Star-crossed lovers...

Apologies to Hopper, special thanks to cognitive linguist George Lakoff for his studies on the "Strict Father" vs. "Nurturant-Parent" synaptic frames. In pop-cultural vernacular; "It would never work, I watch Oprah, whereas you listen to too much Doctor Dobson." Theologically; I'm more of a Sadducee, you're too much of a Pharisee. See, this is why I've never gotten anywhere as a cartoonist, I'm WAY too esoteric. That and I steal famous artist's paintings and stick captions on them instead of drawing my own funny picture.

Happy St. Pat's

This story shouldn't surpirse us, I've been accusing the GOP of capitalizing on our fears for a long time. This story deserved a cartoon so much, I made one in English AND one in Spanish too.

RNC document mocks donors, plays on 'fear'

The Republican National Committee plans to raise money this election cycle through an aggressive campaign capitalizing on “fear” of President Barack Obama and a promise to "save the country from trending toward socialism."

The strategy was detailed in a confidential party fundraising presentation, obtained by POLITICO, which also outlines how “ego-driven” wealthy donors can be tapped with offers of access and “tchochkes.”

The presentation was delivered by RNC Finance Director Rob Bickhart to top donors and fundraisers at a party retreat in Boca Grande, Florida on February 18, a source at the gathering said.

Purple Dog

I think I've finished up. It may or may not seem a little "cartoony," but that's okay, after all it's a school mascot costume for cripe's sake! If anything, I think it really has a Wayne Thiebaud Pop-Art feel to it, which is what I was going for. Thiebaud is one of my favorite painters and I've always wanted to do something like he would. Thiebaud was born in Arizona, like me, only 50 years before me. Unlike Roy Lichtenstein, Thiebaud actually started out as a cartoonist, working for Disney for a while.

The Pop-Art thing is perfect because it should be upbeat and fun, and the decorating style of the recipient is pretty clean and contemporary. Kenny was mascot both at Boyer Valley (purple), where I coach cheerleading, and at Concordia University in Nebraska (blue). Both schools are the Bulldogs. My only hope is that a bright purple painting doesn't clash too much with whatever neutrals and earth tones Kenny used for his home. But then again it's a gift, he can hang it in his john or in his basement where no one else will see it if he wants to. I am seriously considering the poster thing. If not for a fundraiser, at least so that I can give the same image as a gift to a few other people- not to mention being able to keep a copy for myself- maybe in my classroom. NOW the only problem is waiting for it to dry, since it's in oil.

The "V-word"

Bill Keane likes to have "Little Billy" sub for him every now and then for Family Circus.Thought I'd post something by one of my kids, since I'm in kind of a dry spell anyway. This morning my 8 year old presented me with this drawing of her mother and I. She said that I'm holding a rose in my hand, but that all of her classmates thought it was a pitch-fork. So long as my wife doesn't see me as the Devil.

Oil Pastel Painting

January Blues

This is actually from a couple of years ago but for whatever reason I never got this on here, so here it is!

Tragedy

I want Death to be saying something along the lines of "They say the Caribbean is nice this time of year..." This is what babelfish.yahoo.com came up with- "el Caribe es agradable este vez del año"

Is that pretty close? Anyone more fluent than me want to correct me? It's probably way too early to be posting this. I really should get it right before presenting it to the world, let alone submitting it to my editor. What can I say? I have Attention Deficit Disorder so bad that I need this instant gratification.

THey can't stop us...

 

Jake and Elwood Black Bear, the 'Bears Brothers.'

Okay, it's cheesy, but it's what I came up with for this year's Camp Okaboji buttons. Of course, they haven't been officially approved yet, but I hope they will. I think they're really cool.

Shocking Revelation!

This is a life?

