A Certain Type of Change

Last December I made a pretty major change to my daily cartoons.  Well, at least I think it’s major.  To you, and possibly everyone else, it might not be a big deal.  However, I mulled over it for weeks before pulling the trigger and making the change.  Any guesses on what it was?

The text, silly.

Yes, the fun little captions I use below my comics.  I’m sure you guessed that, right?  Or you’ve already noticed if you’re an avid reader.  But, if you’re just now catching on to that change I made awhile back, that is it.  I know, I know – nothing huge.  Changing a text is like changing a light bulb.  Nobody probably notices it until it goes out.  (And since I put text into my cartoons constantly, it’s usually always there when needed.  And doesn’t require as much electricity.)

For years (roughly six years, to be exact) I used the font, Times New Roman – in italic.

I thought about it one day though and said to myself, “Why the hell do I keep using this font?  There’s no meaning behind it?  And…and I like change.  Yeah, change is good.  I might just do something about it.  And tacos.  I’m craving tacos.”  It was around dinner time when I thought of this.

Above:  An example of the Times New Roman text that I dramatically decided to cut out of my comics.

I remember back-in-the-day why I started using italicized Times New Roman.  I had a few reasons.  One was, I was trying to get close to the font used on NewYorker cartoons.  For some reason or another I thought my work was NewYorker-ish material, so I wanted to relate to them.  And I also thought that the general public might appreciate a familiar font as well.  Like wearing underwear, it just seemed right.

Well, as time went on, I thought it was probably cooler to use my own font.

I found a neat-o program that can translate your handwriting into a font that can be typed.  It has its flaws (trust me) but it works at about a 92% accuracy.  (And as an example of accuracy, one flaw it has is if I type a ‘z‘, it will have about two spaces of space for the next letter.  Therefore, typing words with ‘z’s’ looks horrible and I have to physically tackle the issue in Photoshop to make it look pretty.)  But, it’s good.  I like it.  And I decided my own text would be more original to use underneath my cartoons.

And I started doing just that.

Above:  And an example of my new-and-improved (at least I hope) original font.

Now, just to let you know, I’ve ALWAYS handwritten my own text inside speech bubbles in my comics.  Yes, that’s all handwritten (without using the mentioned font program).  That has always been the same.  Below the comic is a different story.

Above:  That thought bubble?  Yeah, it’s all handwritten.  Always has been – always will be.

So that was my major change.  What do you think?  Good?  Bad?  Ugly?  Tacos?  I’d love to hear your thoughts.

I plan on sticking with it.  At least until next December, when maybe I’ll discover the most awesome font in the world and go that route.  But, until then, I’ll deal with what I’ve got.  I don’t want to change too much or people might start catching on.

Bottled-Up MAD and more

I know there are around a billion deserted-island-in-the-middle-of-the-ocean cartoons out there.  We’ve all seen them.  And actually, I try to avoid creating anything based off that premise.  However, when an idea hits for one, I’ll do it.

And an idea hit me.  So I did it.

It’s funny how that theme is such a hot-topic for cartoons.

There really are a billion ideas for such a concept.  I mean, an island – in the middle of the ocean (with a palm tree, of course).  Comedy gold!  Right?  Eh, maybe….

Actually, I’m not sure why there aren’t MORE reoccurring themes like this in the cartoon universe.  The only other one I can think of are ones featuring Mr. Potato Head (and I’m proud to say, I believe I only created one cartoon in my lifetime featuring him) or Humpty Dumpty.  Seriously.  Just Google either of those topics and you’ll find tons.

AS for the next cartoon, the main character has been displayed probably more times than deserted island cartoons.

Many of you know that I occasionally get a cartoon or article in MAD Magazine.  So, when I created this one featuring Alfred, it was something right up my alley – something dumb!

With MAD I hope someday I can be one of the more regular “usual gang of idiots”.  It’s NOT easy writing for them.  I still do send my ideas in though on a regular basis in hopes of getting picked-up.  It’s not about the money, but the thrill of getting into MAD is still a major high.  It’s just fun to see my work amongst the rest of the stupidity in the issue.

