Jon's Crazy Stuff

FINALLY!!! MIKE AND MINDY!!! IN BOOK FORM!!!

2012-02-24T11:41:00.002-08:00

After weeks of teasing, it's finally here! I present to you, dear readers, the first collection of Mike and Mindy and Mushrooms comics: FORK IN THE ROAD: The Crazy Collection Volume 1! I can't even begin to tell y'all how excited I am to finally be putting this out! A lot of work went into making this book happen, but the end result was worth it! A lot of credit goes out to the geniuses over at Ego ID Media in San Diego. Those dudes are miracle workers and did a fantastic job! The book will debut at Wondercon in Anaheim in just three weeks! So be sure to make your way down Artist Alley and get a copy before they sell out!

And just to entice you even more, here a couple of sneak peeks inside the book...

A lot new art is in the book!

And every page is glossy! So these books are durable!

Well, I hope everybody likes what they see thus far. It's gonna be a limited run at Wondercon folks, so be sure to get your copies quick! I'll even do a free sketch for every purchase!

Well, I'm still in a state of euphoria right now, so I'm gonna jump to something completely different; FRANK ZAPPA!!!

There's much to be said about this man, but a mere blog post wouldn't do him any justice. I will say this though: Zappa was amazing! He mastered over 20 musical instruments by the time he was 22, composed complete, four-part symphonies and coined the term "Valley Girl," which went on to become his most popular song, although most Zappa purists would consider I am the Slime to be his signature song. Frank Zappa belonged to no single genre. He did everything from rock and jazz to blues and classical. He also had one of the highest IQ's ever recorded, so when people call him a genius, they aren't just singing his praises. Zappa left a huge impression on me. Hell, he made an impression on a lot of artists, musicians and filmmakers. He set trends and dared to experiment, a quality that is sorrily lacking in today's music. For some of you younger readers who've never heard of Frank Zappa, I encourage you seek out his music and give it a try. It's weird, but in a good way.

Well, it's about that time. But before I go, I'd like to take a moment to thank a couple of people for plugging my site recently: Batton Lash and Matt Gross. Batton, as a lot of you already know, does the great comic Supernatural Law, and was kind enough to take some time and talk with me the other day. His site can be found here, and Batton will also be at Wondercon this year, so be sure to go say high to him! Matt Gross is the cartoonist behind CAAATS!, a very funny, sweet and charming comic about two goofy but lovable cats. His strip recently celebrated its first anniversary, so I did a little piece to honor those crazy cats. His site can be found here, and I highly recommend y'all check it out.

Well, that's all for now. I'll be back next time with a "colorful" new Mike and Mindy and a new Mushrooms that's just "bursting" with laughs! In the meantime, take it easy, and I'll catch y'all later!

SCARY TUNNELS!!!

2012-02-17T10:06:00.000-08:00

Hey folks! Just a small post today. Wondercon's just under a month away here, so I'm trying to get everything taken care of now while I still have a little bit of free time. The book will be coming out very soon, and I should have the cover art by next week or sooner! A lot of work went into putting this collected volume together, and I'm itching to finally release it! Of course, now that I'm done with the first book, I gotta get started on the second book! It's an endless cycle I tell ya!

Anyway, a beloved classic came on TV last night: Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. This movie has been a lifelong favorite of mine, but I've always scratched my head at certain parts of the film, mainly that the guests of the factory keep walking into obvious traps, and quite willingly no less! Well, apparently I'm not the only one confused by these actions, as the good folks over at How It Should Have Ended produced this piece to help make sense of things...

Ya know? This is just me, but I probably would've said "SCREW THIS" and left right after Augustus went up the pipe. It's actually a bit troubling that Wonka would want to hand over his house of horrors to a small child. Do you honestly think a kid can be trusted with candy that can turn people into a giant blueberries! Although I must admit, the blueberry candy would probably be a good bully deterrent.

Well, that's all for this week. I'll be back next time with some kind of fun. Until then, take care and I'll catch y'all later!

COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT, COURTESY OF WCW!!!

2012-02-11T17:23:00.000-08:00

Hey folks! It's been a busy couple weeks here at the Crazyverse! The final touches are being put on the book, and I hope to have a teaser up by next week! I've also been working like crazy this week, with the highlight being a dolly grip for an awards show that's being broadcast on PBS. The show hasn't aired yet, so I don't know how many shots I'll actually appear in, if any, but I had a blast working it, especially when I ran into my former teacher at SDSU, Don Johnson. Prof. Johnson taught Intro to Television Production and was in fact the first teacher I had at State. So it was cool to see him again and show him that his lessons did lead me somewhere. Let that be a lesson kids: COLLEGE IS IMPORTANT!

Well, it's Wrestling Week here at the 'Stuff, and to celebrate, I dug up another polished turd courtesy World Championship Wrestling! Enjoy...

Brad Armstrong was born into wrestling royalty, being the son of "Bullet" Bob Armstrong, a legend of the southeastern wrestling scene back in the territory days. Brad, along with his brothers Scott, Steve and Brian, eventually followed in his father's footsteps, becoming a wrestler himself. While not much of a talker, Brad was a great in ring performer who held his own against many greats, including Ric Flair and Harley Race. In the dying days of the territory system, Brad had found a lot of success as the remaining NWA territories were bought out by Jim Crocket, eventually becoming WCW. As the new company emerged, Brad seemed like a natural fit for the upper midcard. Sadly, this is WCW we're talking about here, and at this point in time (1991), their M.O. was "Copy whatever the WWF is doing and quick!" In those days, the WWF was doing brisk business in the children's market, and WCW, on numerous occasions, tried to follow suit, often failing miserably. After a short run as a masked wrestler named "Badstreet" Brad Armstrong was repackaged as a web-slinging super hero sure to please the kids: ARACHNAMAN!

Yep, you read that right. You see, kids like comic books, so WCW thought that a wrestler based on Spiderman would have mass appeal. So they dressed poor Brad Armstrong up in a knock off Spiderman costume and hoped for the best. All fine and dandy except for one thing: Marvel Comics was not amused! They threatened to sue, and WCW caved in quick. Sadly, this would not be the last crap gimmick that Brad Armstrong would have to endure. Still, someone at WCW must've liked him, because he remained with the company until the very end. As for the other Armstrong brothers, Scott and Steve had even less luck, as they were primarily used as jobbers or "enhancement talent" on WCW Saturday Night. Brian Armstrong wasn't particularly gifted in the ring, but was capable of having decent matches. He was also a hell of a talker and had a ton of charisma. He went on to a stellar career in the WWF as the "Road Dogg" Jessie James. He recently returned to WWE as a road agent, working backstage.

Well, that's all for now. I'll be back next time with some form of wackiness I'm sure. In the meantime, take care and I'll catch y'all later!

MIKE AND MINDY: TWO YEARS AND STILL AT IT!!!

2012-02-02T10:56:00.000-08:00

Can it really be? Have I really been doing this for two years now? Time sure does fly doesn't it? Yep, this week marks the second anniversary of the launching of Jon's Crazy Stuff, an event that came about after the sad realization that I'd never get into MAD and there were no other options out there for a funny cartoonist like myself. So sit back while I clean off all this make up (Those kids are gonna pay for that!) and enjoy some comics, plus a couple more Super Bowl ads! Enjoy...

Truth be told, this one feels a little bit unfinished to me. Looking back, I think I should have added another panel, one that has Mindy landing. Still, I think the expressions work well, and I'm stoked that I finally got to throw in a monster! I haven't put a monster in a story in a year, and I love drawing monsters! I'm making a late New Year's resolution: DRAW MORE MONSTERS!

And now, another serving of Mushrooms, courtesy of my failed attempt at the getting syndicated!

Once again, you'll see that this month's installment is in a strip format. I really thought that these were some of my best stories, but the people at the Union-Tribune thought different. I'm not really sweating it. Better opportunities are presenting themselves, and let's face it; newspaper syndication ain't what it used to be. Especially when there are only a handful of newspapers left in the country!

And now, in honor of this site's second anniversary, here are some more Frequently Asked Questions...

Q: What's the deal with Mike and Mindy? I mean, what exactly is their relationship?

A: They're both friends and rivals, if that makes any sense. Kids tend to be mean when they have a crush, mainly because they don't know how to express themselves emotionally. In a cartoon sense, it makes for some great story opportunities!

Q:What about the Mushrooms? Why are they just now being called Mushrooms?

A: What's with all these double questions? Oh well. The reason all of my previous Mushrooms entries had generic titles was because my original goal was to sell them to humor publications. Unfortunately, MAD Magazine is all that's left, and they weren't interested. When it came time for the U-T contest, I felt the time was right to finally give Mushrooms its proper title. While I'm on the subject, there will be times when another title is used, such as my Cheap Puns and Bad and Worse series.

Q: How come Mike and Mindy never talk?

A: It's actually coincidence. I was about three months into it when I realized that they'd yet to say a word. I decided then to see how long I can keep it up and so far, so good. Although I do admit, their silence does limit me story-wise sometimes.

Q: Will Mike and Mindy ever talk?

A: Maybe! I'm not opposed to it. I do feel the situation would have to be right. For now, I think they are much funnier wreaking silent havoc. And it's not like they're totally silent. I do use sound effects in their adventures!

Q: You're thoughts on WWE and TNA are well known by this point. What do you think of Ring of Honor (ROH)?

A: I like ROH! I don't get HDNET out here, so my ROH viewing is limited to what the internet has to offer. And I like everything I've seen thus far. What I like about ROH is that they're like a less violent version of the original ECW. They don't want to be number one or put anybody out of business. They simply want to exist and put on great shows. Plus, CM Punk and Daniel Bryan both started out there, so it's a breeding ground for greatness!

Q: You teased merchandising not too long ago. Will there ever be Mike and Mindy merchandise?

A: It is a dream, but that's all at the moment. I would love to see them on as many items as possible. Especially these PVC figures that have been getting pretty popular in recent years. We'll just have to keep our fingers crossed!

Q: Did you always want to be a cartoonist?

A: Actually no. Up until I was 17, I wanted to be a pro wrestler! As goofy as it sounds, I was a big dude, I was quick and agile and I liked fighting. It just seemed like a natural fit. I was even Captain of my team in high school. Unfortunately, I really screwed up my shoulder and my doctor wouldn't clear me for it anymore. Even now some ten years later, my shoulder still pops out every now and again.

Q: So how did you wind up cartooning?

A: That's a really long story. Too long for a simple FAQ session. But don't worry, that tale will be told eventually.

Q: You mentioned on Twitter that you like to listen to music while you work. Who are your favorites?

A: Too many to list here, but typically I'll listen to Steely Dan, Talking Heads and Oingo Boingo. I listen to all sorts of music, but prefer slower stuff while drawing just because it lessons the chances of making mistakes. Trust me, you don't want to listen to Metallica or Rage Against the Machine while doing your inks!

Q: Your a big fan of the movies by the ZAZ team (Zucker-Abrahams-Zucker). What's your favorite scene?

A: That's easy! The scene in Airplane! when all the passengers beat up the hysterical lady. No matter how many times I see it, it just keeps getting funnier!

Well, that's all for the FAQ's! Now it's time for one last run of Super Bowl Commercials! Enjoy...

This gem from the WWF came from Super Bowl XXXIII in 1999, a game loaded with awesome commercials! And if I've said it once, I've said it a thousand times, the "Attitude" era was THE greatest time to be a wrestling fan! 'Nough said.

And last but not least, Garmin's entry into the Super Bowl with this awesome ad from 2007 (Super Bowl XLI)...

That's Steve Grimmett doing lead vocals. A lot of people didn't get this tribute the Japanese hero Ultraman. I had to explain it to quite a few friends and relatives afterwards. I still think that this is a pretty cool ad and the song was awesome!

Well, that's all for this week. I'll be back next time with some wrestling fun and more info on my book and hopefully my Wondercon booth. Until then, take it easy, and I'll catch y'all later!

SUPER BOWL SUNDAY, WHATEVER!!!

2012-01-26T22:43:00.000-08:00

Well, the holiest day of the year is now upon us. And for the first time in four years, I don't give a damn. Like most San Diegans, I hate the Patriots with a passion, and I cannot in good conscience root for a team with Eli Manning on it. So once again, I'll be watching the real stars of the game: those hysterical commercials!

This batch of ads starring the gang from Orange County Choppers came from 2004 (Super Bowl XXXIX). It's sad to see what's happened to the family in recent years, but I have to admit, splitting the shop made American Choppers interesting to watch again. Anyway, enjoy the ads...

Mikey truly is the greatest. They really made it seem like an actual episode too.

Next up...

Tricking out a Rascal! If they had done that on Pimp My Ride, that show would still be on the air!

And finally...

The real irony here is that the AOL optimizer was a real piece of crap! Actually, it's a general rule that anything involving AOL is straight garbage! Just ask Ted Turner and Eric Bischoff. They'll tell you.

Well, last week I said I'd finally make my big announcement. Actually, I already broke the news on Twitter, but that was the Cliff Notes version of it. So here's the real deal: I'M EXHIBITING AT WONDERCON IN MARCH!!! I'm pretty excited about this. It's the first time I've ever run a table or booth at a convention. It will also be THE place to get the first issues of my upcoming book Fork In The Road: The Crazy Collection Vol. 1, which will collect all of the comics published on this very blog during it's first year, back in 2010! So come on down (or up) to Anaheim March 16-18, 2012 for Wondercon! I'll pretty much talk to anybody, so don't be shy! I'll have even more info and surprises in the coming weeks, so stay "tooned"!

Well, that's all for this week. I'll be back next time with some new cartoons, including a "heart-breaking" tale from Mike and Mindy, a great lesson in judgement from Mushrooms and an all new anniversary splash page celebrating this site's second year of craziness! I'll also have an a new FAQ section, featuring ten more questions that people have actually asked me! So come back and sit a spell. Until then, take care and I'll catch y'all later!

THE COMMERCIAL BONANZA BEGINS!!!

2012-01-20T12:08:00.000-08:00

Hey folks! Just a quick update today. I've been slammed with work this month, making it tough to get some of my projects done. Still, I do have to make a living, and I am going to be taking a week off in March. So, as I've said so many times before, I got to get it while the gettin' is good!

Anyway, the Super Bowl is coming up very soon, so I thought I'd spend the next couple of weeks taking a trip down memory lane and remember the real reason we watch the big game: COMMERCIALS!

I'm not much of a drinker, but Budweiser always puts out the funniest damn commercials during the game. Enjoy this pair from 1999 (that's Super Bowl XXXIII for those of you keeping score)...

I do love me some lobster, but have always felt guilty about the way they have to be cooked. That's a hell of a way to turn the tables though!

Oh man, Lord only knows how many dudes have been forced with this decision over the years. This one never fails to crack me up. Just imagine if they did this one today? Most stores don't even carry paper bags anymore!

Well, that's all for this week. I'll be back next time with some more ad revenue and I'll finally enlighten everybody on the big announcement I've been teasing for over a month now. Believe me, I've been ready to say it for two weeks now, but I just haven't had any time to do it! I will be doing doing a Cliff Notes version of the announcement on Twitter later, so if you don't care about details, click the button at the top of the page and find out there! Until next time, take care and I'll catch y'all later!

WHAT'S IN THE BAG?

2012-01-12T10:54:00.000-08:00

Hey folks! It's been a wild couple of days here at the crazyverse! The flooring in my house is getting torn up to make way for new tile, so my home is in shambles right now! I'm also gearing up to get the proof copy made for my first collected volume of Mike and Mindy and Mushrooms comics. And as if that weren't crazy enough, last night, I got the shock of my life when I learned that Doug TenNapel (Earthworm Jim, Gear) became one of my twitter followers! I greatly appreciate anyone that follows me on twitter or checks out my blog. But when a real legend checks out your stuff, and decides to follow it, man that's a high that no drug on Earth can match. I'm still stunned about it. I only hope Mr. TenNapel enjoys my work as much as I enjoy his. I still consider Earthworm Jim to be the greatest video game ever! And the Earthworm Jim cartoon was one of the funniest I've ever seen. So, thanks again Mr. TenNapel!

Well, it's wrestling week here at the Stuff, and with the Royal Rumble coming up, I thought I'd present one of the funniest moments from the Rumble's past...

Jake Roberts had many snakes during his run, but this was the only time I can recall him using an anaconda in the ring! Given the way everybody bolted, including 500lb. Mabel diving through the ropes, I get the impression those dudes were legitimately scared! Hey, at least he didn't bring a cobra this time. This was back at the 1996 Royal Rumble, which was a pretty good show, given that it came at a rather tumultuous time for the WWF. Scott Hall had just signed with WCW, with Kevin Nash eventually following suit, and tensions were just starting to mount backstage between champion Bret Hart and future champion Shawn Michaels. Still, the show went off well, with Goldust beating Hall (Razor Ramon) for the Intercontinental Title, Hart beating the Undertaker to retain the World Title and Michaels winning the Royal Rumble by last eliminating Kevin Nash (Diesel).

Before I end it today, I'd like to thank Tim, Grace and Cate over at 5 Minute Marvels. If you haven't heard of this site yet, you must check it out. The premise is simple, but great: take five minutes out of your day and draw with your kids! It not only pushes bonding, but the importance of art. Recently, they did a post to celebrate the 39th anniversary of School House Rock, of which I contributed a piece depicting "the Bill." It's a quick little sketch, but I had a lot of fun doing it and it's up at their site right now. To see it, click the link above and be sure to check out the rest of their wonderful site. Hopefully, more people will continue to discover the beauty that is cartooning.

Well, that's all for now. I'll be back next time with some more inspired lunacy! Until then, take care, and I'll catch y'all later!

MIKE AND MINDY, AS PROMISED BY NOSTRADAMUS

2012-01-07T09:40:00.000-08:00

Well, here we are a week into 2012. It is exciting times here in the crazyverse. Progress is being made on the book, I've done a ton new art recently, and it looks like that announcement I've been trying to make for the last three weeks will finally be made soon. I even got a brand new truck! It's a black Ford Ranger that I have named "Veronica," and yes, it is in honor of Riverdale's easiest rich girl. Hey, if the truck were yellow, I'd've named it "Betty!"

Yep, things are looking up at the moment, but enough about that. Y'all wanna see some comics, and I'm happy to oblige! So here's the first crop of comics from 2012, starting with everyone's favorite cat an' mouse duo, Mike and Mindy...

Sheesh, I've heard of playin' the butt trumpet before, but this is ridiculous! You may have noticed a slightly different format for Mike and Mindy this month. I was experimenting with thicker lines for the panel borders, but have decided that this may be a little too thick. So starting next month, panel boarders will go back to normal. Mushrooms will have to wait a little longer. Speaking of which...

This one's a little personal, as I got to sample many a bar of soap as a youngster, all because I didn't know that certain words were bad! You probably noticed two distinct changes in Mushrooms this month: that it's actually titled "MUSHROOMS" this time, and that it's in a strip format. The reason for this is because the above comic was one of my entries for the San Diego Union Tribune's Cartoon Contest. I got three more that you'll be seeing in the coming months, so starting in May, Mushrooms will return to its original one-page format.

Since I lost the UT contest a couple of months ago, a lot of people have asked me about it, wanting to now why I didn't win. Others want to know why I haven't written any scathing responses to the paper yet. Well, I guess now's the time to address some things so here's my response: I lost. Flat and simple. You see, it wasn't enough to just be a San Diego cartoonist, they wanted the cartoon to have a "San Diego" theme as well. Given all the bullcrap that my hometown's been dealing with in recent years, I felt I couldn't do a funny San Diego comic strip without taking cheap shots, and that's never been my way as far as my work is concerned. So sorry, you won't be getting any hate-filled rants about the paper or the winner out of me. Life's too short to hold grudges. It's time to move on.

Well that's all for today. I'll be back next time with a look at the Royal Rumble and one of my favorite wrestling moments, courtesy of Jake "the Snake" Roberts. Until then, take care and I'll catch y'all later!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

2012-01-01T10:09:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year y'all! 2011 was a tough year, so I think I speak for everybody when I say let's make 2012 a year to remember! I got a lot of great comics and cartoons in store, and I can't wait to share them with all of you! So kick back and relax, and enjoy the first day of 2012!

-Jon

MAY OLD ACQUAINTANCE BE FORGOT...

