FINAL PAGE OF SCANDAL

WOTTA GREAT MAGAZINE COVER

The sculpture featured on the cover is credited to 1950's marionette master Bill Baird.
So peachy keen, it makes you want to sock someone in the mush.

ONE MORE "OTHER PEOPLE'S CHARACTERS"

A photocopy, but still, I like this drawing, done within the last 10 years, of several Flintstones characters off to fight a fire.

OTHER PEOPLE'S CHARACTERS

A very Floyd Gottfredson MR. MXYZPTLK (this is how I orignally wanted to draw him for DC's BIZARRO, several years back), some Woody, Barney and one of Bud Blake's characters (drawn during a particularly dull meeting) and POPEYE AND OLIVE, hyperstylized (I haven't posted this before, have I? I don't think I have. No, I'm pretty sure not.)
I just finished watching some of the supplemental stuff on the Popeye DVD set, and enjoyed it immensely. Anyone out there that loves Popeye really should do themselves a favor and get the set, it's quite good.

I WENT TO IRELAND

Like you give a whoop.
But I had a good time, so I give a whoop!
I lounged with a blade of grass in my kisser, went to the bog, hung out with a tipsy scholar (no myth--they exist there!), converted the heathens to the ways of the Merry Marvel Marching Society, and had a wonderful time with the gorgeously sunglassed Shivers Mullen, who took all these photos.

that damned KURTZMAN

This is an original Harvey Kurtzman PLAYBOY sketch, which I purchased many years ago.
While I'm not a huge fan of his post-MAD work (aside from the JUNGLE, which is genius to me), I do marvel at how Harvey always managed to compose kinetic crowd scenes like this one. While it's a little hard to tell what's going on in this sketch, let alone what's up from down, I just love how organically all the figures work together.

INSTANT PIANO FLIER

Robbie Busch and I created this flier to advertise the coming of INSTANT PIANO at the San Diego Convention, way back in '94.
Robbie drew Mark Badger's characters, as well as his own, while I drew and lettered everything else. Evan came up with the Neil Gaiman crack, but I don't get it.

THE SUPER-SONS

This is for Matt (Don't Call Me "Pee-Pee") Peters, VENTURE BROTHERS storyboard artist extraordinaire, and comics fan. Matt's one of the few people I know other than myself who loved the Super-Sons concept from DC's WORLD'S FINEST COMICS of the 1970's. I know this looks like Superman and Batman, but it's really SUPERMAN AND BATMAN JUNIOR. My versions of them anyway. A while ago, I had the idea in my head that I'd pitch this to Cartoon Network.

REN AND STIMPY COLOR KEYS

Some pieces I was lucky enough to collect during my days out west, painted by Bill Wray, Scott Wills and Victoria Jensen.
These paintings are fairly small, so it's cool to see them scanned and digitally published in such a large format.

FRANK MILLER ROCKS!

This is one of my favorite originals from my collection. Cartoon storytelling doesn't get more charming than this.
The strip was called BARNEY BAXTER--the fuzzy guy in panels 3 and 4 a character named Gopher Gus, and indeed, the creator of this strip was a fellow named "Frank Miller". I much prefer his work to that of the more famous cartoonist toting that name around today (Although, I do own a piece of HIS art as well....)

MORE SCANDAL!

Page two from that Paradox Press story I'd blogged a couple months ago.
I'm proud of the Flintstones panel, as well as the Greek Tragedy I drew....

CHRIS DUFFY GIVES GOOD BIRTHDAY CARDS

In fact, this is one of the best birthday cards I ever got. I don't remember when I got it, but Chris Duffy gave it to me, anyhow, drew it for me and gave it to me, in fact.
The contents are...a little esoteric. You need to have a working knowledge of Marvel Comics from the 60's. And maybe the 70's.
And Chris knows I'm a sucker for that flat topped, fine finned sea-king, NAMOR, THE SUB-MARINER. (That's MAH-rin-er. Not Ma-REE-ner. Which is what I thought it was when I was little. Now, if anyone can rightly tell me how to pronounce "Magneto", I'll die a happy fella.)
Hey, you know, Chris is the comics editor of Nickelodeon Magazine, and he's also started his own blog, which is this:
http://comicbooksareinteresting.blogspot.com/
I encourage you to visit Chris there, often.

BORING DRAWN TOGETHER

The first bit of work I did for DRAWN TOGETHER were actual comic pages, drawn in the style of classic SUPERMAN artist, Wayne Boring. Some of this works, some doesn't, but it was fun to draw in that style. The layout here is actually by DT director, Pete Avanzino. I came in and Boring'ed it up.

POPEYE ON MY SHELF

Two more photos by Shivers Mullen. For whatever reason, she seems to find the crapola I have in my house interesting. Personally, I think the photos she takes of my crapola are more interesting than the actual crapola itself.
But, speaking of Popeye, I had a blast promoting the new Fleischer DVD set out in San Diego. The Warner's Video people were extremely kind to me, as was my old King Features pal Frank Caruso. It was fun to see old friends Bob Jacques, John Loter, Karl Kesel, Ron Randall, Barbara Kesel, Marv Wolfman, Chris Mitchell and Bill Presing again. My thanks to Blog Buddies Smo, Pete Lazarski and Marc Crisafulli for coming to the Popeye Panel. And especially terrific for me was having dinner with my "kids", Pete Browngardt and Phil Rynda. Perhaps I won't wait another 15 years to go to Comic Con again!

BROCK SPEAKS

Poses and Mouth Charts for the Episode 29, Season 3 of the Venture Brothers. Drawings by me and Jackson Publick.

and let's not forget...WHIFFLE PIFFLE!!!

Is that how you spell his name? Anyway, he's the little fellow cheerfully carrying the lobster to Betty and Pudgy. One of the Fleischer Studio's lesser stars, but I like him all the same, so included him in this promotion piece King provided to the Palm Restaraunt chain. (Speaking of the Palm, if you're ever in New York City, go to the original Palm on the east side. As you enter, directly to your right you'll see a painting of Betty Boop I did on their famously cartoon cluttered walls. Then go stuff yourself silly, which is not too diffucult a thing to do at the Palm).
Once again, folks, I'm off to San Diego this week, and will be on the Popeye Panel on Thursday. Hope to see you all there!
Sde.

from the "BOY, I'VE HAD A WEIRD CAREER" dept.

Not a hoax or an imaginary concept, these are images from King Features' "GRUNGE POPEYE" 1995 licensing push.
At least I got to draw Bluto, instead of the insipid Brutus (see my post regarding this particular prejudice further into my blog.)

SHOCKING DISPLAY OF EXTRANEOUS TIME

It used to bug me, while freelancing for King Features, that I had to draw BRUTUS, a character I had little respect for, instead of BLUTO, a character I quite loved. This is like about 20 years ago.

CLASSIC COMICS CHARACTER COLLECTIBLES

These are cherished and dusty in my home.
And why did Dark Horse stop making them before they got around to producing WASH TUBBS and CAP'N EASY?
Photos by the staggeringly talented Shivers Mullen.

VENTURE BROTHERS---SEASON 3 TEASER IMAGES

The first storyboard out of the season 3 gate was finished this past week, and it's spectacular. No one, repeat, no one will be disappointed watching any of the VB's this coming season.
I've no idea when it starts airing.
The above drawings are by myself and the incomparable Mr. Jackson Publick.