MERRY CHRISTMAS CRAZIES!!! 2019 STYLE!!!

MERRY CHRISTMAS CRAZIES!!!  It's been a long wait, but the big day is here!  Hopefully y'all weren't naughty this year otherwise the elves might be going full-on Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck on you!  Anyway, I'll keep things short today.  It's Christmas week.  We all got some fun things planned!  So let's jump to it!  Enjoy...

The Bumble!  The first time I can ever recall seeing a bad guy outside of wrestling do a face turn (Become a good guy for those who aren't up to speed on their kayfabe).  I always had a feeling he wasn't such a bad dude.  It can't be easy living in the North Pole where the weather's always bad and food is scarce and extremely risky to get.  No wonder he's in a bad mood at the start!  This was another illo_advent entry that got a good reaction on Twitter.  Had a lotta fun drawing this one too.  Certainly one of my easiest coloring jobs to boot!  All in all, the Bumble is A okay!

That's a wrap on this week, this month AND this year!  We'll be back next time with a pretty big announcement concerning a rather spirited pair of kids that'll be celebrating their 10th Anniversary next year, but I won't give it all away here!  So be sure to come back and check it all out!  In the meantime, Christmas is on Wednesday and there's still time to help someone in need, so please be generous!  Have a safe and wonderful Christmas, Hanukah and Kwanzaa and  I'll catch y'all in the New Year!

WHITE ELEPHANT?!? NOT AT THE CRAZYVERSE!!!

We are back CRAZIES!!!  We are exactly one week away from Christmas!  Why oh why must time go by so fast?  Only seems like yesterday my brother and I were unwrapping our Sega Genesis in our grandparents' living room.  That was one of the best Christmas moments ever for me!  For some though, they may look back with fondness on a gift that wasn't so mainstream.  One that's a little more heartfelt.  One that might even be considered a little bit... Misfit!

The Isle of Misfit Toys.  Only Kevin Sullivan's Dungeon of Doom featured a more ragged bunch.  These guys were often the most memorable part of the classic Rankin & Bass special Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, with the Polkadot Elephant being a personal favorite of mine, though as a kid, I definitely would've made good use of a squirt gun that fired jelly.  My butt would've been sore as hell afterward once my mom's belt had its say, but it would've been worth it!  Another one from my first go illo_advent, this one got a good reaction on Twitter.  I guess we all had a soft spot for this sad pachyderm who really had nothing wrong with him, other than his polkadots, which really isn't an issue.  I would've happily had him in my toy box as a kid!

As Porky Pig would say, that's all folks!  But just for this week!  We'll be going up a little early again next week as nobody wants to read a blog on Christmas Day!  So tune in Monday for some bumbling fun!  Until then, take care and please think of those who aren't so fortunate this holiday season.  It's never too late to donate, so get cracking!  I'll catch y'all later!

CHRISTMAS IS COMING?!? GET THE ELF OUT?!?

December marches on, CRAZIES!  With any luck, I'll have already gotten my Christmas shopping done by this point but it's highly doubtful.  Past Jon is a huge dolt that's always flying by the seat of his pants!  He could really take a cue from Future Jon's playbook.  He always has his crap together!

Anyway, it's time for some more holiday art, and who better to deliver some than one of Santa's helpers?  Santa himself?  Well yeah, wise guy, he would!  But the Jolly Old Elf isn't available, so we're getting one of his elves instead!  Enjoy...

We may not have the Jolly Old Elf today, but we got the Jolly Little Elf, and that's not so bad, right?  This art came from my first go around with illo_advent back in 2016.  There's no real theme with this collective other than the art being holiday-related.  As a result, that year I just drew random Christmas scenes, most starring characters from the CRAZYVERSE.  I like the design of the Elf here.  He's childlike yet still clearly an adult, just like a real Christmas Elf!

And that's all for this week.  Next time we'll make a stop at the Isle of Misfit Toys and see if we can find some hidden gems.  Please think of others this Holiday Season.  Every little bit helps!  Donate to food, clothing and toy drives today!  Take care and I'll catch y'all later!

KICKING OFF CHRISTMAS WITH A LITTLE BIT O' CHAOS!!!

