Nut Job!

Back in the saddle with a great headline.
As always, the rest of the story:
http://www.nowpublic.com/strange/nut-bandits-steal-100-000-cashews

Figments

This is a page from the second issue of my comic book, " Figments ".
I was working with a company called Blackthorne.
It was so much fun, and I was living the dream. Just a two years out of
the Kubert school, and here I was with my OWN book.
Not drawing Batman or some other established character, but my very own!
It didn't last long amidst the herd of the black and white comic book glut of the 80's,
but it was a fun ride.
The story was about a teenager in our world, Sam, a sullen loner, who is destined to become a
powerful wizard in another dimension.
Sam is hunted by an evil giant Rat, King Gristle, and his shape-shifting henchman, Pox.
I really do like the characters,( Wee Peeps the Mole, Moosebats, Boarhounds, and a walking nuclear bomb named Archie), so maybe I'll polish the story up and put out a graphic novel.
The reason I am putting this up is because I found the black and white cover art for the first
issue on eBay for sale.
So, to whomever may buy that cover, if you pay the postage, I will autograph it for you and throw in a sketch.

Back off!

Been good all year long? Really? REEEEEAAAAALLLLY? Thought so!
That's why Santa's got a brand new bag...YOURS! That's right, you get
nothing and like it!
Maybe next year you'll shape up.
See that sock on the floor?
Pick it up.
See...that was easy. Now you're on your way.

Good Food Gone Bad #3

Number 3 in the series of Good Food Gone Bad. The title says it all. But the title also raises
questions.
I shudder to think of the answers.
Anyhow, if I remember correctly, this is the one that made the disc jockey, Bronwyn C.,
at WFMU, laugh. I have updated the character a touch.
The question remains, though...who the hell did this?

Good Food Gone Bad #2

Another Good Food Gone Bad! Rancid Bacon Man...a good-natured goof-ball, ready to help push your car out of the ditch, or help with the birthin' of a calf or some such activity, but he doesn't always remember to wipe his feet.

Oh yeah...he voted for Franken.

Good Food Gone Bad!

Going through my files, and I came upon some roughs. I remember when I drew this guy.
I was living in New Jersey at the time, listening to my favorite college station, WFMU,
and one of my favorite DJs, Bronwyn C., was talking about the Stinky Cheeseman.
She was laughing, and I started to sketch some ideas dealing with a whole cast of
characters,"Good Food Gone Bad ".
I actually drew three of them up and sent them to Bronwyn, and she mentioned them on her show the next week.
So...here he is, Putrid Olive-Loaf Man. Left out in the sun, wearing a ratty suit, smoking a smelly cigar.
Clean yourself up, man!

Turkey of the Day #30: So Long!

Here it is...the last Turkey of the Day entitled " So Long!"
My inspiration was the great cartoonist, Walt Kelly.
This has been a fun project, and we'll see you again next year.
Until then, my friend, the Turkey, bids you farewell.

Turkey of the Day #29: You were shopped!

Wha..? What happened?
Oh...That's right. You had to get out into the Mall to get in on the "After Thanksgiving" deals.
The last thing you remember is reaching for an already wrapped electric shaver, the last one on display, and someone else was also reaching for it, and you were being pushed from behind,
and then WHAM!
As you slowly get to your feet, wincing at the sharp pain in your side from where you hit the table on your way to the floor, you see today's Turkey of the Day.
He's had a few contests of strength himself today, but due to his low center of gravity, and his ability to fight dirty at the drop of a hat, he's made out quite well.
Once your vision clears, the two of you can get a coffee.

Turkey of the Day #28: ZOMBIE TURKEY

Crawling out from under the crumpled aluminum foil, clawing past the remains of the pumpkin pie and mashed potatoes,
comes today's Turkey of the Day.
With only one thought...REVENGE!
As you stand in line waiting for the store to open, waiting to
get that deal on the plasma tv, don't think about whether you put the lid on the garbage can tight enough.
Don't think about the crazy thought that popped into your head as you got the big part of the wishbone when you and
the family broke it after dinner.
You started off thinking about a winning lottery ticket, but when you heard the *snap*... for some reason "ZOMBIE
TURKEY" was all you had in mind.
Too bad. A winning lottery ticket would have been sweet.

Turkey of the Day #27: Heaven Sent

Today's Turkey of the Day has earned his Eternal Reward...for being delicious.
This Heaven Sent fowl will spend Eternity at peace. Soon he will be joined by his good friend...the Christmas Goose.

Turkey of the Day #26: SHHHHH!

For God's sake, please be quiet! Turkey of the Day today is SHHH! for good reason.
If he can just keep a low profile behind that rock, everything will be ok.

" HEY PILGRIM! HE"S BEHIND THE ROCK!"
I call a drumstick!

