Bonus Track

Nearly two years ago, I submitted this doctor/patient gag as a Bizarro candidate:

Bizarro's creator, Dan Piraro, occasionally publishes cartoons in Parade, the Sunday newspaper supplement, and included his version (below) in a group of submissions. They accepted it in August of 2010.

I've been waiting ever since to post it, but we never knew when (or if) Parade ever actually ran it. Fortunately, Google came through today, and I discovered that it was in fact published in the August 21, 2011 issue, although it was severely cropped to fit into a single column.

Finding evidence of this cartoon's publication is certainly a relief, and removes one item from my list of nagging obsessions. Consider this an unreleased outtake for the eventual Piraro/Wayno cartoon box set. 

As always, please feel free to browse all of our previous collaborations in this blog's Bizarro archive.

Emergency Braque

Today's Bizarro takes us on a visit to a cubist mechanic.

Here's the sketch I submitted to Bizarro's CEO, Dan Piraro:

There are countless improvements in Dan's finished version. The car itself is much better, in that it consists solely of rearranged car parts, whereas in my sketch I added elements from Picasso's paintings and sculpture. That extra stuff was unnecessary, and, really, where would a misguided mechanic get those things? Dan's art perfectly conveys Picasso's both-eyes-on-the-same-side-of-the-face style, without overselling the gag.

I also love the look of innocent enthusiasm on his Picasso, versus the artistic petulance of mine.

I still like the striped jersey under the blue mechanic's shirt in my sketch. Also, I'd prefer not to use the words "repair" and "repaired" in the same panel, but these are mere nits.

The inspiration for this gag came from an actual building we pass whenever we visit my dear friend, ace cartoonist/illustrator Mark Zingarelli and his lovely family:

I've often wondered whether a wrecked car would emerge from this place looking better or worse than when it entered.

That talented gentleman Dan Piraro and I currently have seven new gags waiting in the wings. Meanwhile, please enjoy all of our earlier collaborations here.

Jam Session

I recently had the opportunity to work with THIS IS RED and The Manchester Craftsmen's Guild, providing illustrations for the program for MCG's 2012-2013 concert season.

The smörgåsbord of musical offerings has been dubbed The Jazz Buffet, and we came up with a design recalling vintage cookbooks.

The program is being printed now, and MCG has released one of the interior spot illustrations in a banner on their site.

It's an honor to be associated with the Guild, one of Pittsburgh's educational and cultural jewels, and the folks at THIS IS RED were delightful collaborators.

Stay tuned for more images when the booklet is released. If you live in or are visiting Pittsburgh, you owe it to yourself to hear some music in the MCG's intimate auditorium.

A Mouse in Every Bowl

Today's Bizarro cartoon reminds us that it's still campaign season, and pandering to the crowds is the order of the day.

The humor here is fairly gentle, but I think it's a good gag. I was trying to pull it off with no text whatsoever, but the banner seemed to be required to make it clear that this was a campaign stop.

Here's my submission sketch:

The kitten's expression and body language in Dan's panel improved on the sketch quite a bit. He's captured a look of resigned reluctance that's absolutely terrific, whereas the sketch is rather cutesy, particularly those PJs. 

Also, the position and posture of the other characters make more sense in the final art. It's clearer that the mother cat is holding the kitten, and the politician is leaning in for the photo opportunity.

The outlandishly long tongue on the campaigner was initially a bit of a surprise. Bizarro often features weird or absurd elements as part of the gag, with the humor arising from a character's blase reaction (or non-reaction) to something that's weirdly impossible, but I thought it looked silly. Perhaps Dan determined that the long tongue was necessary to avoid placing the politician's head close enough to actually lick the kitten, which might have made it look as if he were trying to topple both mother and child.

Although the final drawing of the politician is perhaps a little goofy, the sketch version now appears to be a bit too realistic, almost evil looking. Overall, the finished version is still a winner, and avoids descending into cuteness.

• • •

Speaking of the extremely talented and funny Dan Piraro, he'll be doing several  live performances later this week in celebration of Bizarro's 10,000th Anniversary (Since the feature began 25 years ago, he's produced over 10,000 daily cartoons!). There will be two shows in San Francisco on Thursday, April 26, which will also feature comedian and Bizarro contributor Michael Capozzola. These will be followed by appearances on Friday in Mill Valley, and a Saturday show at the Stumptown Comics Festival in Portland.

• • •

As always, you are encouraged to read our prior collaborations here.

Somebody's Had Too Much To Think

The Federal authorities have approved my latest beer label for the good folks at East End Brewing Company:

The recipe was developed by Brendan at EEBC, who bears some resemblance the the young Captain Beefheart, and as this is a smoked lager, they chose to name it after one of the Captain's songs (the actual title is Blabber 'n Smoke).

This design presented a bit of a challenge. I wanted to give it a feel similar to album art of the era without imitating it. I'm a lifelong fan of Cal Schenkel's amazing art, graphics, and design, which graced many Zappa/Mothers albums. Cal was also responsible for the iconic cover of Beefheart's Trout Mask Replica, a decidedly "difficult" double LP released in 1969.

I first encountered Cal's art and design in this ad, which appeared in mainstream comic books in 1967:

For our beer label, I made direct reference to a fish-headed figure in a hat, and tried to capture the feel of cheap printing on scruffy newsprint. I hope that I was successful in paying tribute to a major influence, while incorporating my own identity and style.

Following are thumbnails from the sketchbook, beginning with several scrapped ideas and a tiny version of what became the finished art.

