tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-215096742012-01-31T15:00:02.072-05:00An occasional report from Squaresville, the home of Wayno's cartoons, fine art, illustration and writingWaynohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16786587436381629626noreply@blogger.comBlogger1981100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21509674.post-50854313970630156112012-01-31T05:00:00.011-05:002012-01-31T05:00:08.371-05:00

Anyone who's shown up for an event in inappropriate attire (i.e. most Americans) will relate to today's Bizarro comic.   The submission sketch for this one was very sketchy indeed. Dan Piraro's finished art includes a wonderfully elaborate paisley pattern on the Casual Reaper's shroud, which posed a bit of a challenge for the colorist. Also, it's no small achievement to draw skulls with

Waynohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16786587436381629626noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21509674.post-79664788113495911262012-01-23T07:46:00.001-05:002012-01-23T07:48:17.444-05:00

"Gung Hay Fat Choy" is the traditional greeting for Chinese New Year. I've seen it translated as "Congratulations and Be Prosperous," which is as decent a greeting as any. Dragon years include 1940, 1952, 1964, 1976, 1988, and 2000. During a busy quarter in late 2003, I missed my chance to design a Christmas mailing for my illustration clients. My wife suggested that I wait until January

Waynohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16786587436381629626noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21509674.post-74067731433518353972012-01-17T11:51:00.000-05:002012-01-17T11:51:28.424-05:00

Today's Bizarro comic returns to Area 51, a place I've featured in an earlier cartoon. For this simple gag, Dan's final art follows my submission sketch very closely. The major difference (besides transforming it from a rough sketch to a fully-rendered image) is the change from a talking bottle of ketchup to a talking bottle of Heinz 57 Sauce. That tweak makes the connection to the number 57

Waynohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16786587436381629626noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21509674.post-25314905267091562142012-01-15T11:59:00.003-05:002012-01-27T15:57:08.066-05:00

Here's a phantasmagorical Bizarro cartoon for your enjoyment, or perhaps puzzlement, as the case may be: And, here's the submission sketch: Bizarro's creator, Dan Piraro, improved on the sketch in several ways. His revised text does a much better job of setting up the punchline in the caption box. As is often the case, this one was written backward, starting with the caption and then laboring

Waynohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16786587436381629626noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21509674.post-73163881847281440112012-01-11T05:00:00.001-05:002012-01-11T05:00:09.549-05:00

Here's a brand new Bizarro gag for your mid-winter enjoyment: For comparison, here's the sketch I submitted: Dan Piraro's finished art is very similar to my sketch, probably because my sketch is very similar to some of his previous panels showing a person at a computer with a spectator standing to the rear, like this one: Dan tightened up the father's dialog a bit, and added the Cyber

Waynohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16786587436381629626noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21509674.post-12482553479797806512012-01-04T06:00:00.009-05:002012-01-04T09:10:52.582-05:00

I'm happy to report that Bizarro has survived my recent temporary takeover. My sincere thanks go out to everyone who sent me comments on the comics, and again, to Dan Piraro for allowing me to show my work in his space. I'll probably wait a week or two before I propose another one. Meanwhile, here's our latest collaboration, a pop culture mashup that uses a verbal trick I refer to as a

Waynohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16786587436381629626noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21509674.post-1943126488952269342012-01-01T00:01:00.005-05:002012-01-01T12:07:31.564-05:00

Today we wrap up my second run as Bizarro's guest cartoonist, with one man's vision of hell, and imagined by yours truly.  I send you my best wishes for a Happy New Year, along with sincere thanks for following along on this experiment. Special thanks go to Dan Piraro for allowing me to show my work in his spot. If you'd like to keep up with my comical goings-on, please feel free to

Waynohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16786587436381629626noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21509674.post-89695417342030221322011-12-31T06:00:00.001-05:002011-12-31T06:00:06.927-05:00

Today's offering includes a relatively new term, which was the New Oxford American Dictionary's Word of the Year for 2007. Tune in tomorrow for the hellish finale to my temporary takeover.

Waynohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16786587436381629626noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21509674.post-23861835758294373122011-12-30T06:00:00.001-05:002011-12-30T06:00:02.040-05:00

Today's comic rips the lid off the hidden health hazards in the circus racket. Balloon animal allergies are also on the increase.

Waynohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16786587436381629626noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21509674.post-19535978313502260772011-12-29T06:00:00.000-05:002011-12-29T06:00:03.653-05:00

Today's cartoon explores the long history of tensions that develop when relatives overstay their welcomes during the holidays. Tip for aspiring cartoonists: Think twice before doing a gag involving a swarm of insects or a character sitting cross-legged in a chair.

Waynohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16786587436381629626noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21509674.post-4288802179671254452011-12-28T06:00:00.001-05:002011-12-28T06:00:03.378-05:00

As we hit the middle of this week's siege of Bizarro, we present a little-known military item. These usually sell out quickly at Swiss Army surplus stores.

Waynohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16786587436381629626noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21509674.post-52675670367626812402011-12-27T06:00:00.000-05:002011-12-27T06:00:12.744-05:00

Today's gag shows us the rejected prototypes of a trio of familiar advertising icons. These guys had a certain grubby charm, don't you think?

Waynohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16786587436381629626noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21509674.post-32539229377057254492011-12-26T07:00:00.003-05:002011-12-26T07:00:05.034-05:00

Welcome to Day 1 of my second temporary takeover of Bizarro. We tried this out in May, when Dan Piraro took a few days off, and received very few death threats, so we're doing it again. Today's gag features a fat cat who's actually a rodent. I'll post each day's comic throughout the week, but will forgo my usual explanation of the genesis of the gag and how it progressed from sketch to final

Waynohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16786587436381629626noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21509674.post-51298403899842916452011-12-10T09:00:00.000-05:002011-12-10T09:00:31.901-05:00

Today's insectivorous Bizarro cartoon looks suspiciously similar to one of my previous gags. Here, we offer another twist on the cliché of a customer complaining about a fly in the soup. This time around, Dan Piraro's finished art is very similar to my submission, so I must have done a better than usual job on the sketch. Or, maybe he was facing an extra-tight deadline. My favorite aspect

Waynohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16786587436381629626noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21509674.post-82300585582246001202011-12-08T09:08:00.000-05:002011-12-08T09:08:09.656-05:00

Today's adorable Bizarro features the world's most maddeningly-recognizable character getting a small measure of comeuppance. This gag has undergone a few changes since I first sketched it. My initial version showed the mugger accosting a clown. That wasn't bad, but it didn't really deliver a satisfying laugh, either. I then thought of substituting the line "don't try anything cute" and

Waynohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16786587436381629626noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21509674.post-43263692298767420202011-12-05T13:49:00.000-05:002011-12-05T13:49:18.056-05:00

December 5, 2011  FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE  Wayno Returns as Guest Cartoonist for Dan Piraro's Bizarro December 26, 2011 through January 1, 2012  Bizarro, Dan Piraro's aptly titled outlier of the daily comics page, will again showcase the cartoon work of Wayno during the week of December 26, 2011 through January 1, 2012. While Piraro takes a break Wayno will fill in with his own quirky

Waynohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16786587436381629626noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21509674.post-42116527165442996732011-12-01T10:06:00.003-05:002011-12-02T09:15:22.772-05:00

Here are a couple of recent scribbles from my current sketchbook: Divas • 11/08/11 • Pencil & Ink I loved the composition of this New York Times photo and the singers' facial expressions. I didn't quite capture the exuberant feel of Ruth Fremson's dynamic shot, but it was a satisfying exercise. Scott Thompson • 12/01/11 • Ink & Colored Pencil As an experiment, I made this caricature of

Waynohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16786587436381629626noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21509674.post-49453864571247665702011-12-01T07:49:00.000-05:002011-12-01T07:49:05.741-05:00

Today's Bizarro comic reminds us to read a contract thoroughly before signing or clicking the "I agree" button. Dan's final art is very close to the submission sketch (below), cropped in a little, with more appropriate (and funnier) characters.   The idea of wannabe rock stars attending a camp with actual musicians (who could use some extra cash) was neatly parodied in a 2002 episode of

Waynohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16786587436381629626noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21509674.post-28140940581545184082011-11-29T08:19:00.000-05:002011-11-29T08:19:20.299-05:00

Today's sticky Bizarro kartoon references and extrapolates on a familiar brand name: I submitted two versions of this idea to Bizarro's kreator, Dan Piraro. Dan chose the one with the salesman speaking, and re-staged the image, zooming in on the characters and the hardware display. He also edited and streamlined the dialog, greatly improving the gag's rhythm and impact. The sketch

Waynohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16786587436381629626noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21509674.post-38474880275079917212011-11-26T21:25:00.001-05:002011-11-26T21:27:19.711-05:00

Today, we present two recent Bizarro gags showing domestic animals on the job. First up, from Friday, November 25, is a dutiful dog: The joke of course refers to the schoolboy's standby excuse, "My dog ate my homework." My submission sketch was very different, and in fact, resulted in the a second cartoon in addition to the one above cartoon. Showing it now would spoil the upcoming cartoon

Waynohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16786587436381629626noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21509674.post-87228854276725392082011-11-10T05:52:00.002-05:002011-11-10T06:23:48.071-05:00

Today's illin' Bizarro cartoon features two disillusioned music fans: Had we referenced a rock musician, this comic might be seen as a depiction of an artist selling out, but in this case selling down might be a more appropriate phrase. It's not so much a comment on this specific rapper, producer, entrepreneur, and conspicuous consumer/endorser as simply an opportunity to make a satisfying pun.

Waynohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16786587436381629626noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21509674.post-81069721593980636582011-11-02T08:47:00.001-04:002011-11-02T08:48:53.713-04:00

Some recent selections from the current sketchbook: Nile Rodgers, 10/20/11 Newt Gingrich's questionable gesture 10/24/11 Proboscis Monkey, 10/25/11 Ruth Madoff, 10/31/11 Herman Cain, 11/01/11

Waynohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16786587436381629626noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21509674.post-59546522852335411832011-11-01T07:43:00.000-04:002011-11-01T07:43:53.339-04:00

Here's today's satin-finish Bizarro cartoon, followed by my submission sketch. Today's a busy work day, so these are presented without commentary. Enjoy!

Waynohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16786587436381629626noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21509674.post-62978194031500953792011-10-30T10:21:00.001-04:002011-11-10T08:49:27.432-05:00

Here's a cartoon for Devil's Night: Mister Piraro's art always shines in his Sunday panels. Everything about this one is right on the money: the staging, the color, light and shadow effects, the facial expressions on the main characters, and the secondary denizens of the bar. It's a real beauty! The Bride resembles Joan Cusack, who, come to think of it, is an actor who'd be perfect for

Waynohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16786587436381629626noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21509674.post-1992405284368302692011-10-28T08:53:00.001-04:002011-10-28T09:35:20.789-04:00

Today's Bizarro utilizes the old "plus one" trick as the basis of the joke, and features a couple of upwardly mobile aliens: This is a device I've used before, which I'll hereafter refer to as a Tufnel. (If the gag involves subtracting a number or letter to create the gag, we'll call it a Reverse Tufnel.) Here's the rough I submitted to Bizarro's creator, Dan Piraro: Dan added some nice

Waynohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16786587436381629626noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21509674.post-68878190864943576062011-10-27T14:45:00.000-04:002011-10-27T14:45:15.912-04:00

As an early Halloween treat to you, Dear Reader, here's a seasonal minicomic from 1991. This was actually an invitation to a pumpkin-carving party at our house. Five or six copies of were distributed.

Waynohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16786587436381629626noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21509674.post-52872084817895635402011-10-21T05:40:00.010-04:002011-10-26T10:23:59.765-04:00

Today's Bizarro cartoon is a neat little quickie that gets in there and delivers the gag without any fussin' around.  As always, Dan Piraro's art is spot on. Have you ever tried to draw a bagpipe? It's no easy task. Fortunately, the joke was, I believe, worth the effort. The identical vowel sounds and rhythm of "Scotty" and "Johnny" immediately bring that great voice to mind, and make

Waynohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16786587436381629626noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21509674.post-47288771709332654002011-10-18T08:28:00.000-04:002011-10-18T08:28:37.450-04:00

Following are a few recent sketches based on photos in the morning paper. Mick Jones & Paul SimononOct. 13, 2011Based on a Bob Gruen photo Oct. 14, 2011 Oct. 18, 2011

Waynohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16786587436381629626noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21509674.post-14827461690816910132011-10-10T10:13:00.000-04:002011-10-10T10:13:16.089-04:00

Following up on previous posts, here are some recent sketchbook drawings. Chris Christie - Fountain pen & markers Sarkozy & Merkel - Ink & pencil

Waynohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16786587436381629626noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21509674.post-23894380459455562952011-10-06T08:10:00.000-04:002011-10-06T08:10:42.954-04:00

Today's Bizarro comic involves very simple wordplay, and relies on the image to punch it up for the laugh. Dan Piraro's masterful drawing really carries this one. The line of dialog is identical to the rough I submitted, and the art is very similar, though Dan swapped the characters' positions, and emphasized the drapery in the background. Dan's re-staging follows his general practice of

Waynohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16786587436381629626noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21509674.post-65331352126391847232011-09-28T08:06:00.001-04:002011-09-28T08:17:32.330-04:00

Today's Bizarro gag features a true political traditionalist: There's no sketch to show for this one. I submitted the joke as new text added to an existing drawing, so in this unique case, I only wrote the words. Dan Piraro—a man of good conscience and artistic convictions—didn't simply reuse the old art, and drew a new mug for the character. Sadly, the face of our imaginary office-seeker

Waynohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16786587436381629626noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21509674.post-77643741249676763152011-09-27T20:09:00.001-04:002011-09-27T20:10:34.667-04:00

Some very nice art collectors contacted me recently to request prints of some of the labels I've done for my friends at East End Brewing Company.We've previously offered prints of the Smokestack Heritage Porter and Ugly American labels (both of which are still available). In addition, we're now offering prints of the labels for Wooden Nickel, Monkey's Uncle Weizenbock and Coffee Porter (

Waynohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16786587436381629626noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21509674.post-70386326351308995872011-09-26T05:51:00.000-04:002011-09-26T05:51:32.961-04:00

Today's Bizarro continues the time-honored tradition of setting gags in a psychiatrist's office: Here's the original sketch I submitted to Dan Piraro for consideration: This cartoon provided an opportunity to comment on the fact that an awful lot of adult American males insist on dressing like four-year-olds wherever they go. It's hilarious and sad to see these guys out in the world, with

Waynohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16786587436381629626noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21509674.post-51907400590794861852011-09-23T14:38:00.000-04:002011-09-23T14:38:06.446-04:00

As I mentioned a few days back, I often make sketches based on photos in the newspaper, in order to make sure I draw something every day. Today's victim subject is former eBay CEO Meg Whitman, who was named new CEO of Hewlett-Packard.

Waynohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16786587436381629626noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21509674.post-37591940824189430792011-09-22T05:05:00.000-04:002011-09-22T05:05:22.380-04:00

Today's Bizarro is a twist on the old "there's a fly in my soup" theme, featuring a very familiar character in an unfamiliar setting: My sketch was a little more graphic, or at least more generous with the garnish: The above sketch was actually the second stab at this joke. For you, my beloved blog-followers, here's the previously-unpublished first sketch: Bizarro's, creator Dan Piraro

Waynohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16786587436381629626noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21509674.post-67569433132172734682011-09-18T09:42:00.002-04:002011-09-18T14:49:55.426-04:00

Here's an effervescent Bizarro cartoon for your amusement: Dan Piraro's art is excellent as always. He makes good use of the available space in a Sunday panel, adding nice bits of background detail and a hilarious cast of characters. His rendering of the seltzer bottle is particularly impressive, and the light and shadows are very well done. My submission sketch was presented in the daily

Waynohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16786587436381629626noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21509674.post-49010322563375784142011-09-15T11:00:00.002-04:002011-09-18T15:36:08.061-04:00

I recently spoke to a group of illustration students at the Art Institute of Pittsburgh (a very well-behaved group). One suggestion I offered was to keep a sketchbook handy whenever possible, and to draw something every day. I haven't always followed my own advice (note the lost years 1997-2003), but I've filled enough books to occupy a nice bit of shelf space in my studio:  The first few,

Waynohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16786587436381629626noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21509674.post-51230147301364421562011-09-12T09:20:00.001-04:002011-09-13T11:51:32.104-04:00

Today's Bizarro comic is a grammatical gag written by yours truly: It's a neat, simple joke, and, being something of a word nerd, I'm quite happy with it. I particularly enjoy that it has to be "completed" in the reader's mind. Dan Piraro's final art follows my sketch closely: As you may know, Bizarro appears in an alternate version in some papers, in the space of a strip rather than a

Waynohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16786587436381629626noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21509674.post-13775022486966765002011-08-31T07:35:00.000-04:002011-08-31T07:35:17.364-04:00

Today's skeletal Bizarro cartoon features yet another gag from yours truly. It's a variation on the ubiquitous "a ________ walks into a bar" theme. For comparison to Dan Piraro's final art, here's my rough sketch:   Dan changed the perspective a bit, and got rid of some unnecessary detail, but the subtle change from an exclamation point to a period at the end of the text made

Waynohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16786587436381629626noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21509674.post-80478576634422633772011-08-23T21:22:00.001-04:002011-08-23T21:24:00.106-04:00

I'm pleased to reveal my label design for the newest limited edition hand-bottled brew from my great neighbors at East End Brewing Company. East End's owner and brewer Scott Smith explained the idea of Stock Ale to me when we discussed the label design, but I won't try to paraphrase here. The beer world has a particular vocabulary, and the terms all have very specific meanings, and I

Waynohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16786587436381629626noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21509674.post-47162485130068029522011-08-20T11:13:00.000-04:002011-08-20T11:13:36.027-04:00

Here's tomorrow's* buttery, flaky Bizarro cartoon, written by Yours Truly: And, for comparison, the sketchbook version I submitted: Mister Piraro used my text verbatim, but he really went wild with his gorgeous art for this Sunday panel. He took advantage of the extra real estate to add a lot of little "business," including the shop name on the window, which also appears in the shadow

Waynohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16786587436381629626noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21509674.post-79551954723344725872011-08-19T05:41:00.002-04:002011-08-19T09:11:29.896-04:00

Here's my latest gag to appear in Dan Piraro's Bizarro: This is one of those concepts that evolved over time. The sketch I submitted (above) was based on a famous image from Ingmar Bergman's 1957 film The Seventh Seal. Bengt Ekerot and Max von Sydow in The Seventh Seal (1957) Dan suggested that the chess motif was a bit overused, and that changing the scene to a card game might

Waynohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16786587436381629626noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21509674.post-81558682158278559742011-08-16T12:35:00.000-04:002011-08-16T12:35:40.571-04:00

I'm a week late posting my most recent gag in Hilary Price's comic Rhymes With Orange. It's of course a tribute to the long-running feature by the great Al Jaffee. Mister Jaffee has been creating these ingenious pages since 1964! My sketch was done in a panel layout, and the dialog was a little wordier: I tried to make the guy behind the desk look something like Jaffee, which

Waynohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16786587436381629626noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21509674.post-89954736770000859902011-08-13T10:29:00.002-04:002011-08-14T09:49:59.437-04:00

I'm (happily) busy with some cool projects, so this Bizarro post will be brief. Today's comic is a zoological spin on a phrase my parents used regularly. I'm fairly certain that my mother often wished for longer arms to express the extent of her fed-uppedness with me. My submission sketch showed a wider view of the giraffe family. Dan chose to crop it in closer, but used my text unedited

Waynohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16786587436381629626noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21509674.post-73122763066537800792011-08-12T09:13:00.000-04:002011-08-12T09:13:47.851-04:00

Today's Bizarro marks my 50th appearance in Dan Piraro's terrific comic. It's as thrilling as ever to see something I've written published in this space. Here's my submission sketch, which Dan ran with for the final cartoon: The inspiration for this joke came from a suggestion I received from my buddy Joel: I was at a meeting this morning, and someone swatted a fly on the table.

Waynohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16786587436381629626noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21509674.post-46453407267274242052011-08-11T10:16:00.000-04:002011-08-11T10:16:42.786-04:00

What the Heck is a Streptonym? It has nothing to do with germs... One of my recent gags for Dan Piraro's comic Bizarro was based on a form of wordplay where two phrases are linked by a common word to form a new, surprising combination: Last month, Dan did another comic using this same device, linking three famous names to create a rather frightening imaginary creature: I

Waynohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16786587436381629626noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21509674.post-24897098985414908432011-08-06T08:27:00.000-04:002011-08-06T08:27:41.815-04:00

Here's a gag I wrote for Hilary Price's Rhymes With Orange: (Click to Enlarge) My submission sketch included several additional characters and two gumball machines: Hilary chose to delete the other characters, the coin-operated machine, and the text. She depicts one forlorn kid, coin in hand, staring in disbelief at the plastic-only gumball machine. Removing the clutter adds a sense of

Waynohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16786587436381629626noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21509674.post-15086840552189163452011-07-29T05:29:00.001-04:002011-08-05T09:12:37.385-04:00

Today's Bizarro gag, written by yours truly, spoofs an iconic scene from Mike Nichols' 1967 film The Graduate: Dan Piraro's final art is nearly identical to my sketch...   ...which was designed to ape the original movie poster.   The image of Dustin Hoffman, dwarfed by Anne Bancroft's leg* in the foreground, along with the dialog, has become such a part of pop culture's DNA, that most

Waynohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16786587436381629626noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21509674.post-32105594356340074292011-07-19T08:51:00.000-04:002011-07-19T08:51:20.098-04:00

Today's contentious Bizarro comic, the latest to feature one of my gags, exploits the potentially confusing result of foreign words entering the language. There's not a lot to discuss regarding the structure of this joke. It's quite straightforward and satisfying, even if it does make me hungry. Dan Piraro's finished art is very similar to my sketch, although he refined it by deleting the

Waynohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16786587436381629626noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21509674.post-91416391416436843302011-06-29T08:20:00.000-04:002011-06-29T08:20:48.613-04:00

I'm pleased to post my two most recent collaborations with my good pal Dan Piraro. Today's offering revisits a theme I explored in a Sunday page during my stint as guest cartoonist in May.   Before developing the Insect Heaven cartoon, I'd sketched an elderly fly being visited by a Grim Reaper who carried a flyswatter in place of the usual scythe. It was a funny image, but not yet fully

Waynohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16786587436381629626noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21509674.post-91374938435152536302011-06-23T07:52:00.000-04:002011-06-23T07:52:11.225-04:00

My latest Bizarro gag involves an infinite beef loop:   Many of us have had similar thoughts when presented with a ridiculously oversized portion at a restaurant, but for this poor guy it's mathematically true. I quite enjoy this type of wordplay, where unrelated phrases are chained together using a shared word. Many years ago, I collaborated on an ABC book whose title (Alphabet Soup Kitchen

Waynohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16786587436381629626noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21509674.post-85786993429173426042011-06-16T07:26:00.002-04:002011-10-28T13:37:50.798-04:00

Today's Bizarro gag tweaks our culture's obsession with having the latest technology, even if we're not sure what the upgrade is. (I include myself in that group, by the way.) Here's the published cartoon, followed by the rough version from my sketchbook: ••• The joke itself is very simple, similar to the fictional musician Nigel Tufnel having an amplifier made with a volume knob that goes

Waynohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16786587436381629626noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21509674.post-70924294400321302062011-06-10T08:02:00.001-04:002011-06-10T08:06:47.340-04:00

Today's Bizarro cartoon is a variation on the story of the Trojan horse: The concept sketch is very rough, but gets the idea across. Dan moved the sentries up to the top of the castle wall, which makes more sense, as they're skeptical about the gift. I must have been inspired in part by the Trojan bunny in Monty Python and the Holy Grail. I'd also recently seen or heard some reference to a

Waynohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16786587436381629626noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21509674.post-10755776453502790242011-06-05T12:11:00.000-04:002011-06-05T12:11:27.140-04:00

My stint as Dan Piraro's guest cartoonist is over, and it was a great experience. We're planning a reprise in the fall, and I've started working on that. Thanks to everyone for the feedback, even the few complainers. I'm still coloring the Bizarro dailies and contributing gags. Here are the two most recent, appearing back-to-back on Saturday and Sunday.   Dan's final version of the

Waynohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16786587436381629626noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21509674.post-63407540727778246482011-06-03T16:49:00.001-04:002011-06-03T19:42:35.169-04:00

It's been a while since I've designed a beer label, but I always enjoy working with Scott at East End Brewing Company. He's a good friend and a good neighbor, and he always has interesting, fun ideas for his projects. Here's the latest item, which I understand is already in the bottles and awaiting application of labels, now that the Federal authorities have given their approval. Scott

Waynohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16786587436381629626noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21509674.post-37267781337326114512011-05-16T06:09:00.007-04:002011-05-22T11:17:12.587-04:00

Who is this guy, anyway? Welcome, new readers (and thanks to the regulars). Some of you may have stumbled across this blog after seeing a link in Bizarro, and this post is intended to serve as an introduction. I'm a cartoonist, writer and illustrator, and have been contributing gags to Bizarro for a couple of years now. I created all of this week's Bizarro cartoons, filling in as best I

Waynohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16786587436381629626noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21509674.post-31511392248389223972011-05-09T07:17:00.003-04:002011-05-10T08:58:41.350-04:00

Here we go again, with another Bizarro gag written by Your Humble Blogger and drawn by the amazing Dan Piraro. This one should be a hit with natural scientists. For comparison, here's my sketch of the comic: The gag is based on two different meanings of the word "host." In the social sense, a host's counterpart is a guest. The joke references the biological meaning, where a parasite seeks a

Waynohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16786587436381629626noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21509674.post-38924052216904491262011-05-06T07:48:00.000-04:002011-05-06T07:48:20.122-04:00

Today's Bizarro, drawn by Dan Piraro and written by yours truly, takes a poke at picnicking pigs: I don't recall how this idea came to me, but I liked it right away. The sketch flowed fairly quickly: Many years ago, long before tattoos were as ubiquitous as today, I once saw an old guy with a cabinet hinge tattooed inside his elbow. At the time, I thought it was very clever. Perhaps that

Waynohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16786587436381629626noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21509674.post-57404655833297572472011-05-02T09:15:00.001-04:002011-05-03T17:20:22.078-04:00

Here are two new Bizarro cartoons written by yours truly and drawn by the comic's creator, Dan Piraro: yesterday's splashy Sunday page and today's dollop of esoteric snootery. First, the belly-laffer: This one started out a bit differently. Early sketches showed a beheaded Barbie (or a Rock'em-Sock'em robot) being told by a doctor that he'd refer the patient to a plastic (ha!) surgeon.

Waynohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16786587436381629626noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21509674.post-11986590469253748762011-04-26T06:27:00.001-04:002011-04-26T06:34:47.758-04:00

Today, I'm pleased to showcase my first collaboration with Hilary Price, for her daily comic strip, Rhymes With Orange: For comparison, here's my original submission. My idea was to show a stereotypical burglar with the traditional (but inexplicable) get-up of newsboy cap, striped jersey, raccoon mask and stubble. Hilary instead depicts a bank-robber, complete with  ski-mask, gun and a

Waynohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16786587436381629626noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21509674.post-84735261738048658832011-04-25T09:42:00.000-04:002011-04-25T09:42:19.181-04:00

The White Rabbit 12" x 12" Acrylic on Masonite 2011 I made this new painting for The Pittsburgh Symphony's upcoming performance of David Del Tredici's Final Alice. Ten Pittsburgh artists contributed works to be displayed in the music hall. The pieces will be auctioned, with the proceeds split between educational programs sponsored by the Symphony and the ToonSeum.

Waynohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16786587436381629626noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21509674.post-7858367775714523382011-04-21T05:40:00.000-04:002011-04-21T05:40:13.205-04:00

Today's Bizarro takes yet another poke at Facebook, which is proving to be a rich source of inspiration. I've been told that some of our gags are rather obscure, but at least 500 million people should get this one. I gave Dan little to work with visually—just the wordplay, really. But as usual he ran with it and created a great image punch up the gag. Since there's not much else to discuss,

Waynohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16786587436381629626noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21509674.post-38815058739127581002011-04-18T05:50:00.001-04:002011-04-18T09:13:38.976-04:00

Today's Bizarro pokes fun at an old favorite cartoon character faced with the reality of 21st Century automation. It is 2011 after all, and TV led us to expect floating vehicles that collapse into briefcases, beds that pop us out like slices of toast, and wisecracking anthropomorphic domestic help. Instead, the state of housecleaning technology is a slow-moving, overgrown hockey puck. My

Waynohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16786587436381629626noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21509674.post-88155021231642880652011-04-15T06:41:00.000-04:002011-04-15T06:41:39.761-04:00

Today, Dan Piraro and I celebrate the traditional income tax deadline day with a cartoon featuring a man and his trusty financial adviser.   The final art is a huge improvement over my submission: This sketch is quite old. The digital file has a creation date of 2003, making it at least eight years old, but I'd estimate it's from the late 1990s. It looks like I drew it with a Rapidograph pen,

Waynohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16786587436381629626noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21509674.post-66361046234350932732011-04-08T08:12:00.000-04:002011-04-08T08:12:18.542-04:00

In today's Bizarro comic, we goof on a couple of popular children's characters, one of which has a particularly off-putting name, blithely ignored by fans. Dan's final art follows my sketch very closely, although his depiction of Piglet resembles the familiar Disney character more than my grubby, cigarette-smoking version. I also did a sketch showing a grizzled show-biz manager advising

Waynohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16786587436381629626noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21509674.post-16412735104847723172011-04-02T16:34:00.001-04:002011-04-02T16:46:30.067-04:00

This Sunday's Bizarro (April 3, 2011) is a desert island gag, one of the oldest cliche situations in a cartoonist's bag of tricks. A Google image search for desert island cartoon returns over 500,000 results. Other reliable devices include a patient on a psychiatrist's couch, a visit from the Grim Reaper, a person on a doctor's examination table, and in/out boxes on an office desk. We've all

Waynohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16786587436381629626noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21509674.post-85117293958992361402011-03-29T08:34:00.000-04:002011-03-29T08:34:29.996-04:00

Following are a few pages from the sketchbook, doodled over coffee while reading the morning paper. These are all based on photos from today's New York Times. The images of the Supreme Court justices reminded me of Randy Newman's 2010 album, Harps and Angels, and I included a quote from the tune "A Few Words in Defense of Our Country." The Joe Lovano sketch was based on an ad for one of

Waynohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16786587436381629626noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21509674.post-41186993414092799362011-03-25T17:53:00.000-04:002011-03-25T17:53:42.303-04:00

The venerable Pittsburgh City Paper just hit the twenty-year mark. I've worked with a lot of great people there over the years, and was pleased to see some of my older pieces featured in their special commemorative magazine. Here's a clipping with commentary: You don't have to be a sports fan to appreciate a beloved local character like Cope!

Waynohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16786587436381629626noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21509674.post-9672939732828126662011-03-24T09:59:00.005-04:002011-03-25T05:42:22.100-04:00

Here's my latest Bizarro joke, as rendered by the lovely and talented Dan Piraro: There's not a lot of "process" to discuss for this one. It's just a simple bit of wordplay. Once the phrase was in place, it wasn't too difficult to set the scene. Dan's final art followed my sketch pretty closely, with no changes to the text.   The biggest surprise was that the syndicate ran the comic at all,

Waynohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16786587436381629626noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21509674.post-9556749673425479862011-03-22T09:28:00.002-04:002011-03-22T09:35:54.762-04:00

I'm getting started on a painting of Lewis Carroll's White Rabbit character. The finished piece will be displayed and auctioned in conjunction with the Pittsburgh Symphony's upcoming performances of David Del Tredici's Final Alice.The composer says: "Final Alice" is a series of elaborate arias, interspersed and separated by dramatic episodes from the last two chapters of Alice's Adventures in

Waynohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16786587436381629626noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21509674.post-87614506926177295492011-03-21T09:39:00.001-04:002011-03-21T11:15:59.338-04:00

Last Friday's Bizarro wasn't the first time I used Mister Peanut in a comic. Here's a strip from 24 years ago (!) exploring the twisted psychology of humanized characters representing food products.  The most disturbing example might be Charlie the Tuna, who is still begging to be eaten after fifty years. I revisited this topic five years later, with this color piece in Hyena, a great comics

Waynohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16786587436381629626noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21509674.post-11660242451033672972011-03-18T05:45:00.000-04:002011-03-18T05:45:52.388-04:00

Today's Bizarro is the latest in an ever-growing pile of collaborative works I've done with Dan Piraro. This one, much like another recent gag, started as a half-conscious doodle that struck me as a funny image. I couldn't think of any dialog for it, so after scanning the sketch, I dropped in a line of text below it as a placeholder, toying with the idea of running it as a caption contest. A

Waynohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16786587436381629626noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21509674.post-41995476456490554792011-03-07T13:08:00.003-05:002011-03-08T12:14:23.924-05:00

In addition to writing the occasional gag for Dan Piraro's comic Bizarro, I recently started assisting him by taking on the duties of coloring the dailies (Monday through Saturday). I've completed four weeks so far, and should be starting on the fifth week in a day or two. Dan does the art several weeks ahead of publication, so the comics I colored just started appearing. The first week's

Waynohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16786587436381629626noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21509674.post-80951186998082718022011-02-26T08:03:00.000-05:002011-02-26T08:03:37.557-05:00

Today's Bizarro comic is my latest collaboration with Dan Piraro, and is meant to contribute a bit of absurdity to your day: Here's my original concept sketch:   This is a case of a joke emerging from a random doodle. Sometimes I scribble while listening to music, talking on the phone, or watching TV. For some reason, I sketched an upside-down guy talking to a woman who could have been a

Waynohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16786587436381629626noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21509674.post-7988108311059095272011-02-04T11:56:00.000-05:002011-02-04T11:56:47.079-05:00

Today's Bizarro comic is the most recent collaboration between Dan Piraro and yours truly, and imagines an early appearance of the late-century phenomenon of making faces out of punctuation. Here's my original concept sketch: Of course, the second word balloon is entirely unnecessary, and the finished cartoon is much better because of the editing (not to mention Dan's fantastic art). If

Waynohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16786587436381629626noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21509674.post-26829358132715757062011-02-03T07:29:00.000-05:002011-02-03T07:29:11.235-05:00

Continuing a tradition I began in 2004, I just mailed my annual Chinese New Year card. I'll complete the series of all twelve animals in 2015. I haven't decided whether I'll start the cycle again with the next Year of the Monkey in 2016. If you, or someone you know, is turning 50 this year, their Chinese zodiac sign is the Ox. The Year of the Ox painting from my 2008 show

Waynohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16786587436381629626noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21509674.post-38581296466346571422011-01-31T16:10:00.000-05:002011-01-31T16:10:10.537-05:00

My friends at Kelly's Bar & Lounge here in Pittsburgh have again commissioned me to create the advertising for Hell With the Lid Off, their annual barleywine festival. A signed & numbered limited-edition 11" x 17" full-color offset poster is now available at my online store, and I will also be offering them during the festival. Last year's poster recently sold out. Kelly's will also have a

Waynohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16786587436381629626noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21509674.post-68671293064110784402011-01-07T05:00:00.010-05:002011-01-07T10:06:18.476-05:00

For my first post of the new decade, here's today's Bizarro comic. It's the latest in an ongoing series written by yours truly and drawn by my good chum, the award-winning Dan Piraro. It's a simple little turn of phrase commenting on the unreality of so-called reality television, and people's obsession with it. Here's the original submission, scanned from my sketchbook: My

Waynohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16786587436381629626noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21509674.post-39247760876501434252010-12-01T08:49:00.000-05:002010-12-01T08:49:48.604-05:00

Today's surreal Bizarro comic is yet another joint effort by Dan Piraro and yours truly. Magritte has been the subject of quite a few New Yorker cartoons, but I believe he's a rarity in the daily comics. Had this run in the New Yorker, the explanatory label "surrealist" would probably have been unnecessary. The tattoo is a reference to Magritte's painting The Treachery of Images, and the

Waynohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16786587436381629626noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21509674.post-55955388852678504622010-11-22T11:16:00.001-05:002010-11-22T15:01:05.970-05:00

The Federales rejected our original design for East End Brewing Company's Coffee Porter. They decoded our "eye opener" rebus, and decided that it could be construed as a health claim. They agreed to approve the design if we separated the images and released the beer using two different labels: Now, East End completists will have to buy two bottles, and display them side-by-side.  Buying more

Waynohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16786587436381629626noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21509674.post-19707001574666733182010-11-18T16:07:00.002-05:002011-01-05T14:34:10.511-05:00

I've had a couple of fun local gigs this month involving some of my favorite liquid refreshments. First up is a t-shirt design for Espresso a Mano, an artisanal coffee shop where I have been known to have a cup or three. Keeping things very local, the screen printing was done by our good buddy Michael "Zombo" Devine, a true Renaissance Man. Here's the molto semplice design, followed by a

Waynohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16786587436381629626noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21509674.post-73876139608474526932010-11-12T08:43:00.001-05:002010-11-29T12:18:18.688-05:00

Today's Bizarro is the latest in what's becoming a satisfyingly large pile of collaborations between Dan Piraro and yours truly. As with the last one, I'll start with my initial sketch, followed by a trail of email messages wherein we deconstructed and rebuilt the gag, hammering it into something usable. The idea for this joke came from an email from my friend and neighbor Gwyn Cready, an

Waynohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16786587436381629626noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21509674.post-55460308899261838352010-10-27T21:32:00.001-04:002011-01-05T14:20:12.966-05:00

Billboard on Bigelow Boulevard in Pittsburgh October 27, 2010

Waynohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16786587436381629626noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21509674.post-69069935786899718032010-10-25T08:58:00.005-04:002010-10-25T10:18:48.470-04:00

Today's Bizarro is the latest collaboration between Dan Piraro and yours truly. I usually post Dan's published cartoon followed by my sketch, but I'm switching it around this time to show how the gag evolved. While working with the radio on, I heard cliche "blithering idiot" used in an interview (probably an in-depth political story). It occurred to me that the word "blithering" has a rather

Waynohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16786587436381629626noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21509674.post-52835851074410924782010-09-21T09:01:00.001-04:002010-09-21T09:01:52.959-04:00

Today's Bizarro comic is another food-related joke written by yours truly, and drawn by Dan Piraro, the Most Meticulous Brush in the West: There's nothing deep or intellectual this time around; I have no axe to grind or indignation to vent, just a bit of silliness to share. A package of Melba toast spotted in the grocery store led me to an image of workers on an assembly line placing tiny

Waynohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16786587436381629626noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21509674.post-24201464331071566362010-09-12T09:32:00.001-04:002010-09-17T15:03:25.108-04:00

Here's my latest gag for Dan Piraro's comic, Bizarro:  I'd been kicking this idea around for months, revising the names of the three freaks, and writing the descriptions over and over. Finally, I sat down to sketch out several submissions for Dan, and ended up with this: The word "freakshow" works much better than "sideshow." I wasn't sure whether "freakshow" would fly with the

Waynohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16786587436381629626noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21509674.post-52609255044461691062010-09-06T10:06:00.003-04:002010-09-15T08:52:14.991-04:00

Once again, I have the privilege of seeing one of my gags drawn by Dan Piraro for his Reuben-winning daily comic, Bizarro. It's a spin on the long-standing comic cliche of a guy slipping on a banana peel. I've read various accounts tracing this to the early days of music-hall comedy at the turn of the 20th century. One site I came across claims it's rooted in an actual urban hazard, and that

Waynohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16786587436381629626noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21509674.post-11262949118755514442010-08-24T17:21:00.000-04:002010-08-24T17:21:12.979-04:00

Waynohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16786587436381629626noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21509674.post-24502549428748437802010-05-30T11:25:00.004-04:002010-05-30T11:26:53.033-04:00

Here's my latest gag for Dan Piraro's comic, Bizarro:  It's an extra kick to see it as a Sunday page. It seems that people have been doing this bee-beard thing since the early 1800s. It doesn't require any talent other than the ability to stand very still without passing out from fear. I figure that someone should have changed it up a bit after 200 years, and it leads to an absurd and

Waynohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16786587436381629626noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21509674.post-17848091689412928492010-05-15T08:50:00.000-04:002010-05-15T08:50:38.755-04:00

Here's my latest gag for Dan Piraro's great daily comic panel Bizarro:   Without taking sides, it's a bit of commentary on the competing noise pollution we're often forced to endure.  In the spirit of fairness, however, I do believe that infants should come equipped with an "airplane mode" setting, and that it should be enforced. For comparison, here's the idea as submitted: All of our

Waynohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16786587436381629626noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21509674.post-38913453433040426772010-05-11T07:47:00.006-04:002010-09-09T12:31:26.834-04:00

At the risk of wearing out my welcome on the comics page, here's another of my Bizarro gags: I'd forgotten about this one, and had to do some searching to find the original submission. This joke was inspired by frustration, anger and caffeine withdrawal. A couple of months back, I attended a conference at a hotel/convention center. I intended to start my day with an espresso or three, and was

Waynohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16786587436381629626noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21509674.post-2059883176573158072010-05-08T10:16:00.004-04:002010-05-08T10:34:32.145-04:00

For the third time this week, here's a Bizarro cartoon written by yours truly:There's not a lot to say about my submission. I wouldn't even call it a sketch. It's more like an item on a to-do list. I wasn't trying to compose a scene, but rather to jot down an idea so I would't forget it later, and dashing off the two figures was quicker than if I'd written a verbal description of the scene.Dan's

Waynohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16786587436381629626noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21509674.post-50372073647720653642010-05-05T07:53:00.005-04:002010-05-05T08:27:30.969-04:00

Two days in a row? I'm afraid so! Here's the latest Piraro/Wayno comic, appearing in papers around the world.I know that some of my jokes can be a little obscure or require the reader to think, but sometimes you've got to run with an old-fashioned poo gag:What with cable TV cannibalizing itself left and right (how many shows about over-bred families can there really be?), I imagined MTV's

Waynohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16786587436381629626noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21509674.post-31856370065169361882010-05-04T08:42:00.004-04:002010-05-04T09:03:45.045-04:00

Once again Dan Piraro has transformed a scribbled scraps of paper into a comic masterpiece.Here's my original submission, complete with correction tape:This version had the punchline delivered by Whopper Junior.Mr. Piraro liked the wordplay, but said "I've never seen or heard of Whopper Jr. I'd like to use a more readily recognizable character, maybe Burger King, even though he's not literally

Waynohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16786587436381629626noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21509674.post-88182622701864286322010-04-23T08:57:00.002-04:002010-05-05T08:02:15.003-04:00

Here's my latest collaboration with Dan Piraro. It took a while to arrive at this gag, but I like it a lot—it's brainy and smart-alecky at the same time. It does require a bit of work on the reader's part, and I have a feeling most people will just be baffled and move on to "Classic Peanuts."Here's what I submitted to Mister P. This barely qualifies as a sketch, but once again Dan worked

Waynohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16786587436381629626noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21509674.post-10863237579219540422010-04-16T14:37:00.007-04:002011-01-05T14:21:00.693-05:00

Just in time for picnic season, my pal Scott Smith at East End Brewing Company will offer insulated "Growler Suits" at the warehouse. They should be available around late May.Designing this item was an unusual and challenging project for me, and it was fun to venture beyond my usual cartoon/illustration cocoon.Scott gave me digital versions of existing art from labels and tap handles (including

Waynohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16786587436381629626noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21509674.post-11571947086484273322010-03-08T14:39:00.009-05:002010-03-12T08:43:03.746-05:00

Today's Bizarro comic features another gag written by yours truly. This is the sixth one so far, and we have at least four more in the pipeline. Here's the sketch as I submitted it to Dan Piraro. The original is very small, about 2 inches square, with the caption pasted on top of the art. Dan's final version is nearly identical to my sketch, which is flattering because he usually makes changes

Waynohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16786587436381629626noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21509674.post-16854383223050392682010-01-30T19:27:00.009-05:002010-01-30T20:06:05.585-05:00

The limited edition Hell with the Lid Off posters mentioned in my previous post are now available.They're 11"x 17" full color offset prints, in a signed and numbered edition of 30, and are priced to sell at $20 each (plus postage/packing).Order yours from my new Big Cartel shop.By the way, if you're in Pittsburgh on February 20th or 21st, do not miss the actual event. It's sure to sell out, and

Waynohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16786587436381629626noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21509674.post-65528474677220695552010-01-20T12:24:00.004-05:002011-01-05T14:21:29.165-05:00

The good folks at Kelly's Bar & Lounge here in Pittsburgh have commissioned me to create an image to advertise their sixth annual barleywine festival. A black & white version will begin appearing on lampposts and in local dives in the near future, and will, I hope, be promptly stolen by connoisseurs of lowbrow ephemera.Kelly's will also have a two-color tee shirt available during the festival.On

Waynohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16786587436381629626noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21509674.post-85085903559688537172010-01-05T20:37:00.009-05:002010-01-05T21:06:31.584-05:00

This February, Fantagraphics Books will release a compilation of 1980s minicomic art in their anthology Newave!: The Underground Mini Comix of the 1980s, edited by Michael Dowers. The hardcover volume contains nearly 900 pages of self-published work from dozens of artists who formed a loose underground network in the pre-Internet days. Planning for Newave! began well over a year ago.These little

Waynohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16786587436381629626noreply@blogger.com2