Turkey of the Day #25: Vic Turkey

In honor of tonight's series finale of " The Shield ", today's Turkey of
the Day is inspired by the show's anti-hero, Vic Mackey, played by
Michael Chiklis.
I give you a bird who plays fast and loose with the law, who isn't afraid
to bend the rules to suit his schemes, I introduce to you Vic Turkey!

Turkey of the Day #24: Cellular Deliciousness

Greetings! What makes a turkey so delicious? As we see in today's Turkey of the Day#24,
on a Cellular Level of Deliciousness, the secret lies in the gooey pink layer. That is what is called the " yummy " factor.

Turkey of the Day #23: Spaced out!

Today's Turkey of the Day is quite happy. Spaced out, actually, because he will miss the 27th here on Earth.

Turkey of the Day #22: Medusa Most Fowl

Whew! Don't look at today's Turkey of the Day directly.
This Medusa Most Fowl was inspired by the Gorgon Sisters.
Watch out! She'll petrify your giblets!

Turkey of the Day #21: Turkey Fink

Turkey of the Day #21...a salute to Big Daddy Roth and his character Rat Fink.

Turkey of the Day # 20 : Just a Turkey

Today's Turkey of the Day is just a Turkey.
No worries about the 27th, he takes each day as it comes and squeezes it for all it's worth.
We could all learn something from this bird...
( but still grab a plane the hell out of Dodge on the 26th)!

Turkey of the Day # 19: The Feather Duster

Today's Turkey of the Day #19, is on the Pro-Wrestling Circuit...the Feather Duster!
The feathers really fly when this guy enters the ring!

Turkey of the Day # 18: Turkey in Pain

Today' s Turkey Of The Day is a reflection on how I feel. I have spent a lot of time drawing in one position, and my left shoulder is in spasm. I realize now that I actually am holding my body just like this bird. Ouch!

Turkey of the Day # 17: Samurai Turkey

Today's Turkey of the Day
is inspired by the Samurai.

Turkey of the Day # 16: Happy Birthday!

Happy Birthday to my beautiful daughter, Gale!

Turkey of the Day #15 : Swimmin'

Today's Turkey of the Day was inspired by my son's swimming lesson that he had this morning.
Of course this turkey's favorite move is the "breast stroke".

Turkey of the Day # 14 : Turkey Tut

I have waited for this day for almost a year!
Today's Turkey is Turkey Tut, in honor of the King Tut
exhibit which opens in Atlanta this weekend.
I created a series of illustrations for this exhibit, and I can't wait to see how they were used.
This was one of my most favorite projects that I have ever had.
I love the ancient Egyptian period.
One of the things that struck me was that the artists were amazingly gifted. Their patterns were created
without the aid of any computer programs like CAD.
Another interesting trivia bit is that their teeth didn't last that long, pretty much after the age of thirty your teeth were damaged. Abscessed teeth were a very common cause of death.
The reason is all that sand would get into the breads.
Imagine that.
A Pharaoh living in luxury still had sand in his food like the common man.
Amazing.

Turkey of the Day # 13: Ignatz Krabtree

Turkey of the Day #13, Ignatz Krabtree, is inspired by the cartoon genius of George Herriman.
His characters, Krazy Kat and Ignatz Mouse occupied a surreal universe where a thrown brick
to the head spoke of love better than a Shakespeare sonnet.
Look out, I think he's sizing you up for a Special Delivery!

Turkey of the Day #12: Quiet NIght in the Coop

Number 12 in the series...oh I'm sorry. Let's keep it down.
Our friend is enjoying a little down time in the coop this
evening. In two more weeks, the Holiday Pressure Cooker
will be on full boil.
So make sure you take time to recharge, and take it easy.
The holidays shouldn't be blamed for all this angst.
Blame your relatives. : )

( By the way...our friend, the turkey, is relaxing with a
delicious gin and tonic, Bombay Sapphire, of course.
The official beverage of Turkey of the Day.)

Turkey of the Day # 11: The Wizard of the Gizzard

The 11th Turkey of the Day, the magical, mysterious, Wizard of the Gizzard!

Turkey of the Day # 10: Tom

Number ten in the Turkey of the Day. This is Tom. Kinda worried looking, and wearing a badly drawn Pilgrim's hat.
Yep...that's one stupid looking hat.

Turkey of the Day # 9: Foul Fowl

Today's Turkey of the Day is a bad egg.
A real jerk of a turk. I present to you, the Foul Fowl.
This bird is a real piece of work. You wouldn't want him swimming in gravy on your plate come Thanksgiving. This foul creature will always hit you up
for a couple of bucks and never pay you back. He'll
borrow your car and never fill the tank. And he drinks milk right out of the carton.
Don't feel bad about the feathers missing on his left wing. That's a long story, and frankly, he deserved it.

