OT: 45 Years Ago

This isn't cartooning related in any way, and I can't believe this was 45 years ago. I was too young to have viewed it on our old Black and White and was more in the Capt. Kangaroo and Mickey Mouse Club audience. I appreciate it now, though and felt compelled to embed it.

Cartoonists Picnic!

Picnic welcoming the Brownes to Sioux Falls forthcoming! Cartoonists, check your e-mails and RSVP!!!

Speaking of Wordle ...

Interestingly enough, a day or two after my post about Wordle -- Boston Globe did two political blog Wordles illustrating themes/words from both candidates running for President.

Wordle

This has been around for awhile, but by happy accident discovered or rediscovered making Wordles. They are artistic word clouds, basically. You can save these and print them, create t-shirts, mugs, etc.

I used the address of our happy blog here to randomize our vocabulary. If you click on the thumbnail, you'll go to the Wordle site.




I'm providing a bigger, better screenshot picture of the Sioux Falls Cartoonist Blog Word Cloud.

For Better or For Worse and August 31

Just read on The Daily Cartoonist that Lynn Johnston is going back on the quitting drawing the original strips. (I believe she started that process last year, redrawing or reintroducing some of her old strips and then adding newer ones later.)

I kind of figured that with Liz marrying "the freckled one" (I'm at the reluctant acceptance stage on that, but that doesn't mean I have to be happy with it) ... it would probably be the end of the strip. I'm worried about Grandpa Jim though and hope that the strip ends with him still around. For a cartoonist to create a world where you care about the characters or even strongly dislike some of them ... that is an achievement. I've loved Lynn's cartooning style and most of the storylines and the ending of the strip in it's real time seems rather bittersweet.

Creative Community

Before moving to Sioux Falls, I spent 14 years in the Denver area. So this is a pretty small market compared to the 2 million back at the foothills of Colorado. However, I have been warmly welcomed here at my work, my church, and the creative community. One can join a drawing group, cartooning group, photography group and others. The people in them have shown talent, knowledge and heart for their crafts at amazing levels. I am very pleased to be a new addition to the cartoonist group and look forward to getting to know all of you better at the upcoming picnic.

Calvin and Jobs - Funny Find O' The Day

Pretty hilarious parody where Steve Jobs (Apple/Mac) replaces the Hobbes the Stuffed Tiger.

A Dose of Mary Worth Part I

I don't think there has ever been a day that I've thought, "Gosh, I wonder what is going on in the Mary Worth strip?!" That is, until a glorious day the summer of 2006. A new character, a creepy, Capt. Kangaroo type looking fellow moving into the Charterhouse named Aldo Kelrast. The storyline was campy, creepy, and actually got me purposely seeking out each days adventures.

Fortunately someone has gone through the effort of providing all the comic strips of that storyline. Ah, memories. Misty watercolor memories of the days of Charterstone.

There is also a great article regarding this stalker storyline.

More to follow after Part I.

Tucked Away - John Daiker's Argus Blog

Click on the "recommend" button and let him know he's loved. :-)

Arts Night At The Birdcage

Got this in an e-mail and passing the info along.

For anyone going to the Canaries ball games, children have been decorating the second bases for each home game. It is so neat ... the artists are treated to a game with their family and get to go out on the field and their designed base is shown on the big lit up screen too. There will be a gallery of all the masterpieces. (I happen to personally know a couple of the young artists!) :-)

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AUGUST 12 IS ARTS NIGHT AT THE CANARIES STADIUM!!

As you know, the Canaries have teamed up with the Arts Council to help us raise a little money this summer. For every double a Canaries player hits at a home game this season, the Arts Council makes money based on pledges we have received – to date we have raised over $2,500!

To highlight this program, kids ages 6-12 have been painting second bases that are used at all the home Canaries games. On August 12, Jeb Cooper – artist Ceca Cooper’s son – will be the featured base painter. AND, we all thought it would be fun to go to a game together before the season is over.

So we’re asking all arts lovers, organizations, artists, patrons to join us on the Party Deck at 6:30, Tuesday, August 12, to enjoy the game. Tickets are $20.00, and include the price of a ticket to the game plus all you can eat and drink for the evening. (You can also just purchase the game ticket and buy food and drink as you go…)

Please call Mallory at the Canaries if you are coming – she can arrange for you to pick up your tickets before the game rather than standing in the regular line. Her number is 333-0179.

Thanks much – and hope to see you at the ballpark!

Deb Klebanoff
Executive Director
Sioux Empire Arts Council
309 E Falls Park Dr
Sioux Falls SD 57104
605-977-2002
https://webmail.k12.sd.us/owa/redir.aspx?C=bd9ab637a9c749948c22d9d48d83a4cf&URL=mailto%3adirector%40siouxempireartscouncil.com
https://webmail.k12.sd.us/owa/redir.aspx?C=bd9ab637a9c749948c22d9d48d83a4cf&URL=http%3a%2f%2fwww.siouxempireartscouncil.com%2f

"...fostering the arts through Service, Education, Advocacy, and Coordination..."

Freelancer Gets Fired - Accused of Plagiarism

Here's the cartoon published "before" and then one created by the freelancer "after". What are the odds that two people could come up with the same kind of placement and concept and similar captions at same time?

My Life In A Cube -- Another Comic You Should Know

My Life In A Cube by Shane Johnson.

I am so sending this to one of my unfortunate friends who moved up to Estrogen Hades on the 2nd floor.

Chickens, Savage Ones, Coming Home to Roost

Okay, this discovery made me cluck heartily. The site is SavageChicken and this cartoonist draws his chickens on post it notes.

I'm inspired by the post it approach and kicking myself in the roost myself. If only the Internets were around when my art pals and I did our pass around drawings on bar napkins. Oh, how it'd be our claim to fame. ;-) Fun to know Scott does this. This really does need to be a Sioux Falls Cartoonist and Friends activity.

1984 Timecapsule and Reflection in Humility

Many moons ago, my Dad's old college sketchbooks were discovered. While looking at his old sketches from a drawing class or something, in my unwise and youthful arrogance, I snickered and gave him a bit of a bad time. It's something I've regretted for a long time, though I think Dad has forgiven me and shrugged off the incident. (Razzing did happen both ways though, the infamous Barry Manilow Bas Relief coil pot from high school comes to mind. Even fellow classmate and friend exclaimed the glaze colors looked like snot!)

Following my graduation, my canvas paintings, drawings, and cartoon panels were carefully wrapped up by Dad and stored in the garage and presented to me when I moved into my own house. There, this timecapsule remained in my garage and made yet another move. Flashforward to this summer when I wanted to clear out some things in my garage and noticed the "wrapped timecapsule". I offered the painting stretchers to fellow cartoonist and mixed media artist Scott. He was there as I opened up and rediscovered the art of my youth ... and I must say, was pretty polite and poker faced throughout the whole unveiling ... until the Barry Manilow Coat Poster came out. (I know he really wants that poster.) ;-)

I offer this post as an open apology to my Dad and a promise to keep some past artwork around for the future generation to poke fun at me later on. Just not all of it.

I'll try to capture this poster in all it's glory sans flash sometime.