WHAT'S THAT?!? IT'S TERRIBLE!!!

Welcome back CRAZIES!!!  Well, it's almost time!  I know I'm getting excited!  Got my yard display up, got my candy ready and have already performed all ritualistic spirit dances to ward off the evil spirits while welcoming the good ones.  Yes sir, I am ready for Halloween!  Just gotta remember to leave an offering to the Gregarious Gourd so that he will leave me treats instead of tricks!  But enough about that.  It's art time!  And we got a monster today that will leave you with twice the scares for the price of one!  It's all free anyway though, so scroll down and take a gander why don't ya?  Enjoy...

What's that?  It's a What's It.  A Terrible Whatzit to be precise!  Another entry from Animal Alphabets, the Terrible Whatzit is the imagined villain from the classic children's picture book Harry and the Terrible Whatzit.  Oddly enough, this one wasn't part of my bookshelf as a kid.  I remembered the monster, as he was always on the wall of Barnes & Noble along with other picture book icons like Clifford and the Cat in the Hat, but I never read the book.  It was a fun draw though, as monsters usually are.  And I can't complain about a palette that uses so few colors!

Well, only one week left to go, but don't worry!  I promise we got a BIG finish for HALLOWEEN!!!  So be sure to come back and help us close out October right!  Until then, take care, stay safe and I'll catch y'all later!

ART IS BACK AND ITS A GAS!!!

Welcome back CRAZIES!!!  After so many weeks of Comic Con pics, it seems really weird getting back into the art part of the blog, but I have quite the backlog to post over the next few... Decades!  So, might as well jump back into it headfirst!  Ready?  I am!  Enjoy...

So THAT'S how they got the title?  If I'm being honest, pretty much all of my knowledge of The Wind In The Willows comes from either the Disney movie or the Disneyland ride, so I didn't even know that there was a character named Otter, or that he has a son named Portly, in the story.  Leave it to Animal Alphabets then to help get an uncouth American like myself up to speed!  I'm sure I made a lot of literary experts very mad by adding a fart joke to a classic piece of literature, but is it really any worse than the guys that added zombies to every Jane Austen novel?  Besides, that wind IN the willows joke is killer!

That's all she wrote today, but be sure to come back next week for some more hand-drawn fun as we continue our trek through fairy tale and literary creatures.  Until next time, take care, stay safe and I'll catch y'all later!

MILLIE IS A GAS!!! AND SO IS TIM BUDGEN!!!

Welcome to April CRAZIES!!!  In better times, I would've been reviewing WonderCon 2021 for you all today, but... Less said the better I suppose.  There is some hope though.  I recently got my first dose of the vaccine and will be getting the second dose towards the end of the month.  California's numbers have dropped considerably in recent weeks and things are slowly opening up.  It's cautious optimism at best, but hopefully things will continue to improve here and elsewhere.  Only time will tell.

This month will be a special month as I celebrate some fellow cartoonists and illustrators that I'm quite fond of!  Last year, in an effort to keep spirits high, I took to drawing fan art for my pals and inspirations in the cartooning world.  It was a campaign I called Spread Some Laughs.  Kept it going for about six months before the daily drawing challenges started up in the fall.  This week's entry was part of a different collective, but still falls within the range of fan art, so I've included it today anyway because I wanted this month start with a bang!  Enjoy...

Mermaids primarily eat seafood, so they are likely to be VERY gassy.  Today's art was part of the popular Twitter trend of #DrawThisInYourStyle, where an artist will post something they've done and ask others to draw it in their own distinct styles.  My good pal Tim Budgen, an amazing illustrator from jolly old England, posted some art from his book, Starwhal, for us to draw.  It's the tale of a little mermaid named Millie and her magical pet narwhal who is actually a sparkly-powered Starwhal!  Tim's original image was of the two of them swimming together, which I technically did replicate, but I had to pump a little bit of CRAZY into the piece too, hence the flatulent nature!  Luckily, Tim loved it and everybody thought it was a fun piece!  Hopefully Tim STILL likes it and hasn't forgotten that he STILL has a #DTIYS featuring Mike & Mindy to draw!  Possibly even two if he chooses to do the next challenge!

So ends Week 1 of April 2021!  It's my birth month and spring is in full swing, so be sure to come back next week and be blown away by some fun fan art!  Until then, take care, stay safe and I'll catch y'all later!  Oh, and Happy Easter!

