New This Week

The new liason at Warner Brothers for the Cartoon Network comics published by DC has essentially dumped me from Scooby-Doo (and I'm assuming the other titles) despite more than 8-years of service, nearly 100 Scooby-Doo stories, and being a favorite writer of the fans both young and old. I wasn't the only one. This is why you haven't seen my name connected with that title for some time.

I have provided the occssional short-short piece though. The new issue, number 115, with this great cover by Robert Pope and Scott McCrae features one such filler piece, in which I use a whopping 2-pages to have Velma, Shaggy and Scooby-Doo teach you all about the Yeti, including a nod to the "Bumble" from the Rankin-Bass "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer."

It's in stores now. Miss it at your own peril.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

Whatever holiday you happen to celebrate this time of year, I wish you a great one. This image may seem like a bit of coal in your stocking, but I'm going to share it anyway for its personal historical significance.

This crude image of the Island of Misfit Toys gang from the classic 1964 Rankin-Bass Christmas special "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer," was created as a combination holiday card and moving card in December 2000. It is the first collage I'd ever attempted. It's pretty obvious that I had no idea what I was doing. Even so, Cara Scissoria, who has collaging talent to spare, and who printed the cards for me, encouraged me to pursue the art form, and so I did.

It's all her fault.

End of origin story.

Joe Barbera 1911-2006

As has been widely reported elsewhere, yesterday, Joe Barbera, half of the Hanna-Barbera team that produced scores of animated cartoons from "Tom and Jerry" to "Yogi Bear," "The Flintstones," "Scooby-Doo," "Quick Draw McGraw" and countless others, died at the age of 95. His cartoons were a daily part of my life as a child and continue to provide inspiration to me as an adult. I've had a great deal of fun recreating many of the Hanna-Barbera characters in collage form (see "Fun With Scissors" posts in the archives) and once had the privilege to briefly meet the great man himself.

My condolences to his friends, family, and the animators inspired by him.

Penguins

Here's a penguin display I cobbled together for the Shaman Drum Bookshop for a winter display window.




There's actually a bit of a narrative to it. One penguin has been knocked off his feet by a snowball to the back of his head, while two other penguins react and the culprit who threw the snowball rolls another one.

It wasn't until I downloaded these pictures that I noticed one of the foam sheets serving as a base for the snow has been dislodged and is now obscuring part of the snowball making penguin's activity.











You can see here how it's meant to look, minus the background books from an earlier cookbook display.

Monster Vs Robot Lampshade

My apologies for the lack of new material here. I had to take my scanner out behind the shed and put it out of its misery, and won't be getting a new one until some time after the holidays are over. So no 2-D papergoods to share for now, though they'll be back as soon as possible.

In the meantime, here's both sides of a lampshade I painted in about twenty minutes for my son last summer.