Many cartoonists also love Trout Mask Replica, often to the dismay of spouses, children and parents. Matt Groening often recommends it during public appearances, and Patrick McDonnell paid tribute to TRM with the title panel of his comic Mutts in December 2010.

The above-mentioned Mister Schenkel is a kind and gracious gentleman, who exhibits and sells art through his website, Galerie Ralf. His prices are very reasonable, and I recommend that you spend some time at the Galerie and order a giclée print or hand-painted original.

Sketch Fest 5 - Now with Extra Cheese

While I finish my third or fourth espresso of the morning, I sometimes make sketches based on photos in the newspaper. Here are a few recent ones.

His website says "While the debate continues, Pat has never condoned the use of, nor does he use, marijuana."

Proof that spending millions of dollars on negative ads can push you to the top in a field of crackpots.

What is it that makes this guy so hard to draw? I've tried over and over, and this is the only one that is barely recognizable.

Gingerbread Housing Crisis

Today's Bizarro cartoon takes a hard-hitting look an occupational hazard for mortgage brokers working the Enchanted Forest beat.

I first submitted the idea to Bizarro's big cheese, Dan Piraro, last September.

Dan and I exchanged a few emails to hammer out the dialog, which needed some work.

Dan: I don't actually understand the candy house gag.

Wayno: The joke here is supposed to be that the guy delivered a foreclosure notice to the owner of that house who responded by turning him into a frog. Obviously, it doesn't quite work!

D: Ah, of course. That's a good premise, but maybe there's a better way to present it.

W: How about if the frog says: "I though you said foreclosing on this homeowner (or property) would be no trouble at all." (or "a piece of cake")

We agreed that this did a better job of setting up the payoff for the reader and proceeded with the final version appearing in today's panel. The image of a frog wearing a human-sized necktie is pretty amusing, and Dan improved on it by showing the rest of the broker's clothing in the background.

I'd been toying with this idea for over four years, and drew the first version as a proposed magazine panel back in 2007.

I haven't looked at the original version in a while, but I still like it. In my head, the frog speaks in the voice of Jackie Mason. The art in this one has an error in perspective. The house looks like a tiny, frog-sized structure that's right behind the characters, rather than a normal-sized house farther back.

The main lesson I took from this is to avoid any gag involving a gingerbread house. They're a pain to draw and to color!

If you'd like to kill some time, check out the ninety-plus Bizarro comics I've done in collaboration with the great Mister Piraro here.

Hey Porter!

While preparing for a new project with my good pals at East End Brewing Company, I came across some concept sketches for the Smokestack Heritage Porter label.

Since 2007, they've bottled three batches of this dark delicious brew, and for each new release, we've tweaked the label's color scheme.

My first sketch proposed issuing the beer with a pair of labels, one with a female and the other showing a male millworker.

This one attempted to incorporate the government warning into the design, placing it on a sign next to the label mascot.

East End's Scott Smith liked the color scheme and concept, but requested a looser, more cartoony character. In the interest of economy, we also decided to go with just one label for this 600-bottle batch, and I prepared this revised sketch.

Again, Scott asked for a looser look, resulting in this (superior) design:

I was very pleased with this one, particularly the puff of white smoke, placed such that it could be coming from either the cigar on the smokestack in the background. We abandoned the warning sign, reduced the text to its legal minimum size, and rotated it 90 degrees, blending it into the background.

The finished labels (below) were pasted on by hand, and East End customers happily bought up the entire run in short order.

A second batch of SHP was brewed in 2008, and we adjusted the color scheme to distinguish it from the earlier bottling. This palette is a little subtler, in keeping with the beer's mellow, dark flavor.

Last October, Scott brewed the most recent batch of Smokestack Heritage, and we fiddled with the color scheme again, toning it down even more.

This one, which came four years after the first iteration, is my favorite. The 2007 version now looks harsh and garish to me, while the latest coveys an almost historical feel. If we were to do a fourth release, I think I'd change the hard hat to a sepia shade that matches the rest of the label.

One other tiny but significant addition here is the inclusion of the bottling date, for collectors who plan to cellar their beer.

Two Scoops of Humor

Today, I'm double-dipping on the Sunday comics page.

First up is the finale of my week as the featured guest cartoonist in Rhymes With Orange:

(click for a frightening closeup view)

The idea for this gag came to me when I was part of a staggering mob of caffeine addicts at the espresso counter. The look of defiant determination in the barista's eyes reminded me of any number of heroic zombie-fighters.

Hogging additional real estate is my latest collaborative gag with Dan Piraro, in his comic, Bizarro.

(click image to call for assistance)

Here's the sketch I submitted to Dan for this one:

The final composition follows my sketch closely, reformatted for the wider aspect ratio of a Sunday strip, with some nice bits of business added to the characters. A few readers find some of my cartoons to be esoteric or highfalutin', and I don't necessarily disagree with them, but I do enjoy the occasional fart joke, too.

It's been a pretty exciting week for me, and I offer heartfelt thanks to my colleagues Dan Piraro and Hilary Price. I'm honored to see my work in their comics, which are always worth reading.

Be Cool, Man!

My week as the guest artist at Rhymes With Orange continues with this endless jam.

(click to expand cartoon, and your mind)

This marks the second time in my career that I've published something related to the Jerry Garcia and company. The first was an appearance in Grateful Dead Comix #3, back in 1991.

Check this space tomorrow to view the final comic in my Rhymes With Orange series, plus a fresh Bizarro gag.