THE CRAZY INFLATION BLOWOUT: BIGGER AND BADDER!!!

Welcome back CRAZIES!!!  After a one-week break, the art has returned and in a very big way!  As we all know, inflation is a rising problem in America and many nations around the globe as finances remain stressed.  In the cartoon world though, inflation is an endless source of hilarity and amusement and has become one of the hallmarks of CRAZY!  So starting today and for the rest of this month, we'll be highlighting the lighter side of inflation with a series of larger than life pieces I've done in recent months that'll hopefully let some of the air out of this high pressure situation!  I think you will all find it a very enlightening experience!  Enjoy...

The Big Bad Wolf...  A serial huffer and puffer who didn't take into account that Little Red Riding Hood kept a bike pump in her basket for Grandma!  He certainly got his fill this time!  Might have to start calling him the BLIMP Bad Wolf from now on!  Today's art came from a Twitter collective known as Animaloonies.  Founded by my dear friends Nora, Poppy and Valentina, each month, they pick an animal and put it out there for artists around the world to draw comically inflated!  It's a very fun collective to take part in and obviously a natural for me given the often surreal nature of my artwork.  And contrary to popular believe, I had NOTHING to do with it's creation!  It is all just a wonderful coincidence!

That's all for this week folks, but be sure to come back seven days from now when we blow something else up real good!  Until then, take care, stay safe and I'll catch y'all later!

COMIC CON RETURNS!!! IN A NEW SPECIAL EDITION!!!

 

Welcome to 2022 CRAZIES!!!  Well, 2021 certainly ended much the same way it started, but there's no need to dive into that.  I have reason to have hope and I'm gonna continue to pump the good vibes in.  One reason I have hope?  Comic Con FINALLY returned after a two-year hiatus due to the pandemic.  And even better?  It was held safely with no cases or outbreaks traced back to it!  If that ain't a good sign, I don't know what is?!?  Granted, it was nowhere near the size it usually is, but there were still easily between 25,00 and 30,000 people that entered the Convention Center that weekend, and we pulled it off!  Everybody followed the rules.  Everybody stayed masked.  Everybody provided proof.  But most important, everybody was polite!  Overall, it was a really nice weekend!  So let's dive right in and see what this smaller version of the pop culture juggernaut had to offer!  Enjoy...

Right off the bat, crowds were far more manageable at this show.  They still shut down most of 5th Avenue, but everything really was at a nice leisurely pace!

There are some who call him... Tim?!?

One of the coolest parts of the weekend was my old pal Riki came out to spend a day at the show with me!  We have been to VERY many cons together, but this was the first time since 2017 he was able to make it out to a show.  It was great to have one of my tag team partners back!

Speaking of pals, one of my longtime cartooning buddies, Austin Verburg, was there in his "Master Chef" costume!  He was easy to spot as he's usually a whole head taller than everybody else! 

Granny was there with Sylvester and Tweety, who, oddly enough, caused no mayhem!

Usually another piece of the puzzle is needed to summon Gozer!

Casey Jones knows how to promote safety.  He's double masked!

One of the cooler booths was the Pacman Museum!  Lot's of items and memorabilia on display, including all the games!  An even better Pacman exhibit is currently on display at the Comic Con Museum in Balboa Park!

Squid Game was very well represented at the show.  In addition to this booth which had an insanely long line, it was easily the most popular costume at the con.

For those that didn't have tickets, which is weird as the show didn't even come close to selling out, Comic Con had a really cool pinball lounge set up at the Marriott Hotel next-door.

Even some of the Akatsuki got in on the pinball wizardry being offered!

Offsites weren't as big a part of the show this time around, but some were still there, which came a welcome surprise!  NBC returned to Tin Fish Square with a small but fun La Brea activation that included photo ops, swag and even a media display!

The Hilton also got in on the act with their own small offsite, a bus celebrating the TV debut of legendary underground comix series The Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers!  It really wasn't much.  I remember working at the Hilton back in September and was excitedly told by some of the house workers there that they were getting something for Comic Con!  I'm sure that excitement died quick when a tour bus was all that pulled onto the lawn.  Still, it's the thought that counts in the end.

That isn't to say that everything out side of the con was small in scale.  DC and Warner Bros blew things up with their Peacemaker activation!  It was quite popular and had long lines the whole weekend!  They even stayed open well into the night on Saturday where those taking part were shocked to see John Cena himself being among the "volunteers!"

Would ya look at that!  It's our old pal Ed from Good Burger!  This guy was the smash sensation of WonderCon 2019, and I was happy to see him make the trek south!

Much like the last actual Comic Con in 2019, Gundam played a huge role at this special edition!  They had Gundam robots on display all over, a really cool shop where I bought a few figures and even up until recently had a hidden popup shop in San Diego!

The Empire doesn't take kindly to Starfleet entering their domain!  Into the Stargate portal Picard goes! 

