WONDERCON 2022 IS HERE!!! BY WAY OF WONDERCON 2018 FIRST!!!

 

Welcome back!  With any luck, this week IS the week of WonderCon 2022, returning after being cancelled the last two years because of, well, you know.  But as of this writing, things are looking good, so let's keep the positive vibes going and hop on in!  It's time for a look back at WonderCon 2018!  Hold on to your underoos kids, because it's a fast ride!  Enjoy...

Did anyone ever bother explaining to Cruella just how coarse and uncomfortable dog hair is?

Is anyone really surprised that these two wound ups getting hitched?

Watch out for the dip!

So glad that these two could put aside their differences and enjoy the con together!

Tank Girl!  The movie's a trip!

Cobra teaming up with the Empire?!?  Well, Hasbro does have both toy licenses, so...

Not sure Walt would've approved of this!

I'm sure the Jedi would reach the Goblin City in the center of the Labyrinth with ease. 

Always a fan of obscure cosplay, and it doesn't get much more obscure than Totally Spies!

MORTAL KAMBAT!!!

OH YEAH!!!  THE SAVIOR OF THE UNIVERSE IS HERE!!!

I won't deny that Mission Breakout is a totally badass ride and an improvement, but I really did love the Tower of Terror!

When things got TOO real, Coraline called the Ninja Turtles for help!

9th Wonder of the World!

And the road goes ever on... To the Baja Fresh!

Back down Beast!  For Belle's sake!

Why was the Noid so hard-on for Domino's anyway?  Their pizza was crap back then!

This merely confirms what we long suspected!

And you thought the streets of Reno were tough?!?

And that was WonderCon 2018!  Another very fun show that I practically had to peel myself away from! So much went on that weekend that a lot of it really is a blur now!  The one thing I remember the most is my pal Matt making some insanely expensive purchases and justifying said purchases as business write-offs!  I wish I were THAT tax savvy!

And that's all for March, though the countdown will continue a little past WonderCon as these are always written in advance and there's never any telling what will happen between then and now! I can say that I plan on being all over the place at the show and, 5G service providing, I'll try and post updates as often as possible in case anyone wants to meet up!  For those going, remember to bring and regularly drink water throughout the show, wear comfortable shoes, be courteous to other attendees and PLEASE follow the guidelines!  One of the reasons CCI is comfortable enough to try WonderCon and SDCC this year is because of how well things went at the November show!  So let's keep that streak going and who knows?  Maybe in July, masks won't be necessary?  It's something to try for!  Until then, take care, stay safe and I'll catch y'all at WonderCon!

THE CRAZY WONDERCON COUNTDOWN IS BACK!!!

WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!  WONDERCON IS HERE!!!  The big show, as of right now, starts next week and I couldn't be happier!  I'm knocking on every piece of wooden furniture that I own to keep the good luck flowing!  Things are looking good as of this typing, so I'm gonna go ahead and start the countdown!

Our trip this week takes us back to the spring of 2017, my first year not tabling at WonderCon, which meant I had a LOT more photo ops to take advantage of!  Hold on to your Code Red Mountain Dews CRAZIES, because the CRAZY WonderCon Countdown is a go!  Enjoy...

Ron Burgandy was there to try and convince us that Anchorman wasn't a mediocre, forgettable comedy.  Nobody seemed to agree. 

Captain Hook was there and amazingly enough got along with everybody.  He even manned the turntable at Joshua Hauke's after party!

No, I'm not interested in a game of pick-up basketball!

Wampas and Predators... I'd rather not come across either!

Willy Wonka was there and passed out free candy to everybody, though his gum left something to be desired!

It's hard to tell in this pic, but these are just a few pieces of a massive costume that had to be brought in and inspected a piece at a time by the security team near the badge scanners.  It was quite the sight!

Dr. Clayton Forrester is still looking for test subjects!

When the Citadel beacon was lit, Captain America answered!  I'm certain that's in somebody's fan fiction for sure!

Oddly enough, Harley Quinn would probably fit in just fine with Dick Tracy's rogues gallery.

Man, the Sultan's a pretty accepting father-in-law.  My brother's been married for 20 years now in his in-laws still don't like him! (Just kidding bro!)

