listen to P.J. Harvey's 'Rid Of Me.' Harvey's been largely ignored by the U.S. music press, perhaps because she wears underwear. She's a fascinating artist with a broad spectrum of musical influences and taste. I was immediately taken with the tension and drama of this song the first time I heard it. I hope you enjoy it.

Tuesday Toon UP - Pink Hemmoroid

2010-12-21T04:53:00.000-08:00

Sorry I missed yesterday's posting, I had a bit of a medical dilemma. Last week, I featured Pink Floyd as my music video for the week and this week is the worst band of all time covering a Pink Floyd tune. For the sake of honesty, I sing just like the singer, I solo just like the guitarist and, like the rhythm section, I can't keep time.

This wouldn't be so amusing if they didn't seem to be so serious. Enjoy - and Merry Christmas!

Drawing On The Past - Cover Up

2010-12-15T03:39:00.000-08:00

One of the main problems I ran into when I was designing a newspaper tabloid, was coming up with fresh ideas on a yearly cycle. Whether the subject was Christmas happenings around town, autumn festivals or Easter celebrations, eventually I would have to cover the same subject matter. This weeks rewind was a cover about upcoming summer events.

The first image was something I created for my own amusement. I had an acquaintance who told me a story about a relative in a vaudeville act and the novelty was playing giant harmonicas. I was also studying music and was interested in examining harmony, so I created this image. I was also immersed in trying different techniques in Photo Shop. A major issue when working at a daily newspaper is the deadline, so the symmetry afforded speed in execution.

The second image was the cover I created based on drawing number one. I was out of fresh ideas, so I borrowed an old concept from myself. This was as close to an homage to psychedelic art as I was ever able to come up with.

I don't think my editor was too happy with the final cover, but it was quite striking when displayed in the distribution racks.

Tuesday Toon - Up; Pink Floyd

2010-12-14T04:46:00.000-08:00

Pink Floyd is unquestionably, one of the most popular bands in the world. The majority of fans are familiar with their catalog from 'Dark Side Of The Moon' on through 'The Wall.'

My favorite Floyd tune comes from their earlier work, when experimentation seemed first and foremost with the band. This tune, 'One Of These Days,' is from the album 'Meddle.' I was spellbound by the record the first time I dropped the needle onto the vinyl. Enjoy!

Toon Talk - Hitting The Big Time

2010-12-13T03:57:00.000-08:00

Today's nostalgic rambling is significant for me because this cartoon was the first time I felt like I'd hit the big time. What I mean by the 'big time' is when someone cuts out a toon from the paper and hangs it up. Refrigerators are the MoMA for cartoonists.

I submerged myself in jazz for a while and had to order a lot of compact discs from a record store on the west end of my hometown. I'd stopped in to pick up an order that had come in and went to the back office with the owner to pick up my purchase. Taped to the wall next to the time clock was this cartoon. He had no idea I was the artist. He just thought the cartoon was funny enough to save and put up on the wall.

This particular cartoon is also noteworthy, because it was the first time my main characters came to life. Although they would got through a lot of evolution before I decided on their final appearance, this was where the 'relationship' started.

The curlers in the woman's hair were based on the memory of my older sister. When she went to junior high school, the style was to roll your hair in discarded cans from frozen orange juice. While the wife would evolve over time to tighter rollers and simpler slippers, the husband is almost complete in how he looks today.

Scoop! Brenda Starr Retires

2010-12-09T08:43:00.000-08:00

Brenda Starr, the cartoon reporter created by Dale Messick, is retiring effective Jan. 2. Tip of the hat to Tribune for putting the the final issue to bed.

Pick Of The Week - Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal

2010-12-09T03:51:00.000-08:00

This weeks cartoon is Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal, an 'anything goes' strip by Zach Weiner that's about... well... anything. Partial social commentary and partial autobiography, SMBC isn't afraid to address any issues the creator cares to comment about, so readers offended by foul language or an iconoclastic point of view - you've been forwarned.

SMBC is one of the few cartoons on the web that has afforded the creator to make a living strictly as a cartoonist. Weiner has since returned to college to indulge his love of science. He's also involved in some animation projects. I've included a video of Zach being interviewed at C2E2. Enjoy!

Drawing On The Past - From My Portfolio

2010-12-08T03:44:00.000-08:00

I was the art director for an entertainment tabloid at a newspaper for two years, which afforded me a lot of freedom to do features illustrations. This was a cover I did for a Christmas issue. I drew the image on paper, scanned it and redrew it in Free Hand. This way, I could scale the drawing to size once it was finished and not loose any resolution. This image looks grainy when it's blown up because it was a scan from the printed page, rather than an archive of the digital art.

I then exported the file over to Photo Shop and put in all the dimensional shading with the dodge and burn tool. The final tiff was imported into QuarkXpress and the type was set.