WELCOME TO DECEMBER CRAZIES!!!  And with that, welcome to the Christmas Season!  I know, it's been Christmas at every department store since October, but now it's okay to proudly display that ugly sweater with the light-up snowman you have hidden in your closet!  You wanna know what goes good with an ugly Christmas sweater?  A funny Christmas book!  And I just so happen to have one now available on Amazon!  Yup!  I have officially crossed over into the realm of picture books with my first offering, the hilarious Wendy's Christmas Chaos!  Peppertown star Wendy had been in hiatus long enough, so last year, she leapt from the comics to the pen and ink drawings of my ill_advent theme.  Well, actually, it goes a bit deeper than that.  You can say it all started back in 2016...

I had never taken part in anything like Inktober or illo_advent before, so this year marked a first.  For those not in the know, both take place on social media platforms, usually Twitter and Instagram, and you just post a drawing a day throughout the duration.  Both have themes, but some, like me, just do our own deal.  Since I was new to the concept, for ill_advent, I just did a bunch of random Christmas scenes involving the CRAZYVERSE characters.  One such drawing had Wendy eyeing a gift she couldn't open yet (See above image).  Two years would pass and I just kept coming back to that image and it always felt like more could come from it.  Fast forward to 2018 and suddenly I have a revelation: EVERY page for the 25 days of illo_advent would be part of a story!  Far from groundbreaking as many people have done it already, but this was a breakthrough for me.  I'd longed to get back to drawing Peppertown, but time just wasn't on my side, and this seemed like a good way to at least get little Wendy back out in the open.

In the end, I had a blast drawing it!  The art and story got a great reaction from the Twitter CRAZIES and generated a lot of interest in seeing it as a book.  A few days after Christmas last year, I took a good long look at things and agreed I did have something there.  In addition to posting art, I'd also posted a rhyme with each piece of art that I'd tweeted out and found that to be enjoyable too.  So the decision was made: Wendy's Christmas tale was gonna be a book!  But first, some things needed to be fleshed out a bit...

Funny as it was, 25 pages wasn't going to be enough for this tale.  Granted, it didn't need to be much longer than it already was, but some gags did require some setup pages, particularly the beginning.  If you go back on Twitter, the story literally just starts right before the madness ensues!  So the work began and new art and rhymes were created!  The above art, for example, was not originally in the illo_advent feed.  With everything drawn and corrected, all that was left was to put it all together and publish it!  That's a story I'd rather not talk about though.  It was a learning experience to say the least, but I'm through it now!

All in all, I could not be happier with the book!  The colors are great, the action is fast paced and the rhymes are pretty darn good if I do say so myself!  The above and below pics were illo_advent originals that have now been colored and polished and look even better on the printed page!

For those who aren't on Twitter, the Cliff Notes version is Wendy's not patient enough to wait until Christmas morning to open her presents and gives in to peeking, only to learn that her gifts have been charmed by elves to prank her any time she tries to peek early.  After catching the elves, she tries to trick them by disguising herself as Santa Claus, leading to disastrous results from the clearly-not-buying it elves!  What follows is a cat-and-mouse chase that culminates in a harsh but earnestly learned lesson about patience and karma!  It's a fun tale for any age, even the grownups!  So be sure to pick up a copy!  It's now available on Amazon and even qualifies for FREE shipping with a certain purchase amount!  Not a bad deal eh?  So pick up you copy of Wendy's Christmas Chaos today!  It's the perfect counter to the sappy Hallmark holiday specials!

Before I end this week's post, a HUGE thanks goes out to Joshua Hauke and Warren Frantz for their help as I created this book.  Both gave me a ton of advice throughout the whole process, especially on the cover art and Warren, being a Kindergarten teacher, tested it out on several grade levels at his school.  It was a huge relief when he reported back that the kids loved it and wanted another story!  Tell the Kindersmurfs that I'm happy to oblige, Warren.  But they have to take a lesson from Wendy and be patient!  I'm blessed to have such great pals like Warren and Josh.

