WAVIN' BY TO SEPTEMBER WITH WENDY!!!

Welcome back CRAZIES!!!  Well, we have come to it at last.  The very end.  The grand finale.  But if we are gonna end things, we are gonna do it right.  And I can't think of a better way to say goodbye than with the first character I ever came up!  So let's put an end to things here once and for all as we cross the T's and dot the I's one last time for the month of September 2026 and prepare to move forward into October!  What?  Did you think I meant something else?  Y'all are stuck with me 'til I croak!  Anyhoo, onto the art!  Enjoy...

Hey hey!  It's little Wendy Oriole!  The very first character I ever created, Wendy has drifted in and out of stories over the years, debuting initially in the ill-fated One-Shot Express to even popping up Mushrooms and random CRAZYVERSE toons over the years.  Her intention though has always been Peppertown, the tale of a lonely slacker named Joe Oriole who sees his life changed drastically when an odd little alien girl named Wendy is suddenly thrust into his care!  I've started and restarted this story on several occasions and even did a solo offshoot Christmas picture book called Wendy's Christmas Chaos a few years back that proved to be somewhat popular, but not much else has come from it since largely due to lack of time.  Prior to Covid, I had quite a bit free time on my hands.  I'll never truly understand why previous regimes at my work seemed so determined to hold me back, especially since I've always just kept quite did as told.  Post Covid, my schedule's never been busier.  Financially it's been a blessing.  Tough from a creative standpoint, but bills must come first.  Just wish I could've been working like this before I got all old and broken!  Regardless, I came to the conclusion that as a webcomic, Peppertown just doesn't work.  It's longform and as such should really be a book.  I will eventually get around to doing it.  I too have many ideas and love the characters too much not to try and get something done with them.  However, it'll likely mean a reduction in Bubble Fox comics during the times the books are being worked on.  It's a small sacrifice to make, but these are the kinds of things creators gotta do.  As for the piece itself, it actually came out really good, only a few spots that didn't smooth out all the way.

And now that the Spooking Season is upon us, don't forget to leave your offerings to the Gregarious Gourd this Halloween, otherwise he will leave you TRICKS instead of TREATS!!!

And that's a wrap on September 2026!  I hope y'all enjoyed these colored pencil portraits of CRAZY Characters!  Be sure to come back next week as we kickoff October with some spooky art!  Until then, take care, stay safe and I'll catch y'all later!

A COLORFUL POST FOR A REGULAR JOE!!!

Welcome back, welcome back, welcome back...  We are almost done with September CRAZIES, but there's no reason feel sad about it.  That means we're that much closer to Halloween!  And cooler weather!  Depending on where you live, you might even have a sweater on already!  Here in Reverse Narnia, aka San Diego, it's pretty much always hot.  Think I might retire to Canada someday.  The heat just gets to me!  But enough about that, it's art time!  Dug up a really old pal for today's post so scroll down and get reacquainted!  Enjoy...

Well bless my soul!  It's Joe Oriole!  Who?  You know?  Joe Oriole?  From Peppertown?  The series I started and swore I haven't forgotten about I've just been too busy to really continue with?  Look, cartooning is a fun hobby and all, but the keyword here is hobby.  I'm not paid to do it.  I got a job, I got a house, I got pets, I got responsibilities.  It's all I can do to keep up with this Blog and Bubble Fox sometimes.  Peppertown will have its time and place eventually, but more on that next week.  This was a piece that I was relatively happy with.  The background came out really cool but accidentally ruined Joe in the foreground with all the dust from the black and dark blue colored pencils spreading!  Just goes to show you that sometimes, it really doesn't matter how careful you are with these things.

Well, one more post to go, but I promise you we'll be ending September on a colorful note before heading into the dark corners of October, so be sure to come back and check it out!  Until next time, take care, stay safe and I'll catch y'all later!

DANCIN' IN THE MOONLIGHT!!!

Welcome back CRAZIES!!!  More than halfway through September already, can y'all believe it?  I don't know why it is that time feels like it speeds up the older you get, but man I wouldn't mind things slowing down a little bit at least.  Especially when it comes to things that I enjoy, like colored pencil art.  Speaking of which, I have more to show off this week if you'd be willing to scroll down and take a look?  Enjoy...

Simon Asparago: The Dancing Asparagus!  Born of the Former Buns & Wieners Art Collaboration on Twitter so many years ago, Simon came about from the first Comic Jam I took part in.  For those who don't know, a Comic Jam is when a comic is started and then passed on to another artist from panel to panel until it is finished.  Early on in the comic, one of the other artists had made mention of a giant, dancing asparagus.  I took it a step further and drew the asparagus and gave it a bowtie and personality.  He became the unofficial mascot of B&W until the club just kinda faded away for sone reason (To this day, there are at least two or three unfinished comics floating around in somebody's inbox waiting to be passed on).  From time to time, I still drew the asparagus, but had never given him a name, until recently.  When he reemerged in a Mike & Mindy anniversary comic, I finally gave him a first name, Simon, after my dear pal, Simon McLaren from England whom I'd met through the Comic Jams.  We bonded quickly over a mutual love of cartooning and absurdist humor and always kept in touch, even as the world rapidly changed around us.  Simon sadly passed away a few years ago.  His digital imprint is all I have left of my pal.  Though I never met him in person, I know he of all people would've appreciated the outrageousness of having an anthropomorphic dancing vegetable named after him.  After all, absurdist humor is how we became friends in the first place!  Sly, I really miss ya bud.  I wish we could've had a few more chats.  I hope you're in a Heaven where Bullet Paw and his pals play you their critter style of blues nonstop.

Another week down as we continue our trek through the falling leaves.  But, more art is coming, so do be sure to come back and see who our next CRAZY subject will be to get the colored pencil treatment!  Until then, take care, stay safe and I'll catch y'all later!

