Strange Brew

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

Wayno

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Ya never too hot, never too cold
never too young, never too old
never too skinny, never too fat
never too dis, never too dat
ya just where ya are
& dat's where it's at.
 
Malcolm Rebbenack, aka Dr. John

Last week's post opened with some dark song lyrics, reflecting the disgust I felt (and still do) toward the portion of our citizenry who are working to infect everyone's children with their bigotry and willful ignorance.

 

Thankfully, a few days ago, I came across this quote from one of my musical heroes. I'd seen it in the past, but it popped up just when I needed to see it. In his inimitable style, Dr. John expressed a message of love, inclusion, and acceptance of all. Thank you, Mac.

 

This week's pipe pic is a cool shot of painter, animator and inventor Myles Stenshoel.

Myles is holding two Perispectives, which are 360º photographs taken using a special tripod he invented. The photo comes to us courtesy of Stenshoel's son Peter, a good friend of Bizarro. Peter tells us that his family's home had Perispectives displayed as mobiles. A deep bow and a tip of the Bizarro porkpie to Peter for sharing the photo and memories of his father.

Let's review the week's cartoons for any signs of inventiveness.

A good salesperson knows what's important to their customers.

 

When I sketched the idea for this gag, I had the eye doctor saying something like, "Now try reading it using your other lump." Although "lump" is a funny-sounding word, the drawing works without dialog or a caption. It feels like an accomplishment to come up with a wordless comic, even if one doesn't immediately realize it.

The strip layout allowed for additional space between the doctor and patient.

  

The restaurant's tagline is Just Like Mom Used to Spew.

Another fad diet is disproved.

I haven't checked the data, but the number of potato-headed characters appearing in Bizarro may be approaching cowboy or caveman levels.

When we uploaded this one, our hardworking editors at King Features let me know that I'd incorrectly spelled the name as "Scottie." Thanks to Jennifer and Ealish at the Editorial office for sparing me embarrassment and preventing a nerd backlash.

To multiply or to divide, that is the question.

Sometimes I include a fake Secret Symbol count in the signature on April Fools' Day. This year I converted the actual count to dog symbols.

 

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Beer Here!

I'm happy to share another of the many labels I designed for my good friends at Pittsburgh's East End Brewing Company.

This beer was named after a song on Captain Beefheart's 1972 LP, The Spotlight Kid, in part because it was a smoked lager, and if I recall correctly, the brewer working on it resembled the Captain in his younger years.

In keeping with that theme, the label drawing was an homage to Beefheart's groundbreaking Trout Mask Replica album.

The Trout Mask cover was designed and photographed by Cal Schenkel.

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Bonus Track

Captain Beefheart: "Diddy Wah Diddy"
A&M Records, 1966

The Magic Band's killer version of the Willie Dixon/Bo Diddley number was produced by David Gates, who later gained fame as the leader of the (extremely) soft rock group Bread ("Baby I'm-a Want You.")

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More Bizarro Stuff

Dan Piraro's Bizarro Blog
Dan's Sunday Bizarro page, comics commentary, and something extra

 Wayno's Bizarro Newsletter
A supplement to the blog, with a peek at an upcoming gag and a graphic image from my past

Peyote Cowboy

Dan Piraro's epic, award-winning surreal western graphic novel

 

I believe I've covered everything on my list for this week, and dat's where it's at.

Please drop by again next week. Thanks for your readership and support.

 

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