Turkey of the Day #8: The Hand turkey

Today my wife was painting our son's room, so I was on baby detail. As I was in the kitchen straightening up after my daughter, I saw the pack of construction paper, and the markers, and thought...
" Why not do it old school?"
So first thing, I put my mitt down and traced it. Just like in grade school. Sure enough, my hand had a black line all around from where I traced it with the marker.
Second, I want to say that no, my hand isn't misshapen like the drawing suggests. Believe me, if it was I wouldn' t be typing this, I would be in the emergency room.
Now the thing about markers and construction paper is that you have to work fast. The markers were bleeding so I whipped this out in maybe 10 minutes tops.
The funny thing is that after I scanned it, I looked at the drawing, and I could swear that the markers were still bleeding out.
So here it is, the hand turkey.
Take my advice, make one for yourself. You'll certainly have a smile on your face when you're done.

Turkey of the Day # 7 : Hey Buddy!

Busy day today, but here is Turkey of the Day # 7, entitled " Hey Buddy !"
Just a friendly guy who's just passing through, but who isn't too busy to stop and say " hi ".
I like that in a turkey.

Turkey of the Day #6 : Tree Gobbler

Today's Turkey of the Day is the dreaded Tree Gobbler.

Turkey of the Day # 5 : Let's Talk Turkey!

Good morning, America! I am proud to present today's Turkey of the Day:
" Let's Talk Turkey ".
Congratulations to President- Elect Obama.
I didn't vote for you, but this is America,
and Let's Talk Turkey about America:
We are the country of big-shoulders and unbridled optimism.
We are not afraid to make up the rules as we are playing the game.
" Put a man on the moon?"
" You betcha! "
We also are not afraid to face the future, and we are about to sail into unknown waters.
And as John A. Shedd once wrote: " A ship in harbor is safe -- but that is not what ships are built for. "
Let's begin this journey together...as Americans.

Turkey of the Day #4: Get out to Gobble!

Today's Turkey of the Day is inspired by our Democratic process. Gotta make your choice...the Free World is depending on you, turkey!

Turkey of the Day #3: Mad Men Mash-up

Today's Turkey of the Day is a salute to one of my favorite shows, Mad Men. As I was drawing him, I was going for more of a Don Draper, but this character seems to be more Pete Campbell.

Turkey of the Day # 2: Yabba Dabba Turkey

Today's turkey combines my love of turkey and the Flintstones!
Usually on Thanksgiving, " The Man Called Flintstone " would be on TV.
What a way to spend an afternoon digesting a gut-busting Midwest meal, while watching Fred
deal with spies!

Turkey of the Day: #1

Here is the first ( trumpets please)...TUR (wait...I want that echo effect with the trumpets... test...test...yeah, that's it....)

" TURKEY OF THE DAY ! "
Much like Ralphie Parker's dad in " A Christmas Story ", I am a turkey junkie! I love this time of year because a person can eat as much of this delicious, noble bird, and not be thought of as a freak.
Not like the reaction I get when I express my love of fruitcake.
Everyday I will create a new turkey, so please come on by and see what's gobbling.

Happy Halloween...Part BOO!

Click on the Count to get a Halloween greeting!

MAD MONSTER PARTY!

I LOVE THIS MOVIE!!!!
Monsters...done by the same people who did Rudolph...Little Drummer Boy...and the rest of those great holiday classics!
This has been my all time number one Halloween movie since I can remember seeing it.
Just look at the puppetry, it's just so good. The 3-D stuff from Pixar is fine, I love "The Incredibles",
but that medium can't compare to an actual object existing in time and space, in my humble opinion.
As I watch this movie, I notice the little things. Stuff that was moved accidentally by the animator as the frame was shot.
This is just a lot of fun. And it has monster caricatures created by Jack Davis, master cartoonist!
So click on the title card above, and enjoy the movie trailer.
I guarantee that you will want to watch the rest of this movie.
Happy Halloween!

Halloween Fun

Animated monsters...now we're talking. I have included a few celsfrom my collection in this pre-Halloween post.
Above is a character color study of the" Groovie Goolies ". A great cartoon from my childhood.
Produced by Filmation, the same company that did " Archie ". I really loved this cartoon because of all the crazy creatures that were in each show. Although they alos shoe-horned some terrible songs in between bits.
In fact, I remember having the he little PVC toys when I was a kid.
Man I sure wish I still had them.

Here is a cel from one of my top 10 animated movies, " Heavy Metal ".
This is from the chapter called " B-17 " or " Gremlins " depending on what source you use.
One of the creepiest storylines...a pilot trapped in a heavily damaged bomber that's going down.
If that wasn't bad enough, throw in a possessed crew of corpses.
Very spooky.