And that's all for now folks.  Posting a bit earlier than normal this week so that I can get the marketing machine up and running, hence the reason you're seeing this on Monday.  We'll be back next week on our normal Wednesday schedule with some more Holiday fun!  As always at this time of year, try to think of others.  There are many out there who won't have such a merry Christmas without a little help, so please donate to food, toy and clothing drives,  Even some spare change in a Salvation Army bucket can make a world of difference for some.  Share the love this holiday!  Anyway, take care and I'll catch y'all later!

TOM TURKEY'S TERRIBLY TRICKY TRIAL, PT. 4 (OH, AND HAPPY THANKSGIVING CRAZIES!!!)

THE DAY HAS COME!!!  Well, tomorrow anyway, but I can guarantee that right now I'm making my stuffing and will already have my pecan pie made for tomorrow.  It's a cramped kitchen, so some things have to be made, and scheduled, well in advance at CRAZY HQ.  Speaking of cramps, I'm sure the Brat Twins are feeling some right now.  Hard not to when you have about 50 cubic yards of helium pumped into you!

Tom Turkey's escape this year has been an epic one!  He went from sure capture to calm stalling to turning Dorothy and Billy into living blimps in an effort to be "Help" them hold more food!  As always, Tom is trying to think several steps ahead.  Usually he's having to keep an eye behind him, but on this day, his eyes turn to the skies.  Did Tommy's plan work?  You'll see very soon!  Enjoy...

And they're off!  And because these kids are dumber than a brick, they'll probably follow Tom's suggestion and keep the tape on until January; AFTER turkey season has long passed!  It seems Ol' Tom Turkey saved his neck again and found his laughing place, because he's off the menu and Dorothy and Billy are full of hot air!  His trickery has literally reached new heights!  Congrats Tom Turkey.  You got away again thanks to a "Swell" idea!

And that's a wrap on November and this terribly tricky tale!  I hope you all enjoyed it.  I was having so much fun with the art on this one, I've decided to make a whole picture book out of it with added gags and background!  Obviously, it won't be out for a while, but I'll be sure to keep everyone posted!  Next week, a new month starts and it's gonna be very merry!  So be sure to come back!  And as it is now the holiday season, I want to take this time to urge you, dear readers, to think of others at this time of year.  Food, toy and clothing donations are largely open now and it doesn't take much to make a big difference.  Take care and Happy Thanksgiving!  Have a fun and safe day with your loved ones.  Until next time, catch y'all later!

TOM TURKEY'S TERRIBLY TRICKY TRIAL, PT. 3

One week to go until Turkey Day CRAZIES!!!  Got a lot of prepping to do!  Hopefully by now I will already have my cooking supplies bought and sorted.  In the meantime, I need to get my episodes selected for my own custom MST3K Turkey Day Marathon AND buy some bigger clothes!  I'll certainly need them by Thanksgiving night!  Certainly Dorothy and Billy Brat seem to know where to find some good, stretchy clothes!  Perhaps I should shop at the same store?

As we edge closer to the conclusion of our tale here, we find Ol' Tom Turkey once again at the hands of fate as the Brat Twins had him in their grubby clutches.  But Tom was able to stall them, pointing out their scrawny frames could never contain a bird as big as he!  The wheels are turning.  Did the boisterous bird find a solution?  The answer awaits down below!  Enjoy...

He did indeed find a solution!  Belly stretching is quite important if you wanna hold more food in, but I think Tommy's intentions here a little too helpful.  Those Brats could fit a few turkeys in this bloated frames now!  Provided they can open their mouths without a wave of gas blowing them away!  Tom's really got a full plate here!  Or rather, full twins!

And that's all she wrote for this week.  We'll be back next week to wrap things up and see if the Brat Twins' expansive procedure worked out for them.  Either way, I think we'll all have some big laughs over the finale, so be sure to float on by!  Until then, take care and I'll catch y'all later!

TOM TURKEY'S TERRIBLY TRICKY TRIAL, PT. 2

And we're back!  As we inch closer to Thanksgiving Day, let us remember that it's the smaller things in life that we should truly be thankful for.  Things like the pencils we write with or the cups we drink out of.  And let's not forget the pants we wear that keep our legs warm and hide the embarrassingly silly novelty undies we bought because they looked funny on the rack.  Yes, there's much to be thankful for at this time of year.  Unless you're a turkey!