RIC SANCHEZ PHOTOBOMB BITCHES!!!  WUBBA LUBBA DUB DUB!!!

If Gaston had just pursued these three obviously interested gals instead of Belle, he'd probably be alive still.

The family that cosplays together, stays together!

So nice to see these two get out.  They're always so busy with their work!

And that was WonderCon 2017!  Hard to believe it was already five years ago!  Had so much fun seeing the costumes and hanging with my friends.  It also felt so weird not having a table, but I had so much fun just walking around and seeing things that I knew I'd made the right call.  Not to mention, it was a hell of a lot cheaper too!

That's all for this week.  We'll be back next time though to wrap up March in a good way with a look back at WonderCon 2018, as well as info on where to find me at this year's show!  Until then, take care, stay safe and I'll catch y'all later!

 

MIKE & MINDY: WEIRD PLAYMATES ON A WEIRD PLAYDATE!!!

Well, we've come to it at last: The end of this year's CRAZYVERSARY.  Yeah, I know, it's kind of sad, but time must go on.  Especially considering what's coming next!  But more on that later!  For now, if the CRAZYVERSARY has to end, then we're gonna end it on a high note!  LITERALLY!!!

Last year, I made a commitment to support more artist pals by commissioning original artwork from them.  Then I got swindled out of my unemployment extension and had to go into survival mode until work started back up towards the end of summer.  Needless to say, I wasn't able to commit to that plan as much as I would've liked to have, but I was able to get at least one commission though, and it was from the first fellow web cartoonist I befriended after joining Twitter, the Queen of Webcomics, Dawn Griffin!

Dawn is a cartoonist and illustrator best known for her hilarious comic Zorphbert & Fred, the tale of two aliens disguised as dogs sent to earth to study humans and their ways.  It was a true benchmark in Webcomics and often hit the nail right on the head when pointing out the absurdities that is modern society.  It's a pity Dawn ended the strip when she did, because the current times are a comedy goldmine for cartoonists and writers, but she knows well the virtue of quitting while ahead.  Dawn's long been a friend of this CRAZY man presently typing and has even done guest comics for me in the past.  She even gave me my first shot at doing a guest strip which I will always be very proud of.  Dawn does commissions, so I put in an order!  The request was simple: Mike and Mindy having a playdate with the Weird Kid from Z&F.  Dawn took the ball and ran with and scored big!  What follows is the process!

Dawn was kind enough to send me some progress shots of the commission, starting with the pencils.  For traditional comics and cartoons, this is how it starts for many of us: A simple sketch that gets roughed out and refined as the idea is shaped.  Since helium is a big part of the CRAZYVERSE, we decided that the poor Weird Kid was getting round!

Next up are the inks!  Depending on how one works, this stage is done either traditionally, with a pen or marker, or digitally with a tablet and stylus pen.  It is here where further revisions and refinements take place in the art.  Its a gamble sometimes, as inks are often where most mistakes are made, but some artists reach a point where they're comfortable enough that they can freehand with a pen.  There are certain pieces I was confident enough with to do it on and others I chose to refine further with pencils instead.  It's a skill that comes with time for sure.

And finally, the finished piece, which Dawn rendered in watercolors!  I was very impressed with the colors here as Dawn claimed watercolors are still a work in progress for for her, but she could've fooled me!  I myself have been dabbling in other coloring mediums as of late, mainly watercolors, colored pencils and pastels, but admittedly could be trying a little harder to practice!  Markers are what I started with and am just more comfortable with them.  For the time being at least!

And that's the piece, a hilarious and colorful crossover that sees the Weird Kid "Playing" with Mike and Mindy while also sending up The Cat In The Hat!  The real funny thing here is that this scenario is totally plausible in either comics' universe as both M&M AND Z&F were surreal toons that featured offbeat and irreverent humor!  Poor Weird Kid seems so baffled by it all.  I oughta commission another piece where Mike and Mindy play with their human beachball!  Thanks again Dawn and thanks for giving us a look at the creative process!  This piece reached new heights!