MERRY CHRISTMAS CRAZIES!!! DADDY DON'T LIKE!!!

Welcome to December my CRAZIES!!!  And welcome to the Holidays!  Be it Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanza and so forth, all are welcome here to come celebrate the peace and joy of the season!  Things are obviously going to be very different this year, but we are a strong bunch.  We'll still find a way to make the holidays fun while staying safe.  You know who hasn't been staying safe?  The Jolly Fat Man himself, Santa Claus!  What do I mean by that?  Scroll down and see for yourself!  Enjoy...

Uh oh!  Santa snuck in MANY smooches with Mommy over the years.  We all thought it'd be a big laugh if Daddy walked in and caught them.  Turns out ol' pop is the jealous type and, well...  St. Nick might wanna use some of that elf magic right about now otherwise his belly won't be the only thing swollen on him!  This art was original part of my Illo_Advent series that I did on Twitter last year.  It got a pretty good reaction from friends and fans and indeed, it is one the rare few pieces of art that I'm 100% satisfied with.  Incidentally, it's also available as a Christmas card at my RedBubble shop!  Click here to check it out and maybe even pick up a few!

This week we have a special treat!  A book recommendation!  My good pal Joe Gillespie has a new book out, My Father Wrestles Alligators!  A while back, Joe was kind enough to do a hilarious Mike & Mindy guest comic that saw Mike reach stratospheric proportions!  Well, Joe's back and has an amazing new book to share with the whole world!

What happens when you're the youngest of six brothers?  MANY wild tales are told!  Well, that and probably an inhumane amount of noogies and wedgies too, but plenty of stories for sure!  This book is a collection of those wild tales and it's available in both paperback and digital forms!  Convenient, no?

 

Featuring great art, fun characters and wild action, it's a hoot for all ages to enjoy!  and seriously, look at the image directly above this text.  How can you NOT wanna read a book that features Lucha Gator?  The sirens song must be answered!  To learn more, click the title link a few paragraphs back!

And that's all for today in this first week of December!  We got a lot of fun planned for this month, so be sure to come back and check it all out, especially next week as we continue to smash through the holidays!  Speaking of the holidays, these are tough times, more so than ever.  As bad as things may seem, there are people out there who have it worse and need help.  If you can spare some, please donate to help those who need food and warm clothes during these harsh days.  Every little bit helps.  Take care, stay safe 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!

TOP OF THE WORLD MA!!!

We've come to it at last, the end of the Yellow Brick Road and, coincidentally, the month of May.  But we can't end our trip to Oz without visiting Dorothy now, can we?  Of course not!  So let's dive in and see how traumatized this poor kid is after going through all that!  Enjoy...

As I mentioned last week, I think Dorothy should've figured out a bit sooner that the Wizard was a fraud!  Then again, he had the entire world convinced he was a powerful sorcerer through nothing more than smoke and mirrors.  Maybe the Wizard was smarter than he let on to?  Either way, Dorothy was probably better off not going with him, given his track record.  Frankly, she should've been even more pissed after learning Glinda could've sent her home right from the start as opposed to sending her on a trip through a dangerous forest with three complete strangers while a psychotic witch tried to kill her over a pair of shoes.  Surely there are easier ways to teach kids that a boring home life isn't so bad?

And that's a wrap on our stroll through the Marvelous Land of Oz!  Sure hope y'all enjoyed this CRAZY take on these beloved figures of literature!  Come back next week as we take another break from art for something VERY special!  What is it you may be asking?  Oh, only the kickoff to the CRAZY COMIC CON COUNTDOWN!!!  Nine weeks straight of past fun at the best show on Earth!  So be sure to come back!  Until then, take care and I'll catch y'all later!

RUBY RED EMBARRASSMENT!!!

We are back and better than ever!  How do I know this?  Because my Better-Than-Everometer" told me so!  We've almost reached the end of the Yellow Brick Road, but one obstacle still stands in our way; literature's original badass, the Wicked Witch of the West!  So let's dive in cannonball-style and splash her away!  Enjoy...