Lighten up, Lutherans

I've never seen a happy or friendly looking portrait of Martin Luther. But if you've read much Luther, you realize what a great sense of humor he had. My wife and I wanted to make something for our pastor for Christmas this year. As much as I thought that he'd appreciate one of those "suffer the little children to come unto me" pictures of Jesus- I just couldn't bring myself to do it, they're SO many of them. And I don't know whether I could capture either Jesus or a bunch of children successfully. I'm not saying that they should re-make the 2003 movie "Luther" and replace Joseph Fiennes with Jack Black in the role of Luther or anything, but I don't see why he can't be portrayed as a jovial and approachable paternal or even grandfatherly type. Why must he always be so stern and sober?

"You have as much laughter as you have faith" ~Martin Luther

"If you are not allowed to laugh in heaven, I don't want to go there." ~Martin Luther

"The best way to drive out the devil, if he will not yield to Scripture, is to jeer and flout him, for he cannot bear scorn." ~Martin Luther

Mal•Adjusted

Woof!

Mal•Adjusted

Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dumb

Seems like it's been a long time since I posted anything here. I really need to try to do some cartooning. Seems like between school and family and the holidays, there's just always something more important or more urgent or both. Or maybe I've been more on an even keep emotionally/psychologically so I haven't felt the need to do this as an outlet? Wouldn't THAT be nice, to be so well adjusted that I'm not repressed in any way shape or form, therefore I don't have the urge to express myself through cartoons or collages? Yeah right, I'm WAAAY to neurotic for that to ever happen. I think I've just been too busy.

"...intrinsically and ultimately man, Occidental man at least, is permanently subject to the dictate of values which he must realize creatively. This is not to say that he cannot intoxicate himself in his own creativity, that he cannot use creativity to drown his sense of obligation." ~Viktor Frankl

In other words, we all think we have to do what we're supposed to do all the time and sometimes we just want an escape or at least to blow off a little steam. Other people drink or smoke dope, I blog or cartoon, and I keep trying to cut back, but I have this tendency to fall off the wagon every now and then. Well, if you're going to self-medicate, cartooning and collage are a lot cheaper than booze. But I don't recommend driving while using Photoshop.

You are what you listen to

The editor of La Prensa asked me to try coming up with some cartoons targeted at youth issues.

So this is my first stab at that.

I asked a Mexican businessman in Miami, a Puerto Rican graphic designer in Chicago, and our school's Spanish teacher for help with my translation.

Miami gave me the top version, the Spanish teacher just gave me some tweaks for this bottom version, and Chicago thought I had hit it right on the first time. I don't know if she'll use either, let alone which one- (editors are always too busy to anwer their email,) but I like them well enough to go ahead and post them here.

Here's, roughly, the English translation:

"Hey Kids! I've got everything you want-
Heavy metal with anger, hate, and violence
Gansta rap with sex, drugs, violence, and greed
And of course Mexican border drug smuggler ballads with drugs, guns, violence, and accordions!"

Who doesn't love accordians?

Here in Western Iowa, a lot of the farmers listen to "Polka Party" on the AM radio at Noon. Funny story, once we were driving home to Phoenix from Iowa for Christmas. We were somewhere West of Gallup on I-40 (near old 66) and my farmer-in-law found a station playing some great accordion & "oompa" music.

When the song ended, neither of us could understand what the DJ was saying. I couldn't even make out any Spanish. Turns out it was Tejano (Mexican border) music (not German Polka), but it was being played on the Navajo Nation (reservation) radio station.

Just goes to show you that accordians know no borders.

Mad as a hatter

These are three of Glenn Beck's actual quotes. What a nut! And he loves to throw "tea-parties."

"If I had a world of my own, everything would be nonsense. Nothing would be what it is, because everything would be what it isn't. And contrary wise, what is, it wouldn't be. And what it wouldn't be, it would. You see?
— The Mad Hatter"
— Lewis Carroll (Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass)

Paradoxical

Just dumb idea that came to me

be sure to wear it with a bandanna, stocking cap, feed, seed or trucker cap.

