Alone and isolated.

This one from http://likefatherlikesoncomics.wordpress.com/  and my Facebook cover page came from an idea from Sam.  In the end it was a full collaboration.  He had the funny idea of using the "hit in the head" twice, which I liked.  If it's funny once, it's funnier the second time, but probably not a third time.  This one stumped me for a few days of how to pull it together and make it work best.  Sam had the basic idea and many of its parts but it needed some editing and tightening up.  I nearly gave up on it but finally it came together nicely, I think.  Sometimes if you don't think about it too much or have no distractions you can get through to a solution.  Though its coloring clearly shows my search for a funky looseness, it comes across as just kind of messy.  Oh well.  Give me points for another experiment.

Final Episode

Mime Tarzan came from an idea I thought up probably 10 years ago or so.  Never fleshed it out in color until now.  I'm pleased with its rich color and simple design... and of course its ridiculous premise.  I have nothing against mimes.  Just an idea that popped into my mind long ago that finally found a home at http://likefatherlikesoncomics.wordpress.com/

Good sledding hill.

This week's cartoon is from an idea son, Sam, had.  It's a bit of a nod to Calvin and Hobbes but admittedly without its illustrative genius.  It's part of our Like Father Like Son informal weekly comic at http://likefatherlikesoncomics.wordpress.com/

Death Takes a Holiday

This comes from a cartoon I created many years ago but never colored.  I tried to get a comic strip syndicate interested in a daily strip using this cartoon (one of many) but it didn't happen.  One syndicate was very interested but I didn't know (nor did my agent know) I'd need to submit dozens of ideas before they'd sign me up.  I had maybe a couple dozen.  I read that you need around 120 daily strips ready to submit.  Anyway, still one of my favorites.  And now in living color.

Add caption

"A Bridge to Fur" puppet show

My puppet show, "A Bridge to Fur", was born in a writing workshop with Muppet head writer, Jerry Juhl.  I wrote the show to combine two of my loves: history and being completely silly.  The silliness is built on a foundation of real historic research of the 1700's French voyageurs who traveled the upper Midwest.  There are three main characters- Jacques, Gaspar and the Beaver.  Gaspar is a rod puppet.  The other two are hand puppets in the Henson Muppet style.  I made all of the puppets, props and stage.  Anything that looks professionally sewn was done by my wife, Nancy.  I've performed this show all over the world... if your world is limited to Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa and Missouri.  I do the show solo and the audio live so I can interact with the audience.  Below are some photos of some of the show's characters and a performance at the 2010 Children's Festival in West Liberty Iowa.

Hoppy beer

This one popped (hopped) into my head after a discussion of local breweries with a few friends.  I like the contrast of color and characters in this one.  It might have also worked with just the rabbit saying the punchline to another rabbit, but I enjoyed have the setting of this innocent little bunny saying it in this unquestionably seedy bar.

Zebras dine out.

Another "Like Father, Like Son" cartoon.  This one started as an idea from Sam about the unfortunate state of a striped zebra sticking out among other more camouflaged prey.  I couldn't get a clear image in my head how to draw it at this format size so I re-worked it into this.
I sketched it using a pen tool in Corel Painter 11.  (Normally I start with a pencil sketch and re-trace with a pen or marker.)  I've really enjoyed the sketchy freedom of these cartoons.
As you can gather, this was all done digitally.  Since using Painter I haven't used a real pencil, pen, brush or ink for little over a year now.