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
The search for truth and knowledge is one of the
finest attributes of man—though often it is most loudly voiced by those
who strive for it the least.
Albert Einstein
Einstein knew what he was talking about, as evidenced by current events. The world's most prolific liar continues to accuse everyone else of dishonesty; the brazen insurrectionist claims that his detractors are traitors; the thief says those who expose his crimes should be jailed. Cultists dismiss every horror perpetrated by their dear leader, and a confederacy of apologists and enablers twist themselves into pretzels to appease a willfully-deluded base.
Fingers are crossed for long-overdue justice to be served.
By the way, I confidently share Einstein's quote, as it was confirmed by the New York Times.
Our pipe pic this time around is a graphic of unknown vintage.
It appears to be a German ad for "fishy" herring filets, which were only available from Edeka Kaufmann (if Google Translate can be trusted.)
Before we review the week's comics, sincere thanks to everyone who offered congratulations on my nomination for the National Cartoonists Society's Silver Reuben Award for newspaper panels, and especially to my partner in cartoons, Dan Piraro, who said some very nice things on his blog last week. It's an honor to show my work in the gallery Dan established nearly 40 years ago, and a pleasure to be connected to the community of Bizarro readers.
Since Bizarro HQ's side door is still unlocked, I snuck in with six new gags again this week.
I've recently written several Humpty Dumpty gags including this rather dark one. Come to think of it, they've all been on the gruesome side.
The strip layout called for more creative reconfiguration than usual.
Tuesday's panel was based on firsthand experience.
In the strip version, the second character speaks, allowing the balloon and caption box to be placed on the same side of the layout.
This one counts as a curmudgeonly rant from your cartoonist, who feels out of place in a society where many adults dress as if they're auditioning for a reboot of The Little Rascals.
That faux-embroidered lettering is totally OG (Original Grandma).
This panel was my first time drawing a hand holding a hammer concealed by a sweatshirt. My job is a neverending learning experience.
Alternatively, wear a sideways ball cap and saggy shorts.
Beer Here!
I thought this would be the last East End Brewing label to be shared on the blog, but there's one more to come. EEBC recently released a new batch of wheat wine beer called Also, Thanks!, which reuses part of the old Monkey's Uncle art. As soon as I have a label in hand, I'll scan it for an upcoming post.
Now Playing (Podcast Edition)
I've become hooked on Andrew Hickey's podcast, A History of Rock Music in 500 Songs. Hickey is a writer and historian who's produced 165 episodes so far of this fascinating and deeply researched series. He puts a lot of work into every episode and also posts bonus material on his Patreon page. A recent bonus episode highlighted the Bonzo Dog Band, one of my all-time favorites.
At the end of each podcast, Hickey asks the listener to tell just one other person about the project, since word of mouth is still the best way to promote creative projects. I heard about 500 Songs from Bizarro readers Paul and Ellen R, and am happy to let all of you know about it.
Check it out if you have a chance, and maybe throw some support to Andrew Hickey as he works his way through a history of rock music.
Bonus Track
Beastie Boys: "Boomin' Granny" Capitol/Grand Royal single, 1992 (B-side of "Jimmy James")
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
Happy Pride Month
Before we get to our regular content, we want to pause to acknowledge the years of struggle for civil rights and equal justice under the law for everyone in the LGBTQ community and to celebrate their achievements throughout the year.
There's still a long way to go, and certain forces are working to reverse progress in this important area. We at Bizarro support the goal of becoming a society that's tolerant of and welcoming to everyone.
Humor is how you change people’s opinions, and if you can make someone laugh, they’ll listen, even if they hate you.
John Waters
Sharing quotations is tricky. Much of what we find on the web is questionable, but this sounds like something John Waters would say. I found it while searching for something else I thought he said. The quote I was seeking, whether real or imagined, was about pursuing what you want to do despite those who'd discourage you. It was something along the lines of, "After ten years, they'll realize they can't get rid of you."
