NarelleWorld

Climate oddness

2012-01-15T00:02:00.000-08:00

In June we had winter weather (rain, wind and cold). In January we have summer weather (dry, calm and pleasant). Running barefoot at Stinson beach with a glassy calm ocean. I don't know about climate change but I'm certainly becoming familiar with climate oddness.

This week's caption

2011-11-08T10:27:00.000-08:00

Sad day in Tennessee

2011-11-05T00:35:00.000-07:00

Tarra the elephant at The Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee just lost her best friend Bella, the dog. It looks like the work of coyotes. It appears that Tarra picked up her lifeless body and carried it back to the sanctuary headquarters. A while back when Bella was ill and cooped up in the office for two weeks Tarra stood nearby at the fence and refused to go anywhere without her buddy.

In addition to all the pro bono cartooning I've done for the sanctuary over the years whenever there was a problem, I was thrilled and honored a few years ago when Carol Buckley, the founder, commissioned me to do a special color illustration of Tarra and Bella together. Though I never got to meet them in person I've always felt a special bond with this devoted pair.

This week's caption

2011-10-26T20:06:00.000-07:00

I started submitting captions in the local paper's contest several months ago. This week's winner is number eight for me....and, it totally surprised me in the paper on my birthday. A double whammie.

2011-10-12T14:02:00.000-07:00

My THINKAFEELADOO comic, a mental health primer for young children is now available online. http://www.thinkafeeladoo.blogspot.com/ My hope is to find a publisher and/or backing to create a whole series of comic/workbooks for therapists, parents and teachers to use with kids. Volume One is already in use by top therapists working with abused kids.

AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE ONLINE

Caption Contest

2011-09-16T12:44:00.000-07:00

While I have never penetrated the hallowed halls of the New Yorker, I have scored six times in the local paper's Cartoon Caption Contest. My lastest....

Temple Grandin

2011-09-05T00:08:00.000-07:00

I met Temple Grandin today and got to thank her for inspiring me to train KT, a rambunctious golden who's greetings could knock you over. I taught KT to go between my legs where I would put the squeeze on her with my knees, which calmed her down immediately. After a short scratch on the butt I give her a tap and she runs off to keep playing. I told Temple that without what I've learned from her I would have been knocked over a hundred times by now.

Time to vote!

2011-08-16T16:41:00.000-07:00

It's time to vote in the Union of Concerned Scientist's political cartoon. Click on the link above to view all twelve candidates. Mine is number one. (That is both literally true and a semi-subliminal plug). This could be the year I earn the coveted cover position. It's all up to you. No pressure.....

CLICK HERE TO VIEW CARTOONS AND VOTE

Living In Vertical Time goes digital

2011-08-08T00:22:00.000-07:00

CLICK HERE TO CHECK IT OUT IN THE iTUNES STORE

I'm still reading books by turning paper pages of like a troglodyte. For those of you actually living in the 21st Century I am pleased to report that my book is now available paperlessly through the iTunes iBookstore. Now if you'll excuse me I'm going to go rub a few sticks together and make a fire.

Choked up

2011-08-03T14:24:00.000-07:00

Going to my first horror film festival in Kentucky proved to be a very moving experience as you can see by how choked up I got.

I even met some relatively normal people there such as young Addy Miller who played the younger version of Dakota Fanning in The Secret Life of Bees. Addy is a sweetie.

Photo credits: James R. Zorn jameszorn@gmail.com

Grandma

2011-07-27T12:41:00.000-07:00

Every now and then a family treasure pops up. This poster of my grandmother, the Queen of Irish Song, is one of them. She's wearing the Brooch of Tara given to her by the mayor of Dublin around 1902. Being born long after she was gone it is sweet to collect bits of history such as this.

The horror...the horror

2011-07-26T16:07:00.000-07:00

Robin and I survived the crippling heat and humidity of Kentucky as well as the Fright Night Film Fest where I was a celebrity guest, signing Dark Star posters and the like.

Along the way I got to show off my nine year old student Dawson's mummy shirt. I fit right in.

Robin's coming along on this adventure adding to everyone's enjoyment, including her own. When we watched a skinny kid in a Darth Vader outfit shuffling through the lobby dejectedly we nearly wet our pants laughing. Just one of a thousand unique moments.

I drew a lot of cartoons for folks over the course of the three day festival. Eventually I realized I needed to draw one for myself. After all, a journey this long deserves documentation....From Sesame Street to Elm Street...

San Diego Comic Con

2011-07-19T13:18:00.000-07:00

With the San Diego Comic Con getting under way I pause to appreciate the cartoon Sergio Aragones did for me in 1976 down there. It hangs over my desk, chastising me daily.

