Decade O' Drollery

Early this week, I received my contributor's copy of The Book of Weirdo, a massive, thoroughly-researched history of the legendary 1980s comix anthology founded by Robert Crumb. Early in my cartooning career, I managed to get a page published in Weirdo, and I'm jazzed to be included in this beautiful book.

A Satisfied Customer

Portrait of the Artist as a Young Weirdo

This week also marks a Bizarro milestone for your humble cartoonist, which we'll get to shortly, but first, let's look at our latest offerings.

Monday's gag comments on a topic we're calling "ivory insularity." It also includes an intentionally-wrong April Fools' Day secret symbol count. Of course, there are actually eighty-seven symbols in this one.

We generally prefer drawing inanimate objects in a realistic manner, without human faces, clothing, or limbs, unless these additions are necessary to clearly deliver the gag.

Adapting the art to the strip layout wasn't difficult, but it made for a more dramatic presentation.

I wasn't surprised to learn that an app like this exists. I can attest that the alarm function would be effective.

Surprisingly (or maybe not), Wednesday's cartoon is based on an actual tattoo.

Bizarroversary Flashback Gag

Although I've only been writing and drawing the daily Bizarro comics since January 1, 2018, my collaborations with Dan Piraro go back ten years. Wednesday marked the tenth anniversary of the very first time my name appeared in Bizarro. Above is the gag that led us to today. I'm forever grateful to Dan for leaving the side door unlocked so an intruder like me could sneak in.

We now return to the current series, already in progress.
 

There's probably be an evolutionary reason for mice preferring rounded doorways, but I've yet to encounter a satisfactory explanation. 

My favorite part of this drawing is the "Hole Depot" apron.

The ol' spud looks pretty chipper, considering the subject at hand.

Maybe he's relaxed because he's already selected his urn.
 

The naughtiness of this cartoon is directly proportional to the lasciviousness of the reader's imagination. 

Working out the gag in my sketchbook required an bit of diagramming.

Dan Piraro's comments on these cartoons, along with his latest Sunday gag, can be viewed on his own blog.

In related news, King Features Syndicate is in the process of updating the Comics Kingdom site, where you can read Bizarro every day for free.

Bonus Track #1

"Fine Artiste Blues" by R. Crumb and his Cheap Suit Serenaders



Robert Crumb, founding editor of Weirdo, is also an accomplished musician and longtime record collector.


Bonus Track #2

"Potato Chips" by Slim Gaillard
 


By the way, if you're looking for the perfect gift to commemorate my tenth Bizarroversary, I'd love to get a copy of Slim Gaillard's Vout-O-Reenee Dictionary.