As we saw last week, Tom Turkey took all of a second to be cornered by the vicious Brat Twins, who wasted no time in licking their chops!  Things are already looking bleak for the portly bird.  Can this gobbler pull off another miracle this year?  Only one way to find out!  Enjoy...

Reverse psychology...  If there's any pair this would work on, it's certainly the Brat Twins!  Dorothy and Billy are formidable foes for sure, but they have one key flaw: Neither one of them are particularly bright!  Turkey's as a rule aren't either, but Tom is no ordinary turkey.  He's as clever as they get and seems to have uncovered the Brat Twins' biggest weakness.  How will he exploit it?  That's a tale for another day.  A Wednesday to be precise...

Two down, two to go!  Tom's not in the clear yet, but he's bought himself some time, and that's a huge advantage with these dumb kids!  Part three is next week and the stakes will only expand further!  So be sure to come back and give it a look!  Until then, take care and I'll catch y'all later!

TOM TURKEY'S TERRIBLY TRICKY TRIAL, PT. 1

Welcome to November CRAZIES!!!  Now that you're all starting to come down from your Halloween candy binges, it's time to start bracing ourselves for some MORE food-induced traumas, for Thanksgiving is on the horizon!  And who better to celebrate Turkey Day with than Tom Turkey himself?  Joel Hodgson?  Well, yeah, of course the creator of MST3K would totally be my go-to as well, but he ain't available, so Ol' Tommy Turkey it is!

As you know by now, poor Tom Turkey is always in high demand this time of year, and not just because of his saucy limericks about a man from Boston.  No, he's in much higher demand as a menu item, sadly, and this year is no different.  Last year, he and his friend were nearly captured by the vile Brat Twins, Dorothy and Billy, in a scam that Tom himself had caused no less!  But thankful, the "Winds" of fate were on Tom's side, and they narrowly escaped!  The Brat Twins are back though, and hungrier than ever!  Will Tom escape this year?  Scroll down and see how it all starts!  Enjoy...

Boy, it sure didn't take too long for Ol' Tom Turkey to get himself cornered by the Brat Twins!  Dorothy and Billy aren't messing around this time either!  They're poised to eat him raw!  Tommy's doing some fast talking, but will it be enough to get him out of this mess?  You'll have to come back next week and see!

That's all for today.  Be sure to come back next week and see how the second part of this four-part adventure unfolds.  Who knows what card Tom will pull from his feathered sleeve?  Until then, take care and I'll catch y'all later!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN, NERRRRRRRRRRDS!!!

 It's here!  Tomorrow's the big day!!!  Halloween is almost a go!  But before it can happen, Mike and Mindy decided to come out of cartoon retirement for a day to remind us that karma can be a pain!  Mike has already learned the hard way once how dangerous mooning the wrong person can be, especially since Mindy was the vicitm!  Now, it looks like they are both gonna be in for it!  Cue some Warren Zevon, these two goofs are in for a wild time!  AWOOOOOOOO WEREWOLVES OF LONDON!!!

Of course, we can't end October in such a lowbrow way.  I promised we'd end this baby on a high note, and I intend to deliver!  So put one foot in front of the other and behold, this week's art!  Enjoy...

Ogres have taken many forms throughout the centuries in mythology and folklore, but I think the greatest ogre of them all is none other than THE Ogre!  No, this one doesn't hang around with donkeys or crush bones for his porridge.  Nope, this Ogre walks the campus of Adams College crushing nerds for the AlphaBeta House!  Never fear folks.  This Ogre eventually learned the error of his ways and reformed to be a defender of nerds everywhere.  Sometimes, we just need a bit of better guidance is all.  When Animal Alphabets selected ogres as their choice for the letter O, there was no doubt in my mind what direction I was going in with this one.  I guess I struck a chord here, as it was one of the most popular posts I ever did on Twitter!  Perhaps it was that good or maybe everybody tapped into their love of 80's nostalgia, either way, a win is a win and I'm always happy to take it!

