Looking at the picture from my last post, I can see why I've been doing so many reluctant back-to-school strips. I hate letting go of summer! But September is undeniably here, there's a chill in the air I can't ignore. Hoping for one more trip to this gorgeous lake before the frost hits.
Meanwhile, Joel Schroeder, director of a new documentary called "Dear Mr. Watterson", is arriving momentarily to interview me for his film. More on that in the next post.
September 20, 2011
August 26, 2011
August Inspiration
Well, August—my favorite month of the year—is coming to a close. I always hold off on back-to-school themes until September... yes, I know that some school districts start up in August, forcing their poor kids to miss the most traditional, best, vacation month of the year. That will never happen in Stone Soup land!
I love the outdoors and in August I try to spend as much time in it as I can. The inspiration for all my "You Gotta Love August" strips comes from my memories of childhood summers on a lake in Wisconsin, and from my Augusts here in the NW, spent at the local pool, or at our beautiful lakes and beaches. I played a little hookey this week for an fresh shot of inspiration, and thought you might like this photo...
7AM, in my Poke Boat®, on a gorgeous lake in the Oregon Cascades. Ya Gotta Love August!
June 30, 2011
Nonsense, why not?
OK, I have a friend who is a voice over artist.
JoJo Jensen, www.jojojensen.com. She has a service called Chapter and Voice... she reads/records the initial pages of a writer's novel/story/etc. to peak interest. We also play tennis together, and over the net, we decided we should do this:
Thanks JoJo, for a very fun afternoon to produce this bit of nonsense. Enjoy, all, and tell me what you think.
Come see me this Saturday, July, 2, at Art & the Vineyard in Alton Baker Park, Eugene, Oregon.11:30 - 5:30. Booksigning, fun bags and t-shirts, wine, art, you can't lose!
June 26, 2011
Art & the Vineyard Booksigning
I will be signing books at Art & the Vineyard
this coming
Saturday, July 2
11:30 - 5:30
Alton Baker Park • Eugene, Oregon
I'll have copies of my two newest books (and limited quantities of the older books as well).
PLUS... I'll have samples of a new Stone Soup book bag and t-shirts.
It's a great event, lots of delicious food, fun music, gorgeous setting on the Willamette River. Come find me at the Oregon Author's Booth!
Art and the Vineyard benefits Maude Kerns Art Center. You have fun, they get money. What a deal.
June 15, 2011
Cartoonist Bliss
Virginia Woolf, one of the great 20th-century novelist, once said that she hated writing... but loved having written. I can relate. There is no slog more sloggy than a Monday morning with nothing written, just a blank notebook, staring back at me expectantly... and a week of cartoons due by Thursday.
Behold, bliss for a cartoonist with never-ending deadlines—
A week of cartoons, ready to ink. Kick back, turn on the tunes, inking is the Zen of my job.
Happy Wednesday!
June 07, 2011
Book Nine is here... BRACE YOURSELF
This is a banner year for me... not one, but TWO books released. I am one lucky cartoonist!
In January Book Eight — We'll Be REally Careful! — appeared in bookstores and online. This is the eight collection of my comic strip Stone Soup, 192 pages and in full color. Some of the stand-out storylines include Gramma going to Africa to build houses, despite a family that can't quite believe she's going... and Holly trying to protect the memory her dad as she grapples with her mom's affection for Office Jackson. OK, and lots of other funny, light-hearted stuff!
Now in June, Book Nine — Brace Yourself — has made it's way into the world. Brace Yourself is also 192 pages, full color, and contains, among other story lines, the complete story of Luci's creation (oops) and home birth.
You can order both these books from links on this site, or from any other online or realworld bookseller. (If you live in Eugene, I recommend the UO Bookstore and Barnes & Noble as sure bets. But you can ask any store to order it for you if you don't see it on the shelf.)
Happy reading!
June 01, 2011
Stone Soup and the Kinsey Institute
Today I received an email from The Kinsey Institute, the famous home of sex research and therapy, letting me know that an original strip that I donated to their library is included in a current gallery show, "Storytellers".
Storytellers provides a rare opportunity for gallery visitors to view a wide range of material pulled from The Kinsey Institute’s extensive library collection, with an intriguing selection of pulp fiction paperbacks from the 1960s, illustrated erotic novels, underground comic books, Japanese pillow books, and other narrative texts. Story-driven artworks are also included in the exhibition, ranging from vintage photographs, prints, watercolors, and drawings by anonymous and known artists to a series of Judy Chicago lithographs and other contemporary pieces.
How did this happen, you might be asking...
Leave it to Gramma.