Last year's logo

2011-07-03T10:00:00.000-07:00

I attended the county fair recently and came across a logo I created last year for their Wine Garden. It was designed for buttons and stickers. I was surprised to find it so big.

Upside down

2011-06-16T17:25:00.000-07:00

I was teaching young Dawson about the anatomy of the eye today and how images are initially flipped upside down on the retina after passing through the lens and then rectified within the brain. He began staring at my head intently in order to invert it. You gotta be careful what you tell kids these days.

APPREHENDED!

2011-05-17T19:00:00.000-07:00

View this photo at your own legal risk. I have just been apprehended by the Twentieth Century Fox Licensing & Merchandising Legal Department for violation of intellectual property. The owners of the dogs pictured already have their t-shirts. I hope they won't be hunted down as well. The irony in all this is that years ago when I was Supervising Animator and Sequence Director on TWICE UPON A TIME we brought a 19 year old on board as a camera assistant by the name of David Fincher. Now if I can only talk David into autographing my friend's t-shirts they'll be worth a fortune.

That fateful day

2011-05-16T15:22:00.000-07:00

I think I just discovered a photo of the day I decided to be a cartoonist. I don't think I've worn a suit and tie since then.

Caption Contest

2011-05-04T10:03:00.000-07:00

Last week I learned of a local cartoon caption contest. I entered. I won. What did I win? The right say I won. A quick victory lap and then back to work.

So that's where I am!

2011-04-11T13:48:00.000-07:00

Empire, the British film magazine, answers the question WHERE ARE THEY NOW? The answer is, "right here typing this blog entry". This page is from the April 2011 issue and reviews the recently released DVD version of Dark Star that contains a massive amount of extras. Thanks to Volker Engel, Oscar winning FX genius behind Independence Day, for scanning this and sending it to me. (The April issue of Empire has yet to make it out here in the hinterlands yet)

My mummy shirt

2011-04-01T00:45:00.000-07:00

Now I'm sporting my very own Dawson mummy shirt. This kid will probably have his own clothing empire by the time he's 10.

Deposed

2011-02-27T13:26:00.000-08:00

Tyrannical cartoonist deposed by angry young mob. Okay. A mob of one. One nine year old. Okay, so my student Dawson is taking over my studio. I was forced to bow to international pressure.

Dawson's mummy

2011-02-10T18:50:00.000-08:00

No matter what drawing task I give nine-year-old Dawson every week it always turns into some sort of zombie. He just can't help himself. This week's anatomy exercise emerged as a mummy. Just another day at the office.

The Blue Ball Caper

2011-02-10T12:36:00.000-08:00

KT (in the background) seems to have lost track of her two favorite blue balls. She's apparently spotted a red one but knows damn well it's not hers. Where in the world could her balls have gone? Meanwhile Cassie seems to have abandoned her customary mouthful of four tennis balls in favor of....."Your Honor, I submit this photograph as Exhibit A for the prosecution."

So long Jack.

2011-01-23T20:10:00.000-08:00

In the early 70s I worked for Computer Image in Los Angeles where I created a kids TV series pilot with Jack LaLanne called Fit & Fun Time. It combined live action (I directed Jack in front of blue screen at an LA TV station) combined with some of the first computer animation (which I directed in Denver, using a room full of enormous Honeywell tape bank computers).

Jack would come to meetings and give me a thump in the chest with the back of his hand and ask, "How ya doin, Boy Genius?" I rarely had enough wind left in me to answer.

Jack was the real deal. The guy was fit. One day at his house he had his maid give me a tour of his basement gym. She told me he worked out down there from 4AM to 6AM every morning. On some mornings she told me his pal Clint Eastwood would come over and they'd work out together.

Jack died today. He almost seemed immortal. He was a role model who never fell off his pedestal. It just gave out underneath him. So long Jack. Happy trails.

Latest book cover

2011-01-14T00:48:00.000-08:00

This is my latest book cover for Steve Bhaerman (AKA Swami Beyondananda). For more Tomfoolery you can visit his website at www.wakeuplaughing.com (At your own risk!)

Havana cemetery

2011-01-09T13:05:00.000-08:00

After seeing cousin Evin's recent photo tour of a Parisian cemetery I wanted to share some of my photos from last year's trip to Havana. I believe their cemetery is the seventh largest in the world. I found this first photo to be one of the most touching I've ever seen at a grave. One could wander this cemetery for hours. The photo with me in it is at the grave site of Ibrahim Ferrer (of Buena Vista Social Club fame). This full size Pieta is one of two to be found there.