It’s been hot as hell (if Hell is hot) around here (Dayton, Ohio).  That’s probably why I created this next cartoon.

If I had to guess, it’s not that original.  I actually created a similar concept a long time ago featuring snowmen in a car and one of them turned on the defrost.  However, since I couldn’t think of this being done before, I went ahead and created it.  And if anything, it will just make viewers hungry for ice cream.  Like me.  I’m hungry now.  For ice cream.

My cat actually DOES have insurance.

In fact, I believe she has better coverage than me.

When it comes to life insurance though, I don’t believe they offer that for our feline friends.  Curiosity is quite deadly.

Luckily, Tiger (my cat) lives indoors and can’t get in too much trouble.  I live on the 4th floor of an apartment building.  I just know that if she had the chance, she would totally jump out the window at the birds that hang outside (we have a screened in window – so there’s not a chance of this actually happening).

When I drew this next cartoon, it took me a few attempts.

Believe it or not, drawing checks WAS NOT easy.

I had an actual physical check as a reference.  There are a lot of little details in checks that I never realized until I featured a couple of them.

Plus, I was trying to make the details somewhat unique.  Like, you’ll notice the account number is the same on both.  And one is numbered just one about the other.  Does that make them family?  If so, it’s kinda a sick relationship….I guess.

Now onto Oz.

I changed the caption on this cartoon.

The first one said ‘Teenage Tin Man’.  When I thought about it though, isn’t there a transition between a teenager and a man?  So, I made it simply Tin Teenager.  I think it is better this way.

As for what those stains are, I have no clue.

Now onto the final cartoon of the week.

This was another awkward drawing for me.  I’ve always had a minor issue drawing silverware.  I’m not sure why.  I’m guessing it’s because in real life, silverware is so precise, straight and perfect.  My drawings are never straight-looking and always a bit wobbly.  So, that throws them off.  And I’m left never feeling happy about the way I drew it.

But, it is what it is.

I can say I’m very thrilled with how I drew than non-circular dinner plate.  Very professional.

That is all for this week!

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Hair It Is

The first cartoon of the week didn’t seem to get much of a good response.  I say that by the amount of “likes” and comments on social media and various other places the comic appeared.

I, however, thought it was pretty good.  That’s probably why I made it.

I’ve mentioned it before, but the material I enjoy the most typically isn’t the fans favorites.  I can never really tell what will hit or miss.

Hair if I know….

Birds on a wire though….HAS to be good, right?

So this idea was one of a few wireless premises I’ve ever made over my years of cartooning.  But, this is a different take on it.  Something I’ve never done before.

When I draw – well – not DRAW, but color birds, I’m always trying to figure out what color to make them (unless they’re specific birds that are a known color).  I sometimes mix-it-up or I’ll get lazy and make them all the same.  As you can see, I must have had a lazy day when I made this bird/wireless cartoon.

My next one with the magician was inspired off a different comic I saw once. 

It featured a bunch of tiny coffins and something about a chainsaw.

I found the idea funny and took it a step further and featured a magician.

After I drew this, I noticed I didn’t make the coffin in half – like they typically do during the magic trick (you know – saw a person in half).  So, it turned out more brutal that originally planned (if you use your head).

And now another one from the vaults…

Yes, this cartoon featuring the Monopoly Man is an old one.  It was only published for a realty company I worked with (and I own the rights) so I thought I’d send it out here in the mainstream universe.

It’s not the first time I’ve featured the old man.  I had a cartoon once (if you remember) where he went to go eat out and left the waitress – you guessed it – play money.

I’m sure there are more cartoons I can create with him.  Just wait.  You’ll get sick of them eventually.  And probably avoid playing Monopoly, too.

Steak, anyone?

This is another cartoon that nobody really “Wowed” over.  I, again, liked this one.  (Geesh…what do I know.)

And now one for you grammar people!

It’s a known fact that I often times can suck at grammar.  So, when I can pull-off creating a decent grammar cartoon, I pat myself on the back (unless I’ve eaten a ton of donuts and cannot reach it).