And that, dear readers, is a wrap on October 2019.  We'll be back next week with some fun for Thanksgiving!  That rascal Tom Turkey is cooking up some schemes to keep from being cooked himself, so be sure to come back and see what he's planning this year!  Until then, take care and be safe tomorrow night while enjoying some spooky festivities.  It's easy to get lost in the spirit of things and we all wanna come home safe and sound and ready to start planning for next year.  So, Happy Halloween and I'll catch y'all later!

HOLY FRITTATA!!! IT'S A NEKOMATA!!!

Welcome back followers of the House of CRAZY!!!  HALLOWEEN IS NEXT WEEK!!!  WOOOOOOOOOOO!!!  Sorry, gotta compose myself here.  But how can I not be excited?  I love Halloween!  I love the fall season!  And so many wonderful things are now on the horizon!  It's hard not to go nuts!  But, I have a job to do.  Well, not really.  I don't get paid for any of this but it does keep me grounded, so I'll count it as work!  Anyway, enough yammering, it's art time!  Enjoy...

The Nekomata.  A creature of Japanese folklore, its roots can actually be traced back as far back as ancient China even.  There are several variations on its origins and nature, but almost all seem to agree that they are cats capable of producing fire and have two tails.  That was more than enough for me to run with it when Animal Alphabets made this one of their creatures for their mythical themes!  This piece is another one I'm fairly proud of color-wise.  I know my style is far from amazing, but I do feel I've always had a skill at matching colors.  It's probably the part of cartooning I enjoy the most.

Another week down CRAZIES!  We'll be back next time with a revealing look at some old pals who've come back to help us send October off on a high note.  So be sure to come back and check it out!  Until then, take care and I'll catch y'all later!

BRING OUT THE IMP!!!

We are back and smack dab in the middle of October!  Things are moving along rather rapidly as they often do here.  With any luck, I have all my Halloween decorations up by this point and was able to get a few more trips to Disneyland and Knott's Berry Farm in while getting a few good days in at the day job.  But now is not the time to discuss such things.  Now is the time for art!  So let's dive in and look at some!  Enjoy...

Imps.  Mischievous little gremlins that love to cause trouble when you're least expecting it, for many years they were believed to be responsible for the awful pranks that plagued many communities.  Come to learn later on that it was just a bunch of teenagers who lacked discipline.  *Cough* No matter the source, they have existed in folklore for millennia, and when Animal Alphabets put out this theme, I knew I was gonna join in!  I'm pretty proud of the colors on this one.  Seems like a good fit for Halloween!

That's all for today folks.  We'll be back next time with some more mythical art that'll have us all a little hot under the collar, so be sure to come back and check it out!  Until then, take care and I'll catch y'all later!

HYDRA?!? WHERE'S CAPTAIN AMERICA WHEN YOU NEED HIM?!?

Welcome back CRAZIES!  After a brief interlude we are back with some art!  Since it's October, I felt some creatures often associated with the scary side of things would be more appropriate for this month's posts.  And what could be scarier than a Hydra?  Your mother busting out baby pics in front of your prom date?  Well, I suppose that can be pretty terrifying.  I went to prom stag, so I wouldn't know!  Anyway, I think y'all came here for art, so let's get to it!  Enjoy...

The Hydra.  A creature of Greek and Roman mythology, somewhat dragon-like, that sprouted two new heads for every head that was lost.  A straight shot to the heart was pretty much the only way to kill it, unless you were willing to wait out old age!  Hercules and Jason both fought one through myth and movies and today, it gets the CRAZY treatment!  This was originally part of Animal Alphabets' mythology run, which has been seen quite a lot in recent months.  Times have been a bit busy lately and these scary creatures are fortuitously convenient!  Plus, it's always nice to go back and clean things up a bit!

That's all for today.  We'll be back next time with a creature known for its small stature but mischievous nature that rivals any tall enough to ride a roller coaster!  So be sure to come back and check it out.  Until then, take care and I'll catch y'all later!

LBCC... WELL, IT WAS NICE TO GET AWAY AT LEAST...

Welcome to October CRAZIES!!!  The haunting month is upon us!  And because it's a month full of spooks and masks and costumes, what better way to start things off than with a trip to Long Beach Comic Con?  Yes, it happened over a month ago, but I already had September's posts queued up.  Plus, it just fits the theme of the month better.  So let's cut the jibber jabber and get too it!  LBCC is a go!  Enjoy...