Happy Moo Year

2011-01-02T18:11:00.000-08:00

We ushered in the new year at the home of the great-great-granddaughter of Mrs. O'Leary, whose cow is purported to have burned down Chicago. (I hate it when that happens) This cartoon is now part of their family legacy.

That beard tickles!

2010-12-27T10:39:00.000-08:00

Warren had a long naughty-or-nice conversation with Santa this year. It all turned out okay but next year he plans to bring a lawyer with him.

If you live in the Sonoma County area and need photography go to russelleventphotography.com.

Super fan Parker

2010-12-14T22:41:00.000-08:00

When two year old Parker's grandma told us she demands to see video of "talking dog" every day it meant we needed to travel out to Jenner to catch up with her while she was visiting from Seattle. She and Warren Peace (AKA Talking Dog) had a great time together. She even gave Warren two sticky stars on his nose. What more do you want?

Summer's farewell

2010-11-12T12:00:00.000-08:00

The soft light of morning in the trees is a real gift and helps assuage the knowledge that the last of the warm weather is upon us. Soon the rains will come.

Oy Story 3

2010-10-27T20:57:00.000-07:00

Help! Robin and I are being held captive at your local toy store. Please go purchase us and set us free. Meanwhile, prior to being kidnapped at Pixar today (where I'd taken a 9-year-old cartooning student to meet his future employers), Dawson and I sat down to ponder what we're both going to do when we grow up.

Doggie Dad for a Day

2010-10-21T10:36:00.000-07:00

With his mom away I took Timmy (from down the street) to the dog park today. To say he had an hour of fun is to revel in gross understatement. Some day I hope the dogs all stand around chatting and the people spend an hour chasing each other through mud puddles.

Dark Star cartoon review

2010-10-18T11:42:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I met Mark Monlux, a cartoonist who does cartoon reviews of obscure films (such as Dark Star). His book is a lot of fun, touching on many a film I've never heard of. He also does an online series with his STICKMAN character. You can download a template from his site and contribute your own Stickman comic which he distributes in cyberspace. Several of my contributions live on in his archives. Check out www.thecomiccritic.com

A new friend

2010-10-09T17:01:00.000-07:00

Baba Monkey is happy to report he has a new friend. Roberto showed up at a yard sale today and I quickly filled out the appropriate simian adoption papers. Now the two of them are over in the corner plotting God knows what. (As if I didn't have enough monkeys running around in my mind!)

Morning ritual

2010-09-27T11:48:00.000-07:00

My morning ritual, which includes full-canine-immersion, was captured on the cover of the local paper this week (The Community Voice) with this photo. Last week's paper had a lengthy article about me, as well as my buddy Cassie (seen here nibbling from my hand), and the fact that my photo of her won a Hallmark greeting card contest. The reporter was so impressed by the joyful canine scene at the park that they came back and did a whole story on our Best Friends Canine Club. This morning, typically, I was assaulted for no less than four tummy rubs moments after I came through the gate. They have me well trained.

Simmering Man

2010-09-26T22:22:00.000-07:00

I've never been to Burning Man but today's Handcar Regatta in Santa Rosa was a circus of moving sculpture and and sea of bizarrely dressed people. I almost felt like I'd fallen into Pepperland. A magical afternoon.

Bucket-0-Beasties

2010-09-18T19:59:00.000-07:00

At every yard sale I go to I keep an eye out for good animal models for my cartooning classes at the Schulz Museum. Today I scored this fabulous array of critters, including an inordinate number of insects (for $2). Hooray!

DJ dog

2010-08-16T22:58:00.000-07:00

Warren had a great time co-hosting Berdalee's radio show this evening on KGGV in Guerneville CA. There were tons of dog related songs as well as Warren's canine poetry. To see more visit Warren's blog. Link is to the right.

Who let the dog out?

2010-08-12T00:38:00.000-07:00

Warren had the privilege of opening for Teresa Tudury in Jenner at their celebration of preserving their watershed from the clutches of lumberjacks. It was a great community effort and the celebration was an equally great community celebration. In addition to performing with Warren I also designed the poster for the event.

Thinkafeeladoo - Take 2

2010-08-04T00:41:00.000-07:00

I've launched a new version of my proposal, limited to the first introductory comic to help kids understand and work with Cognitive Behavior Therapy in their recovery from trauma by helping them understand the relationship between their thoughts, feelings and behavior. Please visit my proposal on Kickstarter.com and consider making a pledge to help create a new ally for kids who could really use one.
CLICK HERE TO VIEW PROPOSAL

Cartoon Safari 2010

2010-07-21T17:31:00.000-07:00

I survived yet another Cartoon Safari cartooning class at the Schulz Museum, herding a pack of rascals. This photo pretty much sums up reality in there. It's one of the few classes kids will probably ever take where you can get in trouble for not being silly.

