Art & Commerce

I hope you survived Friday the 13th without incident. This week, we endured a brief, intense heatwave here in Hollywood Gardens, as well as several rounds of heavy rains and some impressively scary thunderstorms. Thursday evening, I uploaded the latest batch of Bizarro comics files just before a power outage hit. The gods were smiling on Jazz Pickles that night.

 

This week's pipe pic was drawn by Nancy cartoonist Ernie Bushmiller. I found this isolated panel on a Tumblr feed, and I'd guess that the gag involved a misunderstanding about smoked salmon. The image looks to have been scanned from the original art, as evidenced by the yellowing halftone screen film on Pee Wee's shirt.

Following in Ernie's footsteps as best we can, here's our latest bunch of funnies.

 

Nitrous oxide can be mildly hallucinogenic, casting doubt on the existence of the Enamel Angel.

 

Some crime scenes are rife with negative energy. Fortunately, agents assigned to the Chi Files are at the ready to balance the vibrations.

 

 

The times they are a-changin', and it's more difficult than ever to predict a new low. This manuscript was just completed a month ago. Fortunately, savvy marketers are able to adapt.

 

 

As someone who enjoys bleu cheese, I hesitated to use the word "moldy," but I was running out of synonyms for "rotten."

 

Friday's gag may have required a bit of work from readers, but rest assured it was also work for the cartoonist. We noted a couple of comments saying things like Speak English!, which might have been meant as a joke, but it's difficult to be sure. We make no apologies for assuming a healthy sense of curiosity in our audience. 

 

An invisible fence can be configured as a crate, but it's only effective with certain breeds. The outfit and makeup are optional, and a tip jar sometimes helps.

 

In last week's post, I mentioned that I'd spotted a coloring error in one panel.

The comic, of course, had already been released, but I fixed the copy in my archives. If a comprehensive Bizarro library is ever published, the corrected version will, I hope, be included. Undoubtedly, other undiscovered mistakes will surface.

That wraps up another week of laffs from our drawing table. Thanks for checking in.

I always recommend visiting Dan Piraro's blog for thoughtful commentary, informed musings, and a spectacular new Sunday page, but I should also remind you about his ongoing graphic novel, Peyote Cowboy. After decades of delivering knockout punches via single-panel comics, Dan (aka Diego) stretches out with this masterful long-form work. His storytelling and artwork are better than ever, and you can read it all online for free.

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Bonus Track

Phonograph Records
Scott-Textor Productions, Inc.
(Issue date unknown)

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It's been a while since I've shared a record from my vinyl archive. This one is a favorite, and the selection offered could be considered my theme song.

Scott-Textor Productions was a commercial music firm founded by Alan Scott and Keith Textor. Scott (lyrics) and Textor (music) composed several songs for Sesame Street. Textor also co-wrote the theme to Candid Camera, and recorded two great "space age bachelor pad" LPs for RCA's Stereo Action series.

Sounds Sensational (1962) Front Cover

Sounds Sensational (1962) Back Cover (Detail)
photos from the Bizarro Studios North Archives

In 1961 and 1962, RCA released around twenty albums in their Stereo Action series, with wacky arrangements and bouncy stereo effects meant to appeal to suburban hi-fi nuts. The LPs were issued in heavy cardboard covers, each with a die-cut window allowing a peek at a graphic on the inner sleeve. The inner sleeves themselves featured breathlessly nerdy technical notes detailing the microphones used to make the recording, and a "Guide to Listening," with a wordy paragraph describing every song. 

The entire series is interesting, and several of the albums are terrific. I highly recommend Esquivel's Latin-Esque, and Movin' 'n' Groovin' by the Three Suns. They're usually available at bargain prices.