Finally!

It's been a long time since I posted anything to this blog.  By design, I lead a reasonably dull existence and reading about my failed diets or the latest amusements from my cat bores even me.

But today, I have something significant to talk about.  My cartoon officially started running in my hometown paper this morning and I couldn't be more elated!  You can read the story here.

This has been an interesting journey, from quitting cartoons entirely in 2000 - to 2009 when the bug bit me AGAIN!  In the last four years, I've created 583 new gags, reused some oldies I thought were still relevant and published two books.  What a long strange trip it's been.

My work is being syndicated by Bill Kellogg at Ink Bottle Syndicate.  If you're interested in publishing or reprinting my cartoons, his email address is bill@inkbottlesyndicate.com.  Thank you all for your continued support over the last four years!  It's your loyalty and support that has kept me going.  That and 5000 gallons of coffee.  

The best is yet to come!!!

I want my Me TV!

Here's an interview I did with Shanda Golden last Month!

My new book is available here.

My Big Mouth

Check out my interview with Tom Racine at Tall Tale Radio!  He makes me sound smart!

Let's celebrate by listening to Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds.

Interview part 7

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

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

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

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!

Spread The Word

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!

Happy Birthday, Mr. Herriman!

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

Book Review

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

Happy Birthday, Berke Breathed!

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

Interview with Nicole Hollander

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!

Who Will Be Cartoonist Of The Year?

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

Edward Gorey on NPR

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

Happy Birthday, B.C.

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

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

Toon Talk - Honing My Craft

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.

Toon Talk - Hitting The Big Time

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

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

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!