And here I thought red went with everything!  It's always been a sticking point with me over how the witch was killed.  A simple drop a water causes witches to melt!  If I were Dorothy or her pals, I would've been super pissed to have gone through all of that only to find out we could've spit on her in Munchkinland and been done with it all!  And further more, shouldn't Glinda or the Wizard have known that she was easy to kill?  The Wicked Witch of the West's death should've been the dead giveaway that the Wizard was a fraud!  And also, why the hell would you wanna wear a pair a shoes made of solid gemstones?!?  They couldn't possibly be comfortable?  Not to mention, their street value could've made the witch a millionaire!  Who cares about Dorothy and pals when you're rich?  Wow!  Those are some huge plot holes that need filling in!

And that's all for today!  One more post to go in our Oz countdown, so be sure to come back next week to meet a kid who's gonna need a bit of counseling once she gets back to Kansas!  Until then, take care and I'll catch y'all later!

COWARDICE IS COURAGE!!!

And we're back!  Midway through May and still off to see the Wizard!  Today we meet a cat who's afraid of his own shadow, the Cowardly Lion!  Why is he always so scared?  I'm gonna go out on a limb and say traumatic childhood experience.  But enough with the phony diagnosis.  I'm not Dr. Phil after all!  Let's get on with the show!  Enjoy...

Hmmm...  Well, it's either a traumatic childhood experience or he's just a straight up wuss!  The Cowardly Lion has long been a favorite among the Oz faithful, maybe because he makes us feel better about our own insecurities?  Regardless, it's not an Oz art month without him, so laugh, if you will, at his irrational fear of everything!

Another week down!  We'll be back next time with a look at a woman whose desire to steal a pair very impractical shoes leads her down a steep slope of self-destruction!  Until then, take care and I'll catch y'all later!

THE HEART OF THE MATTER!!!

Welcome back CRAZIES!!!  Our trek down the Yellow Brick Road continues with the original Iron Man, the one and only Tin Woodsman, or Tinman for those that only watched the movie.  So let's cut the chit chat and dive right in!  Enjoy...

I don't think that heart's gonna work dude.  On the plus side, studies prove that dark chocolate IS good for the heart, so maybe Tinman's on to something?  I chose to go with the book depiction of the Tinman because I always found that version of him to be more whimsical.  As much as I love the classic MGM film, I always felt the Tinman's look was a bit of a let down compared to the Scarecrow and Cowardly Lion.  These days, it'd be done with computers, although 1985's Return To Oz achieved the effect through puppetry created by the group that would eventually become the Jim Henson Creature Shop.

And that's all for today!  We'll be back next time with a big cat that's sorely lacking a little bit of courage.  Until then, take care and I'll catch y'all later!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN 2016 FROM THE CRAZYVERSE!!!

Happy Halloween my CRAZIES!!!  The Ragtags and Pepper are sure having a good time and I hope those of you who are still of trick-or-treating age will have one too come Halloween night!  Poor Sap, he drew pumpkin duty this year while Pepper is dressed as Mr. Blob, Clover is Nettika and Mooch is Picpak Dog!  What can I say?  Web Comics are loaded with great characters to dress up as!  Still, there's plenty of candy to be had!  Just make sure you get it from the right houses.  Otherwise, you could end up a mouse!  Don't believe me?  Read on and you'll see what I'm talking about...

The Witches, one of Roald Dahl's most unusual works of literature, which is really saying something, is the tale of a boy given chocolate by evil witches that turns kids into mice.  The book was adapted into a live action movie by Jim Henson in 1990 and was among the last projects the Muppet great lived to complete.  Dahl himself wasn't particularly fond of the film as it changed the downbeat ending into a happy one.  In his final years though, he did soften up to it a bit.  I've stated in the past that as great as his books are, they've rarely translated well into film and the big reason is because they are all quite dark for kids books.  Even Steven Spielberg couldn't make The BFG work this past summer, and that book is one of Dahl's more adaptable works.  Perhaps Tim Burton can take another crack someday.  I had a lot of fun working on this one, even if the art is a little grotesque by my style.  Hopefully no one will turn into a mouse from looking at it!

And that's all she wrote for October!  November is coming fast and will have all sorts of turkey-themed fun coming your way, so stay "Tooned!"  Until then, take care and I hope y'all have a fun, safe and spooky Halloween!  I'll catch y'all later and be sure to save me some Reese's Cups!

COMIC CON AND FLAT STANLEY: "PUMPED" FULL OF AWESOME... AND AIR!!