I was thinking about that milestone since I'm now in my sixth year as Bizarro's daily cartoonist, fourteen years after my first published contribution. And I've spent almost four decades as a professional artist/illustrator/cartoonist.
I have a birthday coming up this weekend, so that may account in part for my backward glance.
Looking into the more recent past, I retract last week's claim about overcoming artistic self-doubt. That was optimism or hubris talking, because a day after the post, I looked at a panel I'd drawn and decided that it was so terrible, it wasn't worth trying to fix in Photoshop. I filed it away and did a completely different drawing for the gag. That'll learn me.
The quote attributed to John Waters is mostly true but has its limitations, in that it assumes a sense of humor in the person who disagrees with you. There are an awful lot of people (or a lot of awful people) who refuse to recognize anything contrary to their particular beliefs/obsessions and also lack any sense of humor.
If there's a point to this intro, I suppose it's that self-questioning is probably healthy and that a true sense of humor is rooted in the ability to laugh at oneself rather than at others.
Okay, that's enough of a cartoonist's two-bit philosophy. Let's get back to something fun, like this week's pipe pic, a delightful panel by Ernie Bushmiller.
Nancy's creator is the subject of an upcoming graphic biography by the great Bill Griffith.
The book is to be released in late August and is now available for pre-order. I hope to see the author in the fall, so I can get my copy autographed.
While contemplating the sublime perfection of Bushmiller's art, let's look at the work of a lesser mortal, in the form of this week's Bizarro panels.
The character in the suit is a Lagotto Romagnolo, Italy's truffle-seeking dog breed.
As an observer of human behavior, I'm often amused by online comments about comics, particularly those engaging in speculative fact-checking. The truffle dog comic prompted this exchange:
The weapons in Tuesday's gag may look smaller than they should, but they're actually dueling swatters, also known among flies as derringers.
Perhaps one day we'll do a book collecting all of our comics that employ inanimate objects as characters.
I knew in advance that I'd do this one as a vertical strip, but didn't realize that the thought balloon would have to be placed at the bottom until I started working on the layout.
A wooden fence is just a rustic version of a velvet rope.
Friday's panel shows Victor Frankenstein as a pioneer of forensic monsterology.
We closed out the week with a bit of visual misdirection.
My good pal and colleague Dave Blazek surprised me on Thursday, in his award-winning comic, Loose Parts.
Loose Parts is one of the many comics I read every morning, and I nearly spit my coffee when I saw my name in the window of this tavern. We welcome all sorts of barthropods at Wayno's. Thanks to Dave for the extra, personal laugh.
Beer Here!
This label was done for a brew celebrating East End Brewing Company's fifth anniversary, back in 2009. I remember spending considerable time distorting the wooden nickel image, so it would look circular when the label was wrapped around the bottle.
Bonus Track
The Bostweeds: "Faster Pussycat!" Eve Productions, 45 RPM single, 1966
In the early 1980s, I lived less than a hundred yards from the city's coolest record store, which was owned by my good friend Jim. I spent way too much time and money there and loved every minute of it. It was the home base of our self-published music zine and tiny independent record label, rehearsal space for our bands, and the spot where I met and hung out with a ton of musicians, including the Replacements, the Ramones, Snakefinger, and many others.
One day we were sorting a huge lot of old 45s that Jim had acquired and found a copy of "Faster Pussycat!" by the Bostweeds. It was used as the theme for Russ Meyer's notorious film, Faster Pussycat! Kill! Kill!
Unfortunately, the version in the film included sound effects of revving motorcycles and fight scenes, and the recording of the song alone, was hard to find. Jim and I recalled reading an interview with John Waters where he mentioned how much he wanted a copy of the record. We called Baltimore's directory assistance and got the director's phone number, dialed it, and Waters himself answered the phone. We told him we were fans and asked if he'd ever found a copy "Faster Pussycat!" We were thrilled to speak with him and happy to send him the record. I think he offered to buy it, but we insisted on sending it to him as a gift, which he graciously accepted.
No copies of the record are currently for sale on Discogs. In the past, they've sold $735 to $1,000.
