Saturday, May 18, 2024

Out of Office Missal

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


Things are hopping at Bizarro Studios North. I rarely take on any projects outside of the comic, but I couldn't pass up two cool gigs that came my way.

You'll be among the first to know once I'm allowed to talk about them.

Bizarro reader Gregory S took today's pipe pic at a market stall in Ballarat Australia a few weeks ago.


There's so much to like here: the price tag, the cutaway drawing showing the pipe's inner workings (complete with technical notes), the distressed box, and especially the Nimrod brand name.

A tip of the ol' Bizarro cocoanut straw porkpie to Gregory for getting a photo of this pipe spotted in the wild. 


With additional deadlines facing your cartoonist, let's get straight to the latest gags.


The dejected galoot appears with the approval of King Features Syndicate.


Remember the good old days when arms deals involved actual arms?



The cat is better at manipulating humans, and easily won the debate.


I took a risk with this panel. Four years ago I did a dung beetle gag, and got an angry email from one reader: 
Comics are supposed to be cute, funny, entertaining, not gross and disgusting as yours are. Why you are allowed on the comics page or even in the paper at all is a total mystery to me. I've kept my silence for a long, long, time but today's "comic" strip was the last straw. It and you are disgusting and revolting and should be banned from the papers. It's obvious that your strip mirrors your dark, sick mind. I think it's time to get a petition started to take you out and bring back entertaining comics.
It was the first time I had received such a vitriolic response to a cartoon. I composed a polite rebuttal, and never sent it, but writing it made me feel better.

Part of me hopes that the same reader saw this panel.


The scroll also said, "I will have limited access to scribes and couriers."


I quite enjoyed drawing this gag, as I imagined this buckaroo executing an ultra-slow-motion wheelie. 

That wraps up the week in cartoonery from your humble ink monkey.

Visit us again next Saturday for more of this sort of foolishness.


Bonus Track

The Pixies: "Nimrod's Son"
From the mini album, Come On Pilgrim
4AD Records, 1987



Saxophonist David Sanborn died last Saturday at age 78. Between 1988 and 1990 Sanborn hosted a TV program, called at different times Sunday Night, Michelob Presents Night Music, and simply Night Music. Each episode featured performances by a wide range of musicians and bands who appeared in various combinations on every episode.

I spent way too much time viewing Night Music clips and episodes on YouTube this week, one of which was the Pixies' first appearance on American television. Watching it reminded me how much I enjoyed their first two albums, Come On Pilgrim and Surfer Rosa.

The photo of the "Nimrod Drysmoker Pipe" felt like a sign telling me what today's bonus track should be.

More Bizarro for Your Hungry Eyes



  

36 comments:

  1. Anonymous11:15 AM

    the mid west strip makes me think you might enjoy "tractor square dancing" (goggle it - spelled that way on purpose) amazing skill and timing!

    Mark J Bauman

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Wayno1:12 PM

      Mark, Thanks for showing me one of the weirdest and most impressive things I've seen lately!

      Delete
    2. Anonymous7:24 PM

      Years ago I needed something or another from the Tractor Supply Store and as I pulled into the parking lot there they were—do-si-doing and swinging their partner 'round and 'round. Everyone was sitting atop a Deere or an AC or a Case or Massey just square dancing away! Craziest thing I ever saw and my wife couldn't believe me when I explained what had taken me so long!

      Delete
    3. Anonymous9:27 PM

      How funny. Here’s another fun use of a tractor for ya https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a1ThSi1wbqU

      Delete
  2. Anonymous12:04 PM

    Another good pipe pic (and interesting story, too!) can be found here:

    https://www.theparisreview.org/blog/2017/12/06/literary-prize-refusal-literary-prizes/?utm_source=thingslearned&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=things-i-learned-while-looking-up-other-things-7846

    Full credit: Made aware of it via this blog:

    https://lamefrogapplause.blogspot.com

    Voila!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Wayno1:24 PM

      Wow! Interesting to see who wrote that story, too!