NEXT WEEK!!! COMIC CON 2016 IS NEXT WEEK!!!  SO LITTLE TO DO AND SO MUCH TIME…  Wait a minute, thats not right.  There's TONS to do!  Alright, lets just get through today, shall we?  Here's some art...

Today's art came from the Daily Doodle theme of Flat Stanley, the tale of a boy who goes flat and is literally blown around from one situation into another.  In the end, Stanley's brother pumps him back to normal, which made for the perfect excuse to do a twisted variation of the finale!  I can't tell you how many cartoonist and illustrator pals tweeted me over how much they loved the rough art for this.  One pal even said he would've happily pumped up his sister if she had gone flat!  I can only imagine what family get togethers would've been like afterward!

Well, the art part's done, so now it's time for some blast-from-the-past fun courtesy of Comic Con!  This time, we jump back to 2013, the year everything came full circle… Or did it?  Hell, I don't remember!  That weekend is a whole blur now!  Thank God I got pictures to piece it all back together!  Enjoy...

The WB booth.  One of the biggest at the Con.  They used to have a huge water tower there, but those days are long gone.  Lord only knows what's gonna happen at the booth this year.  LOTS of fans are gonna be vocal over DC's movies! 

ME WANNA GUNDAM!!!  ME WANT ONE NOW!!! 

The final year of the Shifty Look retro lounge.  They went under two months later.  I'll always have memories at least. 

The Xbox Lounge was moved to the Hyatt after spending its first year at the Hard Rock.  The Hyatt certainly offers more space, but thanks to some rowdy folks the previous year, it's no longer free for all and also no longer gives out snacks!  Still, this lounge was a lot of fun and gave out some great swag. 

The Regular Show Experience at the New Children's Museum was awesome!  It was a long wait, but totally worth it!  Got an exclusive poster, played some classic 80's games and won a pair of fuzzy dice! This really was the best thing at the Con that year!

Pretty sure this counts as a trained service animal. 

HELLOOOOOOOOOOO NURSE!!! 

Alex Ross-style Joker!  He looks so classy! 

The Ender's Game Experience in the Gaslamp.  In the past, it'd been the Frankenweenie Experience.  These days, it's the Assassin's Creed Obstacle Course.  And yes, I've wasted hours watching folks get their asses handed to them on it!  I never did see Ender's Game, but the experience was pretty cool.  Got a pretty funny ID Badge (Top of the post) out of it!

This was something at the Hasbro booth.  Can't recall what toy it was for, but it looked pretty cool!  Also looks like it wants to munch on some ponies! 

Always something awesome to see and do at the Petco Park Interactive Zone!  And best of all, its completely FREE!!!

 Boltman was on the hunt!

Pretty sure the Ocarina of Time isn't meant for panhandling, Link! 

COWABUNGA DUDES!!! 

Wild West Ghostbusters!  Love this variant!

And so wraps up our look back at Comic Con 2013!  A great year and the last Con to date where I actually got to walk around see what I wanted to.  These days I got my nephew and niece with me.  It's all good though.  They're starting to get into the stuff I'm into, so now we can enjoy it together, instead of being bored with each other's interests!

And so we finish another week!  We'll be back next time with some more fun art, a look back at Comic Con 2014 and some info on this year's Web Comic Meet-Up!  We'll also be posting on Monday next week so that everyone will have more time to soak it all in.  Until then, take care and I'll catch y'all later!

THEY AIN'T HARVARD MATERIAL!!!

And we come to it at last!  The final September post EVER… in 2015!  Sorry folks, just had to play that trick on y'all!  Wait!  Don't go!  I got art!  I promise!  See…

Behold, The Twits!  One of Dahl's most unusual works, which is really saying something!  I'm surprised this book hasn't been adapted yet.  With their cruel actions towards each other and those around them, The Twits seem tailor-made for American media!  I'd rather watch them the the Kardashians, that's for sure!  Anyway, the worm cake was a delight to draw.  Especially the two worms butting heads!  I love working small gags like that into my art.  Hardly anyone ever notices the small things though.  Perhaps I should drop more clues?

Anyway, that's a wrap for September!  I'll rustle up some spooky art for the coming month and, with any luck, will have some pics from Long Beach Comic Con to share with you next week!  Until then, take care and I'll catch y'all later!

HE'S JUST FANTASTIC!!!