Historieta Política

¡Viva Posada!

I've been on the phone with the editor of La Prensa, Iowa the Spanish language newspaper. They publish in, Carroll, Storm Lake, Spencer, Perry, Ames, and Des Moines. If she likes my calaveras cartoon, this could be a bigger market than the Mapleton PRESS was. Of course, I barely know much "Spanglish," so I'll need her help translating, but that may force me to use far fewer words so that the images carry the joke. Who knows. We'll see how this goes.

This one has been corrected for better Spanish.

Here is the English:
The Mexican skeleton asks, "We're all the same under the skin, right Mr. King?"
Rep. Steve King replies, "Get away from me with your drugs and diseases!* We should've kept you out with electric fences like cattle!"

*April 27, 2006, the Des Moines Register published an op-ed piece by Steve King regarding the planned May 1 "Day Without an Immigrant" rallies.

King said "(without immigrants) Our hospital emergency rooms would not be flooded with everything from gunshot wounds, to anchor babies, to imported diseases to hangnails..."

Happy Editorial Cartoonist's Day y Feliz Dia de los Muertos.

Don't mind me

I was teaching 7th graders about complimentary colors and how they can both contrast and neutralize. Thus an oil pastel self portrait. I think I kind of look a little like David Alfaro Siqueiros- but I have been researching Mexican art for a special Dia de los Muertos lesson this week.

Happy Holidays

Maybe they're macabre, or secretly in league with the Devil, maybe they're all huge fans of "It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown," maybe it has something to do with Mexican revolutionary editorial cartoonist José Guadalupe Posada who's famous skeletons of rich dandies make Ddia de los muertos so much fun- whatever the reason, this great American combination of cynicism, satire and silly pictures should be celebrated and remembered on Oct. 31 each year.

I suggest writing your local newspaper editor and demanding that they hire one. If they have one, write them and demand that they keep him/her. Perhaps write a letter to an editorial cartoonist and let them know that you enjoy and appreciate what they do- even when you disagree with them. The best thing you can do is to send them a card or some cookies!

Seeing as these days, everyone with a keyboard thinks of themselves as a reporter and everyone with a cell phone thinks of themselves as a photojournalist- what the hell, if you have a scanner, why not try some political cartooning for yourself?

Not sure you're up for it? Whatever, the very LEAST you can do is to buy a newspaper just for the editorial cartoons. Maybe clip one out that you like a post it on your door/cubical/bulletin board/fridge. If nothing else, you may as well explore some great editorial/political cartoons. Use these links to help you find some.

Editorial Cartooning

• Ted's Political Cartoons

• Alex Raffi, Southern Nevada's very own
  
• American Assoc. of Ed. Cartoonists
• American Political Cartoons: an Introduction
• Ann Telnaes, animated editorial cartooning goddess
• Comics on Slate
• Daryl Cagle's Pro Cartoonist Index
• Dirksen Center Collection
• Jose Guadalupe Posada, Mexican hero
  
• Keith Tucker, Tabloid Liberal
• Mark Fiore's animated editorial cartoons
• Mike Luckovich, one of my all time favorites
  
• Mr. Fish, of Harpers (a certifiable genius in my humble opinion)
• Neal Obermeyer, Of Lincoln, NE and San Diego, CA
• Pulitzer Prize Winners
• Stars of Political Cartooning
• Tim Eagan, another Genius
• Tribune Media Services
• Walt Handelsman, Chicago Tribune
• Washington Post Writer's Group

Mal•Adjusted; Happy Holiday!

October Surprise

I think I'm about finally to a point where I don't really miss writing a weekly column. But if YOU still miss reading my weekly column- HERE ARE SOME HALLOWEEN RE-RUNS from years gone by, Halloween, Reformation and Dia de Los Muertes columns, some spooky pictures, and even some surreal Lutheran images!

Have fun but 'don't eat so much candy that you go into a diabetic coma!

Happy Holiday!