Boids versus Rocks - "Indigestion"

I've always been attracted to the idea of writing & drawing a "simple" gag strip for the newspapers. Let's face it -  There just ain't any Pogo's or Krazy Kat's anymore! Look at the shit the 'papers publish these days!

I'm cross-eyed with indignation just thinkin' about it!

But mostly I wanted to simplify my style so that I could make a shit load of money and knock out a few strips in the morning, so that I could spend the rest of the day drinking and watching DVD's. It's good to have ambition!

I don't think I can pull off a "simple" style though. I think all those years of drawing in a "comic book" style have made me a bit heavy handed... 

"Boids versus Rocks" The Philospher's Groan

These were done on cartridge paper with Brush & Ink as part of a "sample" package/presentation a while back.

The bird in these two strips (This & above) have evolved into a generic "Cartoon Crow" unlike the bird in the strip on my other Blog.

What else is there to say? Birds = Dumb, Rocks = Smart. What was Darwin thinking?

The Princess and the Pea-Pul

Here's the Black & White version... Brush & Ink on 2-Ply Bristol Board

Emile Kodva IV

Here's the Black & White (Brush and Ink on 2-ply Bristol Board) from the same bunch of stuff as Frankenplug.

There'll no doubt be a colour version of this posted on my Filthy Moods Blog any time soon. Or if you're reading this next week it's probably already there.

The Pessimoid!!!

Pages 1,2,3,4, 6 & 7 of The Pessimoid, brother of The Optimoid. In '94 I was out on my ear, as far as getting commercial work was concerned. A fuckin' bad year, and then some. My two main clients had both quit business in the space of a month or two.

I wrote and drew a half dozen strips for a comic I called Filthy Moods (Where the name of my other Blog comes from) For some stupid reason (It was quicker) I drew in markers which was a big fucking mistake. The stories were all good. I was taking more interest in my writing, but that don't put the food on the table and I was trying to draw up gags and "newspaper" style cartoons to try to break into a different market.

So, here, and below are a few samples from the disaster that was originally Filthy Moods.

You youngsters out there make sure that you view this as a cautionary tale..!   

Lewis Carroll in Manila!

Pages 1, 4 & 5 from Kiss and Tell Inside The Monkeyhouse, from Filthy Moods comic 1994.

I read a newspaper article about the gulf between the wealthy and the poor in Manila and the sheer levels of degradation and poverty that is so prolific. However, it was written by the sports correspondent and this appealed to my sense of irony.

Naturally, I decided to update Lewis Carroll, well-known children's author, favourite of Queen Victoria and escort to young girls. Here he dreams of a future when he is disgraced for his association with Alice and forced to work as a tabloid gossip columnist.

Well, it made sense at the time. Shame the art was so rushed and shitty.

Sigmund Freud Versus The Minotaur!

This is the first story that I wrote for the Filthy Moods comic. I won't inflict the rest of the story on you. I'm sure that you've done nothing to deserve it, anyway.

I've always liked the Greek Myths (probably from watching Jason and the Argonauts as a kid!) and, Shh! Don't tell anybody, but always thought Freud was a bit of a crank. Needless to say in this story Siggy gets Ariadne and nicks all the Myths to claim them for his own crackpot theories.