This polished gentlemen is one of the reasons I love animation. Nelvana is the company that created this character, B.L. ZeBub, from " The Devil and Daniel Mouse ".
I love this short. I seem to remember that it was usually played on the local access channel at 6:30 pm on Fridays during Halloween.
What an odd thing to remember...
Anyhow, this suave fellow tricks a desperate- for- success singer, a mouse, to trade her soul for a year's super stardom.
It's up to her boyfriend, Daniel, to think of a loophole.
This satanic character has it all:
He's funny, charismatic, and positively frightening when he has to be.
He is one of those rare characters that appears to think, like Shere Khan from " The Jungle Book ".

Judge Rules on Addresses for Homeless Voters

Ohio appears to be in a race with Florida as to who can be kookier.
As always, here's the story:
http://www.usatoday.com/news/politics/election2008/2008-10-28-homeless-voters_N.htm

Scientists develop Artificial Heart that Beats!

I kid the scientific community.
Here's the story :
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/health/article5026788.ece

It Conquered the World!

Time once again to examine another movie that I just have to see during the Halloween season.
" It Conquered the World " is Roger Corman at his best...er, worst.
It featured a radish from Venus that came to Earth to , well, conquer it.
The alien was invited to our world by a pouty scientist on his "space radio".
This movie has everything you need to have fun:
1. A rubbery monster with big claws that bend and flop around as the actors pretend to be
pinched to death.
2. Gross looking bat-like robot things that sting you in the back, enabling the radish to control
you.
3. The pouty scientist is played by the master bad-guy, Lee Van Cleef. That's right, " The
Good, the Bad, and the Ugly ", " Octagon ", " Escape From New York ", yeah... THAT Lee
Van Cleef.
4. It also has Peter Graves.

Did I mention that the hero has to pedal around on a crummy bike in order to save the world, because the Space Radish has stopped all electrical power on Earth?
( That's right, automobile ignitions work on electricity).
I know it sounds like a huge plot point lifted from a much better movie, " The Day the Earth Stood Still ", but that's a good movie which won't be discussed in this post.
I guess Corman saw that film in 1951, wrote that idea down, and sat on it til 1956 when he cranked out this gem.
Still, ICTW is a fun movie, and it is part of my Halloween traditional viewing.
Next posts, I will talk about some of my favorite GOOD Halloween movies.

The Giant Claw

Let's talk about guilty pleasures, and of course I mean " The Giant Claw ".
I love this movie. It is probably one of the worst movies ever made. There have been other films that have tried to copy the formula of TGC, but those pale in comparison to this spectacular gem.
This move is so bad, it defies description...but let me describe it to you.
Take one Giant Bird from outer space, which also uses an anti-matter shield, which comes to Earth to lay it eggs and eat people. Or eat the people first and lay the eggs....yeah, that's it. It started eating people and planes and stuff, and then started laying eggs.
Anyhow, our hero, a ruggedly good - looking electrical engineer, and his beautiful mathmetician have to save the day.
This film uses a slew of stock footage of all sorts of locations and characters, continuity be damned!
It also has science gadgets spitting out atoms like you wouldn't believe.
Apparently atoms leave a smokey trail when fired at a giant space-bird.
Add to that mix a cast of likable actors who are so sincere in their acting that you feel sorry for them and wish the monster lived up to the caliber of their talent.
What do I mean by that?
This movie has one of the worst, if not the worst monster that has ever been attached to strings and swung into a model of the Empire State building.
I happen to believe that it was the prototype for the Madame puppet. They were both probably made in the same pinata factory after a weekend bender.
Compare for yourself.

The Mole People

To paraphrase Ralph Parker's Old Man... " enough of this politic slop..."
It's Halloween time, and let's focus on creepy stuff. When I was a kid, there were only a few channels on the tv, and Saturday nights, at MIDNIGHT, there was Creature Feature!
It's easy to be jaded when there are countless channels out there pumping out content,
but when you were a kid in the 70's, and into monsters, you waited in excruciating anticipation for midnight to see some great monster movies.
I liked Godzilla, could put up with a zombie or a mummy, but give me some of those old Universal movies.
One of my favorites was " The Mole People ".
First off, the movie wasn't afraid to take its time. The film starts, for those who haven't seen it, with a "scientist host" giving a lecture on hollow Earth theories.
Second, it has a really good premise for a "lost civilization" plot. Third, monsters, the Mole People, who aren't really monsters but an underground race enslaved by the humans living there.
Plus, Alan Napier plays the Head Priest, ( you know who he is....Alfred from " The Batman " series).
And last but not least, Hugh Beaumont , (c'mon...this is an easy one...he was Ward Cleaver on
" Leave it to Beaver "), as one of the good guys.
I forgot to mention the neat effect of these Mole People diving into the ground to make their getaway.
Mystery Science Theater even mocked this film, which only proves what a classic it is.

( Although they also mocked one of my guilty pleasure monster movies, " Leech Woman ").

Thanks for all your hard work!

All in good fun....maybe.