BAGPIPIN' FOR THE SEASON!!!

We are back!  Have I told y'all before just how much I love the Fall?  I don't know.  Maybe it's the food, maybe it's the weather, maybe it's because it's the prelude to the holidays, but there's just something about the Fall Season that's just so special to me.  There's nothing nicer than hot cider and a slice of spice cake on a cool Autumn's eve...  Getting a tear in my eye just typing that!  Anyhoo, I got some art!  It's rendered in colored pencils!  You should scroll down and check it out!  Enjoy...

Hello there! It's Gerty MacGrouse!  She's a little Scottie bird, a grouse to be precise, who plays the bagpipes and wears a kilt and a glengarry!  She initially came to the Crazy Forest to teach music, and was nearly driven crazy by her students, but all ended well when the critters showed Gerty how much of a difference she made in their lives and how much they wanted her to stay!  She still appears in Bubble Fox comics from time to time, as recently as this year even, being among the patients wedged into the Balloon Ward at Stokes General Hospital!  This piece came out considerably better than last week's art featuring Nega Bubble.  Again, the colors on Gerty herself blended very well (Smaller Area = Easier Blending).  The background actually looks pretty good all things considered.  Sharper lines can offer greater contrast, but the point of colored pencils is smooth transitions.  Slowly but surely, I'm getting there.

Another week down as we head to the halfway point of September!  But never fear, for we got some more colorful art dancing its way over, so be sure to come back and cheer it on!  Until then, take care, stay safe and I'll catch y'all later!

WELCOME TO COLORFUL SEPTEMBER CRAZIES!!!

Well, another September is upon us, and with it, another Fall!  The Spooking Season has arrived!  I tell ya, I am ready for some crisp Autumn weather.  This past Summer was miserably hot and made it damn near impossible to enjoy anything.  BRING ON THE COLD!!!  Anyway, enough talk, it's time for some art!  For the past couple of years, September has highlighted some of my efforts with colored pencils, and I see no reason to change things now.  So scroll down and see the first of this month's CRAZY, hand-rendered, fine art offerings!  Enjoy...

Oh my!  He's vicious!  He's dastardly!  He's cunning!  Or at least he wants to be!  It's Bubble Fox's arch nemesis, Nega Bubble, Bubble's evil opposite self from a parallel dimension!  Whereas Bubble Fox is orange, Nega Bubble is Blue.  While Bubble Fox is kind and caring, Nega Bubble is evil and nasty.  And while Bubble Fox isn't necessarily the smartest, he is swift and crafty, of which Nega Bubble isn't, hence the reason Bubble Fox is always able to trick his foe into defeat anytime he shows up!  This piece could have turned out better if I'm being honest.  The blends on Nega Bubble came out great, but the backgrounds definitely did not transition very smoothly.  Admittedly, smoother blends are easier to accomplish on a smaller scale, as Nega Bubble doesn't take up much space in this piece.  To pull off a smoother background, I would've needed about six additional colors in-between the four already used.  Colored pencils are a time consuming process, but well worth the effort!

That's one week down as we kickoff September, but fear not!  Another more legend of the CRAZYVERSE will be making their way here next week in a newly rendered post!  So be sure to come back and give it a look!  Until then, take care, stay safe and I'll catch y'all later!

BUBBLE AND PEPPER: LOONY BALLOONISTS!!!

 

I'll keep it short this week.  Summer's coming to an end, it's super hot right now and the annual Guest Month is kicking off for Bubble Fox!  That won't affect the posting schedule for here since it's all cleaned up reposts anyway.  I do have some fun and VERY colorful posts coming your way that I'm excited to show off!  One of the reasons I take a month off every year is to not only rest and recharge for a bit, but also to work on other art, even learn knew skills and techniques.  I'm very behind on colored pencil work, so it'll be nice to catch up on those finally.  An artist never rests.  Even on break, I'm busy!

Well, that's a wrap on August 2026, but fear not!  We are gonna start fall off right with so much color it'll make Rainbow Brite lose her mind even!  So be sure to come back and check it out!  Until next time, take care, stay safe and I'll catch y'all later!

BOYSENBERRY BERRY COOL!!!

We are back again CRAZIES!!!  Hard to believe we're just under two weeks away from the start of the fall season.  Well, actual fall starts in a month, but for all intents, the flags go away and the pumpkins come out the second the clock strikes midnight on Labor Day!  Since we still have a bit of summer left, let's cool off with some Fan Art, shall we?  Enjoy...

Would ya look at that?  It's Marigold, Heavenly Nostrils and her kid, Phoebe from the popular comic strip, Phoebe And Her Unicorn!  And they are all decked out for the annual Boysenberry Fest at Knott's Berry Farm!  Phoebe brings up a very good point though.  As adorable and scientifically accurate as her boysenberry costume might be, it's not very practical for going on rides, of which most can't accommodate a creature of equine origin either!  I'm sure Marigold will simply yell "UNICORN" and make it all work somehow!  A longtime favorite of mine, Phoebe And Her Unicorn is the creation of cartoonist Dana Simpson, who also created the beloved Ozy & Millie.  Phoebe and Marigold recently wrapped up their run as a daily comic as Dana looks to focus more on long-form adventures starring the two.  Thankfully, we still get a weekly dose of their shenanigans as a Sunday strip, and who knows?  Maybe someday, Phoebe and Marigold will don their boysenberry looks for real?  (Hey!  An artists can hope, can't he?)

Well, another week down as we head towards the fall, but cheer up!  We may only have one post left for August, but I'll make sure we end the summer on a high note!  So be sure to come back next week and see what floats in!  Until then, take care, stay safe and I'll catch y'all later!