Real Virtuality

I'm writing this post in advance so we can attend a favorite music festival here in Pittsburgh on Saturday. Early this week, we were reminded once again to grab every opportunity to hear music you love, when Art "Poppa Funk" Neville, the eldest of the four Neville Brothers, died at age 81.  

Now that the most recent heatwave has passed, I'm looking forward to an enjoyable day of food, wine, and music among friends. I urge you to get out and experience some live music as soon as you can. It's good for the soul, heart, and brain.

But, since you're online now, why not take a look at the latest batch of cartoons from Bizarro Studios?

I've often wondered why movies, TV shows, and comic strips (yes, I'm guilty) always show abductees dressed in overalls and flannel. I reasoned that it might simply be an interstellar prank.

Like the panel, the widescreen version of this gag includes three secret symbols, but replaces the Flying Saucer of Impossibility with the Lost Loafer, which looks particularly forlorn as it drifts away in space.

This one's for the kids. A few people accidentally typed the question "What's EDM?" into the comments section rather than in an internet search field.

Fellow music nerds may have noticed that the patient's head is decorated with records on the Laurie and Blue Note labels, although I took some liberties by showing the design usually associated with Blue Note LPs or 78s on a 45 rpm single.

I realize that running this cartoon was asking for trouble, but at Bizarro Studios, fear will not deter us in our quest for laughs.

Most of my preliminary roughs are loose digital scribbles, but the sketchbook version of this one could almost have run as finished art.

Today, this con sips prison hooch with his pinky extended.

We enjoy a gag set in a therapist's office almost as much as we love to draw clowns, dogs, and the Grim Reaper. I was pleased with the depiction of the doctor's low-key reaction to his odd patient.

The song is called "The Ballad of Abandoned Pastimes," and will be performed by the as-yet unformed band, Serial Dabbler.

Thanks for reading Bizarro, following the blog, and your kind and thoughtful comments. For further insight, and more behind-the-scenes stories of the glamorous world of cartooning, surf on over to Dan Piraro's weekly blog, where you can view his latest Sunday masterpiece and buy some cool Bizarro swag.

Bonus Track

"Cha Dooky-Doo"

Art Neville' is probably best known for his work with the Neville Brothers band, or his keyboard playing with the Meters, the classic instrumental funk group. Although his brother Aaron is the more well-known singer, Art also recorded many excellent vocal numbers in the 1950s and 60s. This is a favorite, and one my band includes in our regular set list.