Free Download: SDCC San Diego Comic-Con 2022 Souvenir Book

The San Diego Comic Con was last weekend. Here's the beautiful (and informative) complete SDCC Program Book for free.

"This year’s Souvenir Book is a downloadable pdf, filled with lots of full-color articles, including: centennial tributes to Charles Schulz, Stan Lee, Jerry Robinson, and William S. Gaines; a celebration of the 60th anniversary of Spider-Man; 50th anniversary articles on Funky Winkerbean, Ghost Rider, Kamandi, Swamp Thing, and Luke Cage; and 40th anniversary pieces on The Rocketeer, Groo, and Love and Rockets. Plus: a special look back at Comic-Con’s 1970s El Cortez years!

"The cover, a salute to Dave Stevens’ Rocketeer, is by Comic-Con Special Guest Bill Morrison. Bill began his career painting movie posters, including many for Walt Disney, such as The Little Mermaid, Bambi, and The Jungle Book. He subsequently spent several years drawing The Simpsons for all kinds of merchandise, and writing, drawing, and editing The Simpsons and Futurama comics for Bongo Comics. Recently, Bill created a graphic novel adaptation of The Beatles' Yellow Submarine and was executive editor of MAD magazine."

Back Soon

I’m away from the blog for a couple days due to family business. I didn’t make time to post a new entry today. At least the weather is OK for travel— though still hot. 

I have another week of cartoon classes, and, in mid-August, I teach the History of Comics class at New England College. In addition, I have a large illustration project. It’s good to be busy, but this has been a very busy summer. Maybe too busy what with personal challenges. I’ll post here shortly, with a plan that things will get back to normal. At least blog-wise  

This was typed in a plane on the Logan Airport tarmac. 

WBBM Channel 2 - Channel 2 News at Six - "Someone You Should Know: Chester Gould" (1980)

Roy Crane "How to Draw Buz Sawyer"

"Mix good characters ... action, sex ... into a well-composed picture with blacks, whites and grays. Then with good drawing, good planning, and good luck you should have a pleasing strip."

Roy Crane talks about his work in "Roy Crane and Buz Sawyer" from issue no. 3 of Cartoonist PROfiles, Summer 1969. "The unique quarterly magazine for the professional, the cartoon buff, the student, and all who enjoy cartoons" it's noted under the masthead. This is so early in the history of Jud Hurd's great magazine that he felt obliged to have an explanation on the cover.



Roy Crane shares "How to Draw Buz Sawyer," which originally was part of a scrapbook he donated to the Syracuse University Manuscript Collection. Mr. Crane would continue his series during the early years of Cartoonist PROfiles magazine. (Click here for his "How to Draw Women.")


Roy and Ebba Crane in their home in Orlando, Florida.

He describes the work and pressure of coming up not only with the story, but maintaining the quality, cramming drawings "with endless detail of aircraft carriers, planes and flight gear, all of which had to be done accurately, or the new strip would would fail to gain a sense of reality and prestige."

And, yeah, he talks about "The Reason for Benday."

Below is the article, in its entirety, which begins with "Damn Sunday pages!"







A big hat tip to Don Orehek for this issue of Cartoonist PROfiles!

- Originally published on February 28, 2011.

From the Dick Buchanan Files: Vintage Summer Gag Cartoons 1947 - 1964

I am up and out early to fulfill my daily cartoon class teaching fellowship requirements this month. In my stead, Dick Buchanan has compiled this grand collection of summer gag cartoons about the heat, ice cream, lawn mowing, boating, gardening and other summery events for your pleasure. Thanks and take it away, Dick!

---

VINTAGE SUMMER
Gag Cartoons 1947 - 1964


Cool off this summer with a look at summer’s past as illustrated by the cartoonists who witnessed it all from their drawing boards . . .


1. BO BROWN. American Magazine July, 1955.

2. BRAD ANDERSON. Collier’s July 20, 1953.

3. GREGORY d’ALLESSIO. Collier’s September 6, 1947.

 
4. ROBERT DAY. The Saturday Evening Post October 10, 1953.

 
5. CHON DAY. True Magazine July, 1954.

 

6. BOB BARNES. American Legion Magazine August, 1953.

7. WALTER GOLDSTEIN. The Saturday Evening Post June 11, 1955.

8. MORT WALKER. The Saturday Evening Post June 11, 1949.

 

 

9. SIDNEY HARRIS. True Magazine August, 1964.

 

 

10. ROBERT WEBER. Look Magazine September 8, 1964.

 
11. CLYDE LAMB. The Saturday Evening Post July 1, 1950.

12. PETER VATSURES. The Saturday Evening Post April 17, 1954.

 

13. BILL RUBLE. The Saturday Evening Post July 15, 1950.

 

14. DAVE LUCAS American Magazine July, 1950.

 

15. CHARLES STRAUS. The Saturday Evening Post July 10, 1948.

 

16. DANA FRADON. Collier’s August 19, 1955.

 

17. ROBERT KRAUS. This Week Magazine April 27, 1947.

 

18. WESLEY THOMPSON. 1000 Jokes magazine August - October, 1954.

 

19. JOHN GALLAGHER. True Magazine May, 1955.

 

20. BEN THOMPSON. American Legion Magazine July, 1955.

 

The Garden As of Mid-July 2022

 

Here's the garden as of July 15, 2022. It's a busy place. That's a large bed of zinnias and runner beans on the right. 

Behind the Queen Anne's Lace is a box with an assortment of peppers, a tomato and some very happy cucumbers.

A closer angle on the box. Over the weekend I went to a Lion's Club yard sale and got some clippers and clipped that grass.

The box of tomatoes. These are overgrown and look like what they usually look like in August. 

Squash in back (which isn't getting big), some watermelon and, in front, green peppers.

On July 5th, the peppers were eaten by a deer.

But they came back rather nicely and are recovering as you can see in this July 15th photo above.

This box is squash and watermelon. Very slow growing here this year.

One of the big heirloom tomatoes.

 

Some flower photos ...

Cartoon Classes

Some photos of the white board from the three cartooning classes I’m teaching this month. Very enthusiastic elementary school kids! I draw on the board and the kids copy me, step by step, as we go along. Above: a cartoon fight. 

 

A smiling dinosaur, and, below it, a series of questions that the teacher and class presented.

 

One of a series of "what happens next?" drawings where we all draw the first panel, and then the students have five minutes to come up with what happens next. 

 

 

Using different basic shapes can reveal a lot about a character. Here are two triangle shaped heads. 

... And a student's zit-covered rendition.

The cartoon fight is always a popular event to draw. 

 

Above: a student drawing of the fight. Love her “Did you just bite me?” and "My shoe!" word balloons that she added. 

 

Keeping the drawings bold and simple is the rule to getting a lot of drawing done fast.

 

 

Some notes from my sketchbook and a page from the character grid series. See my Cartoon Class: Can You Draw 160 Cartoons? blog entry for more information. 

 

Another sketchbook page of mine. 

Very grateful to the Peterborough, NH school district for this month-long teaching residency. This is so much fun and the kids are fearless drawing machines!