Dennis the Menace Meets Jewish Neighbors (1971)

Here's a blog entry from 2009:

DENNIS THE MENACE comic books were part of kids' reading for decades. Now gone, the comic books, usually ghosted by long-time assistant to Hank Ketcham, Mr. Al Wiseman, were well distributed, in groceries, drugstores and barbershops. There were regular DTM issues, along with larger (and more pricey) specials, and the smaller digest comics.

In 1971, at a Rexall Drug Store in Lawrence, KS, I spent 35 cents on an issue of the DENNIS THE MENACE BONUS MAGAZINE SERIES No. 99, October 1971 (a magazine published 12 times a year, once a month with the exception of September, November and December, and twice in June, July and October).

In a five page story "Christmas Happy Holidays," I found out about the new milkman in Dennis' neighborhood.

Thanks to Mssrs. Ketcham and Wiseman, I learned about the Jewish people via Dennis. The milkman and his son explained to Dennis that they were Jews, and the regular milkman wanted Christmas off and they, celebrated Hanukkah instead of Christmas, etc. They told Dennis about their religion.

This was all completely new information to me. What can I say? I lived in a small town in Kansas! (I also did not understand what a golf bag was, so the cover gag was a complete non sequitor to me at the time.)

I gave this comic book away in 1986. By chance, I found a copy of it an antique store in nearby Wells, ME. And here's he story:

Related: Fred Hembeck on Al Wiseman and Fred Toole

Teacher Cartoons

Some teacher cartoons from me, Mike Lynch:

Cartoons by Mike Lynch. All rights reserved.

You can buy these for presentations, newsletters and Web sites. Send me a note: mike [at] mikelynchcartoons.com

Modernist Book Covers

The Aqua Velvet blog has a couple of modernist book covers, and links to more things modernist. I'm not 100% sure, but I think I used this textbook way back when ....

Quentin Blake: "I draw from my imagination"

The British illustrator and writer Quentin Blake is interviewed in the UK publication Metro today upon the occasion of the publication of his new book about his work BEYOND THE PAGE.

"I draw from my imagination. But of course you never really make anything up entirely. My books generally come from some picture that I would like to do – it starts from something visual. My book The Green Ship started from a picture of this ship made of trees and bushes, all cut into shape. I drew that first, but I didn’t know what the story was. I just had to keep it by me, and eventually it came to me."

Dick Hodgins: Drawing HAGAR in the Dark

The one thing about success is that it requires persistence. Persistence, like I say, is more important than talent.

Dick Hodgins, Jr., who has worked for King Features, drawn Hank Ketcham's HALF HITCH strip, as well as the HENRY syndicated feature, now works on the HAGAR THE HORRIBLE strip, originally created by Dik Browne. Mr. Hodgins also draws editorial cartoons for several newspaper in Connecticut.

I had the pleasure of meeting Dick maybe a half dozen years ago, when he was honored by the Connecticut National Cartoonists Society chapter. There were a couple dozen original cartoons on display. Gorgeous work, as always. There is no skimping in the talent department!

But when the hurricane hit last week, the power went out. Not to worry. This four-time winner of the National Cartoonists Society Division Award took it in stride.

He sent the following email to me, along with the photo:

"In hurricane Sandy's unilluminated aftermath, Dick Hodgins gets 'HAGAR' prepared to make his way to the deadline with the help of a battery powered light."

Go Dick go!

TEENSVILLE U.S.A. Edited by Lawrence Lariar Part 5

It's Friday! It's date night! Time to go to the "Fish Under the Sea" dance or whatever, right?

Here are some teen cartoons from the book TEENSVILLE U.S.A. It was edited and is copyright 1959 by Lawrence Lariar, and published by Dodd, Mead.

Part one
Part two
Part three 
Part four

Video: Cartoonist’s 30-Foot, Hand-Drawn Maze Nearing Completion

If you know Pittsburgh, chances are you know Joe Wos and his Toonseum. The Toonseum is a cartoon museum located downtown. There are always things going on at the Toonseum, and Joe Wos drawing the biggest maze is just the latest.


“I wanted to get into the Guinness Book of World Records for something," said Joe. 

Then, the Wall Street Journal published an article on his quest for Guinness fame.

“I had over a hundred people from around the world asking to solve the maze,” he adds, “saying ‘Could you just mail it to me, and I’ll solve it?’ I don’t think any of them had any concept of just the pure size of this colossal maze.”

The entire maze will be overlaid with plastic. Whoever decides to try and solve it can trace the pathway with a Sharpie. A warning, though: There are hundreds of dead ends.

Wos hopes to complete the project this weekend

The entire article is here.

How Bruce Eric Kaplan (“BEK”) Crafts A New Yorker Cartoon

Bruce Eric Kaplan draws cartoons for the New Yorker when he's not writing for television (SEINFELD, SIX FEET UNDER). He talks to Fast Company's Ari Karpel about his cartoon-writing process and how persistence pays off in the article titled How “BEK” Crafts A New Yorker Cartoon.

"The struggling writer sent 10 to 15 cartoons every week. 'I was in my twenties, and I was crazy. I was just so sure that they were going to buy it that I just kept doing it. I never missed a week.' At first, his cover letters were polite and professional, but after a few years they degenerated. 'I would write crazy, crazy cover letters. I started out I was like, 'Here are 10 cartoons.' Then at the end I was just like, 'Here are 10 cartoons any other fucking magazine in the fucking world will buy except for you assholes.'"

