Here's the Thing...

This is the weekly communiqué from Bizarro Studios North, where I (Wayno®) have been writing and drawing the Monday through Saturday Bizarro comics since 2018. My partner and friend, Dan Piraro, who created Bizarro in the late twentieth century, continues to do the Sunday comic from Rancho Bizarro in Mexico.

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Early this week, I stepped away from the drawing board for a half hour Zoom talk with a History of Illustration class at New England College. The course is taught by my friend and fellow cartoonist, Mike Lynch, who runs a great blog on the art and business of cartooning. I'm not sure how interesting it was for the students, but I enjoyed the break from my usual routine and the chance to blab about myself.

I've done several teaching workshops over the years, and have always found them to be rewarding experiences. One of the best was a session to help Girl Scout Cadettes earn their comic artist merit badges. Not only was it encouraging to see a group of kids interested in comics, but on top of that, I was paid in cookies.

Who knows? Maybe Professor Lynch will send me some maple syrup or whoopie pies.

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This week's pipe pic comes from a Fantastic Four comic book, showing the immodestly named Mister Fantastic, with two of his teammates and a glowing pipe. 

 

I found this image on the web, and don't know exactly where it originally appeared, but I simply had to use it, for reasons that will become obvious a bit later. Reasons in addition to the pipe, that is.

 

Let's jump into the latest Bizarro comics, and see how many pipes turn up.

 

Running a holiday comic the day after the holiday is a wise move, isn't it?

 

Sometimes, you need to change lanes. Go ahead and read the funnies without shame, professor.

 

Since I'm immersed in comics during the workday, and start each morning reading many daily comic strips and panels, my after hours reading usually consists of nonfiction, with an emphasis on biographies of musicians, or music journalism. However, I'm currently in the middle of a powerful and harrowing comics memoir, Chartwell Manor, by Glenn Head. It's anything but funny.

 

I've known Glenn's work for many years, and his early 1990s comic, Avenue D, is an old favorite. Chartwell Manor is a major achievement, and shows the fruits of the years of work he's put in to developing his craft. I'm taking my time reading it, and am knocked out by his storytelling and art. The phrase "brutally honest" may be overused, but it certainly applies to this book.

 

Wednesday's panel prompted me to share the Fantastic Four pipe pic at the top of this post. Some readers wondered if the Thing would have the dexterity to play guitar. It's a legitimate question, but nobody plays a B♭ demolished chord like him.

It must have felt great to turn in those shorts.

I often flip through old sketchbooks in search of something to develop into a fresh comic. A word or phrase might provide something to work with, and occasionally I find a drawing that becomes a gag.

I rediscovered this sketch from ten years ago. It wasn't enough to stand as a comic on its own, but I reworked the idea into a panel that I was happy with.

Again I say: Throw away nothing.

 

You get what you (virtually) pay for.

 

Alternate dialog: "It's about more than the cheese."

 

The transformation from frog to prince is rarely as complete as one might hope.

 

That's the latest from your cartoonist. We know you have other comic options, and we thank you for choosing Bizarro. 

I also send out a weekly newsletter that links to the latest blog entry, and includes a peek at an upcoming comic along with some vintage art or design from my archives.

Of course, Dan Piraro, the man who started this Bizarro thing, has his own regular blog, which showcases an entire week of comics, including his latest magnificent Sunday page, along with whatever else is currently occupying his active mind.

Bonus Track

Charles Mingus: "Oh Lord Don't Let Them Drop That Atomic Bomb on Me"
from Oh Yeah
Atlantic Records, 1962

Friday, April 22, 2022  was the one hundredth anniversary of the birth of Charles Mingus. I have a lot of his music in my collection, and am in awe of his unpredictable, complex, eclectic, and inspiring work. You can hear the passion in his playing and his vocals, both as a singer and a leader, urging his musicians to push themselves ever further.

Charles Mingus in Green and Pink (2009)
Acrylic on Bristol board; 14" x 16"

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