2011-12-30T10:22:00.000-08:00

Is it that time already? 2011 sure went fast. This certainly was a memorable year for me, in both good ways and bad. I'd like to think that the good outweighs the bad though, and has actually laid the groundwork for a great 2012. I won't go into the bad points of 2011, mainly because some of them hit a little too close to home. On the brighter side, I had a fun trip to Wizard World back in April, got my first Pro badge for Comic Con in July, and had a great trip to the Long Beach Comic Con in October, where I also had a pro badge. As an artist, I grew leaps and bounds and gained enough confidence in myself that I'm now preparing collected volumes of my work, and believe me when I say I'm not doing this on an ego trip. People have actually asked me for printed copies! The future looks bright, and I can't wait to show all of you the great comics and cartoons that I have in store for 2012.

Anyway, that's enough yammering for now. There's only two days left in the year, so let's end this sucker with a bang! I present to you the first in what I hope to be a new series of postings that I call GREAT SONG, CRAPPY MOVIE, the premise being a horrible movie that inexplicably had a great soundtrack. And since this is the very first installment, I present the epic cheese fest from 1980, Flash Gordon!

The less said about this movie the better. All I'll say, and you probably figured it out yourself already, was that this movie was made in an effort to cash in on the Star Wars craze that swept through the world in the late 70's and early 80's. Terrible acting, terrible story and special effects so bad, they're actually kind of funny is the best way to describe this polished turd. The movie's lone saving grace was the incredible musical score and soundtrack provided by Queen. It's because of the music that this film is actually tolerable.

It could be coincidence, but I've always felt it was quite odd that so many bad movies have awesome soundtracks, while so many good movies have really weak soundtracks. If anything, a strong soundtrack is probably a just a tool to help mask the shortcomings of a bad film. Ironically enough, George Lucas had wanted to do a Flash Gordon movie back in the mid 70's after American Graffiti had become such a huge success. Lucas, however, could never secure the film rights, so he decided to do his own space epic instead. Unfortunately, Lucas didn't have Queen to help make the Star Wars prequels more watchable.

Well, that's all for 2011 folks. May you all have a safe and happy time tomorrow and try not to party too hard. We really don't need to start the year off with any tragedies. Take care and I'll catch y'all in 2012. HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

-Jon

MERRY CHRISTMAS BABY!!!

2011-12-23T11:54:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah faithful readers! I know I promised another big announcement this week, but I've always been a better safe than sorry kind of guy. So until I know that everything is absolutely positively certain and squared away, I'm gonna have to hold off a bit longer. Believe me, it's killing me not to make this announcement, but I really don't want any egg on my face. I can say that it's looking very likely that I will have two collected volumes ready in the Spring and places that they will be available at! So stay tuned!

Anyway, the big day is just around the corner, so enjoy some more Christmas goodies from Team Crazy...

This came from the old Late Night with Conan O'Brien show back in 2002. I've never been too big on Bruce Springsteen, but I've always loved his back up, The E Street Band, especially the now late Clarence Clemons. I was heart broken when he passed away a few months back, but man did he leave a great legacy. Without question, the greatest saxophonist ever. All sentiment aside, this was a very fun performance. If only Conan knew that NBC would totally screw him over just seven years later.

And now, a new twist on a beloved classic...

Who knew a lamp could be so sinister? By the way, A Christmas Story is in fact my all time favorite Christmas movie, with Elf being a very close second.

And just because I love all of you, and feel bad about making you wait longer for my announcement, here's one more present...

"Band Aid," the song that started it all. For a good many of you not born yet, in the mid 1980's, a horrific famine ravaged Africa, killing millions. In an effort to help, virtually every major performer in Britain and Ireland banded together to perform the above song, raising millions of dollars in famine relief. Within months, other artists and musicians around the world joined the cause, leading to many other efforts, including "USA For Africa" and the incredible "Live Aid" concert (It also to led to the embarrassingly bad "Hearing Aid," done by a group of well-meaning but really dumb hair metal bands). To this day, "Band Aid" continues to raise money for starving Africans.

Well, that's all for now. I want to wish everybody a very happy and safe Holiday weekend, so watch what you're doing with those turkey fryers, will ya! And try to help your fellow man. There's still time to donate toys and food, so get a move on! I'll be back next time with some New Year's fun and hopefully that big announcement I've been yammering about. Until then, Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Happy Boxing Day and Happy Kwanza! (Sheesh! There's just too many holidays to remember!) Until next time, I'll catch y'all later!

HAUNTED HOLIDAY FUN!!!

2011-12-16T15:31:00.000-08:00

Hey folks! Just a quick update today. As some of you may have heard, I will be collecting Mike and Mindy and the Mushrooms into collected volumes, with the first book, and possibly even the second, due out sometime in the Spring. I don't have a whole lot of other info right now, as I'm still finalizing some details, but rest assured, they're coming! I put a lot of thought into this decision and am very excited about it. Much thanks goes out to the many people that have encouraged me over the last few months, showing that there's an actual demand for the spike-head and the ponytail in printed form! Each volume will be a standard comic book collecting the previous year's stories, with volume one consisting of the comics from 2010 and volume two taking care of the comics from 2011. And best of all, each book will feature brand, spankin' new covers on the front and back, exclusive to those that actually buy it! It's an exciting time for Team Crazy, and I can't wait for the books to become available.

Now that that's out of the way, here's some Christmas madness, courtesy of the good fellas over at Losers, Inc.

Wow! Don't think I'll ever hear Jingle Bells the same way again. Still, its got a great Tim Burton-vibe going for it, so I'm sure it'll become a holiday standard.

And just because you've all been so good this year, here's another gift from Team Crazy...

This ad came out some time between 1996 and 1998 I think, and is definitely in my top ten of funniest Christmas ads. I can't decide which is funnier? The surly elf or the totally dejected kid with the the rocking horse?

Well, that's all for now. Come back next time for some more Christmas fun and another major announcement. Things are about to change here at the Stuff, and I hope everybody's ready for the ride! Until next time, take care and I'll catch y'all later!

SLAMMIN' CLAUS!!!

2011-12-10T19:02:00.000-08:00

Hey folks! Just a quick update today. I've been slammed at work this week, with no off time in sight! It's actually a good thing, as December is usually a pretty slow month for me. So I gotta get it while the gettin' is good! Anyway, enjoy this little gift from the ghost of wrestling past...

Ah... The good ol' WWF logo from the "Attitude" era. How I wish they would bring the "F" back! A quick backstory: it was December of 1997, and Goldust (Dustin Rhodes) had just turned heel, aligning himself with the late Luna Vachon in his battle against Vader, who himself had just turned face after many years of wrestling villainy. I don't remember much else coming out of this feud, other than some great matches and standout moments at a time when it wasn't clear if the WWF would even make it to the next week. Since then, Rhodes has worked on and off for the WWF/WWE, serving as a backstage road agent these days. Vader didn't stick around much longer after this angle, returning to Japan in the summer of 1998 where he remains a top star. Much can be said about the "Rocky Mountain Mastodon's" career, but that's a story for another day.

And since it's christmas, enjoy another gift courtesy of Team Crazy...

From the first season of MAD TV back in 1995, the hilarious "C.L.O.P.S." sketch. They did a few of these over the years, and they were always very funny. The show itself was often a mixed bag, but it lasted for 14 years and had many great moments during its run, with "Da Trey Stoogez" and "John Madden Popcorn Popper" skits being among the show's real highlights.

Well, that's all for now. I'll be back next time with some more Christmas fun as the countdown to the big day continues. I still have a buttload of shopping to do, and hardly any time to do it in. This would be so much easier if days lasted 28 hours! Anyhoo, take care and I'll catch y'all later!

MIKE AND MINDY'S MERCHANDISE SPECTACULAR!!!

2011-12-01T10:18:00.000-08:00

Hey folks! It's December! Man does time fly by! Anyway, enough exclamation marks for now. Those mischievous li'l tykes have done sold out on me, and are ready to show off some of their catalog. So enjoy these future products bearing the mark of Mike and Mindy. After all, merchandise is where the REAL money is made. Enjoy...

Ah, nothing says warm and fuzzy like a flame thrower! As you may have guessed, Mike and Mindy are not being merchandised, yet. It is a dream though, and if any licensing agencies are reading this: I'M INTERESTED!

In all fairness, fruitcake ain't so bad, so long as it's in small doses. VERY small doses. And if you ever wondered why Christmas used to be twelve days, now you know: 'Cause rabbits are really slow. Especially when led by a chicken!

These next two sketches are pretty special. They were done as part of a trading card series that David Castro is doing over at Taco Comics. I already did one for him on the fly at the Long Beach Comic Con last month, and have now finished up my contribution with these two cards. So here they are, for everyone to enjoy...

Wow! So this is what happens when two young lovers decide to cut loose. Although the ink smudged a lot on this card, I'm happy with the way it came out, especially Mindy. I don't do too many profile or back of the head shots. I've just never been able to master it. I guess the stars must have aligned, because I got it right for a change!

Oh boy. The dreaded sailor suit! A staple of childhood that many a kid wishes would disappear! Since the first card featured Mindy screaming in Mike's ear, I thought it would only be fair that she should be on the receiving end of some humiliation as well. If nothing else, I am an equal opportunity offender here!

I really wanted to color these so badly, but unfortunately, the card stock was glossy, making it tough to even pencil them without smearing. Still, I think they came out pretty good. I'm actually planning a trading card series myself, but it's still in the early stages.

And now, to kick off the holidays, enjoy this classic about an elderly old crank getting run over by some rogue livestock!

What can I say? It just wouldn't be Christmas without Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer. God Bless you Elmo & Patsy!

Well, that's it for now. I'll be back next time with some wrestling commentary and christmas fun from the top rope. Because nothing says christmas like pro wrestling. Just be careful. We wouldn't want Xanta Klause rearing his unmarketable head! Until next time, take care and I'll catch y'all later!

THANK YOU, GEORGE

2011-11-29T14:42:00.000-08:00

It was ten years ago this very day that George Harrison passed away after a battle with cancer. As a tribute to the "Quiet One," I present a couple of his best solo works, starting with All Those Years Ago.

Harrison had written this song as a tribute to former bandmate John Lennon, just months after Lennon's shocking murder. Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr both play and sing back up for Harrison on this song.

Next up, the video for Got My Mind Set On You.

This is not the original video for the song. The original had Harrison sitting in his den, playing guitar as his decorations come to life and dance along. It wasn't his best work, I'm sorry to say, and it is often considered one of the worst music videos ever. George himself was said to be pretty embarrassed by it, which is no doubt why this alternate version even exists. Goofy music videos aside, this is my favorite solo song by George Harrison.

It's been a long ten years, but your music still speaks volumes. We miss you George. Keep Heaven rocking!

-Jon

AD REVENUE!!!

2011-11-23T15:14:00.000-08:00

Hey folks! Just a quick little update this week. Since Thanksgiving is tomorrow, I'd thought I'd present a couple appetizers before the main course. Enjoy!

I have to admit, the first time I saw this ad, I fell for it! It wasn't until he wails "BAH BAHHHHHH!" that I realized it was a parody! This ad came out back in 1998, and is still one of the funniest damn things I've ever seen.

Next up...

For all my readers out on the east coast, this is a Jack in the Box ad. The reason I say this is because every year at Comic Con, I have to explain to at least ten people a day what Jack in the Box is and that it's delicious! Come to think of it, I had to do the same thing back in college too! Seriously, you east coasters don't know what you're missing! In addition to some really tasty food (even by fast food standards), Jack in the Box also has some of the funniest commercials on television. Rest assured, more will be posted in the future. In the meantime, head on over to Jack in the Box right now and get some TACO'S! Well, go if you live in a town that has one at least. If not, I'm afraid I just can't help you there!

Well, that's all for this week. I'll be back next time with some Christmas fun featuring Mike and Mindy, the Mushroom gang and a treat or two to kick the holidays into high gear! With that said, have a fun and safe Thanksgiving and remember not to go too crazy on "Black Friday." And if you do go shopping, be sure to buy some bigger pants. Chances are you're gonna need 'em come January!

HEAVY D, ONE OF A KIND

2011-11-18T09:23:00.000-08:00

It had been a pretty long day for me last Tuesday, a day that started at 4am due to a really early call at the Civic Theater and ended on a darkened soccer field at a South Bay YMCA. It seemed that everybody around me was doing their best to be annoying, with my family in particular being the worst. As I was finally heading home, I turned on the radio only to get a little more salt rubbed into my wounds: Heavy D had passed away.

I've never really been all that into rap music, but I liked Heavy D. To put it simply, his music was fun to listen to and even more fun to dance to. If any one of my relatives could have afforded a video camera back then, they could have made ten grand off a tape of me, my brother Dante and our cousins Ivan, Vanessa, Stevie and Brian trying to dance to Now That We Found Love!

It was good times back then, and Heavy D was a obviously a part of that.

When Michael Jackson premiered his video for Jam, I remember my brother and me going nuts when Heavy D did his rap towards the end. Back in the day, when Michael Jackson premiered a music video, it was an event, especially for his Dangerous album. So when it came time to premiere Jam, it aired not only on MTV, but VH1, BET and Fox as well!

The big hype was Michael Jordan appearing in the video while rap group Kris Kross also have a cameo. But it was Heavy D, who wasn't even announced, that steals the song. It was a big surprise when he popped up and it's still one of my favorite music videos.

Heavy D also did all three version of the theme song for the hilarious sketch comedy show In Living Color, even performing on several episodes and would later do the theme song for MAD TV.

This was the second theme from the show, which was always my favorite. In Living Color was very much ahead of it's time but that a story for another day.

I'm still sad over Heavy D's passing. Beyond being a talented performer he was also a good person. I think what I liked most about him was that he was a big dude who did big things, which I found inspiring. I wasn't the fat kid, but I definitely wasn't skinny either. To see Heavy D do the things he did, well, it kind've gave me hope. He made me feel that regular folks can be extraordinary if they try hard enough. I also loved his nickname, the "Overweight Lover." That always cracked me up!

So long Heavy D. The world is a much better place for your having been here. Make Heaven dance.

-Jon

IT CAME FROM THE TOP ROPE

2011-11-10T11:17:00.000-08:00

Hey folks! Blogging a little early this week due to a busy work schedule this weekend. Normally, I'd be posting something from the absurd side of professional wrestling today but this time around, I'm going to take the high road and comment on the two things that have had many fans buzzing these most recent weeks.

The first would be the appearance by the Muppets on RAW last week. Many fans are still split on the whole Muppets/wrestling thing. Many diehards are still pissed about it, while many casual fans seemed to really enjoy it. As a diehard fan of both wrestling and the Muppets, I was a little split about it myself. It was hard to understand how such an appearance could be pulled off without making both sides look bad, but overall, I enjoyed the show. I felt they did everything just right, with the opening skit being a real highlight (Kermit calling Vicki Guerrero Jack Swagger's "mother": PRICELESS!). I also thought revealing Shemus as Beaker's cousin was also great. I never would've thought that Beaker was Irish.

So yeah, I enjoyed the show. What makes a lot of the diehards angry is that they want to see some "Attitude" again. They miss wrestling from 1998-2001. I admit, wrestling was a hell of a lot more entertaining back when I was a teenager but the facts are this: the extreme era had its time, as did the rock 'n' wrestling era and the brief time in the mid-90s when all wrestlers had day jobs. The whole point of WWF Attitude was shock value. At the end of the day, however, you can only see it so many times. The WWF pulled so many violent stunts back then that after a while, people started getting desensitized to everything. When it ain't shocking anymore, what's the point. If anything, the WWF should've dumped the whole "Attitude" thing ten years ago after the "Monday Night Wars" ended, as that was the true end of the era. Another reason they dropped the excessive violence was due to increased injuries. As I've stated before, wrestling may be scripted, but accidents do happen, and these matches can be very dangerous. I do see some improvement though, thanks to CM Punk. The return of the Rock should also help in giving WWE some of it's edge back. We'll just have to see how it goes.

The other thing that has the wrestling world talking is the recent ESPN report on Scott Hall. From 1993 through 1998, Hall was probably one of the ten best performers in wrestling. Great on the mic and even better in the ring, the man had charisma and a presence that the fans just ate up. His ladder match with Shawn Michaels at Wrestlemania X was one of the greatest ever and really set the bar as ladder matches became more common. His return to WCW in 1996 shocked the wrestling world and launched the infamous Monday Night Wars, bringing pro wrestling to heights unheard of. Over time, however, Hall began having issues. Actually, he'd always had issues, but they started becoming bigger and then started costing him jobs. In the fall of 2000, WCW fired him. In the spring of 2002, the WWF fired him. Most recently, TNA fired him in the summer of 2010.

As I said earlier, things weren't always like this, and Scott Hall really was an awesome wrestler. To prove it, check out this match from RAW back in 1993 against the 1-2-3 Kid (Sean Waltman).

In those days, Hall wrestled as Razor Ramon, a character heavily based on the Scarface film from 1983. It should also be noted that as Razor Ramon, Hall had one of the best entrance themes ever, something that today's wrestlers are sorely lacking, although I love that Living Colour's Cult of Personality is being used as CM Punk's new theme (He actually used back in ROH as well). The point is, it's really heartbreaking what has happened to Scott Hall. It's even sadder that most of today's fans have only seen him as a pathetic figure beyond redemption. I, however, choose to remember Hall as the awesome performer he was, and still could be if he can get his life back together. Hopefully, things will get better for him. If you call yourself of wrestling fan, I only ask that you keep Scott Hall in your prayers. His is a soul worth saving.

Well, that's all for this week. I'll be back next time with a tribute the late, great "Overweight Lover," Heavy D, who sadly passed away this week. I ain't even 30 yet, and I'm already having to do tribute pieces for dudes I grew up watching. I know death is inevitable, but why does it have to be so sad? Anyway, take care and I'll catch y'all later!

MIKE AND MINDY: MIND BLOWING!!!

2011-11-03T10:40:00.000-07:00

Well, I'm back from an awesome trip to Long Beach and ready to share my experiences. It's also the first week of the month, which means only one thing: COMICS WEEK! So here they are, comics' answer to Fred and Ethel, Mike and Mindy!

Well, that's one way to "expand" your horizons. I guess nobody can accuse Mindy of not having a "well-rounded" personality!

That's right folks. In the Crazyverse, anything goes!

These are a couple of quick sketches I did during the weekend in Long Beach.

I did this quick little sketchcard for Dave Castr over at Taco Comics. I have two more cards that I gotta do for him, so I better get going on that!

I did this sketch in my hotel room during a fit of boredom. The Hilton's a nice hotel and all, but the seriously need to get more channels. I must've watched that Welcome to Los Angeles promo video ten times!

And now, it's time for some new additions to my guest gallery!

First up, this insane piece by Bordin Mark Marsinkul. He really got the spirit of Mike and Mindy down perfectly. More of his work can be found at www.hyperbooster.com.

Next up, this incredibly realistic portrait of Mindy by illustrator Ashleigh Popplewell. Could you imagine Mike and Mindy pulling some of their stunts drawn in this style? More of Ashleigh's work can be found at ashleigh-michelle.deviantart.com.

This awesome Mike portrait was done by Beth Sotelo. I love her style. Somehow, Mike looks so natural with a marshmallow head! Check out Beth's site at www.BethSotelo.com.

This last piece was done by Cuddly Capes, giving Mike and Mindy an Adventure Time flair. Come on folks, say it with me: What time is it? For more of Cuddly Capes designs, check out cuddlycapes.deviantart.com.

And now, for some pics from the Long Beach Comic and Horror Con!

This wasn't a huge show, but it was a lot of fun, and I found some great books and toys!

Silent Bob makin' the rounds.

Quailman and Deadpool Ash! I swear this world would be a much better place if there was more Doug cosplay!

What's left of the National Wrestling Alliance had a ring set up and put on a couple of matches even. Believe me, these guys won't be showing up on RAW or Impact! anytime soon.

Speaking of wrestling, a couple of dudes decided to pay their respects to a recently departed icon during the weekend.

OOOOOOOOH YEAH! SNAP INTO A SLIMJIM!

This guy asked me to deliver a message to the world, but this is a family site, so I had to decline.

A convention first, DILBERT COSPLAY!

Another convention first: MARRIED WITH CHILDREN COSPLAY! Party on Al and Peg! Party on!

Jedi Big Boy! Why wasn't he in the prequels?