IT, the feel good family movie about a murdering clown!  This is both adorable and frightening! 

Excellent dudes!  I get the feeling we'll be seeing a LOT more Bill and Ted cosplay in the coming years.  Hopefully, someone will finally do some Rufus cosplay! 

Live wrestling returned to LBCC this year and thankfully, Jim Cornette wasn't there to witness it!  As you may have noticed, the wrestlers were dressed up like comic book characters WHILE wrestling!  The legendary manager isn't a big fan of such things and he likely would've entertained the fans in a different way had he seen it!

After years of hoping, I finally saw some Steve Urkel cosplay.  Next time, somebody needs to do Urkelbot cosplay! 

Not to be outdone, this lady did Punky Brewster cosplay!  The 80's are taking over y'all! 

This is Laughing Sal.  She was once a part of the long defunct Long Beach Pike amusement park which sat across the street from where the Long Beach Convention Center now sits.  She was a very early form of animatronics that more or less gyrated and jiggled as a laugh track played behind her.  There are roughly a dozen of these left and this particular model is among the very few that's still in pristine condition.  She now resides in the lobby of the Convention Center and was drawing a bit of a crowd throughout the con. 

The Empire might have been more successful with Ghostrider's bike! 

John Hammond spared no expense on his gear for the con! 

I don't think it would be wise to steal a Power Ranger's baby brother, Jareth! 

Probably the best pic of the show!  Pennywise and little Skeletor!  Remember that story a few pics back about Laughing Sal and the Long Beach Pike?  Well, the Pike also inspired another feared figure: Old Bony himself, Skeletor!  You see, like many seaside amusement parks, the Pike had a haunted house, only, their's had a REAL skeleton in it!  One particular kid was scared out of his wits during a visit to the park and never forgot the image.  He later became an artist at Mattel Toys and used that vivid memory as the basis for He-Man's greatest foe!  Wild, no?

For decades, sailor suits were a feared and dreaded part of childhood.  Now, kids are wearing them willingly for sight gags.  My how times have changed!

Their wedding reception was killer! 

He was the champion my friend! 

The Planetteers!  These two were awesome.  They cleaned the entire floor of the Convention Center!

Attendance may have been startling low at LBCC this year, but the quality of the costumes was as amazing as ever! 

WUBBA LUBBA DUB DUB!!!  WE'RE GONNA SAVE THE REBELLION MORTY!!!  YOU AND ME!!!  AND GET THAT BLUE MILK!!! 

MORTAL KOMBAT!!! *Techno Music Hits* 

Even the Rescue Rangers are no match for the power of the Dark Side! 

Punisher War Machine.  Nothing legally stopping this now! 

Krampus was there to remind everyone that Christmas isn't too far off! 

In years past, there were dozens of fan groups at LBCC.  This year, there were only two: The Mandolorian Mercs and the R2 Builders Club.  Needless to say, many of us were baffled at the lack of fan groups.  They're a staple of every con.

Totally visible eyes aside, this Black Manta costume was pretty cool!

No, that's not a Howard Stern cosplayer hanging out with Garth.  But we can dream, can't we? 

We wrap things up today with some amazing Wizard of Oz cosplay!  Was hoping I'd see more of it at cons this year, given that it's the 80th anniversary of the film and the 100th anniversary of L. Frank Baum's passing, but the costumes I did see were awesome and these folks were no exception!

And that was Long Beach Comic Con 2019.  I'm not gonna lie folks.  This year's show was a HUGE let down.  Attendance was down dramatically, major vendors that used to be there every year were gone and the size of the show shrunk.  About two hours into the last day, I gave up and met my family at Disneyland instead where, amazingly enough, lines weren't bad at all!  I honestly don't know what happened.  Three years ago, I didn't want to leave.  This year,  I ran out of things to do within the first hour of the show.  Part of the problem stems from them moving it to the beginning of September where they have to compete with several other shows across the country that bring in higher attendance, which in turn takes away many vendors.  I'm not an expert, but I honestly believe the easiest fix here would be to put LBCC back in mid-to-late September where it thrived for the longest time.  It may be time to bring in a new organizer as well, like Wizard World.  Their Anaheim shows were a blast and they are very well run.  Will I be back next year?  It's hard to say.  I love Long Beach and it's a fun weekend away.  But it's not cheap and it's hard to justify going when the show just isn't growing.  We'll have to see how things go.  I'll always remember the good times if not.  Fingers crossed!