2001 A Space Oddity

2010-07-18T20:59:00.000-07:00

Yard sales are the greatest. I scored these three guys yesterday and now I'm sure Stanley Kubrick is rolling over in his grave. Actually it's almost a family portrait, given that I starred in a space movie and my wife had a TV show where she played the mother of two chimps.

Minimalism

2010-07-16T14:05:00.000-07:00

One of my very talented young cartooning students at the Schulz Museum this week seemed to enter a trance when it came time for a comic strip assignment. I kept coming back to glance at his blank paper until I finally saw the horrific fight going on between two polar bears in a snow storm. My excitement drew the other students over to see for themselves. Some of them claimed to only see a blank paper. Not me. I had Dawson title his strip, which he did proudly. It's one of my favorites.

Well trained

2010-07-10T19:35:00.000-07:00

Just another morning of canine bliss as Cassie and KT demonstrate the care and handling of the well trained human. After this I think they were scheduled for a mud bath and a facial.

Oil's well that ends well

2010-06-25T13:22:00.000-07:00

Recent reports indicate that the rate of oil gushing into the Gulf of Mexico is the equivalent of an Exxon Valdez spill every four days. As we enter day 67...well, you'll see I did the math.

The old man and the sea and me

2010-06-13T16:03:00.000-07:00

This is the entrance to the harbor of the fishing village of Cojiba, just east of Havana. From here Hemingway's old man rowed out to sea and eventually returned. Ever since January's Cuban tour (Snoopy Goes to Cuba) of American cartoonists I have kept an eye out for a copy of The Old Man And The Sea. I found one recently, weeks after the BP oil eruption in the Gulf of Mexico.

As if the images on TV weren't disheartening enough, vicariously rowing out into the Gulf Stream with this old man and spending days at sea took me back to my time as a diver in Miami and the Bahamas. I'd all but forgotten the haunting deep blue of the Gulf Stream and the sparkling turquoise of Bahamian waters. I was jolted back to the day we stopped engines on our dive boat in the middle of the Gulf Stream to deal with a problem en route to the island of Bimini where we had a second dive shop. While drifting silently over the deep dark waters a huge sailfish swam alongside us, his full sail airborne and his large yellow eye taking us in from a mere 20 feet away. I am ashamed to admit that I looked around for a spear gun. In my mind these magnificent creatures only "lived" on the walls of bars and hunting lodges. My first instinct was to kill it. I still shake my head at the memory and am glad I had no weapons at hand.

Meanwhile, the old man, far at sea, reveres that which he intends to kill. He reads the sea, the fish and the birds as we would read a map. He is so connected to that cycle of life and death that he is resigned to either outcome himself. He is nothing if not committed.

Against this backdrop I absorb the daily news of ever increasing disaster as the oil permeates more and more of the Gulf. They predict the currents will draw it towards the Keys and up the East Coast. No one ever mentions Cuba in all this. No one points out that the fishermen of Cojiba may be totally screwed too. Thanks for Ernest I am painfully aware of it. It makes me want to go to La Bodeguita Del Medio in Old Havana and get blindingly drunk on mojitos. At least once. Just for Hemingway's sake.

New BP logo

2010-06-10T12:56:00.000-07:00

The Redcoats are coming (again)!

2010-06-03T15:20:00.001-07:00

Gulf oil spill?

2010-05-31T01:37:00.000-07:00

Can we please stop referring to this tragic unfolding in the Gulf of Mexico as a spill? If I’m carrying a glass of milk in my hand and I trip, that’s a spill. If a tanker in Alaska ruptures and dumps all its oil in the water that’s a spill. This is an oil hemorrhage of the first order worthy of its own name, as they do with hurricanes. I suggest calling it David for Deepwater Avoidable Volcanic Industrial Disaster.

Remembering Murray

2010-05-20T10:31:00.000-07:00

ODE TO A PLASTIC DONKEY

I don't care if it rains or freezes

Coz I got the critter that carried Jesus

Riding on the dashboard of my car

If you're in a hurry, you can pass

I'll just mosey with my favorite ass

Riding on the dashboard of my car

You can fret and you can worry

But I've got a saint who's soft and furry

Riding on the dashboard of my car

He's long gone but I do not fear

Coz in my heart he's always near

Riding on the dashboard of my car

Fundraising now!