The Long Beach Con was a lot of fun. I made many new friends and got a ton of great feedback. So much so that I have finally decided to cave in to peer pressure and start showing at conventions. For sure I'll be at Long Beach next year. I just sent in my application for Wondercon. It's a bit late, but hopefully I'll get in in time. We'll see how it goes. Thanks again to all the great artists and attendees that made this show a memorable one, including the 5,000 or so folks that showed up for the "ZOMBIE WALK"! I would also like to thank Martha Donato for getting me my pro badge and to Sheika Lugtu at OMGcow.com for the kind words and encouragement that she gave me. It was a great time, and I'll see everybody next year!

Well, that's all for now. I'll be back next time with a new wrestling post, as well as my thoughts on some recent events involving the wrestling world. Until then, take care and I'll catch y'all later!

A HALLOWEEN CLASSIC

2011-10-28T10:21:00.000-07:00

Hey folks! Just a quick update today. I'm headin' to Long Beach tomorrow and still gotta pack, so I present to you this classic music video! After all, it just wouldn't be Halloween without Michael Jackson, so here it is, THRILLER!

Not much more I can say about this video that isn't already known; it was directed by John Landis (Animal House, Coming to America, Beverly Hills Cop) and came off of the highest selling album of all time (Actually, Thriller is tied with the Eagles Greatest Hits, but come on now, that's a compilation album.). So why post it? Well, back in the day when MTV, VH1 and BET actually played music videos, Thriller was a tradition. These days, not even a mention! So I post it now because Lord knows MTV has no plans to do so. And just so you know, I am an Eagles fan, so no hate mail!

Well, that's all for this week. I'll be back next time with an all new Mike and Mindy comic that will surely "expand" your horizons and a new Mushroom that may very well cause you to question reality. Plus, I'll have some pictures and tales from the Long Beach Comic and Horror Con, so be sure to come back and check it out. In the meantime, have a safe and happy Halloween, and remember kids, a pillow case holds way more candy than that wussy little pumpkin pale your mom's makin' you carry. I'm just sayin'. Until next time, take care y'all!

A PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT CONCERNING VAMPIRES

2011-10-21T11:32:00.000-07:00

Hey folks! You know, there has been a lot of debate in recent years over what is and isn't a vampire. Well, your ol' Uncle Jon is here with a handy visual aid that should finally put to rest how a vampire should appear. For example...

This is a vampire.

This is Not a vampire.

Just to make sure we are clear on this...

This IS a vampire.

This is NOT a vampire.

And now to really drive the point across...

Vampire

NOT a vampire

VAMPIRE!

NOT A VAMPIRE!

VAMPIRE!!!

NOT A F*%#ING VAMPIRE!!!

I hope that this was informative and beneficial.

Well, that's all for now folks. It's been a rough couple of days, but I'm still kickin'! I just found out that I lost the U-T Cartoon Contest. I'm bummed obviously, but I'm not gonna let it keep me down. The fact is, it was only $25 a week, and they would have retained the rights to my characters. So the silver lining is that Mike and Mindy and Mushrooms still have a home here at Jon's Crazy Stuff! Right where they belong! Which reminds me, thanks again to Jim and Dave over at ARTLAB San Diego for posting my comics on their site. These are two great men who have done a lot for many artists here in San Diego. I'm proud to be friends with them. Anyway, take it easy, and I'll catch y'all later!

SPIN THE WHEEL, MAKE THE DEAL!!!

2011-10-14T10:44:00.000-07:00

Greetings fellow bloggers! And welcome to another installment of Jon's Crazy Stuff! We're in the second week of October, and that can mean only one thing: IT'S WRESTLING WEEK! So sit back and enjoy this long-forgotten "gem," courtesy of the ghost wrestling past.

It has often been said Halloween Havoc was the worst wrestling pay per view ever. Personally, I don't think Havoc had anything on Road Wild, but then again, Road Wild didn't have Havoc's longevity. It also didn't suffer from a long history of outrageous gimmick matches that constantly plagued the card. I could literally go on for hours about the ridiculous matches that took place at Halloween Havoc over the years. Everything from Hogan vs. Warrior II, the previously posted Chamber of Horrors, and no less than two angles featuring fake Sting's. And let's not forget the Yeti's attempt to go doggy-style on Hulkamania! So yeah, this show pretty much always sucked. But in 1992, WCW threw together a main event that actually managed to get people interested: Sting vs. Jake "the Snake" Roberts.

That alone was a good selling point for most fans. After all, Sting was WCW's top babyface, and Jake had just come in after a wildly popular run in the WWF and was probably wrestling's top heel at that point. With so much going right for a change, leave it to WCW to find a way to screw it all up. Enter the WHEEL...

In case the video wasn't clear enough, the basics were this: a big roulette wheel with a bunch of gimmick matches on it was spun prior to the match. Whatever match the wheel landed on, would be the type of match that took place. Now, any promoter with a lick of common sense would have rigged the wheel so that it landed on a match that people wanted to see, like a "Falls Count Anywhere" match or a "Texas Death" match. Of course, this is WCW we're talking about here, so you know right away that a genius wasn't running things (in this case, the booker was "Cowboy" Bill Watts). So WCW actually left it all to chance and, not surprisingly, the wheel landed on its stupidest match: the "Coal Miner's Glove" match. Basically, this was a run of the mill item on a pole match. The glove was placed at the top of the pole, and whoever got it first won.

Yep, WCW turned what should have been a great main event between two of the business' top stars into a crap fest that saw two groan men fighting over a glove. And in true WCW fashion, they ignored the rules of a pole match and ended it when Sting hit Jake with the glove and pinned him (after Jake's cobra turned on him, or tried to anyway, long story). Despite the debacle, the show drew a huge buy rate based on the buzz of Sting vs. Jake, and was WCW's highest grossing pay per view until Starrcade '97, which, ironically enough, saw another botched main event. But that's a story for another day.

As for Sting and Jake Roberts, most of us know their stories from here. Jake left WCW shortly afterwards, wrestling in Mexico for a few years and returned to the WWF in 1996. Sadly, Roberts had severe issues with drugs and alcohol that cost him his job and nearly his life. After an embarrassingly short run in TNA in 2006, Jake finally entered rehab, taking advantage of the WWE's wellness policy. He has been clean as of 2008 and recently retired from the squared circle. Sting stayed with WCW until the bitter end, always remaining the company's top babyface. From 2004-on, he's been floundering about in TNA for reasons that nobody can really figure out. He's currently gearing up for yet another main event with Hulk Hogan this Sunday. Here's a lesson to any future wrestling promoters out there: NOBODY WANTS TO SEE TO DUDES PUSHING 60 WRESTLE EACH OTHER!!! And Dixie Carter wonders why nobody ever watches Impact on Thursday nights.

Well, that's all for now. I did five different shows in five consecutive days, and worked seven of the last eight days, so as you might have guessed, I'm pretty bushed. But I'm committed to this blog, and committed to entertaining you, the readers. I'd also like to take this time to promote the Long Beach Comic Con, coming up Halloween weekend. They got a great lineup this year and it's looking like a lot of fun. For more info, check out www.longbeachcomiccon.com. Until next time, I'll catch y'all later!

TOTALLY RAD HALLOWEEN FUN DUDES!!!

2011-10-05T17:27:00.000-07:00

Hey folks! A quick and early update this week. These are some busy times, so I got's to get it while the gettin' is good! So instead of some long, overblown intro, here are some comics...

What can I say? Sometimes the best solution is the easiest one. I will say this though, this cartoon was a pain in the butt to color. I really wanted to get everything right on this one, so I put a lot of focus on it (And the splash page at the top too!).

Sheesh! I don't know what's worse? Having to sleep with a skeleton, or having to sleep in all that pink!

And now, for a little pre-Halloween fun...

Man! I always knew there was something off about her.

Well folks, that's all for now. If I survive the next five days, I'll be sure to come back and post something very spooky next week! If I don't make it, well, it was nice knowing ya! Either way, take care, and I'll catch y'all later!

THANKS BATTON!!!

2011-09-29T12:15:00.001-07:00

Hey folks! The above drawing was done by the great Batton Lash (Archie Comics, Supernatural Law). I met Batton last weekend at the Adams Ave. Street Fair here in San Diego. He keeps his studio at the ARTLAB on Adams and was a very nice guy. While talking with him, he quickly sketched this portrait of me! I must say, it's always kind of weird to see yourself in cartoon form. Aside from my own self-caricature, this is only the second time that anybody has ever drawn me (The other one was done as part of a group caricature back when I was the humor writer at the Southwestern Sun.). I really love this drawing, although I must admit, my right cheek isn't quite as squiggly. Thanks again for the drawing Batton, and for the kind words of encouragement you gave me. I'd been having some self-doubt lately, and talking with you definitely helped!

Well, September is at an end here. Normally, I'd be posting tomorrow, but I got a super busy weekend ahead of me (Four shows in four days at three different venues!), so I'm doing a quick little update today. I found this little gem on youtube a while back, and it still cracks me up to no end. Enjoy...

As a fan of both anime and the classic Popeye cartoons (The Fleischer Popeye's, not the Famous Studios ones!), this video is great on so many levels. I think we can all relate with Popeye's reaction to his first exposure to anime.

Well, I think I'll wrap it up for this week. I'll be back next time with an all-new Mike And Mindy, a haunting new Mushrooms and even more Halloween fun to help get everybody in the mood. Until then, take care and I'll catch y'all later!

LAND OF CONFUSION!!!

2011-09-23T16:52:00.000-07:00

Hey folks! Just a quick update today. Not much is really happening right now, so I thought I'd share with you one of the greatest music videos of all time, Land of Confusion by Genesis.

Man were those puppets creepy looking! I mean, look at them! They make H.R. Puff 'N' Stuff look like Fraggle Rock by comparison! Still, it's an amazing video made even more amazing not just because it still holds up well after 25 years, but because the message is still very much relevant. I guess it's up to my generation to set things right again.

Well, that's all for now. With September coming to an end, and Halloween officially upon us, I'll post something next time to get everyone in the mood. In the meantime, take care, and I'll catch y'all later!

MAKE SURE IT'S THE BOMB!!!

2011-09-16T12:54:00.000-07:00

Hey folks! It's been a crazy six days here! After nearly three weeks of not working, I've finally gotten my cash flowing again. My job ain't always easy, but I can't argue about the pay. Plus, it's nice to have a flexible job that still gives me the time to work on my comics. Especially since I just entered a contest that the San Diego Union-Tribune is holding to find a new cartoonist. I probably won't win, but given the looks of some of the comics that are currently being published in the paper, I'd say my chances have to at least be somewhat good. Wish me luck!

Anyway, I have nothing interesting for you today, so instead, enjoy this "HIGHLY" entertaining song, courtesy of Travis Meyer and the Muppets...

Damn! Beware of that stuff that Johnny owns! By the way, I do not in anyway support or endorse drug use. I do find drug humor funny though! (Would you expect anything less from a dude that grew up in the generation of Halfbaked and and Chapelle's Show?)

Well, I'm gonna have to cut out for now. I still got one more day of work and a very busy weekend ahead. I'll be back next time with some more shenanigans. Until then, I'll catch y'all later!

COWABUNGA DUDES!!!

2011-09-11T14:07:00.000-07:00

Man has it been a wild week! Between work, cartooning and a massive power outage that hit San Diego (and quite a few other places) last Thursday, I wasn't sure I'd have time to do this today. But luckily, here I am, ready to answer the many questions I've gotten from younger wrestling fans since last Monday night. So let's all take a short break from reflecting and listen in as I solve the mystery of the Super Shredder.

Not surprisingly, the CM Punk/Kevin Nash program on RAW is turning a lot of heads, with Punk very quickly becoming the next Stone Cold here. Having already called Nash on his previous failed gimmicks (he's yet to mention Master Blaster Steel for some reason), Punk had to really dig deep for his latest insult, and boy did he come up big. THE SUPER SHREDDER! Who was the Super Shredder you ask? Was this another WCW brain fart of the early 1990s? Well, not exactly. Although Nash was in WCW at the time, the Super Shredder was the mutated form of the Shredder that Nash played in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle 2: The Secret of the Ooze. What? Don't believe me? Well, here's the proof:

Ya know? The only question I ever had about this movie was if the ooze only mutated organic material, how is it that the shredder's armor mutated as well? My God! I just questioned the logic of a twenty-year-old kids movie! It's official, I've lost it! Amazingly enough, a lot of people don't remember this film, which is surprising given that it came out in 1991 and was wildly popular, despite having almost no name talent in it. They also show it on ABC Family on a fairly regular basis, so you'd think somebody would at least know about it. Of course, it also spawned Vanilla Ice's only other hit: Ninja Rap. I'd post it, but I'm just not that mean a person.

Anyway, I think we all know Nash's story from here. Went to the WWF, became Diesel. Went back to WCW, started the NWO. Came back to the WWF, blew out knee twice. Made a couple of movies. Went to TNA, left TNA, now back in WWF/WWE. And just to put some rumors to rest, Nash's "firing" was part of the show. You see, he's about to shoot a movie, but the production company's insurance will only cover injuries suffered on set. So until the shoot is over, he can't wrestle. It's a pity really, because this thing with CM Punk was really getting over too. Oh well. We'll just have to wait and see how it all plays out.

That's all for now. I'll be back next time with some more goofiness I'm sure. Until then, y'all take care now and never forget the fallen.

JUST IN TIME FOR LABOR DAY, IT'S MIKE AND MINDY!!!

2011-09-02T10:29:00.000-07:00

Well, we're back and ready for another fall season! Yep, that means a new school year, a slew of new, really crappy TV shows and another season of football! Or, if you're a Chargers fan like I am, another great regular season that will likely lead to yet another disappointing finish in the playoffs. Oh well, at least the holidays are coming up.

Well, I see no need to stretch things out any further. You people want to see some cartoons, so pull up a chair and have at 'em!

Truth be told, I try to avoid gross-out gags, but not because I think they're wrong. I am a dude after all, so bathroom humor usually does get a chuckle out of me. No, the reason I try to avoid them is because they are simply overused in today's media. Gags like the one above used to be done as a means to shock or amuse people. These days, it's so common place, most people probably won't even flinch! Thanks a lot South Park.

Ah, the misery of childhood! Heck, my school couldn't even afford jugs or kazoos! All our band had were those stupid recorder things that you always had to play Hot Cross Buns on! And given some of the subs we had over the years, I'd of much rather been taught by a bum!

I had a chance to stop by the SoCal Comic Con in Oceanside last weekend. It's a very small but fun show that had some great artists hanging out. A few of these dudes were kind enough to put their spin on Mike and Mindy for me. So once again, I present to you the Mike and Mindy Guest Gallery!

This piece was done by Chris Moreno. In addition to doing this great illustration, Chris taught me the joys of a kneaded eraser! I love the can and banana peel thrown in for added emphasis. This is definitely one of my favorites.

Tony Fleecs did this awesome piece. I love how he gave it the look of a title card from a 1940's cartoon. In a way, Mike and Mindy do owe some of their inspiration to Tom and Jerry, although they're not nearly as violent. I also love the shading. If there is any one skill I wish I could pick up, it would be shading.

Tone Rodriguez is responsible for this piece. Tone, as it turns out, is a huge wrestling fan, and really got a kick out of my Wrestlecrap splash page. We spent nearly an hour talking wrestling, totally oblivious to the fact that there was a line of people waiting to get sketches from him! To all who were waiting, sorry about that. When two marks get to talking, we just get lost in the wild world that is professional wrestling!

This last piece was done by Tom Hodges. Tom does a lot of stuff for Star Wars and Disney and was a very busy man at the SoCal Comic Con. Everybody wanted a sketch from him, and it's easy to see why. I mean, look at the portrait above; Mike and Mindy look like total badasses!

Well, that's all for now. I'll be back next time with an all new wrestling post, one that I'm sure will make your heads spin. I'd like to once again thank everybody at the Artlab for being so welcoming. Artlab is a weekly meeting for all types of artists, and I've really enjoyed hanging out with everybody and getting feedback on my comics. They've also been posting some of my cartoons on their site, of which I'm very appreciative of. If you'd like to know more about some of the Artlab's events, check out their sites at www.artlabsd.com and www.artlabonadams.com.

Until next time, I'll catch y'all later!

INSPIRATIONAL AND MUPPETATIONAL!!!

2011-08-27T16:14:00.000-07:00

I have long been a fan of all things Muppet-related, and this new video by OK Go certainly gets me excited about the future of the Muppets.

It's been a tough couple of decades for the Muppets since Jim Henson passed away in 1990. Henson was far more than just the creator of the Muppets, he was the life force. When he died, the zaniness and spontaneity that was the Muppets went along with him. Certainly, many have tried to carry the torch since then, but nobody has ever been able to match Henson's wit and creativity (Not that anybody ever could). That's not to say that things can't get better. Disney floundered for a long time after Walt Disney's death in 1966, and roughly 20 years later, they started turning out good movies again. This video, along with the new Muppet movie coming out in the fall, show a ton of promise. I've been impressed with what I've seen thus far, and not just because it's funny, but because it seems people finally quit asking "What would Jim do?" and started asking "What would the Muppets do?". Of course, the movie hasn't come out yet, but if it's anything like this music video, then I think we're in for a lot of fun this fall.

You know, every time I start to think that music videos are a dead art form, these dudes come along and keep 'em on life support a little while longer. If only there were more artists like OK Go, and if only MTV would pull their heads out of their butts and play music videos again!

Well, that's all for now. I'll be back next time with an all new Mike and Mindy as well as a new Mushrooms. I'll also have some new sketches for the Guest Gallery. I'm talking an all new "new" here! So tune in next time, and I'll catch y'all later!

SIMPLE NOSTALGIA

2011-08-19T15:11:00.000-07:00

Hey folks! Just a quick update today as not much has really happened since last time. Okay, I did set up Monday Night RAW a few days ago, and it was a lot of fun (as it usually is). But I'm afraid I have no backstage secrets or spoilers for you. People never seem to realize that when they aren't wrestling, these guys are pretty normal behind the scenes. Still, I always love working the wrestling shows, and I can't wait 'til the next one comes in.

Anyway, I dug up this video classic in hopes of it waking up that warm, fuzzy feeling we all had back in the day when we got our first Nintendo Entertainment Systems, or NES's (It's hard to believe that that was 23 years ago for me!). Enjoy...

This was actually one of the first viral videos I ever saw back in '05, when sites like iFilm and youtube were just popping up. My friends and I laughed our asses off at this video, and yet we were amazed at how this simple A Capella group was able to nail each of the classic Nintendo themes. The only thing I take issue with here is including the Mortal Combat theme. As funny as it was, Mortal Combat wasn't on the original NES. It was on the Super Nintendo and the Sega Genesis. And for all you young bucks out there curious about why the dude at the beginning blew on the cartridge, well, old school video games would get really dusty and that was the only way to really clean them. Heck, I still prefer cartridges over disks. They were way more durable.

Well, that's all for now. But before I go, I'd like to say hello to my new friends that I made at the Artlab last night. It was nice to meet some other artists, especially from so many different fields. I got a lot of great feedback on my cartoons and I certainly look forward to the next meeting and to making even more friends. Take care, and I'll catch y'all later!

NO WONDER THEY WENT UNDER

2011-08-11T16:30:00.000-07:00

It's been a busy week for me folks. I just finished loading in Mary Poppins at the San Diego Civic Theater, had to load out Katy Perry at the Sports Arena and will be loading in Monday Night RAW this coming Monday at the arena! Anybody who regularly reads this blog no doubt knows that I am a lifelong wrestling fan, especially when it comes to the WWF (That's right World Wildlife Fund, you read that right!). In fact, I have been involved in one way or another with every RAW that has ever been broadcast in San Diego. The first time it came to town (1998), it was still taped on alternate weeks, and my brother Dante and me bought the last two tickets. In 2003, my brother snagged me comp tickets to the show, by then a weekly live broadcast. Every show since, I've worked it. Needless to say, I'm pretty excited about the whole thing and can't wait 'til Monday!

In the meantime, it's time to do something that I haven't done in two months: A FUNNY WRESTLING POST! I got quite a few angry e-mails from people demanding more wrestling and less Comic Con. Well, I'm always happy to oblige, so sit back and enjoy the show...