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
I got a head full of ideas that are drivin' me insane.
Bob Dylan (lyric from "Maggie's Farm")
Bob Dylan, the Bard of Duluth, turned 82 this week. Rough and Rowdy Ways, his most recent album of new material, was released in 2020, when he was a kid of 79. It's a strong addition to his lengthy discography, and his career of more than six decades is inspiring.
Recently, I ran into a friend and fellow artist at the opening of East End Brewing's new taproom in my neighborhood. We were talking about work, and the concerns of working artists. We've both been doing what we do for a long time and noted that we have fewer bouts of impostor syndrome than we did in our younger years, but are not immune from anxiety over deadlines, bookkeeping, taxes, and the uncertain future of outlets for our work. I noted that we now experience a more practical dread. We also agreed that Practical Dread is a great name for a band.
Although I've (mostly) overcome self-doubt regarding visual art, as a musician, I always fear that I'll be found out as a charlatan. I like to think that's preferable to unfounded overconfidence, which is widespread.
Whatever form of creative expression you practice, I hope it brings you satisfaction.
Today's pipe pic is newly-minted octogenarian Michael Palin of the Monty Python troupe.
Palin's birthday was on May fifth, so we're a little late in celebrating his milestone, but I loved this photo so much, I had to share it today.
For obsessive Monty Python nerds, I recommend Michael Palin's book, Diaries 1969–1979: The Python Years. It's a fascinating day-to-day account of the history of the Pythons, and Palin's life during those years.
Since we're all friends here, I feel comfortable enough to share the latest Bizarro gags.
If the Hell of religious mythology were an actual physical place, getting into the energy business would probably be more profitable than buying souls.
Tuesday's panel includes a rare Franglais pun as its caption. Researching this gag taught me that the diacritical mark over the letter "e" is called a circumflex.
Every Bizarro panel starts as a hastily scribbled digital sketch. I print them out and use them as a guide for drawing the finished art. The number below the signature is a sequential identifier attached to each cartoon, which is used in an unwieldy spreadsheet where I document all of my work.
At this stage, I often edit the text, as seen above. I usually try to remove as many words as possible, although sometimes wordy dialog can improve a gag.
Speaking of imposter syndrome, this software is almost human.
Following last week's pair of Darth Vader puns, I finally got the character out of my system with one more gag.
My colleague George Broderick, Jr. noted that this gag ran on the 46th anniversary of the release of the first Star Wars film, and asked if it was intentional on my part. It was a complete coincidence.
Complementing Tuesday's circumflex, Friday's caption included a tilde. Before you consider joining this particular religion, you should be warned that the rite of baptism involves Wiffle Ball bats.
We also considered the line, "You never invite me to your place."
Beer Here!
A little over a year after releasing Old Nebby Stock Ale (featured in last week's blog), our friends at East End Brewing Company bottled a brew they named Old Knobby.
I still have a couple more labels to share in the coming weeks.
Bonus Track
Bob Dylan, "Tangled Up in Blue" From Blood on the Tracks Columbia Records LP, 1975
One of my favorite Dylan numbers, and an example of what I had in mind last week when I said, "If [an] artist hadn't made x, they may never have created y."
For this listener, "Tangled Up in Blue" is the y that stops me from dismissing x ("Rainy Day Women #12 & 35.")
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
Seems to me it ain't the world that's so bad but what we're doing to it,
and all I'm saying is: see what a wonderful world it would be if only
we'd give it a chance. Love, baby - love. That's the secret.
Louis Armstrong
I've been listening to Louis Armstrong's early music this week and noted that the first band he led, the Hot Five, began making records in November of 1925, nearly a hundred years ago.
I suspect that the quote above was from around 1967, when "What a Wonderful World" was released. I adore Armstrong and agree with those who think of him as America's all-time greatest musician. However, I can barely stand "Wonderful World." The song was impossible to avoid in 1967 and still is today. If you attend a wedding, chances are you'll hear the tune at some point. I'm not against sentimentality and a positive message, but "Wonderful World" has always felt cloying to me. Likewise, I wouldn't be upset if I never heard Armstrong's hit recordings of "Hello, Dolly" (1964) or "Mack the Knife" (1955).
