SUPER BOWL SUNDAY, WHATEVER!!!

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!!!

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?

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

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!!!

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