It's tough to remember how long this took, as I would start a Christmas issue somewhere around the beginning of October to give myself the luxury of time. Also, the editors and myself were sure to be in agreement as to what the final product looked like.

Tuesday Toon Up - Broken Social Scene

2010-12-07T03:45:00.000-08:00

I was walking through the art department where I work last week, and one of the designers was playing this tune on their computer. He gave me the band's CD and I couldn't stop listening to it all weekend.

The group - Broken Social Scene - is a revolving collection of musicians from Toronto who move in and out of the band, depending on their commitments with other projects. This song, 'World Sick,' is from their album titled, 'Forgiveness.' Enjoy!

Toon Talk

2010-12-06T04:25:00.000-08:00

When I tell someone I draw cartoons, invariably, the question comes up, "Where do you get your ideas?" I thought I'd take Mondays and pull a cartoon from my archive and give you an idea as to how I came up with it.

Today's cartoon is based on an old vaudeville joke. The gag went like this:

Did you hear about the man with five penises?

His pants fit like a glove.

I always thought this joke was funny, but I knew it wasn't appropriate for a newspaper. The 'fit like a glove' line gave me a snapshot in my head and I drew the cartoon around the suit actually being a glove. By the way, the tailor in the drawing is an old friend of mine. I used him over and over in various forms until I came up with the Funday family I use today. Where the name, Mr. Abernathy, came from, I have no clue.

Happy Birthday To Walt Disney!

2010-12-05T05:49:00.000-08:00

Today is the 109th birthday of the creator of Mickey Mouse. Here's a link to wikipedia for a full article on his amazing career.

Happy Birthday, Jack Davis

2010-12-02T08:52:00.000-08:00

Let's tip our hats and wish Jack Davis a happy birthday. The ubiquitous caricaturist turns 86 years young today!

Pick Of The Week - Bizarro

2010-12-02T06:03:00.000-08:00

Dan Piraro has been a syndicated cartoonist for 25 years. His career spans the golden years of the late 80s and 90s into the interactive world of webcomics.

Besides drawing cartoons, Piraro is also an accomplished painter, stand up comic and animal rights activist. I saw his presentation at Ohio State University last October and he is quite funny in person. Besides drawing one of the most inspiring panels in newspapers, he also writes a hysterical blog. Enjoy!

R.I.P. Jon D'Agostino

2010-12-02T05:48:00.000-08:00

Multi-talented comic book artist Jon D'Agostino has passed away. His work spans numerous publishers and titles, from Spider-Man and the Incredible Hulk, to GI Joe and Archie. Washington Post blogger, Michael Cavna has written a nice overview of Mr. D'Agostino's career.

Flashback

2010-12-01T03:26:00.000-08:00

This week's flashback is a magazine cover I created that was axed at the last minute. I was an art director for the weekly entertainment tabloid that appeared on Fridays in the local paper.

This particular piece was about Van's Warped Tour, but the editor decided to go with another feature at the last minute and my unfinished illustration (no strings on the guitar and the blank left side is where the story promos go) was relegated to the 'never ran' files.

Discover Printing

2010-11-30T03:58:00.000-08:00

The Discovery Channel is releasing a graphic novel revolving around their 'shark week' series. What a novel idea! Read more about it here.

Tuesday Toon Up _ David Byrne

2010-11-30T03:04:00.000-08:00

This was one of my favorite Talking Head songs. Enjoy!

Happy Birthday, Mr. Schulz

2010-11-26T11:29:00.000-08:00

Today is the birthday of Charles Schulz, creator of Peanuts. I could write volumes about his accomplishments, influences and legacy, but I think this article does it better than anything I could come up with. Mr. Schulz would have been 87.

Fortunately, Charlie Brown and Snoopy live on.

Pick Of The Week - Cyanide & Happiness

2010-11-25T04:53:00.000-08:00

Let me start this post by wishing everyone a Happy Thanksgiving!

This week's pick-of-the-week cartoon is Cyanide & Happiness. Extremely funny, C&H has no boundaries when it comes to a joke, so reader beware if you're easily offended. If you appreciate irreverent humor, this cartoon is for you!

The comic is written by four different individuals. You can read more about the strip and the creators here.

Cyanide & Happiness @ Explosm.net

A Ghost Of Christmas Past

2010-11-24T03:36:00.000-08:00

This week's portfolio review goes back a long way. I'm not sure if you can see the date in the top left corner, but this is a tear sheet from 1989. I didn't know how to draw with a computer at this point, so the art was done with colored pencil and inked over top. A black and white copy was pasted on to the page for placement with the galley of type in position.

The image was done on 9X12 bristol board. I can't remember for certain, but I think this took about two days to complete. An interesting note: I still have this drawing and because of the waxy nature of the colored pencil, the ink has never fully dried.