But I'm here to praise Satch, not to bury him. My take on those particular records reflects on me, not Armstrong. There's nothing "wrong" or "bad" about them, they simply aren't my cup of espresso.
A true artist's career of any significant length is the result of experimentation and evolution rather than endless repetition. Louis performed for six decades. It would be a shock to find someone who loved everything he did.
Let's say that x equals something a particular fan of a particular artist doesn't care for. If the artist hadn't made x, they may never have created y, which that same fan thinks is a masterpiece.
Before I became a full-time cartoonist, I had several noncreative corporate and academic jobs, although I had known I wanted to be an artist since I was quite young. For years I pursued illustration and cartooning at nights and weekends while doing other full-time jobs, making slow progress while missing a lot of sleep.
I was often angry at myself for allowing people to push me into things I didn't like and for not being serious about art earlier in my life. Eventually, I realized that the work I happily do today was informed by everything that came before it. Without the experience of functioning within a corporate setting, I might have been less equipped to manage the business of being a freelancer dealing with editors and art directors who work within corporate systems. The people of varied backgrounds encountered in my previous careers provided some understanding and awareness of differing viewpoints, personalities, and motivations, and shaped the way I see the world and interpret it through humor.
I like to think I'm not the art snob I was in my teens. If someone enjoys music that I don't care for, I don't disparage it. The beauty of all art is that it speaks differently to everyone.
I'm a fan of Bob Dylan, but when I listen to his Blonde on Blonde album, I usually skip past "Rainy Day Women #12 & 35," commonly referred to as "Everybody Must Get Stoned,” but I'd never suggest that he shouldn't have recorded it. Nearly everything else he did profoundly appeals to me, and who am I to question his artistic choices?
Miles Davis is a favorite here too, but when I revisit his Sketches of Spain record, I fail to connect with it. But I'll continue to listen to it every once in a while. Ordinary mortals will never fully understand everything a genius produces.
I don't have a neat wrap-up for this intro. It incorporates thoughts I've had in the past, which came to mind when I found the quote at the top. I can't argue with a word of that.
Love, baby - love. That's the secret.
Today's pipe pic is a photo I snapped in the wild.
While walking around the business district near our home, we stopped to say hello at a friend's floral shop. I looked up and saw this bespectacled pipe-smoking deer(?) and felt compelled to take a photo.
Now, let's check out this week's Bizarro panels. If you dislike any of them, please go easy on the cartoonist.
When I sent my initial sketch to Dan Piraro, he did some research and found that "choke on your aspirations" to which I added the asparagus comment. We both liked the pun, and that seemed to be a workable setup for it.
In fact, I sketched two puns on "Darth Vader," and we couldn't choose between them. Dan suggested I run them on consecutive days, which we did. It's a shame I couldn't come up with enough for a full week.
It wouldn't surprise me at all if something like this happened in real life.
It's never a bad idea to consider diversifying one's business.
Friday's gag made me wonder which superhero I've parodied most since I started doing the daily Bizarro. I suspect that Batman is number one, followed by Spider-Man, Hulk, and Iron Man, but I wasn't curious enough to check.
I've written several gags based on fairy tales lately, and this one remedied a recent dearth of therapist cartoons.
Beer Here!
Stock ale is a traditional British brew. "Nebby" is an old Pittsburghese word meaning meddlesome or intrusive.
For this label, I scanned an ancient wooden cigar box and overlaid it with distressed letters from a silkscreen concert poster.
I still have a few more labels I designed for East End Brewing Company and will share them until I run out of images.
Bonus Track
Louis Armstrong, "We Have All the Time in the World" From the James Bond Film On Her Majesty's Secret Service Warner Brother Records single, 1969
To demonstrate that I'm not a total curmudgeon, here's a sentimental Louis Armstrong number that I love. John Barry composed the music, and Hal David wrote the lyrics.