That's all for now folks.  We'll be back next week with art celebrating the mood of the season!  So get ready for a monster of a time!  Until then, take care and I'll catch y'all later!

THE HIPPO AND THE HIPPOCAMPUS!!!

Well, it's the final week of September and excitement's at an all time high!  Rather than drag this on, I'm gonna cue up some Earth Wind And Fire (September of course!) get straight to the art.  Sound good?  Great!  Let's do this!  Enjoy...

The Hippocampus.  Pretty much the horse equivalent of a mermaid, they don't get too many appearances in fantasy films.  Thankfully, Animal Alphabets respects them and gave them an entire day to be loved and admired by all!  Given that "Hippo" is part of their name, I thought it would be funny for it to encounter an actual hippo as the full name of "Hippopotamus" means "River Horse!"  See?  We learn something new everyday!  Hopefully the hippo is mindful of the little snail by the rock!

And that's a wrap on September 2019!  Hopefully y'all enjoyed more of these mythical creatures.  I plan to rustle up something spooky for October, so be sure to come back, especially next week as we kick things off with pictures from Long Beach Comic Con 2019!  Should be a blast!  Until then, take care and I'll catch y'all later!

POTOO GRIFFIN FLOATS TO THE TOP WITH A BLOATED FAT RAT!!!

We are halfway past September CRAZIES!!!  I love this time of year so much!  Fall just has a magical way with me and I hope the season's been good to you all as well!  But hey!  It's art time!  So let's get to it, shall we?  Enjoy...

Those darn Potoo Griffins!  Or gryphons.  Gryffins?  Look, these creatures have like ten different spellings.  I can't keep track of them all!  Guess it depends on the cultural origin since many speak of them.  Today's theme again comes from Animal Alphabets.  Since Griffins were the mythical beast they chose, I thought I'd toss in a nod to my pal Cyndi Foster, the wonderful artist behind Oops, the tale of a boy and his rat, his big FAT rat, and the adventures they get into in a medieval world where griffins frequent the land!  The rat in question is Plague, a scoundrel in every sense who usually gets poor mute Oops in trouble.  Potoo Griffin, who's more or less Cyndi's mascot, is a young, silly griffin who's still discovering the world.  And because he's young, his wings don't quite work yet, so he puffed up Plague and road him to snacks galore!  Hopefully, Plague won't let his swollen pride get the better of him this time around!

And that's another week down.  We got one more then its October!  But we still gotta finish off September, so be sure to come back and we'll send the ninth month of the year off in proper fashion.  Until then, take care and I'll catch y'all later!

DON'T FAWN OVER A FAUN!!!

And we're back!  Moving along here, we are now into week two of September and with any luck, I'm already putting the final touches on my Halloween builds and getting ready to set up my yard, though given past history, I'm probably way the hell behind on things and now trying to juggle 15 tasks at once.  Maybe this'll be the year it's only ten tasks?  We shall see.  Anyway, you came for some arts, and I happen to have some!  Enjoy...

Hey hey!  It's Mr. Tumnus!  Narnia's nicest albeit somewhat creepiest resident!  Animal Alphabets strikes again here.  The theme was a faun, so I went with the one most people are familiar with.  Not sure if James McAvoy looks back on this role with fondness, but I'd like to think he does.  He's done many big things since.  Narnia was a stepping stone of sorts.  Now that Disney inadvertently has the film rights to Narnia again, part of me wonders if they'll continue the series or just start again from scratch.  The original films weren't bad, but there was room for improvement.  I will always be of the opinion that the rhino should've mashed more fools than he did when he charged into the White Witch's army!  Only time will tell I suppose.

And that's that!  But fear not!  Another post is coming next week!  And I think you all will find it quite uplifting!  Until then, take care and I'll catch y'all later! 

TODAY'S POST IS A "BOAR"... AN ERYMANTHIAN BOAR!!!