Always nice to be served lunch by Lt. Dangle!

Rosie The Riveter was their and showing us all what a true badass she really is!

Not a very common sight at San Diego Comic Con: Breathable Halls!

Disney owns roughly two-thirds of the globe.  Yes, they had a cosplay presence here!

Happy to say that Artist's Alley was MUCH bigger than it has been at recent cons.  It was virtually nonexistent at the 2019 show.

Two icons of my youth: Kamen Rider and Ultraman!  Kamen Rider is currently celebrating its 50th anniversary while Ultraman kicked off the global phenomenon that is Tokusatsu!  Power Rangers, Beetleborgs, VR Troopers, hell, even Japanese Spiderman would not exist had it not been for Ultraman.  Kamen Rider has landed in America on two separate occasions, neither very successful.  The first attempt, 1995's Masked Rider, was a mess that just plain didn't work.  In 2009, a second attempt was made to bring it stateside, and although it was critically popular, the newer Kamen Rider suffered from the sad fate that Saturday morning cartoon blocks just aren't a thing anymore.  With news of a reboot coming in its home base in Japan, there's a decent chance it may try for a third time in the US.  We'll just have to wait and see.

Last up for this post: Freddy Mercury Hulk because... Why not?

And that's all she wrote for Comic Con Special Edition!  A much smaller and quieter show than its spring and summer offerings, it was nice to be able to just stroll and browse without fear of getting trampled.  I will say the panel lineup was kinda weak and it would've been nicer if some bigger name companies could've taken part.  I was stunned that IDW wasn't there as they are based in San Diego.  Their studios are literally less than 15 minutes away from Downtown.  Also would've liked some smaller comic sellers there, the ones that have nothing but trashed dollar boxes.  Every comic being sold there was either mint or modern.  Needless to say, I didn't unearth any hidden gems at this show.  Still, the people who were there were great and I discovered several new titles while walking around.  Will this lead to a fall show?  Hard to say.  I don't think attendance was a big as they were hoping, but I also think the overall endgame here was to see if they could safely put on a large-scale comic con, which they did.  In addition to the pandemic, Thanksgiving weekend is also a hard sell for a convention of any kind really because there's just so much going on.  There's many questions going into this year and the future about a fall show, but for now, I think we should all take this as a victory and a good sign that WonderCon and regular Comic Con can safely happen and will happen again this year!  Fingers crossed...

And that's a wrap on week one of January 2022!  Next week, the art returns in a VERY big way!  Don't pop with excitement!  We need y'all to come back and see what I'm floating your way!  Until then, take care, stay safe and I'll catch y'all later!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!! LOOK TO THE FUTURE!!!

Well, we've come to the end of another one.  2021 certainly got off to a very rough start, and there were some very rough times that occurred all throughout.  But compared to where we were at this time last year, I think we are heading in a better direction.  Vaccines exist, variants are being contained and life is starting to return to some form of normal.  We all have the power to make this better.  I will continue to do the best I can at being part of the solution and hope that these improvements will continue.  In the past five months, I've returned to work and am making more than I ever have per month, returned to theme parks and comic cons and have even learned new artistic abilities and skills that are really upping my cartooning game.  It's a good start and in 2022, I'd like to keep that going.  I hope y'all will continue to join me for these adventures and that we can all have some fun together.  So here's to 2022 and the hope it brings.

That's a wrap on December and 2021.  Come back next week as we kickoff the future right with a look at Comic Con Special Edition.  Until then, take care, stay safe and I'll catch y'all in 2022!  Happy New Year CRAZIES!!!

MERRY CHRISTMAS CRAZIES!!! WATCH FOR DROPPO!!!

We have reached it at last!  CHRISTMAS!!!  Well, in a few days at least as today is the 22nd, and Saturday is the 25th, but do any of you honestly care?  We're so darn close now we can practically taste those roasting chestnuts they're always singing about!

My tree is up and trimmed and hopefully has been spared from any kitty exploration (Harry's actually pretty good about Christmas trees as opposed to when he was a kitten).  It's a busy week for all, especially with so many of us actually being able to gather again.  So how's about we skip the small talk and go straight to the art, sound good?  Enjoy...

Uh oh!  Look out!  It's a greasy dude in a green leotard and doctored pilot's helmet holding a Wham-O Air Blaster!  Actually, it's just Voldar from the cult classic Santa Claus Conquers The Martians.  A long time staple of the public domain, this "gem," and that's a term I use VERY loosely here, got a second lease life in 1991 when the crew from Mystery Science Theater 3000 got ahold of it and went to town!  It would eventually become among the series' benchmark episodes and to this day is often included in many fans' holiday viewing schedules, which is good because this polished turd is practically unwatchable WITHOUT the added commentary!

