a slice of childhood, please

Though the online universe has busied itself with devising ways for me to waste more and more time, on occasion I stumble into a mildly pleasant "learning experience"--that is, the time invested reaps more than soon-to-be answers for so many pop culture trivia questions.

I recently re-discovered The Ren and Stimpy Show, that brainchild of animator John Kricfalusi. I watched some clips and sat stupified and in awe of how well it looked (well animated, at least, no matter the complications of production). I have since wondered how it escaped my radar for so long ... but while I knew of the show when it aired in the early 90s, I was nine or ten years old at the time and thought it was weird. I remember watching a lot of Doug and TMNT.

So after a dose of "Happy Happy Joy Joy" I drew the following ____ (cartoon? Image? Panel?). I wanted to make the smile on the kid look slightly deranged or untrustworthy, but I think it ultimately looks tamer than it should.

Boredom, pride, etc.

I drew this on a post-it note while at a medical-resident get-together. Repeatedly put me on the Tilt-a-Whirl, and give me a basketball, and something like this might happen. Put me in a room full of people talking about nothing (but work), and something like this might get illustrated.
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At right is a response to a professor's challenge to draw a "silent comic." True, it's got captions, but I'm sort of proud of it nevertheless. The last two panels were drawn several months after the first six, which were meant to be little more than "thumbnail" sketches for something more polished. I grew to like the scribbly look of it all.

Rogues Gallery

I've always wondered if Batman ever tired of the cartoonish nature of some of his adversaries.

And don't tell anyone, but this is actually cobbled together from two different sketches.

Speaking of zippers, I must also ask a classic question: how did this costumed fellow relieve himself?

On living in this new place:

Coincidence?

Much work, or no work at all?

I spent much of last week drawing the following scene ... called Cute Conscience:

And in an effort to draw something that appeared entirely grounded (instead of just scribbling some lines under a character's feet), I ended up drawing this ... and it's an image I loathe. A technical exercise in many ways (perspective, cross-hatching, drawing a receding hairline ... and so on). It's depressing to look at.

Maybe if the bird was a penguin, the whole thing would have been saved.

Then: last night, minutes before falling asleep, I drew this, called Valley Thriller:

Seriously ... I was at this one for less than five minutes. In my journal, no less (the other was on much, much nicer paper). And I like this one better.

I started out trying to draw a more conventional hairstyle. And then it became the girl of the 80s, in a zombie-pose that you see here. Fun stuff.

Slog, the Pugilistic Turtle

Courtesy of dictionary.com:

"slog (slŏg). Verb.

v. intr.

1) To walk or progress with a slow heavy pace; plod.

2) To work diligently for long hours.

v. tr.

1) To make (one's way) with a slow heavy pace against resistance. 2) To strike with heavy blows."

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Originally intended to be some kind of mad (or benevolent) scientist picture ... perhaps involving chickens, and this is what I ended up with. A pugilistic turtle (do you think he uses the 'hilly shell' defense? HAHAHA ... *ahem*), whose manager has a wild shock of gray hair and a cane that resembles a rooster, in some fashion.

Tutorial on Gleaning Artwork

1) Keep and use a sketchbook (don't tell me you're not creative. Everyone has this capacity).
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2) Select a page and scan it in a large, lossless format. At left, is a page full of stuff I drew while watching Fantagraphics co-founder / co-owner Gary Groth talk about the history of his company. As you can see, I pay attention like nobody else.
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3) Crop and clean. Congratulations! You've salvaged fun, if not fantastic artwork from your random musings!
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A] See that dog at the right? I call this "Dog Fields a Question as a Press Secretary." Why, he looks as keen and interested in reporters' questions as any we've had. Sure, it's not a polished picture, but the cross-hatching was fun, and dogs + jerry-built platform = cute.
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B] And that kid at the left? I call that "Self-portrait Palming a Book." I believe the book is called Chooga. Must be about trains. Or chants. Either way, that kid needs to improve his telekinetic prowess.

Stinging to the Front

Keith, whom I've known since the 6th grade, works at a bank. I drew this for him after I had the idea to draw a giant bee with a tiny handbag.

He did much to make sure that my wedding day went smoothly. My thanks goes to him (and many, many others).

Rattlesnake Hotrod

Greg's the man! Seriously: he helped my wife and I move our things last month, then, he stood with me at our wedding after paying out the wazoo for a tuxedo.

He is one of my brother's best friends, and I hope I can call him my friend, too.

He's into snakes and old cars. I can't draw things with wheels for the life of me, so the hotrod seen here is done heavily after a cartoonist named Richard Wright. The snakes are supposed to be red diamond rattlers.

And that kid is supposed to have turned to stone.

Death by Condensed Matter

Eli is a great friend of mine. He studies condensed matter physics. I drew this for him.

After drawing it, I called him to ask whether he'd been a GRA (graduate research assistant) or a GTA (teaching assistant), so I could write the caption appropriately.

He was at a chalkboard, writing equations.