And we're back and almost done with September!  Man how time flies.  Seems like only last week I was posting my Big Friendly Giant art.  Oh wait, that WAS last week!  Well, no need to stop now!  On with the show…

Today's art comes from Fantastic Mr. Fox.  It's the most recent Dahl book to be made into a film and the only one I didn't see.  Sorry, but I just don't like Wes Anderson's movies.  They're boring and pointless!  With that said, the book is great and I never miss the chance to draw a fox!

Well, only one more to go before we close out September!  I'll be back next time to end the month with a pair of road scholars if ya know what I mean!  Until then, take care and I'll catch y'all later!

THINGS HAVE GOTTEN BIG!!!

Welcome back!  How was Long Beach Comic Con?  Hell if I know?  I wrote this two weeks before I went!  Hopefully it was cool!  And hopefully I remembered my camera this time so I can actually do a post on it next month!  But enough of these rambling from my past self!  It's time for some more Roald Dahl-inspired art!  Enjoy…

Today's art is based on the Big Friendly Giant, which, as you may have gathered, is about a big friendly giant.  That may have been Dahl's greatest trait as a writer; he was pretty straight forward with everything!  I loved working on this piece in particular because in a way it reminded me of when I was a teen and I'd babysit my cousin Mara.  She was such a tiny little sprite and I was kinda big.  She'd make me carry her everywhere, which wasn't much effort.  She weighed about 20Lbs. soaking wet!  Anyhoo, she's off to college this year while I'm off to drawing giants with kids riding on their heads.  Weird how that works out, eh?

And so ends another week!  We'll be back next time with some foxy art from one of Bubble's distant relatives.  Until then, take care and I'll catch y'all later!

EVERY LITTLE THING SHE DOES IS MAGIC!!!

Welcome back CRAZIES!  I heard through the grapevine y'all have been really good this week, so I shall reward you with art!  CRAZY art!  OK, I know y'all wanted pizza but cut me some slack!  The books aren't selling so I got no cash!  Anyway, enjoy some creativeness…

Today we have Matilda getting the CRAZY treatment!  This was another book that lead to a rather uninspired film adaptation.  In general, most of Dahl's books haven't translated well into feature films.  Part of the problem is, well, they tend to be quite dark, especially for kids books.  Movie studios prefer that their kids movies not be so dark, especially when the humor is very slapstick, much like Dahl's was.  This often leads to conflicts between writers and studio heads that's ultimately gonna be won be the studio because they pull the strings.  And now you all know why so many independent films are getting more traction.  Beyond that, this one was fun to draw, especially tossing the newt on Ms. Trunchbull.  Newts make everything better!

Anyway, that's all for now.  I'll be at Long Beach Comic Con this weekend, walking around and chilling with pals, so say high if you see me!  Next week, something BIG is coming to the CRAZYVERSE, so be ready!  Until then, take care and I'll catch y'all later!

EVERYTHING IS PEACHY!!! WELCOME TO ROALD DAHL MONTH!!!

Welcome to September y'all!  Fall is upon us!  Sure, for some that means back to school, but you know what?  It also means cooler weather, football and holidays!  I say that's a fair trade off!  September's a special month this year at the CRAZYVERSE.  You see, last summer, the Daily Doodle did an entire week of art devoted the books of Roald Dahl!  As many of you are well aware, I'm a HUGE fan of Dahl's work and was excited for the chance to put a CRAZY spin on some of his most celebrated stories!  So sit back and strap as I take a crack at the World of Dahl!

First up is James and the Giant Peach!  I remember reading this book back in the fourth grade and loving it.  Then being disappointed by the movie which changed many of the elements from the book that made the story so satisfying.  Still, it gave stop motion animation a badly needed spotlight, so for that I'm grateful at least.  The bugs were always my favorite part of the book but sadly, I only had room for one.  Also felt this was a more realistic way of making the peach giant.  Just hope nothing pokes it!