This one turned out well for several reasons.

One is, this is probably the EASIEST cartoon I’ve ever drawn.  It literally took me a minute or two (same with coloring).

Two is – I learned what an Oxford comma was.  Yeah, I didn’t know until I googled it and found out.

So, I learned something and got a cartoon out of it.  Not a bad day.

And for the last cartoon of the week – well – it’s a sweet one.

I like drawing objects that typically are inanimate.  Candy in particular.

And what’s NOT funny about a sucker knocking out gum?  Comedy gold, right?  (Again, I can never tell what is funny or not.)

Anyhow, it’s your off-the-wall feature for now.  I’m sure many more are coming (just like Monopoly Man cartoons).

That’s all!

Hope you enjoyed and…did you know that you can receive these cartoons EVERYDAY via my email subscription?  You DIDN’T know that?  Okay….that’s alright.  CLICK HERE and find out more.

Hope you’re having a great hair day.

 

 

Take Note: Another Week-in-Review

Music note that is…

Wait a minute, it’s not a music note – but it IS a musical symbol (if that’s the proper term) that will kick-off this week’s Week-in-Review.

In this day and age with people not happy with their looks and getting implants, plastic surgery and other body modifications, it only makes sense that – if musical symbols had thoughts – they may want a few changes as well.

They’re just looking for that finely-tuned image.

As for a dogs life, well, life on a leash is no way to reach your full potential.

Dogs that go far in life usually live indoors or have a fenced in yard.  Those are the type that can speak, sit and lay.  Ask Lassie.  That boy, er – girl – made it pretty big.

Talk about big – what’s bigger than a bear?  (Okay, lots of things.)

There are a million and one puns that I could use here, but I’ll stop myself and use NONE.  Bear in mind that….oops.

Anyway, I’ve featured koalas in previous cartoons and have mentioned them as bears.  I typically get a handful of emails or comments about how THEY’RE NOT bears – they’re marsupials.  It appears to offend some people when mentioning them by what they’re not.

However, aren’t they technically called Koala Bears?  I dunno…. I’m confused.

My next cartoon was my favorite of the week, but I don’t think it was for everyone else.  It didn’t seem to “take-off” on social media or elsewhere online as much as I thought it would.  Again though (I’ve mentioned this many times in the past) that doesn’t mean anything.  A good cartoon isn’t measured by “likes” and shares.  It just isn’t.

In my personal opinion though, I like this one.  If you look at it closely, it has several layers of humor I tried to add to it.  At least I think.

If you thought my vacuum cartoon sucked (Ha!  Another pun!  Eh…sorry.) you might enjoy one with some colorful birds involved in it.

Has this bird joke been done before?

It was one of those obvious gags when I wrote it.  And as far as I know, it hasn’t ever been done by another cartoonist.  I try to stay original, so I hope I was the first one to this.  But c’mon…’grounded’.  Get it?  Get it?

And on this next cartoon, I’d label this a hardcore pun.

Can a pun get any worse than this?  I’m not too sure it can.

An interesting note on this next cartoon.  When I first drew it, I had the bigger TNT saying the caption.

I thought about it though, and it would make more sense to have the littler one saying it.  Why?  Well, because it’s smaller and would have a smaller “boom”.

See, even if I don’t know what I’m doing at first, it often times comes together with the help of the eraser in Photoshop.  (Yes, the original cartoon of this has two lines forming out of the speech bubble.  Looks awkward, at best.)

That’s it for this week!

Have you been over to Nate Fakes Cartoons yet?  I wrote a post about it’s GRAND opening yesterday.  Click back to read it or just head on over by clicking here.

 

This Week-in-Review Gets an ‘F’

Well, at least at the beginning of this it gets an ‘F’.

Yes, the first cartoon of the week featured a letter that I used to be VERY familiar with back in high school.

It’s true about that letter disappointing parents (I know firsthand).  But, little did we know how sensitive ‘F’ is.  To the point of where they’d need counseling.

‘A’s’ probably don’t have as many issues.

Everybody looooves the ‘A’s’.  They get all the praise in the world.