2010-04-28T16:52:00.000-07:00

I have launched a fund raising campaign in order to create a series of much needed educational cartoon coloring books to help young children in the process of recovering from sexual abuse and other traumas.
CLICK TO VIEW ONLINE PROPOSAL

Goldman Environment Prize

2010-04-23T17:28:00.000-07:00

The antidote to Goldman Sachs is the Goldman Environmental Prize. I just attended the ceremony for the second time and it is always a moving experience to see heroic activists from every corner of the world acknowledged for their work on behalf of the environment.

CLICK HERE TO VISIT THE GOLDMAN PRIZE SITE

Goldman Sachs and pillages

2010-04-23T13:44:00.000-07:00

Given recent events in the news it seemed like a good time to dust off this political cartoon I did recently.

Buford's got a blog

2010-04-18T14:12:00.000-07:00

CLICK HERE TO VISIT BUFORD'S BLOG

Buford just heard about the internet and he's not shy about sharing what's on his mind. Proceed at your own risk.

Book debut

2010-04-17T23:09:00.000-07:00

Karen Drucker, prolific singer/songwriter, just wrote her first book Let Go of the Shore, illustrated by yours truly. It's coming out party was a wonderful concert at Unity of Marin. Karen and her band rocked the house.

Visit www.karendrucker.com/

Buford's loose!

2010-04-14T20:17:00.000-07:00

Just when you thought it was safe to go to YouTube, Buford decides that it's time for his online debut, bringing common back into commentary. You can see for yourself if you have the nerve. Just don't blame me. I've never seen this guy in my life. Don't know him. I swear.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cYbUQeFrB9s

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u5agHmKhfKg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SNN2vk7FRvA

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uhBpZYF9N3M

Warren's blog

2010-04-10T15:12:00.000-07:00

Warren is stepping out on his own (give or take some rod controls, cleverly removed with Photoshop in the picture above). Nevertheless he does have his very own blog now which you can access using the link in the right hand border. Proceed at your own risk. I'm not entirely sure he's housebroken.

Cujo II

2010-04-06T17:16:00.000-07:00

My little buddy KT, an adolescent golden retriever, was having a snarling good time this morning at the dog park play fighting with a young Bernese mountain dog. After I took this picture I thought to myself, "Be afraid. Be very afraid."

Beware cigar boxes!

2010-03-31T12:12:00.001-07:00

Upon our recent return from Cuba (Snoopy Goes To Cuba Tour - 2010) one of us, who shall remain unnamed, attempted to bring three empty cigar boxes into the US in order to store pen and pencils. This grave threat was intercepted by US Customs officials and all three offending boxes were confiscated. I sleep better at night knowing those boxes aren't in the country, don't you? Meanwhile, recent revelations of FBI interrogations of visitors to Cuba got me wondering...then I saw the following article and it all become clear to me.

O'Bannon memorial

2010-03-29T13:27:00.001-07:00

Last week there was a memorial as well as a special screening of two of Dan O'Bannon's films at the Egyptian Theater in Hollywood. It was time to say goodbye to Dan, who died in December at the age of 63, and hello to some friends both old and new. Among them: Dan's son Adam and two classmates from USC Cinema (who I just came to learn served as my body doubles in Dark Star long ago), Bennett Tramer and Nick Castle.

Puppeteers Guild party

2010-01-31T14:19:00.001-08:00

Warren and I closed the evening at the the annual Puppeteers Guild party in the SF Bay Area. The evening was filled with amazing performances of all sorts including the hysterical marionettes of Ernie Fosselius. A good time was had by all.

Muraleando

2010-01-27T22:23:00.001-08:00

Here are few more examples of murals and sculptures in Muraleando in Cuba where trashed out areas have been transformed by public art.

Detail from bench:

Cuba highlights Part 1

2010-01-26T12:35:00.000-08:00

I will sprinkle in a few images every day until I can capture a taste of our Snoopy Goes To Cuba tour. We were greeted at the humor publication Palante with an array of welcoming cartoons featuring Schulz characters.

One day we toured a community called Muraleando where they've cleaned up the streets and transformed the area with countless murals and sculptures. One could fill a book with the imagery.

Another day we sat down with Perfecto Romero to see his historic photos of Fidel, Che and Camilo Ceinfuegos from the time of the revolution.

Another day we visited the animation studio of Cuba. This mural contains a montage of their characters. The beauty and quality of their current projects was stunning.

We also toured the enormous cemetery in Havana where I found the tomb of Ibrahim Ferrer of Buena Vista Social Club fame.

Stay tuned for more postings.

More Cuba

2010-01-25T01:18:00.000-08:00

Tom Richmond has done a masterful blog account of our Cuba trip. Have a look at http://www.tomrichmond.com/blog/2010/01/25/cartooning-adventures-in-cuba/

Thank you Jeannie!

