Post Nasal Droop

Hollywood Gardens, PA had its first snowfall of the year this week, and your cartoonist spent Friday morning outside the studio, laboring in frigid conditions. It reminded me to appreciate the fact that I normally work in my own comfortable surroundings, writing jokes and drawing funny pictures.

In addition to making comics, I regularly seek out new pipe pics to share with you. This one is an antique print by James Montgomery Flagg, which may have been an ad for a tobacco company. It depicts either a giant pipe and tobacco pouch, or a tiny human, and the caption reads, "What more do you want?"

Flagg (1877 – 1960) was an American artist, comics artist and illustrator. He is best known for his political posters, particularly the "I Want YOU" army recruitment poster featuring Uncle Sam. While researching Flagg, I learned that he appeared in a beer advertisement in 1949, showing him at work in his studio.

 

Except for the paints, canvases, and easel, this looks exactly like most cartoonists' studios.

Before I send my assistant to fetch another PBR, I'd like to share our most recent comics.

Mister Fantastic doesn't snap back the way he did in the Silver Age. 

 

Note: This comic is part of our ongoing "Ridiculing Superheroes" series.

 

Some characters have the kind of face people just want to punch. Incidentally, this is our first clown gag of the New Year; we held out as long as we could.

As a human who lives with a couple of feline family members, I'm sure these unearthly visitors eventually found themselves acting as kitty butlers, too.

 

The contractors carry tarps for the job in their back pockets, and the customer added a "no whistling" clause to the agreement.

 

It's always fun to watch a kitchen fire flinch and then laugh in response to one of these novelty extinguishers.

We ran two clown comics this week, but it's okay, since it's been a couple of months since the last one. Let's hope we don't experience another dry spell that long.

The sign on stage is actually a "note to self."

That's the latest from your shivering cartoonist. Drop by next week for more comics and comments, along with a fresh pipe pic. In the meantime, don't forget to visit Dan Piraro's blog, to discover what's on his mind, and to admire his newest Bizarro Sunday page.

Here's hoping the New Year treats you well.

Bonus Track

Elvis Costello & the Attractions
"Pump it Up" (1978)

 

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