Sibling tag teams are nothing new to wrestling, although they're not quite as frequent as they used to be. WCW in 90's, however, seemed to be loaded with brotherly tandems, with the Harlem Heat (real life brothers Booker and Steven Huffman) and the Steiner Brothers (Rick and Scott, also legit brothers) leading the way. The Steiner Bros. are no doubt one of the greatest tag teams ever, but it was always obvious that younger brother Scott was the more talented member of the team and by 1998, the two bitterly split up after Scott joined the nWo. For a better part of the next year, the two battled back and forth, leading to a match at Halloween Havoc 98. In the months leading up to the show, a bizarre cackling laugh would fill the arena anytime Rick Steiner came out. Fans were baffled, but many pretty much shrugged it off, thinking that nothing would ever really come of it. Had they only known.

It was on Nitro one night that Rick came down to the ring to have an interview with "Mean" Gene Okerlund. Rick Steiner was never particularly gifted on the mic, so after attempting to put the fans at ringside to sleep for a few seconds, the cackling once again started, only this time, it had a source, for up on the video the wall, the culprit was finally revealed:

That's right folks, WCW felt that the best way to get Rick Steiner over was to have him feud with Chucky, the demented rag doll of the Child's Play movies. Having apparently learned nothing from the Robocop/Sting fiasco from 1990, WCW once again tried to cross-promote with the movie industry, this time teaming up with the film Bride of Chucky. Needless to say, the movie flopped and WCW dropped the whole thing the very next day, once again leading to a colossal waste of time and money.

As for Rick Steiner, he pretty much hung around WCW 'til the very end, winning several titles along the way and even reunited with Scott. Sadly, the bad angles only continued, one of which led to him "winning" the tag titles with "Buff" Bagwell's mother, Judy (trust me folks, the less said about that one the better). Other than a couple of TNA appearances, Rick's more or less been retired these last few years. You know, I realize Rick Steiner wasn't on his brother's level, but come on! Even the "dog-faced" gremlin deserved better than this!

Well folks, that's all for this week. I'll be back next time with some form of amusement for you. If you like what you see or want to recommend a bad gimmick, leave a comment and I'll try my best to get to it (No cartoon ideas please; I Can't afford to pay royalties!). Take care, and I'll catch y'all later!

MIKE AND MINDY ARE BACK AND HAVE FANS!!!

2011-08-05T15:45:00.001-07:00

Here we are folks, it's the first weekend of the month and that can mean only one thing... No genius, not welfare check day! It's comics week, featuring the cartoon work of a newly minted award-winner, ME! That's right, I can now officially call myself an award winning cartoonist, not that I couldn't do that before, but it's much better when you can actually back your claim. You see, the Southern California Cartoonists Society, or SCCS, had a cartoon contest for Comic Con, and yours truly won first place! I'm pretty stoked about it. It may not be an Eisner or Harvey Award, or even an Inkpot, but it's still my first, and I'll always be proud of that.

Well, I've done enough blabbering for today. Enjoy the comics! (NOTE: The image above comes from the postcards I made up this year's Comic Con)

Boy is that kid flexible!

You know, there are many stereotypes and cliches that have been introduced into society as a result of media such as film, television and (of course) comics, which certainly begs the question...

I hope this has been informative.

This was a quick sketch I did for the SCCS/NCS Party at Comic Con. If you look closely, you can still see the pencil marks. You might also notice that I forgot to add the "d" in the word "and"! (I was drawing this on my knees, so cut me some slack!)

I did this sketch in a book that the San Diego County Public Library had at its table. I have always been an advocate for literacy and the Library System in general.

And now for something special. Mike and Mindy are starting to get a little bit of a fanbase going here, and I'm always interested in seeing how other people might interpret them. So once again, I present to you the Mike and Mindy Guest Gallery...

This piece is by Anne Cain, who did an awesome job of turning the mischievous duo into superheroes.

Brian Kolm did this quick sketch with a ballpoint pen. It also marks the first time ever that either Mike or Mindy has ever spoken!

This bizarre piece was done by Leon Killingsworth. At first I was puzzled by it until I realized he was pulling from Mike and Mindy #10 (October 2010), the one where Mike moons Mindy and turns her into a werewolf.

This awesome piece was done by Otto Dieffenbach, who makes Mike look like the lost son of Guile from Street Fighter!

This quick pencil sketch was done by Rachel Buecheler, giving Mike and Mindy an anime/manga makeover, which is actually pretty cool considering that Mike's hair was influenced by Goku from Dragonball.

This fun little piece was done by Rachel Dukes. I love the bad girl/cool cat feel the Rachel gives to Mindy here, especially since all the other artists seemed to put a lot more emphasis on Mike's personality. I was also very touched when Rachel asked me for my autograph.

This piece was done by Seamus Michael Smith, which shows that it is possible to draw either Mike or Mindy in profile, a skill that has always bedeviled me.

This last piece was done by Steven Kunz, giving Mike a bit of a mean streak here. Ya know? Everybody seemed to really like drawing Mike more than Mindy. Personally, I love drawing both of them, but Mindy didn't get much sugar at this year's Comic Con. Oh well, there's always next year I suppose.

Well, that's it for this week. But before I go, I would like to personally thank Scott Shaw! (Captain Carrot), Mike Bocianowski (Yets!), Stan Sakai (Usagi Yojimbo), John Murakami (Dragons of Hawaii), Phil Ortiz (The Simpsons) and Tom Richmond (MAD Magazine) for taking time to review some of my comics and giving me pointers. These guys are some of my favorite cartoonists and their advice and compliments mean the world to me. It ain't easy showing your work, especially to guys that are real pros in the business. But it's important to get your name out there and get critiques because it's the only way you'll grow and improve as an artist. And I know that when I see these guys again next year, I'll be even better.

Well, it's time to go. I'll be back next time with a new wrestling post that I'm sure will have everybody in stitches. Take care, and I'll catch y'all later!

IT AIN'T GETTIN' ANY EASIER!!!

2011-07-29T19:58:00.000-07:00

Man, Comic Con just keeps gettin' bigger and bigger. For the first time ever, I actually got tired of it! Still, I had a good time and made many new friends. I also got a lot of good feedback on my cartooning skills and even won my first award for cartooning (More on that next time)!

It was a busy week and I'm still recovering from everything, and sorting through my swag! So enjoy these pics while I try to make room for everything.

That's my nephew, Dante, hanging out with Lego Spongebob in the awesome Jack Skellington costume my mom made for him last Halloween.

The Mattel/WWE panel was better than I could have imagined. Bret Hart, Triple H and Rey Mysterio were all there to give sneak peaks at the newest action figures, including the Papa Shango Legends Series figure. All was going well until HE showed up...

Yep! I was right there for CM Punk's crashing of Comic Con and was standing next to him the whole time! When I was a kid, I wanted to be a pro wrestler. That dream obviously never came true, but being part of a wrestling angle comes pretty damn close to being the next best thing. It's definitely something I can cross off my bucket list.

It's Arthur, King of the Brittons. He was looking for a shrubbery.

Cinderella and the Ugly Step Sister. Wally Gator appears to be stunned by there presence.

Glenda the Good Witch cuttin' it up at the Walking Dead booth. Is floating around in a bubble her only real power or something? It just seems that the other Witches of Oz were capable of more.

How important is Comic Con? Why, Nickelodeon actually dusted off Pick Boy just for the occasion. What? Was Stick Stickly too busy?

Whoa! Must've forgotten a step while doing the fusion dance!

The Black and White Spies celebrate their 50th by spreading mayhem!

Fry and Bender share a tender moment.

Luchador Trekkies! Only at Comic Con.

Would ya look at that? It's John Goodman! Oh wait, it's just Bigfoot.

Speakin' of John Goodman, WIIIIIIIIILMAAAAAAAA!!!!

Ah, now here's a true legend: El Chapulin Colorado. For those of you not in the know, this was the inspiration for the "BEE Guy" on The Simpsons.

What the? Is that a (GASP) GOBBLEDY GOOKER ACTION FIGURE!!! Dear God, what's next? A Damien Demento figure!

THUNDERCATS, HOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!

To sum it all up, Comic Con was crowded but fun. It was great to see and catch up with my old pals Eddy and Luis. I go way back with these dudes, and it seems like Comic Con's the only time of year we ever see each other anymore. I really miss the days when we used to kick it at La Bella's and Mr. V's after school. What can I say? Growing up sucks!

It was also great to see my good friends Matt Lorentz, Phil Yeh and Tyrell Lloyd again. Matt's a cool dude and an awesome artist who helped set up a phenomenal mural that appeared at the airport down here. Phil sadly suffered a stroke a couple of months ago, but seemed to be doing pretty good all things considered. He's still crusading for literacy and the arts, and seems to think that I'm going to be a big part of the future of comics. I don't really know what I'm artistically capable of just yet, but if you're reading this Phil, I'll do my damnedest to make things happen. Tyrell's a friend back from my SDSU days. He'd never been to Comic Con before, so I was able to scrap up a pass for him. Tyrell just finished his first 3D movie and is gearing up for his last year at USC. He's got a great mind for producing and directing, and I look forward to the day when I can say I knew him before he was famous.

There's much more to be said, but it's late and I got some drawing to do. I'll be back next time with some new cartoons, an expanded Mike and Mindy guest gallery as well as some special thank you's to the many artists I talked to who gave me tips and critiques on my artwork. Until next time, I'll catch y'all later!

2011-07-14T14:29:00.000-07:00

Here we are! Just a week away! I originally planned to do yet another long, overblown intro on how great this year is going to be, but I've decided to just let the pictures do the talking. So once again, the Wayback's been set, and we're heading to 2010! Enjoy the pics!

Carmen San Diego! Turns out she'd been at Comic Con the whole time.

Voltron about to get some sugar!

The Mexican Avenger! Arriba!

Super Chicken Nugget Boy! The world's first processed meat super hero!

Li'l Hit Girl gets down at the HUB Pavillion.

Subzero enjoying his gift bag.

The iconic Warner Bros. Water Tower. I had to help take this thing down last year. I was going to take the logo home, but I couldn't fit the damn thing in the cab of my truck! It was made of foam core too, so I couldn't just toss it in the back either.

Ash is back! Is it me, or has there been a lot of Evil Dead cosplay in recent years?

The Fandango Bag! That thing was really hungry too!

The rock wall at the Clash of the Titans Challenge. I'm terrified of heights, so I don't know why I did this! What can I say? The pursuit of swag makes us do crazy things!

Wow! Talk about out of left field. I didn't realize anybody out there even remembered Gargoyles. Still, this isn't the most obscure costume I've ever seen at the Con. That distinct honor is a tie between the guy who dressed up as Captain EO in 2009 and the dude who went as Captain N the Game Master in 2008.

Love Boat: the Next Generation! According to this guy, I was one of only three people who got his costume. (It's based on an old Saturday Night Live skit for those of you scratching your heads)

Strong to the finish!

Pimp Mario!

A Clockwork Orange. A lot of guys came dressed like this last year.

The Rocketeer, paying tribute to the great Dave Stevens.

Don't stop 'til you get enough!

UMMMMM! BEEFY!!!!!

Gary was there, but lost his "friend of friends."

Wow, Dark Crystal cosplay! Creepy!

Well, that's all for now folks. There won't be any new post next week as I'll be busy with Comic Con. I'm really looking forward to this year's show and I hope to have many great pictures when I get back. Until next time, I'll catch y'all later!

THE COUNTDOWN CONTINUES...

2011-07-08T11:49:00.001-07:00

Hey there folks! We are now less than two weeks away from Comic Con and excitement is already building as banners are popping up around Downtown San Diego. And the news just gets better as the whole "Hall A 3D Theater" rumor turned out to be just that, a rumor. This is good news as it now means that there won't be any deserving small press or indie publishers getting pushed out by more mainstream crap. The schedule for the first couple of days is now up on the Comic Con site, so I'm already making plans. I've been looking back at past program books and am really kicking myself for missing certain panels because I wanted to go to a movie preview or get an exhibit hall exclusive. I'm going to try and be a little different this year and actually go to panels that might benefit me. Will I still go to a movie preview or two? Probably, but I'm really going to limit my mainstream attention this year.

Anyway, it's time to continue my trek to the past and take a visit to Comic Con 2009. This was a very fun year that had many highlights, despite the many attempts by Twilight fans to ruin everybody's good time (It looks like there might be a repeat this year as the first big Hall H panel on Thursday will be for the new Twilight movie, so consider yourselves warned!). Still, I had a good time and want to share the photographic evidence with all of you. So hop into the Wayback Machine and get ready for the ride! 2009, here we come!

Rorschach and Riki, when legends meet!

Halo Action! Love the costume, but the bag kinda kills it.

The Flaming Carrot!

Straight outa Bluffington, it's Quailman!

Somehow, I don't think George Lucas would approve.

So that's why he's always so amped up.

He's here to change the world.

I'd hire him!

He's on a mission from God!

A view to a kill. Many jealous dudes were watching this guy work!

When franchises collide!

The Ghost with the Most, Babe!

April O'Neal gets an exclusive interview with the Ratking and the Shredder at the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle 25th Anniversary panel.

Make way for Dark Helmet! Amazingly enough, that's a girl under that helmet!

Silent Bob skipped the Morris Day concert just to put in a Con appearance!

Fred Flinstone was a load of laughs, at least until he twisted his ankle while doing the Bedrock Twitch!

Gotta love the homage to Jack Nicholson's Joker from the original Batman movie. To this day, seeing it in theaters is still one of my happiest memories.

He shovels well!

Barf! He's his own best friend.

Master of disguise!

Well folks, that's all for today. I'll be back next time with a look back at Comic Con 2010. In the meantime, try to settle down and prepare for the Con at hand. After all, you don't want to walk into this thing unprepared! Take care, and I'll catch y'all later!

COMICS WEEK, JUST IN TIME FOR COMIC CON!!!

2011-07-01T11:13:00.000-07:00

Ah, we are now less than three weeks away from Comic Con. This year's show should be a good one. The big rumor right now is that in addition to the giant Hall H theater, Hall A is going to be turned into a giant 3D Theater. Most casual fans are no doubt thrilled to hear about this news. For us Con veterans, however, it means something a little more grim: some small press and indie creators are going to be assed out of this year's convention. As much as I love Comic Con, I really miss the days when it wasn't so giant. Back in the days when I could just head on over to the Convention Center after 4:00pm and get in for $10.00! Yes, things have changed quite a bit, but that's life. Hopefully when the Convention Center gets expanded, things will ease up in a couple of years. Still, I'm looking forward to this year's Con, and I can't wait for it to start.

Well, it's the first weekend of the month, and as anybody who is even remotely familiar with this site knows, it's time for some comics! So enjoy!

Sheesh! I don't care if they are good for the heart, beans have no business being brought on camping trips. And for any kids reading this right now, yes, farts are flammable. With that said, please don't try it at home. Instead, let your dumb friend who'll do anything on a dare try it at the next sleepover.

I must say, this may be the most personal cartoon I've ever done. I've been witness and/or victim to every crime committed in the comic above. With the last two panels being especially irritating. I know the dude who sold me that DVD will be at this year's Con, and I'm tempted to chuck it at him. As, for the last panel, my friends and I actually have a pact: NO MEXICAN FOOD OR EGGS DURING COMIC CON!!!

And now, to help ease the wait for Comic Con 2011, I thought it would be nice to take trip down memory lane and visit Comic Con 2008. Mr. Peabody and Sherman have already set the Wayback, so lets hop in and enjoy!

Ah, what would Comic Con be without girls dressed as Sailor Scouts? And a cute girl doing it for a change! (It's rare folks!)

"ED NORTON NOT PLAYING ME IN AVENGERS MAKE HULK MAD!!!!!"

Check it out, it's Tron Dude!

Kato makes an appearance, at a time when people were actually excited about the forth coming Green Hornet movie. If only we had known just how crappy that movie would wind up being.

That's FORMER TNA star Mick Foley signing autographs. Meeting him was kind of a let down the first time around. He had a bit of a diva attitude and threw a fit when he found out that he had to sign the souvenir book for free. Last year, however, I ran into him at the Mattel booth, and he was completely different. Nice, cordial, I actually started liking him again. Perhaps on that day back in 2008, the Hardcore Legend was just having a bad day. (No fellow wrestling fans, I'm not trying to make any puns here.)

Robert Rodriguez: Genius or Overrated? You make the call.

Fat Cylon, the second cousin of "Portly" Paul!

Isn't that sweet! Some father/son/clone bonding going on at Comic Con!

IT'S ASH! AND HE"S HERE TO KICK ASS!

Without question, the most insane Joker costume ever. It was a nice escape from all the "trench coat" Jokers that showed up in response to The Dark Knight, which had been released the previous week.

The Power is Yours!

I don't know what this dude was thinking, but you gotta admire somebody that would willingly wear a costume of heavy fur in 97 degree weather. (It don't matter how high they crank the AC in that building. When you got 135,000 people crammed in there, it gets hot!)

Meet the newest member of the Batman family: Batbum!

Would ya look at that? It's a major award!

Straight outa Druggachusettes, it's Super Hippie!

The Queen was there to honor the King (Stan Winston, who had passed away a month earlier).

Ninja Turtles at the Tin Fish?! Only during Comic Con!

So that's what happened to Dale Torborg! (The KISS Demon in WCW for those who don't know, remember or even care!)

Those are two girls, believe it or not, and no, they weren't kids. They were just really freakin' short! Oddly enough, there has actually been a lot of Edward Scissorhands cosplay since then.

Another Con tradition, Riki sneaking into the Batcycle exhibit!

There's tons to do. Four days, sadly, just ain't enough time.

Well, that all for this week, but before I go, I have one thing to address. I've gotten a lot of questions about CM Punk's tirade at the end of RAW the other night. Most people want to know whether it was a shoot (unplanned) or a work (planned). Although his mic was cut and the show ended abruptly, that fact that it went on as long as it did tells me it was all a work. The fact that they're working his contract into the angle tells me this whole thing is just part of the show. In all likelihood, CM Punk is probably just going to take some time off. The fact that he's created such a huge buzz and has people questioning the "real/fake" aspect of pro wrestling is a sign of just how talented the man really is. And whether it was a shoot or not, as a mark I gotta admit, I agreed with a lot of the things he said about the state of the industry.

Anyway, that's all for now. I do hope everybody enjoyed the comics and pictures. Next week, we'll visit Comic Con 2009 and have a little more fun. In the meantime, take care, have a safe and fun 4th of July weekend and seriously kids, don't light your farts on fire! Until next time, I'll catch y'all later!

IT'S ON THE HORIZON!!!

2011-06-24T16:31:00.000-07:00

Can it be? Is it really that time already? You bet yer Batman Underoos it is! We are now less than a month away from the grandaddy of them all, the showcase of the immortals... No Goofus, not "Starrcade" or "Wrestlemania"! I'm talking about COMIC CON! The greatest four days of the year (five if go to the preview night)! Yes sir, it's time to get ready for some swag hunting, autograph hounding and party crashing! And to celebrate the up coming Con, I've set the Wayback Machine to 2007 so we can take a look back at some of memories of the past. So enjoy the pics!

The pirate ship built to celebrate the release of Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End. My brother help set this booth up and did all the lighting for it.

Convention legend, Elvis Trooper.

Not to surprisingly, she was very popular with male attendees. She should have teamed up with Bruce Campbell to do an Evil Dead/Grindhouse mash-up. Assault Rifle leg vs. Chainsaw arm! Who wouldn't watch!

These were part of a charity auction that had different artist painting up Darth Vader helmets

Another painted Vader helmet. I got more pics of these things, but space is limited.

April and Casey. I always love it when people do Ninja Turtle cosplay.

Sgt. Slaughter. I was so hoping he'd put me in the Cobra Clutch, but the headlock was good enough. And no, he didn't call anybody a "maggot".

Robotech love!

I should've known better than to go above his helmet.

Special Effects Legend Ray Harryhausen. Before there were computers, you went to this guy if you wanted mind blowing special effects. What he accomplished in the field of stop motion animation is nothing short of amazing. Ray almost never had a good budget to work with, and yet his "creatures" still always managed to steal show. It was an honor to meet him.

Brian Henson, the son of Muppet creator Jim Henson. I have many idols, but none I hold higher than Jim Henson. He's the primary reason I wanted to tell stories and entertain people. In fact, the reason my characters all have big eyes and spindly limbs is due to the muppet influence. If I'm half as good at making people happy as Jim Henson was, then I'd be proud.