2010-01-24T10:49:00.000-08:00

What an amazing adventure. I'd say we crammed one month into a week as the Snoopy Goes To Cuba tour rolled through Havana. Our little squad of American cartoonists visited with Cuban counterparts at newspapers, animation studios and design schools. We dropped in at Hemingway's house but he wasn't home. We even looked for him at all his favorite bars in downtown Havana but he wasn't there either. The Cuban people couldn't have been sweeter, prompting my new expression: "You don't meet people in Cuba...you fall in love with them." The narrow streets of the city are filled with people (as opposed to cars), not to mention music and dancing. I have never felt so safe walking around in dark alleys at midnight. The poverty and deprivation are obvious everywhere but are not enough to dampen their spirits. These photos include Jeannie Schulz and me with old Havana in the background.

Cuba bound

2010-01-14T11:26:00.000-08:00

I leave in the morning with Jeannie Schulz to join with four other American cartoonists in the SNOOPY GOES TO CUBA 2 TOUR. It is a sobering time with the catastrophe in neighboring Haiti. As if those folks don't have enough problems. Good grief!

Latest book

2009-12-21T15:43:00.001-08:00

I just got a proof of the latest book I've illustrated and it looks great. It contains five poem/stories including the title story, the tale of a musical mouse.

So long Dan...

2009-12-19T15:56:00.001-08:00

It's not every day you lose someone you spent twenty years in space with. That's Dan O'Bannon I'm glaring at in this scene from Dark Star. We were never close, even though we did share a very cozy control room on that space ship. Nevertheless, I was always impressed with his talents, which ran deep in a various directions. I remember reading an interview where he described watching an early screening of Dark Star in which the audience wasn't laughing. It upset him that they didn't realize it was a comedy so he set out to scare the crap out of them instead...and wrote Alien. That worked! I'm obviously glad that Dark Star came to find cult status over time. Dan's name should always be mentioned in the same breath as John Carpenter when Dark Star is mentioned. I have no doubt that when I die Dan will be waiting to torment me with a rubber chicken once again. He was that kind of guy.

The new Warren Peace

2009-11-14T13:27:00.000-08:00

He's bigger. He's golden. That's what kibble and peroxide will do for you. This evening Warren makes his debut at the annual meeting of the SF Bay Area Puppeteers Guild. But first things first. He had to be vetted by the members of the local dog park.

The birth of Story Ball

2009-11-13T12:24:00.000-08:00

I just invented a group story process at an event following a performance of Charlotte's Web. 109 kids threw a story ball around (actually a fluffy chicken)as I drew their unfolding sequel to the classic story that included baby spiders Dr. Phil and Lucy, as well as several weddings (both Wilbur and Templeton the rat got hitched). It was a busy 15 minutes after which I recounted the whole sordid affair to the delight of all. This bit of communal insanity was sponsored by the Charles M. Schulz Museum.

Dogercize

2009-10-10T00:04:00.000-07:00

Just can't find the time to get to the gym? Just grab a thick rope and a couple of dogs for a workout. This picture was taken moments after the third dog on the rope got bored and wandered off. A great workout!

I was a real brick!

2009-09-24T15:55:00.000-07:00

It's been almost 40 years since Chris Capen and I were whisked off to perform in Europe on scholarship by USC Theater. Our small company performed all over Germany as well as in Cambridge, England under the direction of the late, great professor John Blankenchip. Months later, upon our return to LA, Blankenchip dropped me off at my apartment with one of his typical compliments..."You were a real brick!" At his recent memorial at USC I saw Capen for the first time since then. What was he carrying in his shoulder bag? A brick! It turns out he salvaged it from the ruins of our long-demolished campus theater and just wanted to share the booty at this reunion of sorts. The irony almost knocked me over...like being hit in the head with a brick.

Custom dog designs

2009-09-05T23:50:00.000-07:00

Here's another customized cartoon. This one celebrates Jasper, a lightening fast whippet and member of the local dog club.

Fight Club

2009-08-20T10:03:00.001-07:00

Every morning at the dog park Rowdy and Taezar and Poppy and Misty mix it up, having a ball - dog wrestling. Recently I've immortalized them on t-shirts and other products in my online store. Now I need to track down David Fincher and make him an honorary member.

In training

2009-08-17T23:46:00.000-07:00

I've decided it's time for a career change. I'm going all out, practicing to be a professional puppy wrestler. There's not a lot of money in it but it's hard to complain when you have a mouthful of fur.