      Delete
  3. Anonymous12:09 PM

    Hal Wilner. Nigh Music. Sonny Rollins, Leonard Cohen. Who by Fire indeed


    https://youtu.be/CUsg3WXJ2Cc?si=AYkIgsTqKJ09w7sJ

    Thanks for all.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Anonymous12:29 PM

    I like how in the "arms dealer" panel the Dr. and his assistant look like Fronkensteen and Eyegor from "Young Frankenstein"

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Wayno1:25 PM

      That's my frame of reference, although I usually model the monster on Karloff & Glenn Strange.

      Delete
  5. Anonymous1:06 PM

    I couldn’t comment on your email newsletter so I am commenting here about the album cover you featured where you said “Jay” was spelled “Jai”. Hate to be pendantic here but word spelled with an “i” at the end is “Kai”.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous7:23 PM

      See upper left, it IS misspelled!

      Delete
    2. Wayno1:26 PM

      Kai Winding did spell his name with an "i."

      "Jay" is misspelled at the top of the album cover.

      Delete
  6. Mitch41:08 PM

    I've long enjoyed that word "galoot" , ever since seeing a description of a certain bad character who had children in different families in ports all over the world, as a "twenty-one son galoot".

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Wayno1:27 PM

      Ha! Thanks, Mitch! "Galoot" is a terrific old word.

      Delete
  7. Anonymous2:07 PM

    With ALL due respect, most of your gags are too weird to be dark or disgusting. Obviously, bodily functions pressed the commenters buttons. ❤️❤️❤️

    ReplyDelete
  8. Anonymous2:08 PM

    Perhaps the dung beetle gift could have been placed in a ‘Cologuard’ box for easier and more decorative wrapping.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Wayno1:27 PM

      Still, you must admire mom's effort.

      Delete
  9. Anonymous2:10 PM

    "It's obvious that your strip mirrors your dark, sick mind."

    I'm not certain what that says about those of us who do enjoy your work, but please keep it up! Also, I doubt if dung beetles ever complain about all the dung in their lives. Well, maybe the teenage dung beetle rebels now and then, but I'm sure they eventually come around.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Wayno1:28 PM

      Good insight on teenage dung beetles!

      Delete
  10. Anonymous2:10 PM

    Perhaps the dung beetle gift could have been placed in a ‘Cologuard’ box for an easier and more decorative wrapping.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Anonymous3:38 PM

    Your cartoons are light and fluffy and fun, inventive, creative, and genius! I usually giggle or lol! Whoever wrote that scathing comment years ago needs to get a sense of humor! Keep on keeping on! I'm not anonymous but the app hasn't linked to me yet ... Cheryl.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Anonymous7:19 PM

    I thought your dung beetle cartoon was funny. The reader that thought it was disgusting must never watch nature shows because that’s what dung beetles do, and they clean up the environment.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Wayno1:29 PM

      Thank you! Yes, it's all part of nature's rich tapestry.

      Delete
  13. Anonymous7:46 PM

    Love these more and more every week! Keep up the fun.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Lee11:54 PM

    Loved your Pontiff No Return! The dung beetle was a great joke! That person was wasting a lot of time telling you how much they don't like you...counter-productive. Perhaps they are full of IT!!! Carry on, sir. Enjoy your work.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Wayno5:33 PM

      Thank you, Lee.

      I'll keep on carrying on!

      Delete
  15. Anonymous2:05 PM

    Just wanted to note that Sunday's cartoon, as it appeared in the Boston Sunday Globe, mysteriously didn't contain two of the secret symbols: The Crown of Power, and The Mysteries of K2. I swore I only found 4 of the claimed 6, and I was right!

    ReplyDelete
  16. Anonymous12:40 AM

    Holy cow! How long did all that hatching take in the “Pontiff No Return” panel? Some impressive patience there, it paid off though.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Wayno5:33 PM

      It becomes relaxing to do after a while.

      Delete
  17. Anonymous10:16 AM

    As a writer of humor, i firmly believe that if you've PO’d someone, you’ve done a great job!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Wayno5:34 PM

      A reliable measure, top be sure!

      Delete
  18. Michelle Belanger9:48 PM

    That complainer chick needs to get a life. I thoroughly enjoy your sense of humor.

    ReplyDelete