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!

MIKE & MINDY PUMPED FOR THE CRAZYVERSARY, PT. 3

We've come to it at last...  The end...  Of February 2022.  What?  You thought I was ending the blog?  Come on now, you know nobody's THAT lucky!  Besides, we're only halfway through the CRAZYVERSARY!!!  There's still plenty of bloated goodness to feast on!  Like more Mike & Mindy fan art!

For those not following along, I posted this panel on Twitter and challenged other artist pals to draw it in their own styles.  Much to my surprise, it got a LOT responses!  So many so that I had to split it up into multiple parts!  Here's our equivalent of Return Of The Jedi!  Enjoy...

Sorry to start this off on a sad note as the artist behind this was my dear pal Torben Christensen, who passed away not long after drawing this.  I, like so many others who knew and loved "Torbs," had no idea that he'd been ill, so it caught a lot of us off guard.  He was a fun, encouraging and insanely talented soul, always happy to jump in on these wacky art collectives on Twitter.  He was posting art on social media up to the end and even had a final piece ready, a true pro to the end.  The above piece was among the last few sketches he posted, which makes this even more bittersweet.  That he deemed me and my cartoon kids worthy of time that was growing more precious by the second is very humbling.  Thanks again Torbs.  You were an inspiration, but more than that, you were a pal too.

Jean Okada

Howard Stacy

Dave McTaggart

Kalon Anne Sardin

Ian Bossons

Ric Lumb

Will Flitcroft

DF Morrill

Ryan Klassen

Although it is a Wrap on February, it's not a wrap on the CRAZYVERSARY!!!  We still got ten more takes on bloated Mike and Mindy to showcase, not to mention a couple a special pieces honoring the puffed pals!  So be sure to come back next week so we can kick March off on the same high note we ended February on!  Until then, take care, stay safe and I'll catch y'all later!
 

MIKE & MINDY PUMPED FOR THE CRAZYVERSARY, PT. 2!!!

 

We are back and believe it or not still early on in the CRAZYVERSARY celebration!  Mike and Mindy are 12 years old now, but don't look a day past eight!  I keep asking them what their secret to staying young is, but they just won't talk!  Maybe someday...

For those just tuning in, last year I launched a "Draw This In Your Style" challenge on Twitter to see how many folks, if any, would draw the above panel in their style.  Amazingly enough, quite a few pals responded!  So many in fact, I've had to split it up into multiple weeks!  So scroll on down and see what the second wave of artists had in store for these "Balloonatics!"  Enjoy...

  

Sheri Palmer

Anthony Moorin

Monica Rondino

Esa Holopainen

Andrew Fraser

Lisa Poggioli

Kim Belding

Richard Lowke

Sarah Owen

Gotta give another special mention here as Guy Olivieri also took the time to animate Mike and Mindy's puffed posteriors for the occasion!  It is still a dream to see these two on the small screen, possibly in animated bumpers on an upstart cable network.  The future is bright!

Week 3 of the CRAZYVERSARY is done!  But never fear!  Next week's post is already overinflated with even more fan art goodness!  Had to wrap up February on a high note after after all!  And Mike and Mindy have definitely been reaching new heights as of late!  So be sure to come back for more!  Until then, take care, stay safe and I'll catch y'all later!

MIKE & MINDY PUMPED FOR THE CRAZYVERSARY, PT. 1!!!

We are back my CRAZIES!!!  One of the more popular art trends happening on social media these days is the "Draw This In Your Style" challenge.  Basic premise is an artist posts a drawing they did and encourage others to draw said art in their own unique style.  I've taken part in quite a few of them as they are fun to do and are a great way to sharpen our skills as artists.  They're also a really great way to get some fan art circulating around the interwebs, so I decided I'd try and get a few themes going myself, the first of which saw many artists giving their takes on the classic exploding bloomers gag from the August 2012 M&M comic.  For my second go around, I decided the ante must be upped, and there was no CRAZIER moment from the series than the comic below... 

For those new to the blog or simply don't remember, Mike and Mindy took part in an epic storyline in the spring of 2013 where they miss the school bus and attempt to get to school quickly using a whole method of Wile E. Coyote-type devices, each of which fails miserably.  Their last ditch effort involves them inflating themselves with compressed air and then using deflation as a means to propel themselves to school, which does actually work, but only ends with more misery as they realize that they'd had the day off the whole time!  Talk about a whole lotta effort for nothing?!?  Well, the comic to this day is still considered by M&M fans to be among their five funniest with the puffed panel in particular getting the biggest laughs.  Fast forward eight years later.  "Draw This In Your Style' is a thing and I got a little curious.  Would anyone WANT to draw the panel below in they own distinct styles?

Turns out that quite a few pals were more than happy to draw these pumped pals!  So much so, that it's gonna take four weeks to cover them all!  So put on some stretchy clothes, sit back, relax and scroll down to get your fill of fan art goodness!  Enjoy...

Robert Moore

Shaylee Robson

Joaquin Orellana

Traci Van Wagoner

Kirsten Sneath

Sheree Boyd

Suzanne Tamberrino

Marlene Jorgenses

Warren Frantz

Special mention is warranted for my dear pal Haruka, who not only animated this, but added Bubble Fox to the mix and insisted that she and her cat's cartoon likenesses substitute for Mike and Mindy in the piece!  I absolutely loved this!

And that's all for the first part of this MASSIVE fan art extravaganza!  Ten more wild takes of this classic M&M moment are coming next week, so stay "Tooned!"  Until then, take care, stay safe and I'll catch y'all later!