In December of 2001 Gramma (Evie) took an oil painting class at the senior center. But because Gramma is Gramma, she couldn't just paint a nice landscape or fruit (she'd rather wear it). No, she gravitated to the classic subject... the nude. I can't remember exactly which strip in the series the Kinsey Institute requested for their collection, but here are my favorites:
The people at the Kinsey Institute liked the aspect of older women still having a vital interest in sex. Well, yeah.
May 30, 2011
Smackajawea, Brenda Scar, and Richard Thompson
Had a very fun post today from Madelyn (her comment under the Santa Rosa post is copied here) — who's been a fan of Stone Soup since she was a girl. I've heard from her over the years, she's sent me ideas for Holly. Today she goes by MRSA on the roller derby track. I am so jealous.
Hey Jan,
I still read your strip every day but my Dad got to today's strip first and sent it to me. It made my day. I now play roller derby and my name is MRSA.
When I was much younger you sent me an original after I posted some ideas for you on the uexpress forum oooh, say....13 or 14 years ago? Really cool, in fact, it's hanging on my wall. "Shaving your legs isn't all its cracked up to be."
Thanks for the derby shout out. My Dad especially gets it because he was the one who bought my skates for Hannukah, is helping me with my medical bills after a derby-related broken/dislocated elbow, and (reluctantly) supports me now that I'm healed and back in the game.
-Madelyn (MRSA)
Here's the cartoon I created from her idea...
Here's the strip she loved today.
I love roller girl names. My favs? Well, today, MRSA is at the top. Followed by Sandra Day O'Clobber, Pain Austen, and Smackajawea.
And then there's mine... Brenda Scar. Not that I skate, that would be scary. But I have the name ready in case I ever do. For now, I use it when I play tennis against Pain Austen.
On another note... congratulations to Richard Thompson, creator of Culdesac and all-around amazingly swell guy, for being awarded the NCS Reuben Award and becoming Cartoonist of the Year. Sorry I wasn't at your party Richard. I'm sure it was great!
Speaking of the NCS, my roller girl name Brenda Scar is in honor of Dale Messick, the glamorous creator of the comic strip Brenda Starr. Brenda was a "girl reporter" with a boyfriend who was always somewhere in the world having a mysterious adventure. Allowing Brenda to have love and be independent at the same time. I have an original portrait of Brenda, given to me by Dale, who is no longer with us. Dale had to change her name from Dalia to get the syndicate's attention in the 50s (they thought Dale was a guy) and she's had my admiration ever since.
We've come a long way since then. Go MRSA!
April 14, 2011
Santa Rosa
At the end of March I travelled to Santa Rosa to speak at the Schulz Museum. Jeannie Schulz invited me to join Lynn Johnston to speak at the major donor dinner, and again the next day to the public. Despite some disappointing rain (Oregonians don't need rain when they visit California. We go there for SUN), we had a great time. Lynn is such a warm, interesting person... with a wealth of cartoon industry knowledge that I love being able to glean from. John McMeel and Lee Salem flew out as well, to hear us talk and treat us to a day trip to Bodega Bay.
(from left to right—John, me, Lynn, Lee...)
Lee Salem is the guy who brought me into the world of syndication. I met him originally at a cartoon conference in San Francisco, where he was part of an industry panel. I'm pretty sure I crossed the rope barrier (designed to keep back hopeful cartoonists) to hand him my work. We corresponded over the years until I finally convinced him I had the "stuff" to make it.
John McMeel is the founder of Andrews McMeel Universal, and the guy who signed Garry Trudeau back when Garry was still in college, the guy who launched Doonesbury. Stuff of legends!
We also managed a visit to San Francisco, where Ted and I stumbled across a show at Live Worms Gallery. Live Worms is on Grant in North Beach. It's a bit like "Brigadoon"... it only comes alive once in a while, and just for one night. We've been lucky to hit it when open pretty frequently, and I love the eclectic nature of what shows there. This last time it was an art show benefit... to raise money for a school. This piece captured my eye, and I should have bought it. If anyone knows this artist, have him or her get in touch! I think the name is CF Zoll.
April 13, 2011
Furlough Finale
A cartoonist can always find a way to get the last word. My friend Michael T. Gilbert, of "Mr. Monster" fame, and writer/illustrator of Superman, Batman, Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck comics, is currently working on a Simpson's comic book. He just sent me this— in an email with the subject line "I hear there's been some controversy...?"
The tempest in a tea pot was a result of my being careless in a cartoon, leading some to misinterpret my reference to Furlough Days as a slam on teachers. Oh Woe! I've since explained myself, my readers have been most kind, life goes on.
But there's always room for more humor.
Thanks, Michael. Always an honor to get something from you!