Robert And Sophie Crumb Talk About Life As An Artist

2010-11-23T11:04:00.000-08:00

Here's an interesting article on Robert Crumb and his daughter Sophie. They seem incredibly normal - and happy!

http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE6AL49C20101122

Tuesday Toon Up - Lady Antebellum

2010-11-23T03:32:00.000-08:00

I confess, I'm a sucker for minor chords. Most country music leaves me cold because it is so formulaic, but occasionally Nashville hits a bullseye in my cynical heart. Enjoy!

Finding Sylvia

2010-11-22T07:08:00.000-08:00

I fell in love with Sylvia the first time I saw her. The sarcastic, bathrobe-clad feminist was a wonderful buffet of social commentary, politics and spirituality. While a lot of folks in the field of cartooning say 'Kathy' was the voice for women in the newspaper comics, I always thought Nicole Hollander usurped that throne.

Sylvia was recently dropped from the Chicago Tribune, so I thought I'd post a link to Nicole Hollander's blog and cartoon posts for fellow lover's of Sylvia. Enjoy!

I'll Take The Blame

2010-11-19T03:56:00.000-08:00

It's very early in the morning when I email my cartoons out to my subscribers and I accidentally emailed a prior cartoon this morning. Since this career is a solo venture, I have no one to blame but myself. But that got me thinking - what if I opened a business and its sole purpose was to take the blame for everything. Watergate, the Edsel, Chernobyl, this season of The Office.

It would be like owning a funeral parlor... Everyone would need it. Give me a shout if you have venture capital. When it all disappears, I know just where to place the blame.

Pick Of The Week - Bug Comics

2010-11-18T04:34:00.000-08:00

I don't lead a particularly active or exciting daily life, so blogging about myself bores me to tears. If it's dull to me, it will undoubtedly be dull to you. So I decided to take Thursdays as a day to display cartoons that I like. Some of these may be mainstream and others obscure, but they all intrigue me in some way.

Let me be transparent. Not everything I read is PG13, so I take no credit or blame for the content. I just think it's funny, but I will let you know if the cartoon contains material some people may find offensive.

Today's Pick-of-the-Week is Bug Comic by Adam Huber. I'm always looking for gag-a-day cartoons and Bug fits the bill perfectly! I love the simple iconic drawing and the writing is consistently superb. I wish I could think this way, but, alas, I seemed destined to stippling hell. Enjoy!

The Man Behind The Curtain

2010-11-17T08:14:00.000-08:00

I had a recent surge of inquiries on Face Book about my illustration portfolio. It occurred to me that, while I mentioned my non-cartooning work in my bio, I've never presented any of it. So, every Wednesday, until I run out of samples, I'll post an old drawing I've done and give a bit of background on why I did it.

Today's image was for a feature story about how our memory works. Originally, there was to be a photo to accompany the story, but, either the images weren't very exciting or (most likely) not shot at all. The features editor gave me the copy and asked if I could come up with anything, so I sketched a rough for this in about five minutes and submitted it for approval. The whole process from sketch to photo shop finale took about two hours from start to finish and ran the next day.

The Boss

2010-11-17T07:56:00.000-08:00

Between the Beatles on ITunes and the new Springsteen box set, I'm going to go broke buying music. Oh, well... What a great way to start the new year.

Here's the boss on Jimmy Fallon. Enjoy!

Tuesday Toon Up - The Beatles

2010-11-16T14:30:00.001-08:00

Let's listen to some Beatles music today, since they're now releasing their music on I Tunes. Enjoy!

Happy Birthday, Carl Stalling

2010-11-10T09:07:00.000-08:00

I loved Warner Brothers cartoons when I was growing up. A huge part of the delight was the soundtrack arranged by Carl Stalling. Stalling was originally an accompanist for silent films. He would average a soundtrack a week for 22 years, working on Looney Tunes and Merry Melodies. Here's a cartoon from 1943. Enjoy!

Tuesday Toon Up - I Don't Want To Grow Up

2010-11-09T03:32:00.000-08:00

When I meet someone new and they ask what I do for entertainment, most of them seem a bit taken aback when I tell them I draw cartoons. Simply put, I can't think of a better way to spend my time, hence today's video by Tom Waits. Enjoy!

Tuesday Toon-Up, Numb

2010-11-02T03:46:00.000-07:00

Today is election day and after months of acrimonious media attention, I thought I'd post a video that reflects my current political outlook. The title says it all. Enjoy!

R.I.P. Leo Cullum

2010-10-26T14:48:00.000-07:00

Leo Cullum, retired airline pilot turned New Yorker cartoonist has died. Cullum was 68 years old. Mr. Cullum was a combat pilot in Viet Nam flying over 200 combat mission. Upon leaving the service, he began flying for TWA.

His first cartoon appeared in the New Yorker in 1977. Thanks for the laughs and the inspiration Mr. Cullum.

Tuesday Toon Up - Til Tuesday

2010-10-26T08:25:00.000-07:00

Here's Tuesday's tune of the week - 'Voices Carry' by Til Tuesday. Enjoy until next Tuesday.