Welcome to September CRAZIES!!!  Fall has finally come and with it, all the things I love the most, like pie!  Cooler weather!  Pie!  Turning leaves!  Pie!  Halloween!  Pie!  Thanksgiving!  And of course, pie!  Did I mention that pie season is here?  Not sure if I got that point across.  Anyway, there will be plenty of time for that stuff in the coming weeks.  You're here for art!  At least I hope you are. It's kind of the reason I do this ya know!  Anyway, we're delving deep into the world of mythological creatures again and we're starting with a biggie!  So let's get to it!  Enjoy...

The Erymanthian Boar was not the kind of pig to mess with.  These beasts were massive and quite the terrors in Ancient Greece.  As one of his acts of penance, Hercules was tasked with defeating one and did!  The Ancient Greeks ate for weeks off of this boar's tender meat!  Being a carnitas junky myself, this porker would make me pretty happy if I owned a taco shop!  This art, along with all of the art coming this month, was originally part of Animal Alphabets' mythology theme.  Earlier this year, I explored a few of these themes and people liked them so much, I decided to do it again!  Trust me, it has nothing to do with me being pressed for time and the art already being done and needing few corrections!

That's all for today.  We'll be back next week with a familiar friend from the land of Narnia, so be sure to come back and give it a look!  Until then, take care and I'll catch y'all later!

THE PENGUINS ARE ON THE LOOSE!!!

Welcome back patrons of the absurd, aka, my CRAZIES!!!  We've reached the end of August and are now no doubt starting to look forward to the Fall and its wonderful offerings, like the guest month coming for Bubble Fox!  We also are probably looking forward to cooler weather, and with cooler weather comes seasonal birds like penguins.  Wait, what?!?  Nope, that definitely says "penguins" a few words back.  Guess we better continue then.  Enjoy...

Penguins.  Is there anything more insanely adorable?  What's that? A mouse sleeping on top of a kitten sleeping on top of a puppy sleeping on top of a toddler?!?  Okay readers, you win this round, but penguins are inherently cute animals!  And Pinch Punch Post selected them as yet another theme back in early 2016.  Pinch Punch Post really dominated the scene this month and each piece was a blast.  Aside from being cute, penguins are naturally cartoony critters and a lotta fun to draw!  I drew some inspiration from the Muppets here as their penguins often made a nondescript *Wak* noise instead of using words as other Muppets do.  If I could afford the refrigeration costs, I'd totally keep penguins as pets!

That's a wrap for August CRAZIES!  Another summer has come and gone and boy was this one fun!  Between The Del Mar Fair, Comic Con and some theme park runs, I don't think I've had this much fun during the summer since my senior year of high school!  We'll have to make the coming fall even more fun, and an easy start to that would be with even more art!  So stay "Tooned" for next week!  Same CRAZY time, same CRAZY blog!  Until then, take care and I'll catch y'all later!

A BOUNCY BEAUTIFUL BUTTERFLY!!!

Welcome back my CRAZIES!!!  We're inching ever closer to the fall here, and I just can't help but have visions of pumpkins and pies dancing in my head!  But we still have a couple weeks of summer left, so we should probably get out and have some fun in the sun while we still can.  And what's more fun than bug hunting?  Winning the lottery?  Well, yes, I suppose that is considerably more fun, but bug hunting has its finer point too, especially when you can catch something as beautiful as a butterfly!  What do I mean?  Read on and find out!  Enjoy...

Butterflies.  Beautiful, graceful, colorful.  Hard to believe that as caterpillars, they're so darn destructive, but as adults, they're among the best pollinators we have outside of bees.  I'm lucky to have many butterflies, including rare monarchs, frequenting my yard regularly.  They add much color to an otherwise drab area.  Pinch Punch Post (Again with them!) picked Butterflies as a theme early on in 2016.  Being an avid bug fan, I knew I had to take part.  Not sure if there are any butterflies marked like the one above, but hey!  An artist has to have some creative license, am I right?

And that's all for today.  Next week, we cool off just in time for the end of summer with some birds that know a thing or two about ice!  So be sure to come back and give it a look.  Until then, take care and I'll catch y'all later!