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GOOD-BYE TO ALL THAT
It pains me more than I can say but I might be moving out of LA in 6 months or so. It especially hurts because I love this city like no other. It's a city that in its modern incarnation was built by...
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ECONOMY OF MOTION (PART 2)
This is a post about economy of movement, the idea that all screen movement should have a specific purpose, and that superfluous movement should be avoided. By way of a negative example, here's (above)...
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QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS ABOUT FRONT LAWNS
This post is going to make amateur gardeners mad. I'm not an amateur gardener myself for the simple reason that I don't know enough to be an amateur. Even so, I have my opinions:Q: "Is this (above) a...
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BEG FOR A BOILERMAN"S JOB
The book that inspired this post is "Maxims and Instructions for the Boiler Room" by N. Hawkins, copyrighted 1897 to 1903. That's roughly 115 years ago when earthy, gritty, beer-drinking eccentrics...
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A WIZARD OF OZ VARIANT
I just started a file called "Motion" which consists of photos of unusual walks and moves that might look good in animation. I don't have many pictures in there yet, but the ones I do have seem to...
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CARICATURES OF THE FOUNDING FATHERS
It's the Fourth of July and what could be a more appropriate for a cartoonist's blog than funny caricatures of the American founding fathers? Unfortunately I set out to find caricatures that were both...
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ANTONI GAUDI: ARCHITECTURAL GENIUS
Everybody here is probably familiar with Gaudi's cathedral in Barcelona, and with his rolling organic shapes covered with tiles. I thought I'd bypass that and concentrate on his less well-known work,...
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THE LATEST ASTRONOMY PHOTOS: 7/2015
Above, Pluto as seen from 5 million miles away by the New Horizons probe. This was taken a week ago. The nearest pass will take place on the 14th of this month when the device will come as close as...
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A MAP OF PRE - COLONIAL AFRICA
I don't know about you but I'm fascinated by historical maps. The best ones are seldom reproduced in poster size so if you want a spiffy one on your wall you have to pay collectors' prices for...
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WARLORDS OF ANCIENT MEXICO
Here's what I'm reading now, or rather will read when I finish Mike Barrier's book about Dell comics. I know nothing about the Aztecs but the illustrations in the book are so beautiful and the stories...
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DUMB CARTOON CHARACTERS
I thought I'd take a stab at answering three questions that come up in cartoonists' conversations. The first is, "How dumb should a cartoon character be?" The obvious answer is,"VERY dumb! The dumber...
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MY KID'S TEENAGE ANGST
I'm a longtime fan of my daughter's caricatures of me. The earliest ones, like the one above, had a particularly sunny and happy quality, and she liked to try different techniques with each one. Here...
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ONE OF MY FAVORITE MUSICAL NUMBERS
I'm so grateful to Tom Minton and John for introducing me to this song: It's "Thanks a Lot but no Thanks" from MGM's "It's always Fair Weather," sung by Dolores Gray. I'll put up a few snapshots and a...
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HOW SHORT STORIES BEGIN
Here's the story I'm reading now. It starts with a vivid description of a lonely, dismal swamp on an overcast day. It's not the kind of place that attracts fisherman or tourists...the only thing it...
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MY ANALYSIS OF TEENAGERS
A couple of posts back I posted about my daughter's teenage angst. I haven't been able to get that out of my mind because it reminded me of a book of illustrations I found in the library a few years...
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My LATEST TRIP TO DISNEYLAND 8/2/2015
Here's (above) my favorite attraction at Disneyland: Tarzan's Treehouse. Everyone on the trip wanted to live up there.It's a whole city in the sky. Lots of rope bridges, lots of leaves.It's impossible...
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THE LAND OF MAKE BELIEVE
I just discovered this large "Land of Make Believe" map (above) behind some paint cans in my garage. I bought it for my kids when they were young and then promptly lost it...and now here it is again!...
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MORE CRIME STORY BEGININGS
Here's a few more short story openings I've come across recently. I found a great graphic (above) to illustrate the first one. How do you like the sinister way the man in the crowd looks, the man who's...
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ANOTHER WALLY WOOD MASTERPIECE
Wally Wood fans might be familiar with this (above) puzzle Wood did in the late 50s. It illustrated a Mad Magazine article called "Mad Visits Corny Island." I have an original copy of the Mad that...
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COMIC BOOKS VS. ILLUSTRATED KIDS BOOKS
I've been busy today so I had to reprise an older article to stay on schedule. I hope nobody minds. I think you'll find the subject interesting:Before I begin this piece I want to apologize for ripping...
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