MAY OLD ACQUAINTANCE BE FORGOT...

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!!!

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!!!

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!!!

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!!!

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!