Poor F’s.

How are sales doing?

It’s funny that I create a lot of cartoons featuring the corporate office and sales charts.  A lot of other cartoonists feature the same thing.  And I really try to differentiate myself from other cartoonists.  I really do.

I was thinking about it though and I doubt this day and age many companies still use actual sales charts.  I mean, do they?  I honestly don’t know.  I’ve been out of the corporate world for awhile now.

I might have to check into that.  If they’re using something else to project sales, I want to draw it.

If I had to guess, most companies just use computers instead of the old paper charts or whiteboards.  Or, maybe to my surprise, they use pocket calculators.  I dunno.

Speaking of computers, my cat enjoys my computer probably more than me.

No, really, she does.

If I leave my MacBook open and on the couch, for some odd reason, it because a very comfortable cat bed for her.

Luckily, I don’t have a problem with her scratching posts online.  However, if she saw a cat tower on the internet, she likely to try and climb it.

The fact that I had some fish featured this past week was interesting considering I wrote about the recent editions here at home.

To save you from time from reading my latest post about my fish (although, it is quite fun), I’ll just mention that yes – I have two new goldfish.

I’ve been studying up on raising goldfish all week.  It amazes me all the care that is needed for them.  I had no idea!  I posted about my new fish on a fish forum and the responses were interesting to read.  They can live over twenty years and grow up bigger than I imagined.  Who knew?

It’s looking like a bigger tank is in my near future.

If a dog does catch his tail, that’s pretty big (for the dog).

What else is there to accomplish? 

I guess there’s the old routine of chasing tires, running after a mailman and peeing on bushes (which doesn’t require much of an effort).  But, the biggest challenge seems to be tail catching.

After one is caught, well…..

And if you work at a furniture store, this cartoon is probably quite true.

I just hope employees might get a bit of a better raise than just pocket change.

I’m sure some interesting items do pop-up at these stores though if it’s anything like my couch.

Sometimes, I’ll discover wrapped gum, receipts and pennies.  You know, valuable items.

And finally, the last cartoon of the week was another one of my classic Reader’s Digest cartoons that was rejected.

If good does outweigh the bad, it’s best to keep it that way.  And what’s better than some burgers and a shake (or maybe that’s a soda)?

I had to redraw this one a few times.  Why?

First, I drew a digital scale.  But, that didn’t look to good from this perspective.  So, I grabbed my eraser and went to town.

I then drew the angel (good guy) facing straight ahead with the devil in the background.  That looked screwed up as well.  Another eraser was frantically put to use.

So, finally I was able to sketch-out this version, which I’m happy with (although I’m not too sure about the way I drew that scale).  And luckily, my eraser was able to catch a break.

Aaaaaand, that’s it, folks.

You DO realize you can subscribe to these cartoons and get them first DAILY by CLICKING HERE

Otherwise, til next time.

Hopefully the next Week-in-Review will get something better than an ‘F’.

 

A Whirlwind Week-In-Review

What a past week.  There has been a lot going on around here.  Everything from a tornado touching down, my computer out of commission for about four days, a trip to my old hometown and more.  You can read all about this stuff from previous blogs (I won’t link them – just scroll back).

But, the point of today isn’t to recap events.  Nope.  It’s to go through the past week’s worth of cartoons.  So, instead of dragging this out any further, let me get to the point.

Let’s start with something sweet.

You know, I never really watched the entire movie, Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory.  Honestly, I haven’t.  I know there have been several versions and not one have I sat through.  However, I did go see the play – which was pretty good.  Plus, I get the gist of the story.  Thus the inspiration for this Willy cartoon.

And since we’re on the topic of food, I’ll continue on with my next cartoon about FAST food – and insurance.

I’ve been getting much better about avoiding fast food.  I rarely eat it.  In fact, I’ve avoided it quite a bit over the past 5 years or so.  I mean, it really is pretty bad for you.  Not all of it, but the majority of grub they serve is just greasy garbage.