That's all I got for this week.  Be sure to come back next time as we close out the month, and the year, with some simple art and a message of hope!  As Christmas is still a few days away, I would again like to remind all of you to please help others.  Donate food, donate clothes and toys, drop some spare change in the Salvation Army bucket, every little bit helps!  As the song says "Think of your fellow man, lend him a helping hand, put a little love in your heart!"  The world really can be a better place if we just try.  Until next time, take care, stay safe and Merry Christmas.  I'll catch y'all later.

POSSUM PACKED!!!

We are back!  Little over a week to go before the big man himself makes his famous run!  No you goofs, not Kevin Nash, Santa Claus!  How many stories do you know of Santa blowing his knee out while taking a step?  Exactly!  As we all patiently wait for Christmas to arrive, there is plenty to see and do, all while STILL be cautious and safe!  Things have improved a lot since last December and we need to do our best to keep that momentum heading in the right direction.  But since you're looking at this page right now, chances are you're not out and about, so I may as well make it worth clicking the link!  Scroll down and enjoy...

Poor Sap.  The product of a well-meaning but VERY overprotective mother, this bundled marsupial often doesn't get to enjoy the festivities of season as much as his friends do as he simply can't move!  Still, at least hypothermia and pneumonia won't be any threat to him.  Now if only his outfit had a built-in bathroom!  This piece again comes from my first Illo_Advent attempt on Twitter.  I often try to keep these daily art challenges simple as there are time that I might have work and thus not much time to draw.  Last year, obviously, that wasn't much of a problem.  But still, drawing everyday with the intent of posting can be a chore, and I'd rather have fun drawing something simple and silly rather than rip my hair out trying to create a masterpiece.

And that's all she wrote for now.  Next week's the big Christmas post, so be sure to come back and get your virtual gift!  Until then, take care, stay safe and please donate toys, food and clothing to those in need this season.  It honestly doesn't take much to make somebody's holiday happen for them.  Catch y'all later!

UGLY SWEATERS: WORSE THAN YOU KNOW!!!

Welcome back CRAZIES!!!  The march to Christmas is on!  Have you started your shopping yet?  I actually haven't yet!  Usually I would've been halfway done by now, but a little thing called Comic Con Special Edition occurred Thanksgiving weekend and kept me a bit preoccupied at a time when deals were gonna be at their best.  Yeah, I let bargain prices slip away, but it was totally worth it!  CCSE was a blast and I promise I'll have a full review of it up in January!  But for now, we're sticking with the holidays!  I know y'all are itching to see some new art, and I just happen to have some!  So quit scratching and start scrolling!  Enjoy...

The dreaded wool Christmas sweater.  Itchy as all get out and uglier than a baboon's ass as my beloved Nana used to say, it seems that no kid can truly escape them.  Little Wendy here discovers firsthand just how nasty these inanimate beasts really are.  It's like the sheep's revenge for shanking its fur!  Today's art, along with most of the art this month, comes from my first foray into Illo_Advent, a Twitter art collective that challenges artists from all over to make a Christmas or holiday themed drawing every day in December leading into Christmas Day itself.  Some years have been easier to do than others.  One theme even led to my first, and only so far, picture book!  As of this typing, I don't know what I'm gonna do yet, but I'm confident I'll come up with something!

That's all for today.  Be sure to come back next week for some laughs that have been stuffed to the brim!  Until then, take care, stay safe and please think of others this holiday season.  Toy, food and clothing drives are all in full swing and need help, so please do what you can!  Catch y'all later!

WELCOME TO THE HOLIDAYS!!! WATCH YOUR STEP!!!

Welcome to December CRAZIES!!!  Last month of the year and among the most festive times of the year!  Christmas is certainly looking more traditional this year than last, and will hopefully stay that way!  I'd like to say that Comic Con Special Edition was totally badass, but as of this writing, it hasn't happened yet!  It will certainly be different, but I'm confident it was an awesome time and I promise pics WILL be coming in January, meaning my blog will finally get noticed again!  But enough about that.  We're in full Holiday mode here at the CRAZYVERSE and are kicking things off right with some really gross art!  Enjoy...

Kids usually want the moon and then some for Christmas.  Quite a few are privileged enough to have their every whim catered to even.  But regardless of societal status, few kids ever truly think their gift list through, like the little girl who pined for a hippopotamus for Christmas.  Sure, it would be cool to have one as a pet...  Until you have to clean up after it!  You think scooping dog poo is degrading?  You're really gonna turn red after your friends see you shoveling hippo crap into a wheelbarrow!  Yeah, I think I'll stick to smaller, more legally attainable pets from here on out.

Week one of December is down!  What does next week hold?  You'll have to come back and see for yourself!  But I promise it'll be fun!  As always at this time of year, please think of others and help out those in need.  Donate today if you can!  Until next time, take care, stay safe and I'll catch y'all later!