It's only a flesh wound I'm sure.

The funny and ultra talented Brian Posehn. This dude is freakin' hilarious and always down for a picture. On the far left is another legendary figure, my old friend Luis. There's a very funny story about Luis, and it's coming up, so stay tuned.

Overcrowding at Comic Con reached a fever pitch last year when an alleged seating dispute in Hall H lead to a man being stabbed in the face with a pen! This wasn't the first time that violence broke out at the Con. Back in 2007, future Controller Throwers star Riki Medina got into a dispute with Kermit the Frog over the sampling of the song Being Green. Unfortunately for Riki, Animal had Kermit's back. It wasn't pretty.

I wasn't sure who they were supposed to be, but I loved the costumes.

Another Special Effects Legend, the late Stan Winston. Sadly, this wound up being Stan's last public appearance. Meeting him was one of the most awesome experiences ever, primarily because of the wicked prank he helped us pull on our friend Luis. You see, Luis is generally a good guy, but he could drive people crazy sometimes, especially during Comic Con 2007. As me, Riki and our pal Eddy were waiting to meet Mr. Winston, we noticed Luis had cut everybody in line. To say it pissed us off would be an understatement, especially since minutes before, Luis had handed us all his dvd's to get them signed for him. To get back at Luis, I had his Terminator dvd made out to everybody but him. Then, for extra measure, we got Stan Winston to rant on camera for a few minutes about how Luis thought that Stan had nothing to do with Jurassic Park (Luis had been arguing about it with Eddy all day). It was pretty funny,and even Luis had a really good laugh about it. We only hope Stan Winston thought it was funny too.

Riki giving the Predator some sugar.

Out of all of us who met Sarge, Eddy was the only one that did the cool, G.I. Joe pose.

It has become a Con tradition for Riki to be photographed while trying to sneak into an "off limits" area. He has yet to be caught.

Hagrid, the world's most successful high dropout. Seriously, he never completed his wizards training!

Well folks, that's all for this week. I'll be back next time with some comics, including an "explosive" new "Mike and Mindy", a very informative new "Mushroom" and a splash page that will definitely give people some ideas. Plus, we'll see what other treasures from Comic Con's past we can dig up. Until next time, I'll catch y'all later!

OH THE AGONY!!!

2011-06-16T15:31:00.000-07:00

Ya know, my job can be pretty cool sometimes. However, there is one thing that I don't like very much about my job: the uncertain schedule. I never truly know when my next call will come, so it's hard to plan ahead for things. I very rarely make plans for anything, because I know I'll most likely be breaking them. It's tough, but that's the way it goes sometimes. I speak of this because yesterday, I was all set to go see "Weird" Al Yankovic perform at the San Diego County Fair when my plans came to a screeching halt after one phone call. I was to work a double shift at the Manchester Grand Hyatt in downtown San Diego, and I wouldn't be done until 10:00pm. Total buzzkill dudes.

So yeah, I didn't get to go see "Weird" Al yesterday, and since I don't have anything cool to report, I instead present to you the video that more or less introduced me to "Weird" Al in the first place...

Ah yes, many fond memories of this video. I was about eight years old when my brother and me sat down one morning to watch what we thought was Nirvana's "Smells Like Teen Spirit" video. We were only kids, but we really liked Nirvana, probably because they were so different than the other performers of the day. When we heard that iconic opening riff, my brother said "Crank it!" and our eyes were glued. Within seconds, we began noticing something was off. For starters, one of the cheerleaders was a dude and Dick Van Patton was among the unruly teenagers. Soon, we realized we'd been had by the greatest and were fans from that moment on.

"Weird" Al is genius (Seriously, he graduated high school as valedictorian when he was a sophomore, and was then valedictorian at freakin' Cal Poly!). He is also a supremely talented man. In addition to writing very clever parodies, he really goes all-out for his videos, getting many of the same sets and extras that appeared in the originals, including the video above. Those are all the same teenagers and janitor that mashed it up in the Nirvana video. Needless to say, it lends a huge degree of credibility to "Weird" Al's music. I think the thing I like the most about him is that he's funny without taking any cheap shots at the people he's poking fun at. It's a testament to his talent. Nirvana themselves were huge fans of the parody, claiming that that's how they knew they'd made it. Allegedly, Kurt Cobain gave "Weird" Al permission to lampoon him on the condition that the song not be about food!

Well, that's all for now. With Comic Con rapidly approaching, all posts from next week through the end of July will be Con-related. I'll be digging through my photo albums, not to mention Youtube, searching for some great Comic Con memories to share with all you fine people. And if you're in San Diego, be sure to head on over to Lindbergh Field to see the awesome six-panel mural that my good friends Matt Lorentz, Jim Whiting and Phil Yeh (among others) helped paint. It's up now through the end of Comic Con, so don't wait! Until next time, I'll catch y'all later!

STAY OUT OF TROUBLE!!!

2011-06-10T11:32:00.000-07:00

Ah, it's time for another goofy wrestling post. I had originally planned to post this gem last month, but some rather unforeseen circumstances caused me to do a more poignant wrestling post instead. But for now, it's time to laugh again, so I hope this gets a good laugh out of everybody.

Sting truly is one of the all-time greats of the wrestling business, even though TNA-IMPACT Wresting (or whatever the hell they're calling themselves these days) is doing all they can to tarnish his legacy (Anybody remember the "Last Rights" match?). Back in 1990, he was WCW's top babyface (hero) and was having all sorts of trouble with the infamous Four Horsemen, which in those days consisted of Ric Flair, Arn and Ole Anderson and Sid Vicious. Sting had decided that he'd had enough of the Horsemen and their constant four-on-one attacks. So Sting decided to go and get himself some backup. But not just any backup. Sting went to the future of law enforcement himself, ROBOCOP!

Yep, you read that right. You see, WCW was gearing up for their Capital Combat pay per view, while Orion Pictures was getting set to release Robocop 2 in theaters. The two got together and decided that some cross-promtion might be a good thing, especially for WCW since Sting was injured at that time, and couldn't actually compete in a match. So a confrontation was set up for Sting and those dastardly Horsemen, with Robocop coming in to make the big rescue and give the Horsemen the beating they so richly deserved. The stage was set, and then THIS happened...

You are no doubt saying to yourself, "What the hell?! That was it?!" Yep, I'm afraid so. Whether Sting's injury prevented him from getting anymore physical than that, or Robocop's costume was just too damn clunky to work for a wrestling bout, the whole confrontation was watered down to the point that nothing really happened. The fact that none of the Horsemen sold for Robocop didn't really help matters either. I mean the look at the footage. They just walked off! Nobody seemed all that intimidated or impressed by his presence, and not surprisingly, the fans felt really ripped off by the whole thing and who could blame them? For thirty bucks, you expect a little more than a three-minute appearance.

Needless to say the whole thing was a waste of time and money that benefitted nobody in the long run. Luckily for Sting, he healed up and continued his trek to wrestling superstardom. Robocop, on other hand, didn't fare so well. Robocop 2 was huge flop at that box office that killed the career of Director Irvin Kershner and almost killed the career of writer (and artist) Frank Miller. The movie also destroyed Orion Pictures, which went the way of the dinosaur not long afterward. WCW meanwhile, seemed like they learned their lesson about movie tie-ins, but in the fall of 1998, strange cackles of laughter would fill the arena, especially when Rick Steiner would come out. But that's a story for another day.

Well, that's all for this week. The San Diego County Fair (formerly the Del Mar Fair) starts today, and Weird Al Yankovic is performing there on Wednesday, so maybe my next post will be Weird Al related. I'd also like to say congratulations to my cousin Natalie, who graduated from high school yesterday. She's a good kid and a smart kid going to the University Arizona this fall. I'll miss her, but I know she'll do well. Make us proud squirt!

Until next time, I'll catch y'all later!

COMICS WEEK!!! ALRIGHT!!!

2011-06-02T23:02:00.001-07:00

Howdy Folks!!! Keep yer hands and feet inside the vehicle at all times, 'cuz this here's the wildest ride in the wilderness!!! Oh wait, sorry about that. I was channeling the pre-ride spiel for Big Thunder Mountain at Disneyland. I've been so busy with work lately that I haven't gotten much sleep. As a result, my brain is only working at about a third of what it's truly capable of, which wasn't really all that much to begin with.

Anyway, it's comics week, so enough about my sleep deprivation. As Rocket J. Squirrel used to say, "And now, here's something we hope you'll really like!"

How do like that? I always suspected that boy was full of hot air!

If I've said it once, I've said it a thousand times: BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU WISH FOR!

Well, I'm gonna cut it short for now. It's been a long few weeks for me, and I got a busy weekend ahead of chasing my nephew and niece around. Actually, they get together with all their cousins and chase me all over the place! Either way, a lot of running around is in store for me, so keep me in your prayers! Until next time, I'll catch y'all later!

TOONTOWN'S A DUMP!!!

2011-05-28T10:09:00.000-07:00

Wow, is May really coming to an end already? Time just keeps flying by doesn't it. It's been a busy week for me, and it looks like it's only going to get busier. All I can say is I can't wait for Comic Con. I need a break!

I found this gem on Youtube not too long ago and just had to post it. What, you might ask, would happen if Space Jam was remade today with Lebron James instead of Michael Jordan? Okay, you're not really asking yourself that and up until now had probably forgotten this movie even existed, but bear with me here or else the intro won't work. Anyway, to find the answer, just watch below:

What can I say? You can't really argue with brutal honesty here. All I'll say is that Lebron James is a shining example of what's wrong with pro sports today. As for the original Space Jam, the less said about it the better. Actually, Bill Murray is very funny in it, but his five accumulative minutes aren't enough to make this film watchable. It was kinda the beginning of the end for the Looney Tunes legacy, leading us to the crap that Cartoon Network is trying to pass off as Looney Tunes today. It pains me to say it, but I'm sure Chuck Jones would be spinning in his grave if he saw what they've done to his creations.

Well, that's all for now. I'll be back next time with an "uplifting" new Mike and Mindy and a "heart breaking" new Mushroom. Until then, I'll catch y'all later!

R.I.P. MACHO MAN

2011-05-21T19:11:00.000-07:00

Man am I in shock right now. There are many legends in the wrestling business, but only a few true icons. Certainly Hulk Hogan, Ric Flair, "Rowdy" Roddy Piper and Andre the Giant are usually the first names that come to mind when the word "icon" is mentioned. "Macho Man" Randy Savage is definitely among their company. This is a very hard blow to us wrestling fans. There have been quite a few tragedies in recent years, but the death of Randy Savage (real name Randy Poffo) is particularly painful. I remember being seven years old and watching Savage battle my all-time favorite wrestler, Jake "the Snake" Roberts, when Jake turned a king cobra loose on the "Macho Man"! It made for great television, even though the snake wouldn't let go of Savage's arm!

It's never easy to report on these kind of things, especially when you're reporting on guys that you grew up watching and even idolized at one point. My friends and I were all "Macho Man" fans. We ate Slim Jim's, bought his action figures and each tried our best to imitate his trademark "OOOOOH YEAH!" catchphrase (a feat that I was always the best at because I had a real deep voice). There are many great matches and moments involving Randy Savage over the years: the aforementioned cobra attack, his battle with Ric Flair at Wrestlemania VIII, the legendary bout with Ricky Steamboat at Wrestlemania III (often regarded as the greatest match ever) and his "Wedding" to Miss Elizabeth at Summerslam '91 (in truth, Savage and Elizabeth had always been married). But, if you're gonna pick a good "Macho Man" moment, you may as well pick the one that more or less defined his career...

This was the aftermath to his Wrestlemania VII match with the Ultimate Warrior. This match was a real testament to just how good of a wrestler Randy Savage really was. Why you ask? Because the match was incredible, which is really saying something when you consider who his opponent was. Yep, the "Macho Man" was able to accomplish a very rare feat on this day: get a good match out of the Ultimate Warrior! Still, it's what happened after the bout that had the fans buzzing. At the time, Sherri Martel had been Savage's valet. When Savage lost (the match had been billed as a "Career Ending Match"), Sherri went crazy and attacked Savage, upset that her meal ticket was now gone. With Savage beaten down and defenseless, Elizabeth came out of the audience, entered the ring and beat up Sherri Martel, running her off. When Savage came to, he and Elizabeth embraced and a legend was born. The fans ate up every second of the reunion, with some even crying! When Savage held down the ropes for Elizabeth to exit the ring, a practice that had traditionally been reversed, it cemented his status as a hero in the eyes of wrestling fans the world over.

His career was a roller coaster ride to say the least. But for several generations of fans, Randy Savage was king. He was a main eventer in both the WWF and WCW, holding both championships on several occasions. And whether he was a heel or a face, we fans were always entertained. Goodbye "Macho Man". Thanks for always being so awesome.

-Jon

NEW MEMORIES

2011-05-13T10:22:00.000-07:00

Well, its been a busy couple of weeks since I got back from Wizard World Anaheim, but the time is right to post some pictures from the event. It would have been a lot more fun if I hadn't been battling a serious sinus infection the whole time, but what are you gonna do? I also got the sad news that there will be no AfterCon Art Show this year. It's a bit of a bummer, especially since I already had a piece ready for it, but these things happen. Matt Lorentz and Mark Richmond, the guys who ran the AfterCon, are pretty busy during Comic Con. In edition to having their own booths, they're also participating in panels and trying to see the show themselves. So no art show this year, but that's okay. That just means there will be more time for some late-night panels!

Anyway, enough rambling, enjoy some pics!

Something's wrong with that cake!

GREAT SCOTT! IT'S DOC BROWN!

I actually took this picture for my friend Riki. You see, last year at Comic Con, he went on a mission to try and find Centurions toys, only to be met with a bunch blank stares and "Never heard of 'em." claims. Well, I decided to try and help him out and prove that there had to be people out there that remembered this show, and low and behold, I found a booth selling bootleg copies of the Centurions, along with many other old school cartoons. (I actually picked up a copy of The Completely Mental Misadventures of Ed Grimley, a very funny and decent show I must say!)

Ernie Hudson. A great guy and a devoted actor. I don't know too many other pros who show up to a convention in character.

When franchises meet. Awful lot of Back to the Future cosplay this year. By the way, that's a girl playing Doc Brown.

Now that's one patriotic mariachi!

Aw, the Nintendo Power Glove. My brother and me wanted this so bad when we were kids. Of course, history will show that it was a piece of crap that never really worked right. But man did it look cool!

A convention rarity, a hot girl dressed as a sailor scout.

This one's for Riki. COBRA!!!

It wouldn't be a convention without some DC cosplay.

They feel like the floor of a taxi I'm sure.

Hey, it's the Insane Clown Posse! But where are the Oddities?

Star Wars Luchadors!

It's Gumbi DAMMIT!

Lantern Corps present and accounted for.

What do ya know? Finn stopped by for some adventures!

I really dug these Ghostbuters dudes. In addition to really going all out for their costumes, they also built their own proton packs, putting a lot of detail into them.

Check it out. It's Wolverine on welfare!

Well, that's it for today folks. I hope you enjoyed the photos. Next year, I plan on getting a booth at the Anaheim Con. In the mean time, I'll be back next time with a new funny wrestling post that will hopefully tickle your funny bones. Until then, I'll catch y'all later!

COMICS WEEK IS HERE!!! WITH GUESTS!!!

2011-05-06T10:11:00.001-07:00

The Wizard World show in Anaheim was a lot of fun. It would have been a lot better if my allergies and asthma hadn't been bothering me so much, but what're ya gonna do? I made a lot of new friends and saw a lot of great art. I also caught up with my old pal Phil Yeh for a little bit. Phil's one of the best guys you'll ever meet. In the short time I've known him, he has had a very profound impact on me. His latest graphic novel, The Sunflower Girl, is completely wordless. While showing it to me, he said " Jon, I think you were on to something with these wordless comics you do!" It was quite the compliment and I was very flattered. In truth, Phil has been doing wordless comics for years. But if my work really did influence him in some small way, I'd be very proud. All in all, it was good time and I can't wait 'til next year, when I finally get my own table!

Anyway, it's time for some comics. So enjoy the show!

Poor Mindy. Those bloomers always seem to be a source of grief for her.

As I said earlier, I made a lot new friends in Anaheim last weekend, and many of them really took a liking to Mike and Mindy. A few were even kind enough to draw the mischievous pair in their own styles. So enjoy the guest gallery folks!

This piece is by Dan Smith. He liked my style and asked me to draw one his characters for his collection. In return, he did these portraits Mike and Mindy for me. I must say, they look totally insane in these drawings. It's weird seeing them rendered in a more realistic style. To see more of Dan's work, check out his sights here:

www.dansmith-smif.com

www.smifink/deviantart.com

This piece is by James Riot. It's actually spread out across two cards, hence the reason there's a seem in the middle of the action. James is a phenomenal artist and sketched this thing like mad in the closing minutes of the convention. He also offered some great tips on coloring and printing, which is always useful when you're a self-publisher. I also like that he put Mike and Mindy in this Dragon Ball-style battle with each other, which captured the essence of the art of the postcards I was passing out. To see more of James' work, check out his sight at:

www.olddyingkitty.com

This piece is by Witchman artist R.C. Young and I have to admit, it was my favorite of all the guest pieces. It's a little sad actually, because she drew Mike and Mindy better than I do! Still, she captured the rivalry between to two kids and made them look really cute in the process. More of R.C.'s work can be found at:

www.witchmancomic.com

This piece is by artist Jen Wang. The piece is funny, but I have to admit, I'm a little troubled that she drew Mike in such a perverted manner. Still, I love her style. Unfortunately, she didn't leave a card or site address, but I'm sure google will very easily find her work for you if you're interested.

This piece is by Ambrose Quintanilla, IV. He's a very funny guy and a great artist with a style not all that different from mine. To see more of Ambrose's work check out his site at:

www.facebook.com/gopherit

This last piece is by artist Nathaniel Osollo. Nathan's a good guy who did this outrageously funny commissioned piece that had Jay and Silent Bob playing cards with a bunch of sci-fi and comic book characters. To see more of his work, check out one of his many sites at:

www.eyedraugh.blogspot.com

www.twitter.com/eyedraugh

www.coroflot.com/eyedraugh

www.issuu.com/eyedraugh

Well folks, that's it for this week. I'll be back next time with some picks and more stories from the anaheim convention. Until next time, I'll catch y'all later!

NEVER FORGET

2011-05-04T14:47:00.000-07:00

Just a small update today. You know, I'm not a very political person, nor do I comment regularly on my beliefs, but with recent events, I guess I should talk a little bit. Many emotions surfaced this past Sunday with the news that Osama bin Laden had finally met his demise. I certainly remember waking that September morning, not even realizing that anything had happened until I started my car and heard all the turmoil on the radio. The whole thing was so confusing and yet so terrifying. I remember being so angry and wanting revenge. For weeks, it was all I could really think of. Much time has passed obviously and my emotions are in much better check now. Still, it was a fearful time for a while there. My Uncle Victor, an Air Force Pilot at the time, did three tours in Iraq and two in Afghanistan while my cousin Steven, a sailor in the Navy, spent seven months in Iraq. Thankfully, both made it back safely and have since gone on to other things. There's no real telling what's going to happen now. I doubt this will put an end to terrorism, as there are just too many bad people in the world. However, I do believe this sends a message to terrorists, that their actions will not be tolerated and that justice will be served, no matter how long it takes.

Now that that's been said, new comics will be arriving very soon. I had a great time Anaheim and will have a full recap of the convention in the coming posts. Hopefully, some of the many new friends I made last week will come along for the ride. Until next time, I'll catch y'all later!

HEADIN' OFF TO ANAHEIM!!!

2011-04-27T14:31:00.000-07:00

Hey folks, just a quick update today. I'll be heading to the Wizard World show in Anaheim this weekend, so I thought I'd post a few pics from last year's show. It's gonna be a great show this year and I'm really looking forward to it.

I have even more pics in my April 2010 posts, so enjoy these brief snippets.

Ah, Jar Jar target practice! This booth was very popular with the attendees.

There was a whole group devoted to building working R-2 models. The costs ranged from $200.00 to $14,000.00, to which I say "gee, it must be great to have 14 grand to just throw down like that!"

BLUNTMAN! AWESOME!

Custom guitars! Too bad I can't play.