I’m surprised insurance companies don’t ask customers how often they eat at a fast food place (or maybe they do now?).  Clogged arteries can lead to a lot of mishaps that I’m sure insurance companies aren’t thrilled to pay out.  So, maybe these unhealthy restaurants should offer their own policies to drum up a nice business segue that fits their savory meals.  No?

I was one of those suckers that watch that Floyd Mayweather/Pacquiao boxing match several weeks ago.

No, I didn’t purchase it – a friend did.  I think the thing cost over a hundred bucks or so for the pay-per-view.

At any rate, I think I’m done watching boxing.

It was hyped-up for weeks upon weeks and then when the event happened, it was – well – boring.  Not that I enjoy people pounding each other into submission, but it’s like they didn’t really care.

And I can’t stand the fact that they got paid so much to do what they do.  I mean, do they REALLY need that much cash for hitting each other?

Anyway, that’s my personal thoughts.  I guess I finally decided I’m not a huge boxing fan and will probably pass on the “next big event” – if there is one (I know a lot of people have the same thoughts as me on this).

I would much prefer to watch soap box.  So, I made a cartoon about that very thing.

Another sport I’m not too fond of is golfing.

It’s probably because I haven’t golfed that much.  People that play it swear it’s the greatest thing ever.  And I’m sure there’s something to it considering how many people that play and all of the courses around here.

My specialty is miniature golf.  THAT is something I can be decent at.  (Plus, you win cool tokens if you do well.)

Now something for my lawyer friends….

Lawyers are not people I personally hate.  I hear these stories though about some of them that go around looking for deceitful ways of drumming up business.  Well, a good example – have you watched the show Better Call Saul?  Okay then…

For lawyers that do do a lot of suing, hey, maybe a ‘Thank You’ card would help?

The next cartoon is definitely inspired by summer and this time of year.

When I lived in Florida, especially, there were constantly bugs that were plastered on the front of my car or windshield.  It would sound like rain as I drove through swarms of Love Bugs, mosquitoes and god-knows what else.  It would leave a nice array of wings, tiny-legs and antennas scattered throughout like some modern Jackson Pollack.

If bugs had an emergency response team, I’m sure their cleanup crew would need some windshield wiper cleaner from time to time to help clean up the accident scene.

Again, I don’t hate lawyers, but I did hate homework.

I mentioned previously this week about how much I despised high school.  Part of the hatred was homework.

I believe – thinking back – that I had the same mindset of this kid featured in the cartoon.  Hey, if I’m not home, I don’t need to do homework, right?  The only problem was I was home a lot, so….I was stuck doing homework (badly, I might add).

That’s it for a look at this past week of ‘toons.

Hopefully, next week, I will have a working computer, no tornado and can catch-up on some work and other projects I’m attending to.

Also, this next week, there is a launch of something….new.  Just wait.

 

 

Another Week-In-Review

Do worms swim?

My first comic in this week-in-review will pose that question.  My instinct is that they probably do not enjoy swimming.  In fact, water in general is probably quite terrifying considering the fate of many of their comrades due to fishing.  However, hey, if Jimmy did open up a business like this, I’m guessing this would be the outcome.  I do know that they’re all about things underground – not above.

My next cartoon of the week took awhile for me to piece together.

I wanted to make sure I had the best caption on it (I call it Quality Control).  And I think I achieved that goal.  But, there were a few different angles I could’ve went with it.  When mentioning the word pact, I often think of nations or countries forming one.  So, I almost created a president or military-type person in the cartoon.  At the end though, I went with an average Joe.

I think it turned out well.

Is it my favorite of the week?  Eh, I can’t say that about it.  BUT, my next cartoon might be.

This was another Reader’s Digest rejection. 

I’ve forgotten my keys on many occasions.  One time, right when I was packing up for vacation, I had my car loaded up and was ready to go.  Once I shut my trunk though, I discovered my keys weren’t in my pocket.  And my car doors were locked.  Therefore, it put a damper on the start of a great vacation.

If one forgets the keys to heaven (if keys are required), that might be a bit more devastating.

And now to another Dr. cartoon.