Local politics

2009-08-03T15:15:00.000-07:00

My editorial cartoons usually address national and international issues. This week though I learned of upcoming budget cuts here in Rohnert Park CA that will result in the permanent lock down of all public restrooms in our parks....leaving us with what option? UPDATE: THE CITY HAS REVERSED ITS POSITION AND IS KEEPING BATHROOMS OPEN.

Time to vote

2009-07-26T00:30:00.000-07:00

The link below will take you the Union of Concerned Scientists web site where you can vote to select the cartoon for the coveted calendar cover position for 2010. This year's contest was restricted to previously UCS published cartoonists. We were given a list of topics from which to choose. As you can see I was taken by the issue of whistle blowing...a noble and dangerous practice.

http://www.ucsusa.org/scientific_integrity/science_idol/2009-science-idol-finalists.html

Old dog tricks

2009-07-23T19:15:00.000-07:00

I had the pleasure this morning of introducing my old friend Will, visiting from South Carolina, to my four-tennis-balls-at-a-time canine buddy Cassie. As you can see they got along great.

Pot of Gold

2009-07-19T00:18:00.001-07:00

I took this picture a few years ago from my office in the back of the house. Some day I will go out the back gate and brave the cow pies to go find that pot of gold.

Reality show

2009-07-13T14:34:00.001-07:00

It's been a while since I've done many political cartoons...but this ones been on my mind for a while. You can see more political cartoons at www.cartoonfreeamerica.com

Golden Retriever Monument

2009-07-07T13:29:00.000-07:00

For those of you that don't hang around with golden retrievers regularly, take it from me - they have the habit of sitting on your foot, pinning you to the spot while they lean against you. There you are, totally immobilized and ready to pet, scratch and dote on them until such time as they feel fit to let you go. God help you if you're running late for a bus.

Someone at the dog park the other day asked what we should call a group of golden retrievers - given that we have a "murder of crows" and a "parliament of owls", etc. I suggested we call them a "lean of golden retrievers". The idea was well received.

I never knew...

2009-07-06T15:52:00.000-07:00

I never knew my mother was a cartoonist. I just came across this cartoon that she did in 1995. Besides being right-on-the-mark funny, it has a lot of character somewhat in the style of Jules Feiffer. RIP mom. You really nailed me with that one.

Puppy love

2009-07-02T20:37:00.001-07:00

My buddy Cassie (of the four-tennis-balls-in-the-mouth fame) is now a big sister with the arrival of KT (pronounced Katie). This totally adorable puff ball is not destined to be small for long. I almost think there should be a law against being this cute.

Latest edition

2009-06-26T13:23:00.000-07:00

The tribute to Shirley and Jenny keeps rolling along with a new cartoon adorning a variety of products in my online store.

Shirley and Jenny

2009-06-24T20:39:00.000-07:00

The story of Shirley and Jenny is a heartwarming tale of the reunion of two elephants at The Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee. Unknown to anyone there initially, Shirley and Jenny had bonded 20 years earlier at a circus winter camp in Florida. Once reunited they became inseparable. When Jenny fell ill and lay dying many of the other elephants gathered around her. Shirley walked away. It was just too painful. When I heard the news I did the following cartoon for the Sanctuary. An elephant lover recently contacted me and requested I create some products featuring the cartoon...so I did. You can find them by clicking MY ONLINE STORE to the right, then clicking on ALL THINGS ELEPHANT.

Cartoon Safari Highlights

2009-06-12T18:44:00.000-07:00

There were many special moments in this year's Cartoon Safari at the Charles M. Schulz Museum. One of them was a visit by Diana Arsenian and her daughter Micaela. Diana is a world-class Graphic Recorder. The kids got to experience their thoughts and feelings expressed collectively on a huge sheet of paper. A real treat. And that was just the beginning of the week.

Thanks to the ongoing Apollo X exhibit in the museum I wound up with a bunch of astronuts on my hands. No, I didn't misspell that. If you recall, the spacecrafts on the Apollo X mission were named Charlie Brown and Snoopy.

Later in the week we watched an episode of Buster & Me, starring my wife Robin Goodrow and her monkey persona, Vanilla. After the screening in the museum's theater we marched back to our classroom to find Vanilla the monkey waiting to greet us.

We found the fourth ball!

2009-05-20T11:08:00.001-07:00

My new friend Cassie

2009-05-19T22:10:00.000-07:00

It turns out my new friend Cassie is a famous dog. You've probably seen her on greeting cards sporting four tennis balls in her mouth. When I went to take my own photo today she had misplaced ball number four. Stay tuned. We're going to find that ball!

