Happy Halloween

This is Just a doodle that I threw together very quickly this morning when I should have been doing serious stuff.

Happy "All Saints Eve" - or whatever. Doesn't that mean that it's time for the stores to start pushing Christmas?

Oops! I forgot to include an Egg-Man. Sorry fans. I'm only human.

Sooner Fans

This is another example of some of the custom work that I do. It is a caricature that I did of the sons of a former secretary (great gal). They are obviously big fans of the Oklahoma University Sooners. In Oklahoma, you're either a Sooner (OU), or a Cowboy (OSU).

Some of you may wonder what a Sooner is. Well... when the government decided to open up some of the indian territory to settlement back in the late 1800's, they conducted various land runs. If anybody wanted to get a piece of land FOR FREE all they had to do was line up at the appointed place on the appointed date and when a cannon was fired, they had to run, ride, crawl, skip, to plant their stake on a piece of property. (See the movie "Far And Away" for visual clarity.)

My great grandfather was in the Oklahoma Cherokee Strip Run - 1893. (Many Oklahomans forget that there was more than one land run.) Anyone that participated in the land run was called a Boomer, i.e. Land Boom. BUT, if you cheated and snuck across the line earlier than you were supposed to, you were called a Sooner, because you went across the line "sooner."

So, the Oklahoma University mascot is basically a cheater.

Now, I have MANY friends and relatives that live in Oklahoma (In fact I was BORN in Oklahoma). Those people are fairly passionate about their college sports. So, I'm a bit concerned about the effect that my earlier statement will have on our relationship. But... if there are any hard feelings, I would say that I think it's better to be be named after a cheater than after a water fowl - like a Duck.

Family Practice - Lid Up 2

To fully appreciate this post you should read the previous submission. Regarding that post, I must say that I was surprised at the number of comments that the subject of toilet lid placement generated. It is apparently a heart felt (or posterior felt) issue in a large number of households.

I do wish to emphasis that my suggested toilet lid campaign is directed towards PUBLIC unisex facilities and not the common household variety. I have long been well trained on lid placement in my house full of women.

Of the response that I got I think that the most practical one came from Valarie who wrote that "maybe the male that was leaving the unisex bathroom with the toilet seat down was doing something in there that he needed the seat down for!?! :)" My response to her was that I try not to think about such things - thoughts like that tend to break my concentration, and heaven knows you need to keep your concentration while using those kind of facilities.

Anyway, this is another sample from my failed attempt at comic strip syndication which talks about the controversial issue of... lid up, or lid down?
Click on the image to get a larger view.

Family Practice - Lid Up 1

Click on the above for a larger image.

Here is one of my pet peeves.

First, you need to know that I've lived in a household full of women: one wife, three daughters, and a female dog. So, when it comes to introducing a male point of view to any discussion, I am quickly, and completely, out numbered. For example, concerning the subject of "lid up" or "lid down," my voice is a dim clatter in the distance. I have been conditioned (more like trained) to PUT THE LID DOWN!!! after usage.

BUT, why is it that when I visit a public unisex restroom, that has just previously been occupied by a member of the male persuasion, do I walk in and discover that the guy has put the lid down! Have we men been so conditioned by the ladies that we just automatically accommodate their preferred toilet lid positioning?

Men of the world! Listen to me! It's our turf too! We can walk out of ANY such public restroom, with the lid left up, our heads held up, and (least we get distracted) our zippers in the up position too!

That's what this cartoon is about. I would love to produce a bunch of stickers, to be passed out to my fellow men, to be placed on the underside of every unisex restroom toilet lid that reads: "BE A MAN. LEAVE THE LID UP!" I would love to print a Billion stickers just like that and hand them out to all men everyone.

And I would, but...

...I don't think my wife would let me.

What do you think?

Dawn & Her Gang

This is an illustration that I've been wanting to put on my blog for a number of days now. The story behind it begins when a friend sent me an e-mail with a link to an e-bay auction. The e-bay listing tells the story of Dawn Meehan's efforts to sell some Pokemon Cards that one of her children slipped into her shopping cart. On that page Dawn writes a very hilarious description of her shopping "adventure." It is a must read - funny - VERY funny.