I’ve been producing quite a few medical comics recently.  Why?  Honestly, they sell.  The medical profession is a good market that purchases my cartoons for use via licensing them.  So, I create as many as I can.  That being said, I try not to saturate my dailies with them because we all like a little variety, right?

Anyhow, the original caption on this cartoon read, “It’s way too good, son.  It needs to be much more illegible if you ever want to become a doctor.”

I thought that was a bit too long, so I shortened it to what you see now.  Better?  Well, I’d like to think so.  (But then again, I say that about all my work.)

I always have a weird time drawing animals in awkward situations – such as in the next cartoon.

Obviously, cows can’t stand or hold their bellies.  So, when drawing this, I realize anatomically – it’s not realistic.  That makes it weird to draw.

Luckily in my profession, I’m not drawing accurate anatomically correct images for science books, so I can get away with it.

And now onto skating.

I’m not sure if this guy would make a great father figure or not.  But, his figure eights are okay – I guess.

This cartoon originally had a black ink outline for the eight.  But, with my outstanding digital skills, I traced over that with a lighter color to give it that ice-look.

Actually, I could use some work on my digital capabilities.  If you look closely, that’s a pretty wobbly figure eight.  Therefore, that’s why I mentioned this guys figure eight is just…okay.  It could be better.  Maybe he could be a better father figure, too?  (Okay, I can’t be that harsh on the guy.)

The last cartoon of this week required some help with a ruler sitting at my drawing table.

Drawing golf clubs isn’t as easy as you think.

I had to make those lines as straight as possible.  Normally, I like the more organic look and DON’T use a ruler in many images that require straight lines.  On this occasion I did.  If I drew a wobbly golf club, I’m sure I’d get some viewer mail pointing out my flaws.

It requires a steady hand and after a few cups of coffee, that’s not always easy.  So, this was a challenging cartoon, but I think I made it decent.  And a Golf Club sounds like a fun time to par-take in.

Well, that is it for my week-in-review!

Enjoy those above ground pools as the weather warms up.  Don’t have one?  Maybe consider buying one from Jimmy.

 

 

 

From A Sea World to Butter Fame

I’m a bit torn on the whole Sea World debate.  Well, not really torn (I have my opinions, as you will see) but I think the whole situation is a bit sad.  They’re losing a lot of money ever since the documentary Blackfish came out.

I’m not a fan of wild animals being in captivity.  And no, I’m not talking about the ones that might enjoy being kept out of nature (like my cat, Tiger, for example, is pretty damn happy living here).  The BIG ones;  elephants, lions and as this cartoon depicts – killer whales.*

I think Sea World should probably release them into a nice retirement community.

That being said, I DO think they can restructure their parks to something that doesn’t depend on a Shamu show.

I think amusement parks are great for families, vacation and anything that’s a good experience is good in my books.  I’d hate to see them go bankrupt and people lose their jobs over keeping whales in captivity (plus, I think Sea World actually does a lot of good rescuing animals).  Which, brings me back to the point of animals that don’t mind captivity so much.  Think, oh – maybe the sea otters.  I’d say they have it made (free fish all day and plenty of entertainment) but even with them I suppose I could be wrong.  Anyway, maybe they should turn their attention on the smaller animals and rides.

But, what do I know…

I do know that back in the 60’s, the answer to this question below is hippies.

The next cartoon stems from my love of art and artists.

I’ve always been a big Claude Monet fan.  Something about his paintings is, well, cool.

So, when I thought of a way to feature him in a cartoon, I couldn’t help myself and I created one of him at an open mic night.

Now, one thing about the artist was this:  I wasn’t too sure if a mic was even around while he was alive.

I did my research via Google and – lo and behold – yes, he was around when there was a mic.  Therefore, in my head, it justifies the comic.

Still a bit of a stretch?  Sure.  Stretched canvas?  Not so much. (Okay, that was a bad joke.)

I’m always amazed at some of the comics that are more popular than others.

This one featuring perching/sitting seemed to do quite well.

When I drew it, I was feeling so-so about the whole gag.  I thought it was probably my worst one of the week, but again, what do I know?