The St. Louis Post "Should Have a Local Cartoonist"

In today's Letters to the Editor page of  The St. Louis Post-Dipatch, letter writer Craig Niehaus tells the paper that they should hire a local cartoonist.

Mr. Niehaus misses R.J. Matson, even though he did not agree with Matson's politics. Matson was the editorial cartoonist at the paper from July 2005 to July 2012. He currently cartoons for Roll Call.

I agree with a lot of this letter. Here it is:

I have to admit, I miss editorial cartoonist R.J. Matson. The fact that I rarely agreed with his positions doesn't matter.

The current hodgepodge of cartoons from other sources only emphasizes the loss of a local perspective. So many issues, from the History Museum saga, the St. Louis University kerfuffle and even the rise and fall of the Cardinals needed to be illustrated.

Matson's "Punchline" feature was also a fun addition to the mix. The weekly challenge to amateurs (like me) sometimes generated 500 entries on timely subjects, before the Facebook filter was instituted.
I know nothing about the newspaper business. But the daily paper gets thinner daily. And printing a compilation of stories from other sources is like Imo's putting a frozen Totino's pizza in its box. Not gonna work.

Here are a few suggestions:

• Hire back some of your better people for a better product.
• Produce five papers a week instead of seven. Tuesday and Saturday are worthless anyway.
• Raise your price, if necessary, as long as the product merits it.
• Find some local ownership, or a better national partner. I look forward to the day when the names Lee Enterprises and Mary Junck no longer appear in stories.

Craig Niehaus  •  Glendale

TEENSVILLE U.S.A. Edited by Lawrence Lariar Part 4

Another sampling of gag cartoons from the book TEENSVILLE U.S.A. It was edited and is copyright 1959 by Lawrence Lariar, and published by Dodd, Mead.

Part one
Part two
Part three

Busy Back Soon

Oh, hello! I'm either away from my blog or in a waiting room somewhere, getting my snow tires put on, or chopping & stacking wood, etc.

Back soon.

Buy Now: CARTOONING BASICS by Mike Lynch

I just got another email asking if I could teach a cartoon class. Since I can't get to every place to teach, I put together CARTOONING BASICS by Mike Lynch. It's $4.99 shipped anywhere in the world -- and you get an original sketch in there too!

CARTOONING BASICS $4.99 Worldwide 

SOLD OUT

This 22 page book shows a step-by-step cartoon drawing process to drawing. Take a look. I put a copy of the book on my driveway (which is why you see some gravelly dirt behind it) to take some photos of the interior. Below are a few pages:




There is also a "finish the comic strip" section:



Each book comes signed and with an original sketch.

CARTOONING BASICS by Mike Lynch. $4.99 each worldwide. 22 pages, 8.5"x5.5", B&W interior.

CARTOONING BASICS $4.99 Worldwide

SOLD OUT

Career Day

I'm at Spaulding High School in Rochester, NH on Friday, November 2, 2012, talking to students about cartooning as a career. I will be there with my talented cartoonist friend John Klossner.

Drawings: Halloween at the Library and Grocery

I went to the library and the store on Halloween and drew up some comics in my sketchbook. These are actual conversations. Like Stan Mack used to say, "All dialogue guaranteed overheard."

First, the library, where the topic of Disney acquiring Lucasfilm came up. Yes, one of the librarians was so happy she had to dance a little bit.

Everyone at the library wore something Halloweeny: mouse ears, a Jack O'Lantern necklace, etc.

I'm the off-screen voice saying, "Are you wearing those Disney ears because of the merger?"

Next stop that night: the grocery. The grocery was a rather quiet place, full of drone-like employees.

Again, I am the off stage voice saying, "It's Halloween. No costumes for you guys? I was just at the library and all the librarians were wearing something Halloweeny."

And that's from the sketchbook this day ....

Ink and watercolor on paper.

Gallery Show: #20FTSANTA

It's surprising enough when a big 20 foot tall statue of Santa Claus disappears one night from the Coffee Caboose cafe in West Ossipee, NH, never to be seen -- but now there's a gallery show based on this event at the 17Cox Gallery in Beverly, MA.

Yes, really!

The reception is tonight. and the juried show continues through December 23, 2012.

And I have a cartoon on exhibit at the show.

Here's my original blog entry about the missing Santa and the really big sign that was along Route 16 for a couple of years:

FYI: The 20 foot tall Santa Claus is still missing.

A home made sign from a town north of me in NH: The 20 foot tall Santa has was stolen many months ago. $1000 reward for the arrest and conviction and return of giant Santa! I still wonder what exactly this 20 foot Santa was and who created it and, moreover, who would spend the time and energy to steal such a thing.

The subject verb agreement is scary. The money will be awarded only if

• The 20 foot tall Santa is arrested,
  
• convicted,
  
• and returned. 

Hmm. Maybe he's hanging out with Paul Bunyan and the Jolly Green Giant ....



Here's my cartoon:

The Garden As of November 1, 2012

It's pretty much put to bed. Except for some lettuce and kale, all of the plants have been pulled. The garden bench, lawn chairs, tomato cages ... all are gone. Soon, the soil will be turned and winter rye will be planted.

2012:
The Garden As of June 1, 2012
The Garden As of Mid-June 2012
The Garden As of July 1, 2012
The Garden As of Mid-July 2012
The Garden as of August 1, 2012
The Garden As of Mid-August 2012
The Garden As of September 1, 2012
The Garden As of September 15, 2012
The Garden As of October 2, 2012
The Garden As of October 15, 2012