Captain Middle America, with the power to offend in a single sentence!

Jedi Elvis! (Insert your own joke here)

It's funny, but given that the Anaheim Convention Center is right across the street from Disneyland, you'd think there would have been more Disney-themed cosplay.

The Baroness. This one's for you Riki!

It was good to see MST3K get some cosplay love here. For all you youngsters out there, that's Mystery Science Theater 3000 for ya!

Another hobby group, only these dudes build custom pinball and pachinko machines based on fantasy and sci-fi films.

Well, that's all for now. Sorry for only posting a few pics here today, but like I said earlier, I already posted a grip of pics last spring. I'll be back next time with pics from this year's show, as well as all new comic adventures featuring Mike and Mindy and the Mushroom gang. Take care everybody, and I'll catch y'all later!

IT'S GOT SLEEVES!!!

2011-04-23T16:34:00.000-07:00

HAPPY EASTER Y'ALL!!!

Just a short update today. I'll be heading north to Anaheim next week for the Wizard World Convention they do up there (actually, Wizard does these shows all over the country). It'll be good to get out of town for a few days and do the "tourist" thing. It's also a good chance to catch up with old friends like Matt Lorentz and Phil Yeh, while at the same time make plenty of new friends and spread the word about the joys of the destructive duo, Mike and Mindy. Long story short, I'm really looking forward to this trip.

I'd like to take a moment here to thank Karyl Miller and Lynn Stedd from the SCCS for posting the cartoon I did at the blood drive last week on the SCCS website. For doing it on the fly, I thought it came out pretty good! Karyl and Lynn are very nice people, and I look forward to the next blood drive. If you want to see the cartoon, it's been posted at the address below:

www.sccs-online.org

It's at the top of the page even, so check it out!

And now, a message from our sponsor:

The funniest thing about this video, besides the "initiation" bit, is the fact that it looks like an infomercial. This video comes from the sketch comedy troop "This Hour has 22 Minutes", which I think is based out of Canada. They certainly do have an early-90's Comedy Central/Kids in the Hall kind of feel to them. Regardless, their skits are hilarious and I highly recommend checking them out the next time you're on Youtube, with Toot-Tone and Bagpipe Hero being equally funny skits.

Well, that's all for this week. I'll be back next time with some pics from last year's Anaheim show, which really kicked ass! Until then, I'll catch y'all later!

MEMORIES

2011-04-16T20:31:00.000-07:00

Wow! What a day I had. I was at the San Diego Blood Bank earlier today volunteering for the annual blood drive. Each year, the Southern California Cartoonists Society (SCCS) comes to the event to draw caricatures of the donors as they recover from donating blood. This was my first year doing it, and I had a wonderful time. I only did three three drawings, but the people really seemed to enjoy them. I even did a special Mike and Mindy splash page to commemorate the event. Hopefully, I'll be able to post it in the future (I did it on the fly and gave the cartoon to Karyl Miller, so I don't have a copy). I look forward to other events with the SCCS and hope to do more volunteer work in the future.

Obviously, the big news in wrestling this week is the sudden retirement of Edge, real name Adam Copeland. You know, it's real easy to say that wrestling is fake and that it's all spectacle. And indeed, the outcomes are in fact predetermined. However, there is still a lot of athleticism involved, and sadly, accidents do happen. Just ask Steve Austen, Sid Vicious and Darren Drozdov how fake it is. Edge, frankly, probably shouldn't have been wrestling these last eight years (it was 2003 when he first broke his neck), but he soldiered on and definitely left a mark on the business. Whether the fans loved or hated him (And believe me there were a couple of years there when he was the most hated man in the business, and not because he was a heel either!), Edge always delivered. It won't be the same without him, but I applaud Edge for having the courage to walk away before even more damage can be done to his body. Maybe now Christian Cage can finally get his shot at being the top dog in wrestling. We can only hope the bookers will get it right (nothing against Alberto Del Rio, but he ain't ready yet).

I decided to take a different approach this week, choosing to show Edge's WWF debut as opposed to something really goofy, of which there are plenty of funny Edge moments, like the time he, Christian and Kurt Angle formed a jug band! The ironic thing about this video is that his debut match last a little over a minute after Jose Estrada broke his neck early in the match (Estrada fully recovered and still competes in Puerto Rico).

Well, that's all for this week. Hope y'all enjoyed the post. Until next time, I'll catch y'all later!

YAY!!! IT'S COMICS WEEK!!!

2011-04-07T10:56:00.000-07:00

Hello Crazy Heads! After a week-long delay Mike and Mindy and the Mushroom gang are all back with a couple of new adventures that will hopefully bring some smiles to your faces. This first part of the year has been pretty wild so far. I haven't been this busy since my senior year of high school! All I know is that I am really looking forward to the Wizard World show in Anaheim this month. I need a break!

Anyway, that's enough rambling. On with the show!

Just as I thought. I always new that kid was full of hot air!

This is a new feature I'm testing out this week. If enough people like it, I'll probably do more "Cheap Puns" in the future.

Well, that's all for this week. I sure hope everybody enjoyed the cartoons. Next time it's Wrestling Week, and I'll be sure to have a real good gimmick ready for you fine folks. Until next time, I'll catch y'all later!

WARRIOR WISDOM AND FARTIN' GARY!!!

2011-04-02T18:57:00.000-07:00

Hello boys and girls and welcome to another edition of Jon's Crazy Stuff. On today's menu, I present a couple of belated April Fool's Day videos that will hopefully tickle your funny bone a little and make you forget that I didn't have enough time to complete my cartoons for this week.

Now that you've been seated, let's start with an appetizer, shall we?

Wow! I'm not sure what he said, but if the point of this was to scare kids away from smoking, chalk one up for the Warrior! This was obviously suppose to be an anti-smoking PSA that the Warrior did, and given that he has the Intercontinental Title belt, it was probably done sometime around late 1989 or early 1990. I'll let you folks decide whether this Public Service Announcement was effective or not. There were a couple of other PSA's that featured the Blue Blazer (Owen Hart) and the Rockers (Shawn Michaels and Marty Jannetty).

And now, onto the main course! (CAUTION: You might want to hold your breath after this one!)

This skit comes from the great Mr. Show with Bob and David, season two as I recall. According to Bob Odenkirk and David Cross, the shows creators (duh), this skit came about after the two were invited to Toronto to be a part of the city's comedy festival. Among the amateur performers was a guy who simply said something and then farted into the microphone. Naturally, the guy was a big hit with the Toronto crowd. To the other comedians, however, it was a huge gut check, since they had put so much time and effort into crafting their routines while this douchebag put five seconds worth of thought into his act and became the toast of the town! Having witnessed this ordeal, Bob and David decided to do a skit making fun of the gassy comedian, with the big payoff being that the farter gets out farted in the end! It's strange, but I always thought that it was a generally accepted rule that farting was funny.

Well, that's all for now. I'm really sorry about the cartoons not being ready. It may not seem like it, but it takes a lot of time to get these things done. I don't have any assistants or helpers, so my spare time is the only time I have to pencil, ink and color my comics, and lately, I haven't had a whole lot of spare time. On the plus side, I suddenly have a lot more money now to compensate my lost time.

With that being said, it's time to go and I promise that next time, there will be some new cartoons for your amusement. Until next time, I'll catch y'all later!

HOW MANY DOINKS DOES IT TAKE...

2011-03-26T19:57:00.000-07:00

Wow, are we really only a week away from Wrestlemania 27? The days are just flying by aren't they? It's been a pretty eventful month for wrestling fans (well, maybe not for TNA fans), but the long wait is almost over. Personally, I'm looking forward to the Hall of Fame ceremony, especially since the Road Warriors are rumored to be the next inductees. I don't know why Jake "the Snake" Roberts and Arn Anderson are not among the inductees (as of now anyway) this year, but it should still be a good show. Anyway, enough rambling, let's get to the post.

For those of you new to wrestling, no, Chris Jericho didn't have an early WWF stint as Doink the Clown. This was actually part of the March 26, 2001 episode of Monday Night RAW, a historic night in wrestling that saw the first, and only, simulcast between WWF RAW and WCW Monday Nitro (Vince McMahon had bought WCW a mere two days prior after Turner Broadcasting cancelled all WCW programming from their networks). The reason Jericho was dressed as Doink was so that the WWF could cross promote two of the matches for the upcoming Wrestlemania 17. The first, obviously, was a bout between Chris Jericho and William Regal for the Intercontinental Title, an awesome match that opened the show and had Jericho take the crown. The second match in question was the infamous Gimmick Battle Royal that was won by the Iron Sheik (for more info, check out the March 2010 posts).

As for Doink, a few people have played him over the years. The first was Matt Borne, who began portraying Doink in 1992, having just come off a run in WCW where he was known as Big Josh, a lumberjack who carried an ax with no blade and was escorted to the ring by dancing bears! (Only in wrestling can going from a lumberjack to a clown be considered a step up.) Sadly, Borne had some issues and was fired. Steve Lombardi (the Brooklyn Brawler) and Steve Keirn (Skinner) stepped in until Ray Apollo was brought in in early 1993 to play Doink. In 2002, Nick Dinsmore (Eugene) donned the grease paint for a match on Smackdown against Chris Benoit and most recently, Lombardi played Doink in an eight man tag match on RAW last summer. With Chris Jericho's lone appearance, that makes six men who have all been Doink over the years. Hopefully, this'll give everybody a better understanding of how much it takes to be Doink the Clown (And please, no e-mails about Doink's midget counterpart, Dink. Nobody cares about him!).

Well, that's all for now. I hope to be back next time with some new comics as well as some April Fools Day fun to get everybody ready for the coming month. Until next time, I'll catch y'all later!

MIKE AND MINDY, CHILDREN OF THE FUTURE!!!

2011-03-18T14:54:00.000-07:00

Hey crazy heads! After years of scraping and saving I finally got a new computer! These last couple years have been pretty good to me work-wise, to the point that I'm actually starting to make a comfortable living. So now, I can finally update weekly, regardless of my work schedule, and without having to bother people to see if I can use their computers. To put it simply; I have moved into the modern age!

Anyway, you people don't read this blog just to read about my personal life, not that I actually post anything personal. You come for comics and wrestling, so let's start the show!

Gee, and I always heard that gas-powered appliances were more efficient.

It should be noted that I got a few e-mails after my Ultimate Warrior post a few weeks back, bringing to question one of pop culture's greatest urban legends: that the Ultimate Warrior is dead. I'm gonna go ahead and douse this flame and tell you that the Warrior is alive and always has been. There has only been one warrior, and as previously mentioned, his name is Jim Hellwig. The rumor probably started around 1992. He had just come back to the WWF and had lost some of his muscle mass and no longer feathered his hair. It was enough for fans to think that it was somebody else under the face paint, and the rumor quickly started. It picked up more steam in 1995 when WCW brought in a Warrior clone called the Renegade after they couldn't sign the real Warrior. Fans initially thought that it was the Ultimate Warrior, but quickly realized that the Renegade was actually worse in the ring, so fans once again thought that Hellwig had died. Thanks to this great tool known as the internet, what once was a silly little rumor has blown up into an urban legend complete with theories and conspiracies. So, for what I know won't be the last time, the Ultimate Warrior is alive. He's clinically insane, but alive none the less.

Well, that's all for this week. I'm excited for the future of this blog, not to mention the future period. Life is good people. Don't ever waste it. Until next time, I'll catch y'all later!

CLAPTONMANIA!!!

2011-03-11T13:33:00.001-08:00

Hey folks! Mad's Maddest Reject is back after a busy couple of weeks. Sadly, no new comics this week due to some computer issues, but Mike and Mindy will be back next time with an all new adventure, as well as a very wild Mushroom to get everybody in the mood for Wrestlemania!

In the meantime, try to enjoy this classic footage of Eric Clapton performing She's Waiting at Live Aid (1985). I'm posting this because I worked his concert last Sunday and am still stoked that I got to be on it. Clapton is one of my all-time favorites and I was praying that I'd get the call for this show. Luckily, God came through, and I now have a story to tell the grandkids someday.

For the good many of you that weren't born yet, Live Aid was a concert put on in 1985 to help raise money for famine relief in Africa. Performances took place in both the U.S. and England and featured virtually every big act of the day, with U2 and Queen in particular stealing the show (Phil Collins also pulled off quite a feat, opening the show in England, then hopping on a Concord jet to perform in the U.S. as well). All in all, a true benchmark in music history.

Well, that's all for this week. I promise that the delays between posts will be ending soon, and that this blog will be truly going weekly in the very near future. Until next time, I'll catch y'all later!

THE ULTIMATE NUTCASE!!!

2011-02-25T11:10:00.000-08:00

Hey folks! I'm back and ready to give you some bad wrestling that so many of you have been begging me for this month. With Wrestlemania rapidly approaching, WWE is going to be putting their best foot forward right now, making sure that people will buy the show. And although I already feel they dropped the ball by not bringing in Sting (not yet anyway), they certainly made up for it by bringing the Rock back and having him say what so many of us diehards have been claiming for years: JOHN CENA SUCKS! I don't think Cena's a bad guy, but I've never bought him as a main eventer. The Miz, Randy Orton and Daniel Bryan are far more entertaining in the ring. Either way, there should be some good shows coming up, so stay tuned. But enough about that. It's time for some crap!

No one name in wrestling stirs up more negative feelings than Jim Hellwig. If that name doesn't ring a bell, than you'd probably recognize his alter ego: the Ultimate Warrior. There's a million things that can be said about him, and none are very positive. It is possible, however, that he is simply misunderstood. That his erratic behavior and violent mood swings are simply overblown. Perhaps this appearance on the old Arsenio Hall Show back in 1990 will help clear the air.

Or maybe not. Let that be a lesson kids: cocaine and steroids are a dangerous mix!

I'd go into detail here, but we all got better things to do. The brief history is Hellwig started wrestling, teamed with a guy named Steve Borden (who later became Sting) as the Blade Runners, went to World Class Championship Wrestling (WCCW) and became the Dingo Warrior, then went to the WWF and became the Ultimate Warrior. He became a huge star, let success go to his head, and made a quick habit of pissing everybody off and burning bridges. His last major appearance was in WCW back in the fall of 1998, where he competed as "the Warrior" because he legally couldn't use the word "Ultimate". (At some point in the mid 1990's, he legally changed his name to the Ultimate Warrior, but the WWF/WWE holds the copyright, so he can only professionally use in a WWE ring.) And that's pretty much it. These days, he tours colleges giving lectures on the Seven Warrior Principles and tries to explain the meaning of the word "Destucity". Oh, and he also did a comic book series back in 1996 that explained his origins, which somehow included him kidnapping Santa Claus and putting the jolly old elf in bondage! (Do yourself a favor and resist the urge to track copies of that monstrosity down. Reading the Ultimate Warrior's comic book will cause you to loose faith in humanity!)

Well folks, that's it for today. I'll catch y'all next time with some new comics and maybe a little something extra. Until next time, later!

FINALLY, COMICS WEEK HAS RETURNED!!!

2011-02-21T12:54:00.001-08:00

It's been way too long, but Mike and Mindy are finally back and celebrating the first anniversary of this blog! Isn't that exciting! It was one year ago this month that I started this blog as a way to showcase my work after MAD Magazine rejected me for a second time. And what do ya know? I've managed to go a full year without loosing interest in this thing!

Anyway, enough of the sentimental crap, here are the comics!

Poor Mindy, she hasn't really been catching any breaks lately.

Ah, if only high school had really been like that!

And now, in celebration of my blog's first anniversary, I'm going to answer the ten most frequently asked questions that I've gotten thus far in the past year:

Are you high or something?
No!

In their first installment, Mike blows up like a balloon. How could he float if it was just regular air?
It's a cartoon people, It doesn't have to make sense! (Besides, in the world of cartoon physics, any gas can make a balloon float)

What's with Mike's hair? Why's it so Spiky?
Hey, that's two questions! But I'll let it slide for now. His hair is spiky because he's part Sayan.

Why does Mindy wear bloomers?
Because they're funny.

How come so few of your comics have backgrounds?
It's mainly because I want the gags to be the focal point of the stories. That and I suck at drawing backgrounds.

Why's it called "Jon's Crazy Stuff"? It doesn't seem all that crazy.
Because "Jon's Stuff" was already taken.

Who are some of your influences?
Too many to list here, but the biggest would be Jim Henson, Don Martin, Jack Davis, Gary Larson, Chuck Jones, Tex Avery, Mel Brooks, and Antonio Prohias.

You're obviously a huge wrestling fan, so who's your favorite wrestler?
That's easy, Jake "the Snake" Roberts.

What have you got against TNA Wrestling?
Truth be told, I have nothing against the Nitro Reunion Tour (sorry, couldn't resist). I just don't like how they hold younger, more deserving talent back so they can push a bunch of dudes who were old when I was a teenager as the main eventers. I love Ric Flair and Hulk Hogan, but these dudes need to quit now while people still remember them fondly.

No, seriously, what are you smoking?
For the last time I'M NOT HIGH!

Well folks, that's all for now. This month was very busy for me. I just finished an eleven-day run at the Convention Center where I was running video for a surgeon's convention. This thing was huge, attracting 35,00 attendees and taking up the entire building. This is the first day off I've had in over a week, so I have a ton of catching up to do. Needless to say, it'll probably be comics week by the time come back and post again. Until next time, I'll catch y'all later!

UGGGG!!! THERE"S NEVER ENOUGH TIME!!!

2011-02-11T19:02:00.000-08:00

Hey folks! Sorry about the lack of updates lately. It's going to be a busy month, so my updates won't be very heavy this month. Still, I just wanted my loyal readers to know that I'm still alive, so here's a blast from the past for y'all, courtesy of our old pals at In Living Color!

If memory serves, this clip comes from around 1991, and was one of the funniest music video parodies that In Living Color ever did. Jamie Fox as a bruised and bandaged Lionel Richie is probably the real highlight of this video. (For those of you weren't alive yet, back in the day, Lionel Richie's wife caught him cheating on her, and instead of divorcing him, she simply beat his ass! Amazingly enough, they actually made up and stayed together afterward. Crazy, no?)

I've had a lot of questions lately about some of the recent events in the wrestling world. To save some time, I'll give some simple answers here:

1. No, I wasn't shocked that Booker T came back, since he had been negotiating with WWE for quite some time.

2. Yes, I was shocked by Kevin Nash's return to WWE, since up until two days before the Royal Rumble, he was in serious negotiations to return to TNA and restart the Main Event Mafia angle. Not only that, Nash had been pretty critical of WWE in recent months over their youth movement. What can I say? Money talks!

3. No, I don't know who is showing up on RAW February 21. Fans seem to be split right down the middle on this one, with one camp thinking it's Sting and the other thinking it's the Undertaker. Given the similarities between the two characters, it's hard to say who it'll be. My gut says it's the Undertaker, but I really hope it's Sting. I guess we'll have to wait and see.

4. No, I don't think it was underhanded how WWE swooped up Nash and Booker T. They were free agents, and TNA should have known better than to start promoting an angle without making sure they had the key members to said angle under contract. Given how many wrestlers Bischoff signed from the WWF and ECW who were only working on handshakes way back when, you'd think he would have known. It's a lesson to future wrestling promoters: verbal commitments don't hold up in court!

Well, that's all for now. I promise that next time I'll be back with new comics. Mike and Mindy are not particularly happy that they're being held back, and you believe you me, you do not want to make those tykes angry! Until next time, I'll catch y'all later!

WHYS SO SERIOUS?!

2011-01-29T13:33:00.000-08:00

WOW! How do ya like that! I finally did four posts in a month! It took nearly a full year, but I think I'm finally getting the hang of this blogging stuff.

It would seem Christopher Nolan's latest flick, Inception, has inspired quite a few people out there. And why wouldn't it? It was a good movie and it's really easy to parody. The latest victim of the Inception mash-up bug is none other than the 1984 classic Ghostbusters.

What can I say? Anytime you can make Ghostbusters serious, ya know ya got talent! Personally, I feel the Dumb And Dumber/Inception mash-up was funnier (Let's face it, that one's even harder to make serious!).

Still, I'm waiting for somebody to really take some initiative here, so I'm putting out a challenge:

WILL SOMEBODY PLEASE DO A THREE STOOGES/INCEPTION MASH-UP!!!

Come on aspiring filmmakers. You know you want to! Now that the challenge is out, maybe somebody will really get creative!