I do know I’m bad at predicting popularity amongst cartoons.

Why?  Well, here I have a numbers cartoon that I found quite amusing myself.  The audience response online though was rather lackluster.  Nothing negative, just not much of anything.

So, I dig into my bag-o-tricks.  What is that?

Feature a cat cartoon!

Cat cartoons prove to be pretty popular no matter who the viewer is.  I could probably just draw a cat sitting and have no caption, no gag or anything – and people would probably love it.  I think all cartoonists out there can attest to this.

And now, ladies and gentlemen, a cartoon featuring something I don’t think I’ve featured ever (well, except maybe once or twice).

What is that?  BUTTER!

I went back-and-forth with this cartoon trying to figure out a good setting for it.  At first I was going to have it set in an actual photographers studio.  Then I thought of just showing an open magazine with a full-page spread.  But, in the end, I went the route of a famous spreadable butter in Hollywood that is looking over the shoulders (er, wrap) of a stick of butter.

Hey, whatever works.

Well, there it is. 

That’s the past week’s worth of cartoons!

Hope to see you here next week for more of this hoopla.  Maybe in the meantime, I can knock-out a blog or two on this site as well.  (I always say that and my intentions are good – but they don’t always happen.)

See ya next time!

*Note:  No killer whales were actually held in captivity in the making of the first cartoon.

 

Wedding Season

I call this particular post ‘Wedding Season’ due to the fact I have several cartoons featuring marriage.  One was pretty popular.  The other one received scathing reviews and some very interesting comments on GoComics.

Let’s start with the positive.

This cartoon was another Reader’s Digest rejection.  I actually had a few angles I was going to take with it.  One of them was going to be having the ocean filled with numerous bottles.  However, I thought to myself, “Where would all of those bottles have come from to begin with?”  Also, I sketched it out, and it just looked – off.

So, I stuck with one bottle and hey, I think people enjoyed it.

As for how they’ll get married without a pastor?  Beats me.

As I age, I am going to try my damnedest to stay in tune with current technology.

As tech stuff has boomed over the last couple of decades, I’ve been around many people that really don’t have a clue even how to turn on a computer.  When I mention this, keep in mind that back in the day, I worked tech support (not for computers, but other gadgets).  Probably the most frustrating career (besides cartooning) of my life.

I told myself back then that I would never let that happen to me.  “Stay up-to-date on technology, Nate.” I told myself as I tried to figure out how to turn off the shuffle option on my MP3 player.

And now that I’ve said that, I may have jinxed it and watch me be waaaay behind in several decades.  Oh well.

But speaking of age, age is just a number – just like the next cartoon.

One of the only things I comprehended in math was even and odd numbers.  THAT I could grasp.  Everything else was just garble. 

That lead to the latest number comic which I enjoyed creating (not that I don’t enjoy creating ALL my work, but you know).

Now it’s time for a stretch….

Stretch of patience, that is.

This is one of those off-the-wall ideas that just came to me while thinking back to some old songs that I used to get a kick out of.  Such as this one.

Anyway, it was an idea also sparked by those early car rides that I had growing up on family vacation.  My poor sister was tortured by me relentlessly for hours upon end.

Amazingly, she likes me now (I think).

This next cartoon was the TOP cartoon on Reddit for a day!  Whoo-hoo!

Okay, I’ve mentioned it before on here, but really, what does that mean?  Is it a big deal?  Do I get a big bonus check for having a top comic on Reddit?

The answer is simply, it really doesn’t do much of anything.  BUT, I am pleased that it was so popular, so that’s what it does – it makes me feel popular.  Hey, I’ll take it.  Considering I really wasn’t in high school, it’s kind of nice from time to time nowadays.

And now, my second cartoon dealing with marriage.

THIS one proved very unpopular – at least online.

As for me?  I actually think it’s quite amusing, so that’s why I created it.  And yes, I’m happily married and have never been divorced, so maybe that’s why it struck a nerve with some people?  Not sure.  At any rate, it didn’t get many “likes” on Facebook, didn’t fare so well on Reddit and received some very interesting comments on GoComics (like I mentioned early).