Spacing out

2009-04-26T18:17:00.000-07:00

I got to hang out with an honest-to-god space walking astronaut yesterday at the Charles M. Schulz Museum. He was not familiar with the film DARK STAR so I was unable to lord over him with my vast deep space experience. Nevertheless it was great to meet Dan Tani and see his home movies from the orbiting space station where he lived for months. Note several bazillion Peanuts strips on the wall behind us.

I threw down the gauntlet when I got home by sending him the following picture of yours truly SURFING in deep space. Come on. Just try that sucker!

Uh luv ellay

2009-04-21T11:53:00.000-07:00

One rainy night in Santa Monica I ducked into a pizza joint for a slice and ran into fellow actor John Ashton (Beverly Hills Cop, Midnight Run) who I hadn't seen in years. It turns out he was only in town for an audition, having moved to Fort Collins CO shortly after someone on the freeway in LA had pulled a gun on him. I did this cartoon to commemorate the move.

Take that Leno!

2009-04-21T11:45:00.001-07:00

Now THIS is a chin:

I just found this photo of Percival C. Farnsworth, famed lecturer (and puppet). I created this lunatic for a film I created for IBM many years ago called CLEAR AS MUD. I stored the puppet in a friend's moldy barn for a long time. When I opened the trunk he had virtually disintegrated. In the world of pixels, however, he still lives.

Celtic nut

2009-04-18T15:09:00.000-07:00

I thought Roosevelt T. Boa had shown us every yoga posture in the book, but oh no. Now he's into Celtic knots. We're talking about one talented snake here folks.

Latest trip to the moon

2009-04-09T11:41:00.001-07:00

With niece Nina rolling into town with boyfriend Justin, fresh off the plane from vacationing in southeast Asia, it was time to hit the Charles Schulz Museum's Apollo 10 exhibit (commemorating lunar lander Snoopy and command module Charlie Brown) and do some of our own flying in their pint-sized simulator. Nina and I took the dual controls. Every time I told her to go left she went right. I was forced to slap her silly with my space glove. Fortunately she was wearing a helmet. These are just the sort of scenes that NASA never shows you. For good reason.

Sooper Puppy Online

2009-04-01T15:35:00.000-07:00

Now you can see streaming video previews of all eleven Sooper Puppy programs for young children at www.empowerkids.com

There are five more films in the works to help young children in their recovery from molestaion.

There was a time when five Sooper Puppy films occupied half the slots on the top ten sellers list of the Simon & Schuster catalog. He's long overdue for a comeback.

Dark Star in 10 minutes

2009-03-26T19:14:00.001-07:00

Some Brit has edited Dark Star down to 10 minutes with comical subtitling and voice over narrative. It's a hoot. Here's the link to YouTube for those of you who wonder what I look like with a lot of hair.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b0f7jA1l8gk

Another fairie sighting!

2009-02-16T20:30:00.001-08:00

Look! Up in the sky! It's bird! It's a plane! No! It's my wife Robin!

Inaugural Ball

2009-01-21T15:11:00.001-08:00

Robin and I had a great time at the Inaugural Ball. It was fun to meet Barack but boy is that guy skinny. Damn near paper thin. I hope the White House chef can fatten him up before a stiff wind blows him away. For me yesterday was the beginning of the new year. Happy New Year to all!

Sooper Puppy returns

2008-12-30T00:05:00.000-08:00

"The pack is back" as I dust off the little miniatures I made years ago to sit on my desk as I wrote eleven Sooper Puppy films for kids in the mid to late 1980s. Now Sooper Puppy is preparing to star in five new short films for kids in order to facilitate trauma therapy. From left to right that's Big Jon (a gopher), Grandpaw, Baxter (AKA Sooper Puppy), Stoops and Grizzle in the background (the Garbage Can Gang) and Baxter's best friend Pickles on the right. When I cast puppeteer and friend Robin Goodrow as Pickles I had no idea that we would marry 15 years later. Thankfully we're both house broken.

Ho Ho Holy Mackerel

2008-12-23T19:22:00.000-08:00

We haven't put up any Christmas lights yet this year because this house down the road has sucked all the electricity out of the grid. Fourteen years in the making all the characters climbing all over this property were hand painted by the owner. He either has a lot of spare time or drinks copious amounts of coffee. Happy Holidays!

What in the world?

2008-11-20T17:12:00.000-08:00

I just discovered this vintage image of my wife Robin Goodrow and her alter ego Vanilla from Buster & Me, her award winning children's TV series that ran for 20 years on NBC in San Francisco. I never realized they'd both gone into outer space but I am certainly grateful to NASA for the photograph.

To see more go to busterandme.com