Well, that's all for today. I hope to be back next time with some new comics for the viewing public, and perhaps maybe even a couple of Super Bowl Ads from the past! Until next time, I'll catch y'all later!

BEHOLD: THE SHARK!!!

2011-01-21T18:56:00.000-08:00

Hello blogsphere! I'm back and ready for some action!

You know, I got a lot of feedback about my Shockmaster post from last February. The most asked question I got about that one was Who the hell thought this was a good Idea? (Ole Anderson apparently). The other question I got asked a lot was Why would the wrestler agree to do such a ridiculous gimmick?. The answer is quite simple really. It's their jobs. The gimmicks aren't always the greatest, obviously, but if one wrestler says no, there are a thousand others out there that would be more than happy to do it just because it means getting a steady paycheck. I bring this up because there once was a wrestler who firmly believed that beggars can't be choosers, and that feeding his family was his top priority when it came to his profession. And that man was the late John Tenta.

Most people remember John for his WWF stint as Earthquake, where he had main event runs with Hulk Hogan, Randy Savage and the Ultimate Warrior. He would also win the World Tag Team Championships with partner Typhoon (Fred Ottman, the future Shockmaster). John would later surface in WCW as Avalanche, where he had a main event run with Sting. Things seemed to going great for Tenta, save for one problem: Eric Bischoff didn't like Tenta very much. So after a solid start, it was time for a gimmick change.

Which brings us to this polished turd...

That's right. He became a member of the Dungeon of Doom! Or, as most longtime fans refer to it, Kevin Sullivan's Circus of the Absurd. A little backstory here. When Hulk Hogan first came to WCW, the initial success was phenomenal. After a couple of months though, Hogan began to wear on WCW fans, who more accustomed to action rather than spectacle. WCW, in their infinite wisdom, thought that the best way to make the aging Hulkster look unstoppable was to feed him a whole stable of monsters that he could more or less destroy with ease, Thus creating the Dungeon of Doom. This practice wasn't new to wrestling, as Devastation Inc. ruled over the World Class territory a decade earlier. The problem here was that the monsters Hogan was facing were so ridiculous that fans couldn't take any of the seriously, such as the Yeti, a horny mummy, Lochness, an 800lb. blob, and the Shark, a man fish.

As the Shark, Tenta painted teeth on his beard and spoke about wanting eat all "Hulkamaniacs" out there. He even sacrificed his tiger tattoo (an homage to his Alma Mater, LSU) by having it changed to Shark. Naturally, WCW dropped the gimmick after a couple of months, never even bothering to reimburse Tenta for his tattoo. With long term planning like that, is it any wonder WCW went under.

After his run as the Shark ended, with a memorable promo in which Tenta yelled out "I'm not a shark! I'm a man! My name is John Tenta!", Tenta hung around WCW until the spring of 1997. He would return to the WWF in 1998 as Golga, a member of the Oddities, but was released the following year. He made a one night return at Wrestlemania 17, competing in the Gimmick Battle Royal, and spent the rest of his in ring career in Japan.

In 2003, he wrote the forward to Wrestlecrap: the Book, which is pretty much where I learned the answer to that oft asked question Why do they do it?. Sadly, John Tenta passed away in 2006 after a long battle with cancer. Whether he was heel or a face, John Tenta will always be remembered as one of wrestling's best big men inside the ring, while being one of wrestling's kindest outside of it.

Well, that's all for today. I can't say when I'll be back, but hopefully it will be next week. In the meantime, y'all take care now, and I'll catch everybody next time!

THE BEST THINGS IN LIFE ARE VERY EXPENSIVE!

2011-01-16T11:18:00.000-08:00

Hey folks, just a quick update today. Now that I'm cleared to go back to work, my schedule has picked up a bit. So instead of the wrestling post I had planned for this week, I'm posting this little gem that I discovered on youtube last month.

A little history here for those who don't know about this show or simply don't remember it. Doug was a cartoon that aired on Nickelodeon, and later ABC, during the 1990s. It featured a boy with an over-active imagination named Doug Funny, who lived in a crazy town called Bluffington where everybody was a different color and worshipped a rock band called the Beets. It was an odd but endearing show that ran for quite a while. The people who did this video put a lot of effort into it and did a pretty good job of working in a bunch of references. The scene where Roger shows up was particularly funny.

Well, that's all for this week. Hopefully, I'll be back next week with a wrestling post that you can really "sink" yous teeth into. Until next time, I'll catch y'all later!

WELL, BETTER LATE THAN NEVER!

2011-01-07T14:24:00.000-08:00

Well folks, I'm back. I haven't been busy or anything. The reason I haven't been posting lately is because I've been sick. For weeks now, I've been promising to talk about the USO show I did at MCAS Miramar last month, and I guess it's high time I make good on that promise, especially since that call is part of the reason why I've been laid up for so long. You see, the conditions in that airplane hanger were so frigid, that I caught pneumonia! For weeks, I just chalked it up to asthma and thought nothing of it, but it turned out to be a bit more serious than that and as a result, I had to stay in bed for a couple of weeks.

As for the show itself, it was a tough one. We worked for nearly two weeks putting it all together and just getting generally roughed up. The stage itself was quite a sight when it was all over with, but I would say the performances were a big let down for most. Katy Perry isn't a good live performer. Without ProTools and an Autotuner, there ain't a whole lot left. Nikki Manaj (I don't know if that's how her name is spelled and I don't care) is also a terrible performer. She was botching cues left and right and was just being genuinely unpleasant backstage. I had to hide underneath a step unit used for the opening number that was supposed to have rap number by Minaj, but on the night of the show she just stood there. Wouldn't give an inch. Later on in the evening they had to restart "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun" because Minaj kept blowing her lines. For those of you who watched the show, that was the second take of the song, and it was really obvious that the servicemen in attendance weren't letting her off the hook for screwing up. In all, Heart were the only good band that performed at the show, and they totally blew the roof off the joint.

Like I said, it was a tough show to do and it definitely left an impression on everybody who worked on it. The craziest thing about this show, however, had nothing to do with the performers or the crew. It was all the former classmates I ran into who were working as production assistants for Chloe Productions. I've only kept in touch with a few people from San Diego State since graduating, so I wasn't really expecting to run into anybody so soon, let alone eight former classmates. It was great to see them though and great to see that more than a few of us are working in the field we studied for. Life as a stagehand may be a bit more difficult than that of a production assistant, but it's far more profitable. I have no regrets about staying home after graduating.

But now, it's time to move on to my other profession, the one that doesn't pay the bills. I now present to you my first comics of 2011.

According to my Mom, this actually happened to my Grandma about 25 years ago. Whether it's true or not remains to be seen, as I just don't have the heart to ask my Grandma if it really happened!

Anyway, that's all for this week. Hopefully I'll be back next time with a new wrestling post, one that'll have many of you "swimming" for higher ground I'm sure. Until next time, I'll catch y'all later!

DECK THE HALLS WITH SANTA'S EVIL BROTHER!!!

2010-12-22T16:19:00.000-08:00

Hey folks! Welcome to another exciting edition of "Bad Wrestling Theater". Today's gem comes from the wacky world of the mid 90's WWF. A world ripe with wrestling clowns, plumbers and dudes with yellow jockstraps over their heads (don't ask).

It was the December '95 In Your House pay per view, and longtime heel Ted Dibiase was in the ring bashing Santa Clause, prompting perennial midcarder Savio Vego to come defend jolly old St. Nick's honor. Just as things started to clear up, Vega was attacked by none other than Santa Clause, who had apparently sold out to the Million Dollar Man. Of course, it wasn't actually Santa Clause, but his evil brother, Xanta Klause, who came from the South Pole and stole presents rather than give them.

Yeah, it was pretty bad, but it did result in great Ted Dibiase promo that went "When it comes to the Million Dollar Man, everybody has a price! Even dear, old Santa Clause! HA HA HA HA HA!" What can I say? Only the Million Dollar Man can say that and make it work.

What's that you say? You don't remember any of this ever happening? Well, there's a pretty good reason most longtime fans forgot about this angle. It only lasted a few weeks, if even that! You see, somebody at the Titan Towers must have remembered that Christmas only comes once a year, so it was pointless to push the character past December. That and the gimmick wasn't really getting over anyway. The man behind Xanta, on the hand, had a bit more luck than the character. He would travel to Philadelphia, surfacing in ECW as Balls Mahoney, having good runs in both the original and the reincarnated versions of ECW. Most recently, he appeared at the failed Hardcore Justice pay per view that TNA put on.

And in case you're curious as to who Ted Dibiase selected to be his new Million Dollar Champion, it was former WCW star "Stunning" Steve Austin. Of course now, he was known as the "Ringmaster" and no, he didn't wear a top hat and coattails, which is a bit surprising given the state of the World Wrestling Federation at the time. No, his gimmick was that he was really good, which fans questioned, especially when compared to fellow wrtestlers like Bret Hart and Shawn Michaels. Needless to say, the "Ringmaster" didn't work, so Austin was more or less left to his own device and thus "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, the foul-mouthed redneck antihero, was born. Not long after, the first chapter of Austin 3:16 was written when Austin won the '96 King of the Ring, launching the infamous "Attitude" era of pro wrestling.

And since it's Christmas and I haven't been posting as often as I'd like, I present a special treat for everybody. I give you the Charlie Brown Christmas special, the way it was meant to be seen.

You know? I think they're on to something here. Anybody for a Grinch/Metallica mash-up?

Well, that's all for now. Hopefully, I'll get another post in before Christmas, but if I don't, I want to wish everybody a Merry Christmas and a safe Holiday Season. Until next time, I'll catch y'all later!

FINALLY, SOME CHRISTMAS COMICS!!!

2010-12-16T07:44:00.000-08:00

For those of you who have ever wondered why Mike and Mindy don't talk, here's why: they have terrible singing voices.

Anyway, short update for today. I know that I promised to talk about the Divas show this week, but I just don't have any time right now. But I promise I'll get to it soon. Too many surreal things happened on this call not to cover it.

Anyway, enough talking. Let's get to the comics...

Hope this was helpful to you.

For those of who have never been to Tijuana before, or simply don't know, that's the legendary Zebra Donkey that Santa is partying with. There's no real back story to the Zebra Donkey. It's a Tijuana tradition that's been around for decades, mostly for tourists who like to get their pictures taken with it. And now you know, and knowing is half the battle (cue G.I. Joe theme).

And since it's Christmas time, how about a holiday jingle...

Truth be told, I wasn't much of a fan of Home Alone 2. I mean, I'll watch it if it's on, but the first Home Alone was much better. I do like this song though, especially the great saxophone work of Clarence Clemons. That's the E Street band backing up Darlene Love by the way (sharp-eyed observers may even recognize former Late Night and Tonight Show drummer Max Weinberg). Darlene was just announced as an inductee to the Rock 'n Roll Hall of Fame, so congratulations to her.

Anyway, that's it for now. I'll be back next time with a Christmas wrestling post. Until then, I'll catch y'all later!

GOOD GOD WHAT A TIME!

2010-12-06T11:08:00.000-08:00

Sorry for the lack of posts lately. I have been unimaginably busy. I was put on the call for the VH1 Divas Live show that was shot at MCAS Miramar, which took eight days to put together, two days to rehearse and shoot, and three days to load out. You would not believe how beat up I am right now. I even lost ten pounds! As a result, I haven't had time for anything lately. I even had to cancel an SCCS appearance at the San Diego Blood drive that the Chargers do every year. So rather than post a couple of rushed, shabbily-drawn cartoons (as opposed to the shabbily-drawn cartoons that I take my time on), today I'm just gonna post a holiday treat so all the readers out there know that I'm still alive, just busy. And what better way to kick off the holidays than by spending a little quality time with the McKenzie Brothers, Bob and Doug.

You know? I don't drink, but a beer does sound pretty good right about now.

Anyway, I hate ending my post on a sad note, but I have to make mention of two recent losses: Irving Kershner and Leslie Nielsen. Kershner directed The Empire Strikes Back, which is not only the best of the Star Wars movies, but one of the best movies period. It works on pretty much all levels and had some of best visual effects ever. I learned a lot about lighting for film by watching the scene in the carbon freeze chamber. He was a good director (Robocop 2 aside) and he will be missed. Anybody who has read my comics has probably figured out that the films of Jim Abrahams and the Jerry and David Zucker were a huge influence on me growing up. As funny as those guys are, a big part of the reason those films worked was because of the actors they cast in them, and there was none better than Leslie Nielsen. His deadpan delivery would always have me in stitches and the scene at the opening of The Naked Gun where he beats up all the terrorists is still the funniest part of the movie, and that's hard to say, because so many scenes in that movie are outrageously funny. I'll really miss Leslie Nielsen, but I take comfort in the fact that he leaves a great list of films to look back on and that he kind of closed the circle, doing an Airplane! reprisal at the end of Scary Movie 3. Goodbye Leslie. This world was a much better place for your having been here.

Well, that's it for this week. I'll be back next time with some new cartoons, another holiday video, and a bunch of pictures and tidbits from the Vh1 Divas show. Until next time, I'll catch y'all later!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING Y'ALL

2010-11-18T18:45:00.001-08:00

Well, it's that time a year again. Time to watch some football, stuff ourselves silly, and get down with some Wrestlecrap. 2010 marks the tenth anniversary of wrestlecrap.com, one of my all time favorite websites. Founded in 2000 by RD Reynolds, it has grown from humble beginnings to become one of the most popular sites on the web, spawning a radio show and no less than three books! It truly is one of the funniest things ever created, and I happily bow to RD as the true master of wrestling knowledge.

Some of you probably recognize the Shockmaster and Doink the Clown from previous posts, but the other three, from left to right, are the Shark (yes, those are teeth painted on his beard), voodoo master Papa Shongo, and the ultimate ripoff, the Renegade. I was a little on the fence about including Shark and the Renegade, since John Tenta and Rick Wilson have since passed away, but it's the characters I'm poking fun at, not the men behind them. John Tenta had a great sense of humor about his wrestlecrap past, even writing the forward to the first book! I kept things in perspective, and hopefully everybody will see that.

Anyway, I promised that if everybody was good, I'd give a Thanksgiving treat to everyone. Well, I don't know for sure if y'all were good, but I'm willing to take everbody's word for it. So here ya go, some more hijinx with the Gobbeldy Gooker!

Poor Fred Ottman. That guy could never really catch a break. The Shockmaster wasn't his first bad gimmick, but it certainly was his worst. So here, for the time ever in the same place, The Gobbeldy Gooker and the Shockmaster; wrestling's worst gimmicks!

And since it wouldn't be Thanksgiving without a visit from Luke and Butch, here's the Bushwackers!

It seems that dressing like giant birds runs in the Guerrero family. Anybody who's been watching Smackdown lately may have seen Jack Swagger's eagle mascot walking with him. Well, that's none other than Chavo Guerrero, Jr. hiding under the feathers. Well, at least his face is hidden.

Anyway that's all for now. I won't be posting again until December, so I want to wish everybody a Happy Thanksgiving and good luck braving the crowds on "Black Friday"! Take care and I'll see y'all next mont. Later!

WATCH OUT!!! IT"S GONNA BLOW!!!

2010-11-14T19:16:00.000-08:00

Hey folks, I'm back and ready for some crappy wrestling! I've often been accused of being unfair towards WCW since all of my wrestling posts have by and large been aimed at them. While it's true, I was a much more of a fan of the WWF than WCW, that doesn't mean that I think every move that Vince McMahon has ever made has been a good one. In fact, some of the worst gimmicks ever have come out of the WWF, including today's entry, often considered the Queen Mother of bad wrestling gimmicks (I still call the Shockmaster the worst).

Let's set the wayback machine to Thanksgiving night, 1990. It's a chilly night in Hartford, CT and the WWF is putting on its annual Survivor Series pay per view. For months on end, the WWF had carted around a giant egg to all their TV tapings, claiming that the only way to see what was inside was to order the show. Exactly why this egg was so important was never explained, but people were certainly interested. Given that the WWF had a good track record of delivering surprises, most fans probably assumed it was a new wrestler (and they were half right, but more on that later).

So the show went on, with fans itching to know what was inside. Finally, "Mean" Gene Okerland was dispatched to ringside, or eggside on this occasion, for the hatching. Gene teased fans as to what could be inside, suggesting a dinosaur, balloons or even the Playmate of the Month! Much to the chagrin of the fans, it was none of the above, although had this happened during the "Attitude" era (1997-2002), a Playboy Playmate probably would have hatched out of that egg. Nope, instead, this happened...

I think the video above is all the evidence you need to know that this whole thing went over about as well as a fart in church. I mean, look at that thing; it looks like a muppet on crack! It's hard to explain the motives behind the Gobbledy Gooker, but if I had to guess, the WWF probably thought that having a mascot might be a good way to appeal to a younger audience. They already had a lot of success marketing to children through toylines, clothing, video games, even an ice cream bar! A man in a turkey costume seemed like the next logical step. Either that or Vince McMahon had decided that conquering most of the known wrestling world at that time wasn't good enough, so it time to take on Sesame Street! Sadly the gimmick failed, thus robbing us of a Gooker/Big Bird match at Wrestlemania.

With the Gobbledy Gooker being a huge failure, the WWF dumped the character, refusing to even acknowledge its existence for many years. However, some vignettes, like the one below, were taped with the Gooker before hand, but it's unknown if they ever actually aired.

In the spring of 2001, fans were shocked to see that the Gooker was included in the Wrestlemania 17 Gimmick Battle Royal. The real shock, however, came in the positive reaction the crowd gave him. Wrestling is kind of funny like that. Crap that we hated twenty years ago can sometimes be remembered fondly as a nostalgic sign of its time. And in case you're curious, that's Hector Guerrero, the older brother of the late, great Eddie Guerrero, who donned the feathers and whiffle balls that fateful night.

And as for the fans being half right about a new wrestler being the big surprise. Later on in the evening, former WCW jobber "Mean" Mark Calloway carried an urn for the first time, making his debut as the Undertaker, one of the most successful gimmicks of all time. See that? The show wasn't a total loss.

Well, that's all for today. I hope y'all enjoyed this latest wrestling entry. I don't know if I'll post again this month, but if everybody behaves themselves, I might post a Thanksgiving treat for everybody. Take care, and I'll catch y'all later!

COMICS WEEK IS HERE!!!

2010-11-05T15:19:00.000-07:00

Hey folks, I'm back and ready to entertain. Hopefully, everybody had a safe and fun Halloween this year. Judging by the increased traffic my blog had last week, I'm guessing some girls discovered my mentioning that I had to work the Justin Beiber concert last week. I'm going to go ahead and burst everybody's bubble right now. Yes, I worked it. No, I didn't meet him. I did see him however, and man is that kid short! I mean, he couldn't have been no more 4'5" at best. I had a hard time believing he was a teenager (When I was 16, I was already 6' even.). Is it any wonder some twelve year old beat his ass a few weeks back! His road crew were real nice guys. They didn't think too highly of him though.

It was a busy but fun weekend, the highlight of which was catching up with Matt Lorentz. He's busy distributing the Aftercon pieces that sold while returning the ones that didn't sell. We only had a few minutes to talk, but it was great to see him again. He gave me some great tips for coloring with Prisma Color Markers. So maybe now, my comics will have a more professional look to them. Now if only I had asked him for some tips on coloring within the lines! If you're reading this Matt, you're a cool dude and I look forward to working with you again in the future, and thanks again for the coloring tips!

Anyway, enough of the sentimental crap. Enjoy the comics!

I do hope this month's comics were enjoyable. Bad and Worse is a new feature I'm introducing this week, and I'm hoping it catches on. This won't be a monthly comic, but I do plan on doing more of them should you fine readers like it.

Well, that's it for today. I'll be back next time with a real "turkey" of a wrestling post. I think you folks will really "gobble" it up! It's going to be "egg-ceptional"! (Man, I really suck at this coming up with puns thing!) Until next time, y'all take care now. Later!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!

2010-10-29T12:34:00.000-07:00

Hey folks! Just a quick little update today. I have a very busy weekend ahead working both a concert and the load out for Beauty and the Beast. I'm not looking forward to the concert, since the performer in question is Justin Beiber. I really don't see what all the fuss is. Beyond the fact that he's pretty average looking, he also has zero talent. His singing voice is one of the worst I have ever heard, and I still hold a grudge over his butchering the opening line of the We Are The World remake. With that said, money is money, and I still need to earn a living.