So, if those are the platforms for judging a cartoons success (which they’re really not), than it was an utter failure.  However, I license out all my work.  Any divorce attorneys out there looking for a good cartoon for your website or newsletter?  I’m your man.  Call me.

But, let’s end on a high-note.

THIS cartoon was almost – ALMOST – used in Reader’s Digest.

It was in the selection committees office.  However, in the end, it was not used.

I’ve been pushing for a cartoon in that publication for years now, but I took a lot of time off submitting to them (for some reason).  Now, in the past couple of months, I’ve figured out a better system of pitching material, so I submit regularly.

One of these days, I’ll have a cartoon in there.  No, really….I WILL!

Alright, gang, that does it for this week-in-review.

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The first cartoon of the week consist of some rye humor.  And if it’s not funny, I’ll rye.  Rye do you think it wouldn’t be funny though?  Rye bother….

Okay, there are WAY too many awful puns I can make off of the word RYE.  But, I went this route.  Besides, I think nice rye probably does finish last….I suppose.

Moving on…

The next cartoon was a tricky one.

I had a few angles that I could’ve went with it.  However, what you see here was the best one.

I almost scrapped it though for being ‘too silly’, but hey, it seemed to do alright.  Who doesn’t love some good sink humor from time to time?  Better wet than dry (or rye) humor, right?

My next cartoon BLEW-UP on Reddit.

Okay, not actually.  Nothing was harmed and nothing actually exploded.  However, it did prove popular.  In fact, it was up-voted as the most popular cartoon of the day there in the Webcomics section.

Does that mean anything?  No.

I’ve mentioned before that judging popularity of a strip is tricky.  Every venue is different.  Sometimes, a comic is more popular in the paper than it is online.  Or sometimes it becomes viral on Facebook but does nothing on my syndicates site.  It’s weird.

I guess I could compare it to when bands play in venues.  If The Doors played at a kids party, it probably would’ve been a bit awkward and I’m sure they would go play in the bounce tent instead of listening to ‘The End‘. 

Pretty bad analogy, but you catch my drift.  Every venue is different with bands – and cartoons.

The next feature is out of this world.

I’ve created numerous cartoons with aliens, spacecrafts and – well – a farmer.

I know it’s cliche, but I always picture all of these alien encounters/abductions happening on a farm.  I think that’s where they mostly take place, right?

This encounter though is rather tasty (except for the purple puzzle piece looking one).

As for this next cartoon with the storks, there are several reasons why I created this particular one.

First off, I almost changed the caption to, “I heard Amazon was going to replace us with drones.”

However, I scrapped that just for fear of some schmuck not knowing what Amazon was or that Amazon wouldn’t be relevant in a decade.  Thus, keeping the caption the way it is, might make it a hit now AND in the future.

Also, in case you didn’t get the memo, my wife and I are expecting our first child this fall!

That news has filled my brain up with baby ideas, bottles and – as you can see – storks.  What else is there to do with those ideas but make a cartoon?

I remember the days of going to the arcade and feeding quarters into games.  In fact, I believe ALL my quarters were wasted by doing this.

Kids now probably don’t play too many arcade games, do they?  I really don’t know…

I’m just assuming since most games are free apps on iPads and phones, that using a quarter to play one would be a waste of money for any young one.  But, maybe I’m wrong.

All I can say is I used to be the Pac-Man champion.  I can’t play it the same on a touch-screen without those red paddles and lousy graphics.  Ah, back in the day…..

My last cartoon of the week is another play-on-words.

I mentioned today in my daily email (which you can sign up for HERE) about how there are so many gags out there already featuring dating websites.  Really, there are a ton of cartoons that have this same sorta premise.

However, I believe this is the first time anyone has taken it to this angle with a rooster and a Hatch.com.

Deep down, this makes me feel clever.  Though, often times I’m wrong.

Well, I hope you enjoyed this fascinating view of the past week of cartoons.

More will be arriving next week and maybe – just maybe – I’ll have a blog post or two in the meantime.  After all, rye wouldn’t I (there I go again….).