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!