Last week, I mentioned I was taking a break from Bubble Fox.  Well, it's true and it's also important to squash an easy-to-spread rumor before it starts.  I am NOT quitting!  I'm just taking a month off is all.  It may not always seem like it, but cartooning takes a lot of time.  One strip alone usually takes several hours to do, and that doesn't even include colored comics!  Now multiply that by 8-10, and you can see where I'm coming from here.  I've been cartooning nonstop since 2008 more or less.  In that time, I've graduated college, become a full-time stagehand, tabled at cons and dealt with a troubling amount of personal and family issues.  Sometimes, we just get burned out and need a break.  I know it's easy to fear such things given how many artists take breaks that wind up never ending.  But I promise all of you it's only for a month and come October, Bubble will be back foxing it up like never before!  In the meantime though,  some pals have agreed to house sit for me while I'm gone so be ready for a guest month of epic proportions!  So be ready!

You may be asking yourself "Why Bubble Fox and not this blog or Peppertown?"  Well, the art for this blog is fairly quick to produce since the pencils already exist.  And most of Peppertown has been complete for YEARS now!  It's only just now getting posted.  Bear in mind I don't do roughs anymore.  When you see a Bubble strip, your seeing it as I do: From my mind to the page!  Anyway, I hope that clears everything up.

Well, that's all for this week.  We'll be back next time with a magical little girl that predates most of the ones who've shined in the manga world for decades!  Until then, take care and I'll catch y'all later!

CRAZY CHARGES INTO WONDERCON… AGAIN!!!

 

That's right CRAZIES!  Despite a showing so poor it almost made me cry last year, I've gotten back up on my CRAZY horse and am giving WonderCon Anaheim one last shot!  I'll be in Artists' Alley again this year, pedaling my wares, including the BRAND NEW BUBBLE FOX BOOK, in addition to sketch cards and sketches!  So stop by, say hello and bring a little bit of the CRAZYVERSE home with you!

Here's the when, where and what of it all:

I will be in Artists' Alley at table B-10, Friday, April 3rd, through Sunday, April 5th, 2015.

My prices are as follows:

• Classical Gas: A Bubble Fox Collection: $10.00
• Mike And Mindy Books: $6.00 each
• 8.5in x 5.5in Sketches: $5.00 each, FREE for kids 12 and under
• Sketch Cards: $3.00 each OR four(4) cards for $10.00
• Mike And Mindy Mini Books and Papercraft Kits: $1.00 Each
• Postcards, Bookmarks, Coloring Pages: FREE
• WONDERCON SPECIAL: $30.00 for ALL four(4) books AND one sketch card! (While supplies last)

That's right!  I got solid deal for the CRAZYVERSE diehards or those that just like collecting funny comics!  My Con special would cost between $42-$50 online, but at WonderCon, $30 gets ya the whole thing, AND I can sign 'em!  Not bad eh?

As always, my only real policy is that ALL sketch requests, be it a card or page, MUST be PG, i.e., ALL AGES!!!  NO ADULT STUFF!!!  NO EXCEPTIONS!!!

So come on down (Or up!) to Anaheim this weekend and chill with the CRAZIEST cartoonist alive!  It sure beats that term paper you were supposed to be typing up during Spring Break!

Although last year's show was a bit of a disaster for me, there was still a lot of great Cosplay to be seen, so here are some pics of the great time most people were able to have at WonderCon 2014...

 Megaman really wants those books!

 With Gumby and Pokey on the Power Rangers' side, Rita and Goldar don't stand a chance!

 Disneyland is three blocks north of the convention center in Anaheim.  Some Disney Cosplay was bound to happen!

 Uh oh.  The Count's got the Infinity Gauntlet!  ONE!!!  ONE INFINITY STONE!!!  TWO!!!  TWO INFINITY STONES!!!  HA HA HA!!!

 Everybdy felt much safer last year knowing that Zapp Brannigan was at WonderCon!

OOOOOOOH!!! THIS LEMONGRAB COSTUME WAS NOT UNACCEPTABLE!!! 

"Super freak extraordinaire!  FREAKAZOID!!!  FREAKAZOID!!!" 

Check it out Bro!  It's Muscle Man and Fives! 

 I'm not kidding when I say I ran into ten different Burt and Mary's at WonderCon last year!  Who knew Mary Poppins Cosplay was so popular?

Lily?  Why is there a Rebel Pilot behind you?

Well folks, that's all for now.  I'll be back next week returning to the inked doodles that were SUPPOSED to be the new staple here at the stuff!  Until then, have a safe and wonderful Easter and/or Passover.  And if you have a chance, stop by WonderCon and come say hello!  I'd love to meet y'all!  Take care and I'll catch y'all later!