IT'S THE GREAT PUMPKIN, CRAZYVERSE!!!

Halloween is around the corner y'all!  And what better way to celebrate than to offer up another round of the Crazy Cartoon Experiment!  We got some awesome pieces to show here!  So many in fact that we are once again splitting it up in two!  So sit back and grab some popcorn, because the show's about to begin!

The subject this time around was "The Great Pumpkin!"  That oh-so-mysterious Gourd that's been talked about for so long but never seen!  Ol' Linus has been hoping for nearly 50 years now that he'll show up, so we here at the CRAZYVERSE! decided to finally let "Blanket Boy's" dream come true!  Or perhaps... HIS NIGHTMARE!!!  Let the CRAZINESS commence!

To kick things off, my good pal (and CCE veteran) Matt Gross from CAAATS! did this wicked piece!  Gotta love that shape-shifting shadows pouring out of the Great Pumpkins mouth and eyes!  Begs the question: "Would you really wanna encounter this guy in a pumpkin patch on a dark night?"

We have yet another CCE veteran and very good friend up on deck, the wonderfully talented and openly Canadian Warren Frantz of OFF SEASON!  Warren, like me, is a wrestling fan and decided to give the Great Pumpkin a more heroic look!  I can see him now, wrestling in Mexico, forming a tag team with La Parka!  They can both come out dancing to thriller! 

Next up is Canadian artist Naomi Jardine, a newcomer to the CCE and the creator of Flatland!  Naomi did this wonderful spin showing that sometimes, great things come in small sizes.  Try telling that to kids still irked over the "Fun-Size" candies they get every Halloween!  Love the look on Linus' face!  It's like his whole belief system's been shot!

And now we get to my entry!  I have to admit, I'm a little embarrassed I didn't finish this quicker.  I'm the one running this thing for crying out loud!  Clearly, I need to get my priorities in order!  Anyway, my inspiration was Ichigo's initial Hallow form from the manga Bleach!  I'm very proud of this piece!  I don't think I've ever put this much detail into the design of a character.  I'm particularly proud of the vines growing off of the Great Pumpkin!  I wanted to give him an organic and fluid feel!

Next up, we come to England's Simon McLaren, yet another good friend doing his second CCE tour!  I love this bit, depicting the Great Pumpkin as a rotten, destructive kid!  I also love how he uses the word "Mum!"  You Brits get all the cool words!  I feel so darn uncultured!

Canadian Superstar Kim Belding, the genius behind Picpak Dog, makes a return to the CCE with this hilarious take on the Great Pumpkin!  Kim was one of the artists that really stole the CCE1!  Everybody loved his hilarious take on it, and he shows he hasn't lost his form after delivering another winner with this one!  Everybody loves a poop joke after all!

And now for a little sentiment.  Jason Platt of Mister and Me, as well as an actor, director, writer, chef, juggler and all around good guy, delivers this beautiful piece paying tribute to the wonderful man that made it all happen in the first place, Peanuts creator Charles Schultz.  Jason's another CCE veteran and a very good friend.  As a veteran stagehand, I was thrilled to have an actor become a fan and friend!  While working, you'd be amazed out how rarely the two worlds actually interact on stage!

  

And now, another CCE veteran!  The lovely and talented Michelle Hernandez of Kat Daycare!  Michelle went the scary route with this one, and I love it!  She's got such a great style.  Almost like Bill Waterson!  I mean, look at Linus' hair in that last panel.  I think he and Sally are gonna need a fresh pair after this night!  It seems many people feel that if Linus ever actually met the Great Pumpkin, he should probably regret it immediately!

Next up, some new blood!  Spud Comics creator Lonnie Easterling presented this piece which he dubbed: "Pumpkin the Great!"  Now this was outside the box! While most of us took the scary route, Lonnie went the extra mile and literally made the Great Pumpkin GREAT!  I'd take orders from that Gourd!

It's a family affair this time as Alpha Ballistic cartoonist Miguel Hernandez, brother of the aforementioned Michelle, makes his CCE debut with this brilliant entry!  His Pumpkin is Great in size and is now being contested by a squatter who's lost his Peach!  I grew up on Roald Dahl, so this rose pretty quickly as being among my personal favorites! 

Next up we get another CCE rookie, Catbeard The Pirate creator Matt Nelson!  Looks like poor Charlie Brown had a rough landing after Lucy pulled the football away from him last time!  Either that or he's been screwing with Linus all this time!  I have long believed that Lucy Van Pelt is not a child, but a wicked demon that has taken human form!  I really wished he could've kicked the damn ball at least once!  Charlie Brown's whole life has just been one disappointment after another!

We conclude Part 1 of the CCE2 with Shawn Granger's Sophomore effort.  The Daddy's Girls creator shows the aftermath of the Great Pumpkin after he no doubt tangled with the Kite Eating Tree!  Anybody for a slice of some "Great" Pumpkin Pie?  This is an early coloring effort for Shawn and I say great job!  My first go around at coloring my panels ranged from disastrous to just plain starting over!  Like I said on Twitter, it really is trial and error.  You just gotta keep at it!

Well, that's it for Part 1 of the Crazy Cartoon Experiment 2!  Many thanks to the phenomenal artists that took part in this CRAZY deal!  Be sure to come back next week for more GOURD-geous fun with Part 2!  Until then, take care and I'll catch y'all later and somebody please hand me a slice of that "Great" Pumpkin Pie!