(Here is the URL info. - I tried to create a link, but having a hard time doing so. Just copy and paste into your address line.)
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=130144061675&ssPageName=ADME:B:EF:UK:2

Apparently the e-bay listing gained a lot of attention and there have been thousands of people that have read it and then forwarded it to others. On that page she posted a link to a blog authored by her - "Because I Said So."

Dawn's Blog

I began to visit her blog every so often because I really enjoyed reading some of her daily postings. From time to time I would add a comment, along with the hundred or so others that were posting comments on her page as well. Every so often I would add the URL to my blog at the bottom of my comment - just in case anyone might be interested in seeing what I had to offer to the blogging world out there.

Then, lo and behold, one day I received a couple of comments from Dawn on this blog. I was honored. She is obviously a busy lady. Along with raising six children, Dawn has done a number of radio interviews about her new popularity, Nickelodeon has come calling, and she has a book offer, which she is now in the process of writing, On top of all that ABC News did a segment about her.

ABC News Story

But, more than getting some comments from Dawn, I was really excited when she asked about the possibility of me doing a caricature of her for blog. Again, I was honored and really wanted to do it. So, after getting some photos of her and her children, plus a bit of description about each one of the Meehan kids, this is the result.











It was my idea to include her husband in the background. She describes him as a "jack of all trades." The Old Lady in the Shoe was hers. What do you think?

(I haven't told her yet, and maybe she still hasn't seen it, but yes, the egg man does make an appearance in her illustration. Can you find him?)

Thanks Dawn for letting me in on the fun, and remember me for all your further cartoon needs.

Airplane Art - Serious Biker

This is the last of my Airplane Art series - sketches that I drew while on various flights for my recent trip to Oklahoma/Texas.Of the four sketches, this is the one that I like the least. It's a bit too rough for me. Also, my lettering got too crowded. I ran out of room. So I ended up crowding the letters together. But, hey, it is what it is - airplane art.

I drew this while on a puddle-jumper going from San Fran. to Medford, OR. The flight attendant was really impressed. I ended up drawing her a thank you note - of sorts. She seemed really impressed with that as well. Flight attendants are easily impressed.

Now that you've seen all four pieces, which one do you like the best? My favorite is my first post: "Make Some Hay." What do you think?

P.S. Are you looking for the egg men?

Airplane Art - Spicy Tomato

Below is the one illustration that I kept from my flight OUT to Oklahoma. There is a story behind it - want to hear it? I knew you did. Hang on - it's an involved one...

I was on a red-eye after a lay-over in Las Vegas. I was due to arrive in Oklahoma City about 4:20 in the AM, but the flight was delayed. It's the middle of the night.

Now, I'm a person that can normally sleep just about anywhere, but for some reason I CANNOT get any shut-eye on a plane. But I've got to try because I'm facing a long day of traveling after I land. With the seat tray down, I try resting my elbows on it while placing my head lightly on the seat in front of me. At this point I begin to feel a pulse of some kind, and I think, "I can feel my pulse in my hands!" But when I look up I notice that the (shaved) head in front of me is bouncing back and forth to some kind of silent beat. He has a set of head phones on is having his own little dance party through the night - all the way from Las Vegas to OKC. No sleeping that way.

Then there is the cart issue. The flight attendants are coming through with my one, and only, chance for a drink on that flight. "Do I stay awake so that I won't miss my opportunity, or do I let them slip by me in the dark of the plane?" That is the question. I can't stand the pressure. I want to try and get some sleep, but I can't let my one, and only, opportunity to slip by me.

On planes I generally partake of one of two drinks: 1. A coke (they NEVER have Dr. Pepper) or 2. tomato juice. I'd had enough soda (pop) for the day, so in my mind - there in the dark of that plane - while the shinny head bounced back and forth in front of me - I decided to go for tomato juice. But, I thought, "Wouldn't it be nice to have V-8!" I really did. I was thinking that it would be kind of nice to get some juice with a bit of a kick to it. BUT, when I tell the flight attendant what I wanted she said, "All we have is tomato juice or SPICY tomato juice."