Well, that's all for this week and for the CRAZYVERSARY!!!  Thanks again to all the pals who sent in fan art for this joyous occasion!  It was the biggest celebration yet and topping it is gonna be impossible!  All month long I've been teasing something big is coming, and it is!  Next week: WonderCon returns!  Well, the countdown does at least!  That's right folks, it's been three long years since we last had a WonderCon, but it's back!  And we are gonna get into the spirit with a look back at previous shows, so be sure to come back and check it all out!  Until next time, take care, stay safe and I'll catch y'all later!

MIKE & MINDY: DEVIOUS AND EXPLOSIVE!!!

Welcome back my CRAZIES!!!  We are inching ever closer to the end of this year's CRAZYVERSARY, but there's still a couple weeks of fun left to be had.  Don't believe me?  Scroll down and see for yourself nonbelievers!  Enjoy...

First up, we have some fan art from a longtime friend of all things CRAZY, Scott Warren!  Scott, the creator of the insanely funny and nostalgic comic, Crunchy Bunches, likes to surprise me with fan art from time to time and last year gifted me this great piece reminding us all how devious Mike and Mindy could truly be!  They were always great friends, but often made better enemies!  I've always loved Scott's style.  Beyond it being super cartoony, it's also very bouncy, loose and expressive.  When I see his art, it moves.  That's takes a special talent to pull that off!  Thanks again Scotty!  May Munchy and Crew be back on the box soon!

Next up, picture book illustrator Sheri Palmer dropped off this adorable piece celebrating the first "Draw This" theme I posted back in 2020, which was a panel from another popular M&M strip in which Mindy tried to hold in a sneeze with hilarious results!  Sheri decided to make things a little less gross by having Mindy fart out a rainbow because, as Sheri put it, "Mindy's part unicorn!"  It's always a joy when Sheri's art pops up in my timeline.  Besides being adorable, it's also just straight whimsical.  There are times I feel like I can crawl into the picture by simply looking at it.  Thanks again Sheri!  Hope to see more Mike & Mindy in your style in the future!

And that's all for this week, but do come back seven days from now as we close out the CRAZYVERSARY on a high note with some uplifting art from a very dear pal!  Until then, take care, stay safe and I'll catch y'all later!

MIKE & MINDY PUMPED FOR THE CRAZYVERSARY, PT. 4!!!

 

Welcome to March CRAZIES!!!  We're two months into 2022 and things are, well... Much the same.  Some areas are better than others obviously, but there's always room for improvement.  Here at the CRAZYVERSE, the CRAZYVERSARY still floats on as the celebration was so big, it's spilled past its normal month of celebration and into March!  Weird?  Yes, but believe me something really cool is on the horizon that I can't wait to cover!  But more on that in a couple of weeks.  Y'all came here for some inflated Mike & Mindy insanity and I plan on delivering!  So scroll down before they float away!  Enjoy...

For those that haven't been keeping up, last summer I posted this panel from a classic M&M comic as part of the popular "Draw This In Your Style" challenge all across social media.  I was stunned by the sheer number of entries I got from fans and pals all over Twitter!  It's nice to know people still care about the terrible tykes, even though their comic series ended back in 2014.  Today we present the last ten entries I got, bringing us to a grand total of 40!  So put on some extra stretchy clothes and inhale deep, because Mike and Mindy are going on an adventure!  Take it away pals...

Bill Greenhead

Nora Racz

Pat Sandy

David Buist

J.A. Parker

Eline Wagemaker

Corey Kramer

Ted Dawson

Jennifer Cuthbert

Nick Davis

And that's a wrap on this portion of the celebration!  Big thanks again to all my wonderful pals in the Webcomics and Illustration realms who took part in this fun challenge.  M&M ran for five years between 2010 and 2014, and although they never reached the heights or longevity that Bubble Fox has, it's comforting to know they still have fans and are still remembered fondly.  Those years were a lot of fun and if I could relive them again, I would.  I promise to have an even sillier panel ready for this summer's theme!

That's all for this week, but we still have a few CRAZYVERSARY surprises left before launching into ANOTHER very fun event, but that's news for another day!  Until next time, take care, stay safe and I'll catch y'all later!