Warning The Grandkids!

CHRISTMAS SEASON IS HERE!

The undeniable signs of Yuletide are too obvious to ignore...since October!

The Armchair Philosopher!

CLARINETITIS!

First performed in 1697, William Congreve's play The Mourning Bride includes as its first line, “Music hath charms to soothe the wild beast, to soften rocks, or bend a knotted oak,” implying that the rhythm and sounds in music can calm even one with a violent, aggressive nature. In the matter of my clarinet playing, it has a quite different effect!

WONDERFUL SUMMERTIME!

 

THE FLY WHO BUGGED ME

For whatever the reason, there was a sudden invasion of flies in my apartment a few days ago and, rather than fill the place with toxic insecticide fumes to annihilate them, I went for the direct approach and attacked them with my trusty fly swatter.  One by one, I stalked and hunted the little varmints, executing the kill with amazing accuracy, although I must tell you... I discovered there was one fly much bigger than the rest.

THINGS THAT MAKE YOU GO, HMMM!

RECOLLECTIONS

 

                               I guess when it comes to aging, it's all about going back to basics!

FRIENDS WHO SENT ME BIRTHDAY GREETINGS...

To all of my Facebook friends who sent me good wishes on my Birthday, I thank you very much and wish you all the best!  All others, pay cash!

The World of Cartoon Ideas

Sometimes...no, make that, always it's hard to come up with ideas for cartoons even if you dig deeply into your memory, your subconscious, your past experiences, the news or the world around you. Most of the time when you think you have a good idea, you check around and discover it's already been done by someone else. However, there's another obstacle in coming up with fresh material for a funny cartoon and that is MY BRAIN, which came into being and was developed during the early 1950s so obviously, runs on batteries, is analog-oriented and takes a while to warm up, much like those vintage TV sets!

MORE ABOUT ACTING!

Here's another chapter of my ongoing series of tutorials: "How To Become An Actor Without Really Trying!" 

DISASTER AHOY!

Most of the times we suffer an accident, it is mainly by our own doing and usually when we're distracted by our cell phone.  And as you get on in years, you'll find this happening more than often. 

Moral of the story: Always be extra careful, don't overuse your phone and try not to get too old!

MORE SENIOR DAZE

HOW OLD ARE YOU?

THE AUTUMN YEARS

 

ALWAYS LOOK ON THE BRIGHT SIDE!

 

HAPPY EASTER!

 

LIVING ALONE

Being Alone

The Rabbit Hole!

Cartoonist Johnny Hart's birthday!

John Lewis Hart (February 18, 1931 – April 7, 2007) was an American cartoonist noted as the creator of the comic strips B.C. and The Wizard of Id. Brant Parker co-produced and illustrated The Wizard of Id. Hart was recognized with several awards, including the Swedish Adamson Award and five from the National Cartoonists Society. In his later years, he was known (and sometimes criticized) for incorporating Christian themes and messages into his strips. (WIKIPEDIA)

Johnny Hart's HARMON, a caveman done for Dr. Pepper ads was a forerunner to his B.C. 

Johnny Hart and Brant Parker were two of my earliest influences in the cartoon world. Their style, while very similar, differed in several ways and it was comparatively easy to recognize each other's work. 

                                                    

Their way of drawing very minimalistic images with just a few sparse lines caught my attention from the very moment I first saw their strips in the local newspaper and I must confess, I began to copy their style, carefully trying not to look exactly the same so as not to be accused of copyright infringement. 

                   

But their style can be seen in my first attempt at doing a comic book, with a character called EL MAFIOSO NICK (Mobster Nick), which ran in a few magazines before becoming a short lived comic book.    

                                         

I abandoned the Johnny Hart-Brant Parker school of cartooning and went on to develop a very different style myself although I still followed their work and never lost my admiration for them.

Of course, drawing style is one thing and the humor and ability to get a smile or a laugh in three or four panels is something else and not every cartoonist can achieve it the way Hart and Parker did. The humor in these strips was brilliant, sharp, witty and unexpected which is a testimony to their superb talent.

Their strips are still being kept alive by their respective collaborators with some degree of success but the heyday of B.C. and The Wizard of Id, rightfully belongs to the first era, when their creators were active and churning out their strips much to the acclaim of their millions of followers.

Brant Parker's WIZARD OF ID

Brant Parker

Johnny Hart

Johnny Hart passed away on April 7, 2007 and Brant Parker followed on April 15, 2007, only 8 days apart!