Another decision! And this one REALLY troubled me. Not only did I have the pressure of the attendant staring at me - waiting for a response, but I also had the dilemma of not really wanting either of those choices. I didn't want plain-old tomato juice, and I didn't want tomato juice on steroids! I wanted something in-between.

I had to decide. The pressure was on me. What should I do... and so... I decided that... even though it was very late... to go for the SPICY variety. It probably was a bad omen.

The kind attendant gave me my drink. I took my little cup of spicy tomato juice... one sip, two sips, set it down and THEN!!... while reaching for it a third time, I some how managed to bump the cup over onto the top of the tray and spill out its contents!!!

Now, there is a moment, (You know what it's like because you've been there); a moment... in time... when you just did something that you're really regreting... AND!... time moves in S-L-O-W M-O-T-I-O-N. It's at that moment your mind says something like this... "I can't believe you just 'doing' that!!" The thought came somewhere in between spilling my spicy tomato juice and having spilt it. It's a sort of space-time-continuum thing.

So, there I was, in the dark of the plane, with a lap full of spicy tomato. Sick! What does one DO with a lap full of spicy tomato juice? More specifically, how does one get rid of a lap full of spicy tomato juice?

The flight attendants were busy running their service - no help there. I was on my own. So, I began to scoop up the red liquid with my bare hands and pour it back into the now empty plastic cup. It was NOT a very effective method of repair, to say the least.

Then, carefully, I got up and went to the micro-restroom facilities and used up a month's supply of jet airplane bath tissues. If "C.S.I." had happened by they would have cordoned off the crime scene with bright yellow ribbon as a sight for a murder investigation. There was red liquid everywhere - mostly all over me.

I did the best that I could, but I still reeked with the smell of spicy tomato juice. I think that the whole airplane reeked with the smell of spicy tomato juice. My one saving grace was that it was practically dark in the entire airship and most folks had no idea where the aroma came from.

Stranger than all this was that I began to ask myself, "What does a spicy tomato look like." My answer to that question is the included illustration. What do you think a spicy tomato would look like? After my experience with its juice I would certainly characterize it as anything but kind.

When I got off the plane in OKC, I was warmly greeted by my two daughters with a hug... which was interrupted by my oldest saying, "Ewe!!! What's that smell?" The answer: spicy - tomato - juice.

Airplane Art - Fat Music

Of the four sketches that I brought home from my trip to Oklahoma/Texas this is the one that my wife likes the best. That surprised me. I thought my previous post was the best one - but who can account for taste? She said that one of the reasons she liked it was because she thought it was something a little different than what I normally draw. That response surprised me too. It's not like I've never drawn an obese person before - though I will say that I've not drawn many horns and my representation of music is altogether different than I've ever drawn before - so - maybe - she's right (boy, do I hope that she doesn't read this entry). Maybe it IS different.

Still, I think that she's wrong about which drawing is the best. But, this is not the first time that we've had different opinions about something. And, I dare say that it won't be the last.

There are two more to come. (I have a long story to tell with one of them) You tell me which one of the four illustrations you think is best.

Airplane Art - Make Some Hay

This is the first in a series that I guess I could call "Airplane Art". When I travel on planes I like to take my drawing pad along and doodle the hours away. I have four different pieces that I kept on this trip - another one I gave to a young soldier sitting next to me - going to Iraq soon, and another I gave to a kind flight attendant - don't call them stewardesses any more.

Besides filling the empty time, I like drawing on planes because my art is forced to be "off the cuff." Whatever comes out is what I got to work with. This drawing started out being just a face - all I knew was that I wanted to draw someone leaning forward. The hat was added and then the overalls. The rest just followed. Also, if you make a mistake, or if the plane suddenly jumps and makes your pen move, you've got to work it in some how.



What do you think?

Sterling in Harms Way

This is a drawing I did of my good friend Sterling. It was a birthday gift. Among other things, Sterling is into motorcycles and kayaks. I thought that drawing him in a kayak would be something that I hadn't done before. I decided to put him in harms way by introducing a giant octopus, a waterfall, and sharp pointy rocks below. Most people don't catch the pointy rocks - should have made them more obvious. Did you see them?