The cartoon blog of Andertoons cartoonist Mark Anderson. He discusses his cartoons, cartooning, comics and, oddly enough, LEGO.
Happy December!
Just a reminder that if you’re using my 1975/2014 Marvel calendar for your desktop wallpaper, it’s time for one last update.
Click on the image below for December’s 2560 x 1200 image:
Wanna grab the other months? Here’s all 12 for you!
Enjoy!
‘Tis the season, so to get you in the mood, here’s some new Christmas cartoons!
Every year I watch A Charlie Brown Christmas and every year I think “just watching those kids dance makes my back and neck hurt.” So I finally addressed it.
Can I say too that trying to draw in Schulz’s style without out and out copying him is deceptively difficult? (Also, see if you can find the little Easter Egg I put in there.)
As Christmas cartoons go, this is pretty good. But it’s also not a bad idea if you’ve got low ceilings and short family members.
This is one of those cartoons where it’s better not to think too deeply about it. Where would a miniskirt go on a tree? Does it go higher up the trunk so you can see more of the stand? Do older trees cluck their tongues in disapproval?
See, too much thought.
I always try to throw in some more wintery cartoons for people that don’t observe Christmas, so I do snowmen. But Bill Watterson set the snowman cartoon bar so high that it’s always a real challenge.
Fireplace stockings is another of the standard Christmas cartoons, and another tough nut to crack. (Note to self – buy nutcracker.) But if you can come up with something new and interesting it’s really satisfying.
When you’re doing a mall Santa cartoon, that’d better be a fairly good joke, because you’re going to have to draw a lot to pull it off. People in line, trees, elves, etc…
I like the idea that this kid is suspicious of Santa. Probably watching too much TV. Or not enough.
You just know this is coming. And someone’s probably trademarking it as we speak. I think you go the other way with “Ho-ho-ho-ho!” Make people feel like they’re getting a little added value around the holidays.
Hope you enjoyed those! Feel free to check out all of my other Christmas cartoons too. And happy holidays, everyone!
Every year I create a nice big batch of holiday themed cartoons. I know there are other holidays other than Christmas of course, but Christmas is the one I know best, so I stick mostly to that.
I do, however, try to make sure that I include a number of winter-themed cartoons that, hopefully, will appeal to almost anyone, regardless of what they do or do not celebrate. So I do snowman cartoons, and here are a few of my favorites:
Snowmen’s coals and carrots offer a lot of cartoon possibilities. You can add additional items, substitute others, reposition them, or, in the case of this cartoon, remove them.
You’d have thought the snowman husband might have noticed the missing mouth, but then again I don’t think I’ve been able to discern my wife’s haircuts the entire time we’ve been married.
Shortly before I turned 40, I was prescribed and bought my first pair of bifocals. Nothing says “hey, guess what, you, you’re getting old! Haha! Didn’t see that coming? Did you? Know why? Because you need bifocals!!” like getting bifocals.
I’m not sure I’ve ever gotten the tilting/looking technique down. If I have I don’t know it, but I always thought it would be easier if you could just pop in an additional set of eyes, so we get this snowman cartoon.
Lucky snowman.
Remember what I was saying for the first cartoon about changing around the coals and carrot? This is another take on that idea.
Listen, carrots are great. I appreciate the help with the eyesight, and they’re nice in a salad, but let’s face it, it’s been done to death.
I applaud this snowman for taking a chance. Celery indeed! Perhaps a radish! Dare I suggest a bunch of cilantro? Regardless, you go, snowman!!
Again with the bad coal eyesight. Now that I look at these, maybe it’s time to branch out into, well branches.
Surely there are some snowman arm jokes to be mined. Big thick branches for a snowman bodybuilder? It’s something to think about.
OK, well that’s going to do it for now. Feel free to browse all of my snowman cartoons, and be sure to stock up on coal and carrots!!
Happy holidays!
Santa Claus. Fat guy, brings you toys, right? For the most part, especially when you’re a kid, thats about all you ned to know.
But when you really start digging into Santa, and Santa related stuff, you quickly realize that there’s an awful lot of great material for a cartoonist to play with. So, with the holidays approaching, I thought I take a moment and share a stocking full of my favorite Santa Claus cartoons:
Ok, Christmas is a stressful time for everyone, but imagine the pressure that Santa is under. Toy productions, elf management, all the travel… I wouldn’t be surprised a bit if he’s less than jolly come December.
This is a take on the old “go to your happy place” thing, and now that I look at it maybe “jolly” would have worked better.
Oh well. I’m glad he’s getting help.
You know, in this age of social media, Santa should have a really easy time keeping his nice and naughty lists in order.
If he’s smart he’s taking advantage of any number of APIs, setting up some sort of algorithm, and kicking back and relaxing while we all fess up online. Easy peasy.
This is probably pretty odd to work well in any of my standard markets. In fact, when you think about it a little Ionger, it gets creepy fast.
Honestly I didn’t intend anything other than a little holiday entrepreneurship, but, um… ewwwww.
Ok, moving on.
I’d love to think that Santa Claus would be immune to thoughts of marketing or branding, but it’s fairly obvious that Christmas is nothing if not commercial, so I guess it make sense that he would worry about his image.
But, come on, ‘Ho-ho-ho’ is a true classic. You don’t want to mess with that. Remember New Coke?
Ok, that does it for now. Feel free to check out all of my Santa Claus cartoons, and happy holidays everyone!
It’s hard to believe that the holidays are almost here. Pretty soon I’m going to be hip deep in yet to be written cards, dirty cookie sheets, and 12 year old tattered bows that my wife is convinced still have a few years left in them.
Christmas can be a stressful time, so I thought I’d take the opportunity to offer up some of my favorite Christmas cartoons to clear out some of the humbug. Enjoy!
I’m what you would call directionally challenged. I never know which way is north, I often don’t know what town I’m in, and if it weren’t for the combination of Google Maps, my TomTom and my iPhone, I’d never be able to get anywhere at all.
I love my GPS, but I can understand why Rudolph might feel differently.
Another Christmas bar cartoon. I wonder what a therapist would have to say about this.
Anyway, this cartoon was an absolute joy to do art-wise. Concocting a recognizable Scrooge, aping Seuss, and drawing them both slightly drunk and complaining? Hee hee! This is why I became a cartoonist!
As if it weren’t bad enough that this kid was going to get coal, he doesn’t even get that, and then Santa rubs it in his face!
I know it’s winter and all, but that’s cold.
This cartoon was one of my most popular at art fairs this summer, although I sold only one. I thought it would be more of a general holiday appeal, but people inevitably would say “This would be great if it said Bill instead!” Or Tom, or Jessica or (insert name here.)
I’ve considered offering it as an item you could personalize, but that would require more planning and effort than I think I’m ready for at the moment. Maybe someday, though…
I’ll put up the tree, hang a wreath, and put out a few knick-knacks, but that’s it for Christmas decorating. I put up lights one time years ago before we had kids and a second story on the house, but never since.
I’m sure the neighbors think I’m a Scrooge, but the ratio of work to joy doesn’t work out for me.
But one giant bulb? That I might actually put up.
More than one company I worked for before becoming a cartoonist would have had absolutely no problem at all moving to the naughty list, if, in fact, they had ever been elsewhere. And when you think about it, if you were in the coal business you’d actually have no incentive to be good at all. I think I smell a cartoon!
OK, I don’t know about you, but I’m starting to feel a little better. Feel free to check out all of my other Christmas cartoons, and have a happy holiday!