Anyway, enough ranting, enjoy the video.

This cover has actually been around for a few years now, but it's still really weird to see a Disney/Marilyn Manson team up. I suppose weirder things have happened. Perhaps in the future, we'll see Rob Zombie do a cover of Zip-A-Dee-Do-Da! A lot of credit goes out to composer Danny Elfman. He had long thought that a Manson cover of This is Halloween would work and, luckily, Disney chief Bob Iger agreed.

Well, that just about does it. I'll be back next time with some new comics, and maybe even a couple of pics. Have a safe and awesome Halloween and try not to party too hard. We all got school or work the next day! Well, I don't, but I sure somebody does.

Until next time, I'll catch y'all later!

WE'RE TALKING GHOSTBUSTERS, RAY STEVENS, CATS AND DOGS LIVING TOGETHER, MASS HYSTERIA!!!

2010-10-21T18:39:00.000-07:00

Hey folks, sorry about missing last week. It's been crazy busy for me lately. Between a pick up in my work schedule and continued work on my book, I just haven't had much free time lately (In the last two weeks alone I've worked three conventions, done a full lighting restore and worked both the Carrie Underwood and Shakira concerts!). I haven't even had time to just plain hang out! Hopefully, things will settle down a little next week, so I can decorate my house and carve my pumpkins for Halloween. To make up for lost time, I'm doing a double post this week, so try to enjoy the videos.

Ah, it just wouldn't be Halloween without the Ghostbusters. Hands down one of the greatest movies ever made, I've always loved this film. An interesting tidbit about this video is that one of the celebrity cameos, John Candy, was supposed to play Luis in the film. Unfortunately, he was contracted to do Splash for Disney, and wasn't able to commit. Funny thing is, as much as I admired John Candy, I really can't imagine anybody but Rick Moranis playing Luis now. In the end, I think it worked out for everbody.

It's also interesting to note that Huey Lewis and the News were offered the Ghostbusters theme but turned it down, thinking the movie wouldn't be successful (Smooth Move Einstein!). He eventually sued, claiming that Ray Parker, Jr. used the music from Lewis' song I Wanna New Drug. The whole mess was eventually settled out of court and Lewis went on to do the music for Back to the Future. Quite frankly, it's hard to say who really won this battle. Both movies were wildly popular and are still loved to this day. Lewis had a far more successful career, but Parker's Ghostbusters theme was far more popular than the Lewis' Back to the Future songs, Power of Love and Back in Time. I happened to like all the songs.

And now it's time for round two...

I don't have much info on the story behind this video, other than my brother Dante and me used to laugh our asses off at this thing when we were little. I have to admit, this video has a slightly different feeling for me this year, having lost my cousin a few months back. But laughter has always been the best medicine for me, and this video is tasteful, or as tasteful as a funeral gone awry can be I guess. Ray Stevens was "Weird" Al before there even was a Weird Al. I've always been a big fan of his, and I hope to post more of his videos in the future.

Well, that just about does it. I hope to be back next time with another Halloween themed post to set the mood for All Hallows Eve. Until then, I'll catch y'all later!

THE HORROR!!! THE HORROR!!!

2010-10-08T13:14:00.000-07:00

Since it's October, and since so many of you seem to really enjoy my wrestling posts, especially my old pal Eddy, here's another gem from wrestling's past!

In 1991, nothing was going right for WCW. They fired Ric Flair, lost their championship belt (long story), and their new world champ, Lex Luger, wanted out of the business. With Halloween Havoc rapidly approaching, things needed to improve. Halloween Havoc was always a mixed bag for WCW. Some years it was fairly decent, while other years it was downright terrible. The 1991 show fell into the later category. With everything having hit rock bottom, WCW threw their remaining draws into a cage, tossed in an electric chair, and dubbed the main event "The Chamber of Horrors"!

Yes, you read that right, an electric chair, or, as WCW dubbed it, the "Chair of Torture!" You see, Turner brass felt that an electric chair might sound scary or offensive, despite this being a Halloween-themed show. Funny, they never saw any offense in naming wrestlers after Nazi codes or dressing a pair of wrestlers up as slaves, but they sure saw an electric chair as being a potential lawsuit.

Anyway, I'll spare you a match description here. The whole thing sucked, despite having Sting, the Steiner Brothers, Scott Hall (as the Diamond Stud), Cactus Jack, Big Van Vader, Abdulah the Butcher and, just for laughs, El Gigante (who sadly passed away recently). The whole point was to strap your opponent into the chair and flick the switch, which hilariously fell into the "ON" position a few times during the match (Check the 1:55 part of the video; you can see a ref put it back!).

Anyway, that was pretty much it. The only real highlight of the show was the shocking revelation of Ravishing Rick Rude as the WCW Halloween Phantom. His debut was about the only positive thing to happen to WCW that year.

There was also Eric Bischoff in his vampire costume, thus earning him the permanent nickname of "Count Fagula" among longtime wrestling fans. (For pictures, check out wrestlecrap.com!)

Well, that's all for now. Until next time, I'll catch y'all later!

COMICS AND A DEAD MAN'S PARTY! WHO COULD ASK FOR MORE?!

2010-10-02T18:10:00.000-07:00

Alright! October is finally here! Halloween has always been one of my favorite holidays of the year, so this month every post will include a Halloween themed video. I can't guarantee a weekly onslaught here, as my work schedule is about to pick up, but I do have some great videos planned for when I do post, including another hilarious moment from wrestling's past. So sit back and enjoy one of the greatest songs ever made from one of music's all time greatest bands, Oingo Boingo!

Seriously people? Is there any better way to kick off October than with a Dead Man's Party?

There aren't a whole lot interesting tidbits behind the song, other than it made its debut in the film Back to School, a hilarious romp starring the late great Rodney Dangerfield (It's sad to think that there is now a whole generation of kids out there who don't know about this movie or who Rodney was!). All I know is, if somebody could have gotten Oingo Boingo to play at one of the dorm parties at San Diego State, I might have enjoyed my time there a lot more.

Anyway, enough yapping, enjoy the comics!

There's a lesson to be learned here: be careful who you moon!

Well, that's all for now. I'll be back next time with a funny wrestling post that is truly horrifying!
Until next time, I'll catch y'all later!

DON'T FORGET TO BREATHE!!!

2010-09-24T13:27:00.000-07:00

First off, sorry about the lack of updates lately. Work has actually been pretty light this month. As a result, I've been taking some time to work on my book as well as some other things that have needed attention, like sorting through all of my Comic Con Swag! (Yes, it takes that long to go through everything.) Although I do plan on posting weekly throughout October, I can't make any promises as my work schedule is definitely going to pick up during the next two months. Hopefully, everything will work out somehow.

Anyway, to make up for the last two weeks, I present to you my all-time favorite skit from Mr. Show with Bob and David: DRUGGACHUSSETTES! I'll go ahead and give everybody a fair warning: THIS CLIP IS NOT FOR KIDS! It actually isn't too terrible, no cussing or nudity or anything like that. But there is a lot of drug humor, so consider yourselves warned. In case you're curious, they are making fun of Sid and Marty Kroft's H.R. Puff 'n' Stuff and Lidsville, a pair of terrible shows from the 70's that were supposed to be for kids, but often had more of a following with college crowds. The Kroft brothers had a whole slew of shows throughout the decade, each more trippy than the last. If you've ever wondered what it's like to be high, just check some of these shows out on youtube, and you'll get a pretty good idea why you shouldn't do drugs (or you can just watch TNA every Thursday, both are pretty good examples).

For those of you who don't know, that's Tom Kenny stripping down to his tighty whities there as Prof. Ellis D. Trails. You may not know his name, but you've definitely heard his voice. He has voiced hundreds of cartoon characters, most notably Spongebob Squarepants.

Anyway, I'll be back next time with some new comics and a Halloween video to kick off October. Until next time, I'll catch y'all later!

OH MY GOD!!! IT'S A HORNY MUMMY!!!

2010-09-11T11:59:00.000-07:00

Hey folks! I'm posting a bit earlier than usually this week 'cause I need some time to work on my book. My style has evolved considerably since I first started. So much so that I now have to re-draw a bunch of stuff! Eh, if it needs to be done, than it needs to be done.

Anyway, I promised some truly terrible wrestling today, and I'd hate to keep you waiting. I have long contended that the Shockmaster is the worst gimmick ever done. A good argument can be made for the Gobbledy Gooker, but I'll take the shockmaster for the simple fact that he was meant to be main eventer. Do I think there were gimmicks that were even worse? Believe it or not, yes! If anything could top the Shockmaster, it'd be the Yeti. Who was the Yeti you ask? Let's go back a bit to find out.

The Dungeon of Doom was a magnet for crappy wrestlers. Created by longtime heel Kevin Sullivan as a means of destroying Hulk Hogan, the Dungeon was more a less group of goofy gimmicks that consisted of giants, fishmen, cannibals and even a leprechaun! Despite assembling such a motley unit, the Dungeon was never able to rid WCW of Hulkamania, much to the fans dismay. At Halloween Havoc 95, Sullivan decided to up the ante by introducing the Yeti (or Yet-ay, as Tony Schiavoni continually referred to him by).

A huge block of ice was wheeled out to the entance ramp as Hogan began to battle WCW champion the Giant (now known as the Big Show). As the match came to a close, a big melee ensued, at which point the Yeti broke loose, and turned out to be, well... a mummy. I guess the Turner brass didn't know much about their mythological creatures. To say it looked ridiculous would be an understatement, but things got worse when the Yeti hopped into the ring and proceeded to get freaky with Hulkamania!

Mere words are not enough to describe just how horrible this thing was. I don't know about you, but a mummy trying to violate Hulk Hogan is not my idea of good family entertainment! The Yeti didn't last too long and eventually resurfaced as Reese, a member of Raven's flock. The Dungeon of Doom, meanwhile, went the way of most mid-90s WCW gimmicks and disappeared after the nWo showed up.

Well, that's all for now folks. I'll catch y'all later!

YAY!!! IT'S COMICS WEEK!!!

2010-09-06T12:18:00.000-07:00

Hey folks, sorry about the delay. I had a busy week, working the Melissa Ethridge concert, as well as helping my good friend Tyrell Bodner out with his latest short film. It was an interesting shoot at a flower shop that gave me a chance to do some lighting for film, which I haven't done in almost two years! It also gave me a chance to reconnect with my old pals from San Diego State: Becky, Charlie and Isaac. It was a lot of fun and I now have a much greater appreciation for flower arrangement.

Anyway, for weeks now, I've promised to cover the Aftercon Art Show (pictured above) that I was a part of, so here goes. The Aftercon was a great event. It was a little nerve racking for me at first, being the least-known artist there. But everybody was very kind and gracious to me. Matt Lorentz, Mark Richmond and Wordell Brown, who organized the whole thing, are great dudes and were very encouraging (I had actually helped them set up the gallery the weekend before the show). Jason Reyes and Dave and Doreen Dotson were also very kind people, Doreen in particular. It must have been pretty obvious that I looked like a fish out of water, because Doreen kept me company pretty much the entire time I was there. She was very kind and sweet and even asked me to contribute to her sketchbook! (A hastily drawn Wonder Woman sketch in case you're curious) She made me feel a lot more welcome and encouraged me to join the Southern California Cartoonists Society (SCCS), which I did! I can't go any further without mentioning a couple of Aftercon attendees, Pete and Melissa. This kind couple went to check out the show, and thought highly enough of my work to ask me to draw their portrait in my style. I was very flattered and honored to be asked to do this by a couple of fans, and so it shall always be known that Pete and Melissa were the first people to ever ask me for a sketch and autograph. It was a great experience and I can't wait until next year's show.

If you're wondering why I didn't put more pictures of the Aftercon up, it's simply because I don't know what I can and cannot post in terms of other people's artwork. While it's easy to assume that everybody would be cool with it, I don't know for sure, so rather than risk getting a slew of threatening phone calls from people, I'd rather just let it be. If you want to see some of the other pieces, check out www.sheldorftribute.com or www.aftercon.blogspot.com. You can also check out my August posts to see my pieces again (Always a plus!).

Anyway, I think I've bored you enough for today. Enjoy the comics!

This piece was actually supposed to be in the book I'm working on right now, but since it's taking longer than expected, I felt I should post it while it's still somewhat relevant. The panels are pretty self-explanatory, except for the first one. You see, I started out at Southwestern Community college. One day while walking to class, I came across a dude dressed like a pirate. Given that it was at the Telemedia (Film) Department, it didn't seem all that odd. I figured he was part of somebody's project. That wasn't the case. It turned out he was just some crazy guy who dressed up like a pirate everyday and offered hugs as a way to spread world peace. I can't say he's been all that successful in his quest, but to my knowledge, he's still there!

Well, it's been great, but I got to get going. I got a special request from one of my subscribers to do a really bad wrestling post, one of Shockmaster and Gobbledy Gooker levels. Well, I'm always happy to oblige my fans, and I definitely have a gimmick of epically bad proportions in store for next time.

Until then, I'll catch y'all later!

WELCOME TO OZ!!!

2010-08-24T12:02:00.000-07:00

Well, I'm back after a busy couple of weeks setting up a few conventions and trade shows in Downtown San Diego. Although all pale in comparison to Comic Con, the fact is we get some huge shows out here, and some one's got to put them together. I actually have a couple more that I'll be doing over the next three days, hence the reason I'm posting now.

Over the last few weeks, I've been going crazy with wrestling nostalgia. I've picked up some DVDs lately, namely The Best of Monday Night Raw: 1993-1994 and Greatest Superstars of the 1990's. It's funny to see how much Doink the Clown, of all wrestlers, was such a big part of the WWF back then. I'm not saying he was a bad wrestler. In fact, his matches were pretty good. It's a shock, I guess, because a character like that should not have succeeded. I mentioned before that Doink was a bit of a badass. He would do wild things, like hit Crush with a car battery, or throw pies at kids sitting in the front row. He did whatever he wanted to do, and after a while, fans couldn't help but root for him. It was also interesting to note how much they put over Scott Hall, Sean Waltman and Jeff Jarrett on these DVDs. Perhaps an olive branch has been extended?

Of course, not all bad gimmicks are as lucky (Do I really need to bring up the Shockmaster again?). But in the cartoony world of the early-90's WWF, the really goofy gimmicks like Doink, the Repo Man and Papa Shango didn't really seem out of place. In WCW, however, where they prided themselves more on the "sports" side of sports-entertainment, the goofy crap seemed really uncalled for. Given the success that the WWF has having in those days, you couldn't really blame WCW for trying to follow suit. Unfortunately, nobody ever really seemed to put much thought into the gimmicks and angles before throwing them at a paying audience (anybody who sits through a TNA show every week probably knows where I'm getting at here).

I could go on for hours about some of WCW's biggest Flops. Flops like the Dynamic Dudes, skateboarders who didn't skateboard or Van Hammer, a guitar player who couldn't play guitar, although he sure knew how to carry one around. And let's not forget about P.N News, a 300lb. white rapper who, well, just plain sucked. Poor Brad Armstrong was actually one of the most talented wrestlers to ever work for WCW, but for one reason or another he was always saddled with terrible gimmicks. His most infamous was Arachnaman, a Spiderman ripoff that was actually shelved after Marvel comics threatened legal action. His next gimmick? The Candyman, where he came to the ring passing out candy to kids at ringside. You know, I was always taught to never take candy from strangers. And they don't get any stranger than a man in red and white striped tights passing out candy. Of course, all of these pale to the sheer horror that is this little dandy below.

Behold the power of OZ!

For those of you who aren't wrestling fans, that's Kevin Nash. Oz was his first major singles gimmick, right after his run with the Master Blasters (a future post). The little man in the mask calling himself the Wizard is Kevin Sullivan, he himself a purveyor of wrestlecrap. Basically, Ted Turner owned WCW. He had also just purchased the MGM film library. The Turner brass felt that a good way to promote the newly acquired library was to create wrestling gimmicks based on movies, which wasn't new. The Mad Max movies had inspired dozens of wrestlers. This time however, it didn't work very good. The whole thing was just plain weird. In addition to goofy entrance music and the drooping backdrop, there was also the fact that the neon green tights and and silver hair made Nash look ridiculous (when he first showed up in TNA with his now naturally gray hair, I though he was doing Oz again). The contact lenses he wore also didn't help. If anything, it made Nash look like he was on an acid trip, which is how most people who witnessed this thing no doubt felt. Oz didn't last long, and Nash eventually became Vinnie Vegas, a New York thug. When that didn't work, he headed north the WWF, became Diesel, and went on to become a big star. He then returned to WCW as one half of the Outsiders with Scott Hall, thus launching the Monday Night Wars. These days, he works for TNA, probably bracing himself for the eventually bottom falling out. Ted Turner, meanwhile, figured that perhaps creating a new cable channel was a better way to promote his new film library. And thus Turner Classic Movies, or TCM, was born.

Well, I think I've wasted enough of your time for this week. I'll be back next time with some new comics and, I promise this time, a recap of the Aftercon. Y'all take care now, LATER!

IF CHRISTOPHER NOLAN DIRECTED "DUMB AND DUMBER"

2010-08-13T13:23:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the short post this week. Work has suddenly crept up on me, so I only have time for a funny video. And this is a great one. Mash-ups are one of my favorite things to look up on youtube, and the best ones are usually comedies or family films made to look scary (see House of 1000 Muppets or A Christmas Gory or Stoogeback Mountain). This time around, we get to see the serious side of Dumb and Dumber. Now if only someone would do a scary mash-up of The Naked Gun!

Anyway, I hope to be back next week so I can finally do a post about the Aftercon. Nobody else who was there seems to be covering it on their site or blogs, and I'd hate to follow along with that.

Enjoy the video, and I'll catch y'all next time.

Damn! I think the guy who did this mash-up might be onto something!

IT'S COMICS WEEK!!! YEAH!!!

2010-08-08T12:03:00.000-07:00

Yep, Dr. Roxxo loves him some blog comics!

Anyway, I'm a bit late updating this week. Sorry about that. I've been really busy lately with work and some other things that needed my attention. Still, I'm back now with some new comics as well as all the pieces that I did for the Aftercon. I would have liked to have posted some of the pictures from the Aftercon, but my computer ain't being too cooperative right now. Perhaps next week I'll be able to finally get around to covering this great event. In the meantime, enjoy the cartoons and I'll catch y'all next week. Later!

Although I love this piece, I have to admit, it's not my best coloring job. Lesson to all would-be cartoonists: never do your coloring if it's late and you have poor vision.

This piece is actually quite special. As some of you may remember, my cousin Ivan passed away a couple of months ago. Not long afterward, my niece Camilla, being the great kid that she is, put together a book for our Tia Corina (Ivan's mom) that collected memories from all the relatives about Ivan. He loved comics and cartoons, and loved Comic Con, more than me even. So I felt the best way to pay tribute was in the comic form. Each panel describes a different memory that actually happened, the funniest of which occurred when Ivan convinced me that it'd be a good idea to throw a paint can off the roof of my clubhouse. Needless to say, evidence of this incident still exists on the side of my Tia Lilia's house! Ivan was a real rascal and I still miss him. Party on dude!

This was just the postcard I passed around at Comic Con this year, as well as the Wizard World Anaheim show. It's because of this card that I got into the Aftercon.

This is a piece I did for Phil Yeh as a thank you for inviting me to participate in the Aftercon. Amazingly enough, he remembered me when I gave it to him, even though it had been three months and my hair was about seven inches shorter! Phil's a great guy and his Winged Tiger comics are must reads for anybody who wants to be a cartoonist or writer.

This was one of my Aftercon pieces. Sadly, it wasn't shown for one reason or another. So now, I present it to you, the fans of the stuff in hopes that maybe somebody will appreciate it.

This was a piece that I had submitted for the Comic Con Souvenir Book. Sadly it didn't get in. I had a feeling it wouldn't so sent it into the Aftercon as well. Luckily, Matt Lorentz and Mark Richmond aren't as picky.

My "Peanuts/D.C." piece. This was the one I was most proud of. A lot of people seemed to like it, but alas, it never sold. Oh well.

We have come to the end. This was the piece that actually sold. Granted, it was to my Uncle Victor, but he wasn't the first bidder! It looks like I might actually have some fans out there!

Take care folks!