Last peek at my sketchbook for the week. I flipped back to the beginning (from before I put it away, not getting how sketchbooks work, probably back in 2008-9)
I think my concept here on page 1, was to make the sketchbook an anthropological notebook written in the 1920's and 30's by the worlds dumbest explorer. See here the hilarity as he discovers an elephant (not knowing that they'd already been discovered) and miscategorizes it as an insect. Hilarity ensues?
Then I think I got the concept of doing a strip featuring EVERY comic and cartoon character EVER created. Not thinking about the logistical nightmare of telling an understandable story with 8 million characters, I just thought it would be cool to see. I kind of did that any way (and will again) with my "A 'Slight' History of Golden Age Comic Book Super Heroes" thingy I do here from time to time.
Here's me attempting (and liking) my take on the Duck's (Donald and Daffy) and then being thwarted by that dang hard-to-draw-for-me-anyway, Mickey Mouse.
My horrible Mickey meeting Daffy Duck, Superman and Ko-Ko the Clown at what ever event I imagined them all meeting at. Batman and The Yellow Kid look on.
You see, I'd never really drawn other peoples characters before. I have always (from a very young age) known that it's the cartoonists style that makes the feature cool, the character comes second. Jack Cole's Plastic Man is awesome. Joe Staton (who is extremely talented in his own rigth) doing Plastic Man was a bad take on a character and missed the point. So at 45-6 years old, I was trying to see if I could even draw them, and have them be recognized.
Here's a sketch of me looking bad-ass with my posse: Goofy, Donald, Mickey, A horrible Bugs Bunny, the Golden Age Green Lantern and being evesdropped on by a very Bob Clampett-y Tweety Pie and a sloppy Sylvester. Over all a decent Mickey there.
Which brings us back to the present as I doodle myself some more.
Sketching trying to find a new avatar for facebook and Twitter and the like.
Not the way Van Gogh spent his time...but I am a cartoonist...and that's a wonderful thing.
Thanks for sifting through this with me this week.
Talk to you soon.
Unca Jeff, not only do your comic sketches entertain, your commentary is slippery smooth. Your honesty of sketch and self-understanding is wise and witty.
ReplyDeleteLet's go have a beer and talk about cartoons and crap. I'm buying.
I do believe you and I would drink and talk the well dry...I'm in!
ReplyDelete