Category: Other

This week Inside the Cartoonist’s Studio welcomes Bob the Angry Flower’s Stephen Notley!

Stephen Notley… Come on down!

1) If you were to cast a movie entirely with cartoon characters, what movie would it be and who would star in it?

Oh Jesus, I don’t know… if pressed I guess I’d say Fellini’s Satyricon and I’d cast the roles with as many of the Hanna-Barbara Laff-a-Lympics characters as I could get the rights to starting with Dynomutt and Grape Ape.

2) You’re a syndicate editor launching a new comic strip. What’s the worst possible title you can think of?

“The New Peanuts”

3) A light bulb over a cartoon’s head signifies an idea, while a string of random characters denotes swearing. Invent a new cartooning icon and what it means.

The new icon is a sheath of flame surrounding a character, denoting solid financial sense.

What, no Captain Caveman?!

Thanks Stephen for playing along! Be sure to check out Bob the Angry Flower for all of your angry flower humor needs! And buy one of the Apostrophe posters while you’re at it!

Just wanted to wish everyone a happy Cartoonists Against Crime Day!

I’ll be celebrating by donning my Cartoonist Man duds and thwarting evil in my cul de sac. Wish me luck!

Last night I attended a wonderful panel discussion at the Harold Washington Library Center in Chicago with New Yorker cartoon editor Bob Mankoff and cartoonists David Sipress, Charles Barsotti and Matt Diffee.

“A History Told Through Humor” examined how The New Yorker’s cartoons represented their respective eras and how humor changes with each new generation of cartoonists.

It obviously was also a great way to draw some attention to the new Complete Cartoons of The New Yorker, which Bob and crew were happily selling and signing in the lobby.

The best part of the evening for me, however, was the opportunity to meet Mankoff, who flattered me by actually recognizing me and my cartoons. We shook hands and talked for a moment before he headed out for the signing. Nice guy.

I was also pleased to see fellow Chicago cartoonist Pat Byrnes and meet his lovely wife Lisa Madigan as well as a number of other local artists. Sometimes cartooning is such a vacuum, it was fun to emerge from my cartoon spider hole and say hi.

The evening gave me an interesting new idea for a recurring feature on the ol’ Andertoons blog too. Stay tuned…

Dum dah dah daaaah dah dah daaaaaaah! (That’s our new theme song! Catchy eh?)

Welcome to a brand new edition of Inside the Cartoonist’s Studio! (Applaud here.)

OK, let’s welcome to the blog, the funny, the clever, the just plain odd… P.S. Mueller!!! (Cue band.)

1) If you were to cast a movie entirely with cartoon characters, what movie would it be and who would star in it?

A good movie to remake with cartoon characters might be Being John Malkovich with Dagwood Bumstead in the title role. I mean, millions have been trying to get into Dagwood’s head for decades and this would be the perfect chance. The John Cusack part would go to a self-depicted Robert Crumb ( taken from his earlier comics.), and the Cusack character’s wife should be played by Nancy. The part of Cusack’s evil love interest in the film would go to none other than Lana Lang, a character I have never trusted, who I have long felt was badly cast by the Superman execs. The old fellow in the movie, who is quite integral to the plot, should be portrayed by Archie’s High school principal, Mr. Weatherbee. I think he’s still working and might be available.

2) You’re a syndicate editor launching a new comic strip. What’s the worst possible title you can think of?

Li’l Fascist.

3) A light bulb over a cartoon’s head signifies an idea, while a string of random characters denotes swearing. Invent a new cartooning icon and what it means.

I recommend pile of excrement, with stink-lines and flies, to indicate the awareness of a ghastly marketing ploy.

(P.S. also asked me to include this, and it seemed like a good way to avoid more talk of bathroom related topics, so…)

“If I can say anything I want, I would like to take a brief opportunity to warn about the decay of our civil liberties and the erosion of free speech in our society. Voting against George Bush and his minions of evil can only be a start. The idea of reclaiming freedom might yet have a chance, but only if we reclaim our democracy first. Sadly, though, it may be too late. If It is too late and we are all doomed spend our remaining years as corn syrup-sucking, dull-eyed, semi-literate, flesh-colored fatbags, I plan to become overbearingly smug about being 53 and closer to death than some of you whippersnappers.”

“Oh yeah, and I have a new book out, too. It’s called Your Belief System Is Shot and it will be shipping later this week. The publisher is Jones books. Buy it and I’ll change my whole attitude about this deranged pursuit of empire thing.”

Thanks a bunch P.S.! Be sure to check out his website and buy his book!

Tune in next week when our guest will be Bob the Angry Flower’s Stephen Notley! Goodnight!

Dum dah dah daaaah dah dah daaaaaaah! (Fade out…)

This week we welcome Troubletown‘s Lloyd Dangle to Inside the Cartoonist’s Studio!

Shall we dance?

1) If you were to cast a movie entirely with cartoon characters, what movie would it be and who would star in it?

Popeye and Dick Rumsfeld would star as themselves. Rummy would be trying to put Popeye back into active duty even as a senior citizen who hasn’t served for more than forty years. Popeye would be annoyed by Rumsfeld’s bullying and kick his ass in an elaborate fight scene. Bluto is now the head of the Taliban and has Olive Oyl captive among religious fanatics in rural Afghanistan. Of course the story builds to a hilarious climax.

2) You’re a syndicate editor launching a new comic strip. What’s the worst possible title you can think of?

Puddles

3) A light bulb over a cartoon’s head signifies an idea, while a string of random characters denotes swearing. Invent a new cartooning icon and what it means.

A floating bowl of Boston Style clam chowder, always combined with drowsy characters below: represents the effect of John Kerry’s speaking.

A slab of swiss cheese in the shape of a skull and crossbones: floats over the head of any character infected with mad cow disease.

A cowboy boot tipped on end with a few grains of sand pouring out: always used to denote George Bush’s mind.

Thanks Lloyd! But what if the character is a mad cow disease stricken George Bush listening to John Kerry speak?

Be sure to check out Troubletown, as well as Lloyd’s other sites: LloydDangle.com & AuntEttie.com!