Well, this is Comic-Con week. While many of my friends and colleagues will be congregating in San Diego for the grand daddy of all comic conventions, I shall remain in Los Angeles working on the Lalaloopsy TV show.
Comic-Con is a crazy time with 150,000+ swarming the hotels, restaurants, streets and convention center all looking to get their nerd on. I won’t be missing it one bit, but I do share an affection with the crowd for the great geeky experiences to be had there in excess. So, I thought I’d throw my hat in the ring by posting a pretty nerdy sketch today.
If a mouse had Jedi powers, what would he use the Force for? Why, liberating cheese from traps of course. Enjoy!
Back in 2005 I was thrilled to be asked to come on board a new show for Disney called Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. I had doodled and painted the mouse just for fun for many years, even subtly sneaking him into the background of boring still life paintings that were required in college. To finally have an opportunity to work on the mouse and his pals every day as a part of my career was a privilege indeed. I put my all into the first two of Mickey‘s five seasons before moving on to other projects.
When I first walked into the party, I thought this was one of the Clubhouse toys, but it was actually a CAKE!
Well, now it’s time to say goodbye to all our company. While the last of Mickey Mouse Clubhouse‘s new episodes are being finished up, production on Clubhouse is ending. Last Wednesday the Disney Channel threw a nice party for those of us that were a part of re-introducing Mickey to a new generation.
However, Mickey is NOT going away! Mickey Mouse Clubhouse will continue to air for some time, as well as new Mickey Mouse short cartoons that are being made in a retro style for the Disney Channel, and I hear rumblings that Disney Feature Animation may be making a big screen Mickey short, too.
For now though, I thought I’d share some pictures with you of the people who were responsible for bringing all that joy to your kids. Hot dog, hot dog, hot diggity dog!
Disney Channel executive Nancy Kanter thanking the troops for a job well done in bringing Mickey back into the consciousness as an entertainer and paving the way for pre-school shows at Disney.Here I am with Kelly Ward (Putzie from “Grease” who directed the voices for our show and wrote a few episodes) and the great line producer Bradley Bowlen.Even Mickey and Minnie dropped by for the festivities. (Minnie gave me a smooch when Mickey wasn’t looking. I have that affect on large rodents.)Series music composer Mike Himelstein and director Sherie Pollack have a discussion in the foreground while Disney Channel’s Emily Hart, story editor and producer Mark Seidenberg and executive producer Rob LaDuca get ready to be filmed for a little flipbook.
There were two really neat gifts that they gave us at the party, the first were those baseball caps. Stitched onto the back of them in small lettering was “Meeska, Mooska, Mickey Mouse!” which is always said on the show to make the Clubhouse appear. The second cool thing was the custom flipbooks! You stood in front of the white screen seen in the picture above, and they film you for seven seconds. They then instantly printed out little flipbooks of you with a special Mickey Mouse Clubhouse cover on them. It was a really great idea for an animation party!
Writer Tom Hart, story editor and producer Mark Seidenberg, composer Mike Himelstein, and writer Brian Swenlin all looking at Mark’s newly minted personal flip book.Me with Sy Thomas who was really the art director of the series, and one swell guy. Our cubicles were next to each other when I was on the show.
Did I mention it was a bowling party? The Disney Channel rented out an old 8-lane alley in Montrose, CA naturally called Montrose Bowl. The alley looks like it is still in the 1950s, and is a GREAT place for parties of a moderate size! This is where we had our first crew wrap party at the end of season 1!
Bradley Bowlen bowlin’.Bill Farmer, the voice of Pluto and Goofy, as he gets ready to throw down during a game with me. Bill must have had five or six strikes during our game.The very talented layout artist (designer of backgrounds) and amazing photographer David Beall who now works on “Family Guy”.The lovely Carmen Cano, one of the coordinators on “Mickey Mouse Clubhouse.”Here with editor Reid Kramer, and executive producer Rob LaDuca who I just found out was an effects artist on “Return of the Jedi” when I recently revisited the film!Parting shot with the affable and extremely talented voice artist Bill Farmer.“It’s the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse! Come inside, it’s fun inside!” Let me just say that the song don’t lie.
So there you have it, a few shots of some of the crew that brought Mickey Mouse Clubhouse to your television sets. It was a joy to work on, and I hope I have another chance to work with not only members of this crew again, but also with the Mouse himself.
Yeah, yeah, I know – the title is a bit cute and sappy. Well, I LIKE drawing cute and sappy sometimes!
In this case, the cute and sappy was just what the doctor ordered. A friend of mine has been in the hospital for many weeks, and I thought it was high time to send her a little encouragement. Nothing can be more bleak than having four hospital walls to stare at in between bouts of sleep. Short of having a pharmaceutical degree, a giggling bunny seemed like the best medicine I could mix together.
Hopefully the bunny’s presence has made your day a bit brighter, too!
Perhaps my favorite kind of music next to film scores are the tunes from the Great American Songbook by yesterday’s crooners like Bing Crosby, Dean Martin, Frank Sinatra, Perry Como, Johnny Mercer, Mel Tormé, and especially Nat King Cole. Cole’s smokey smooth tones infused with a bit of jazz are at once nostalgic, comforting, and yeah, I’ll say it – romantic. His is the voice I imagine would come from my mouth should the opportunity to serenade a young lady comes along.
Lest I actually open my mouth and frighten you all away with the true nature of my voice, perhaps for now just a sketch of the great Nat King Cole is in order…
The man who knew how to straighten up and fly right – Nat King Cole.
It is hard to believe that thirteen years ago the great animator and designer Marc Davis (one of Walt Disney’s famed Nine Old Men) passed away. I was part of a group from Disney that went over to his home to help his wife archivally store the art in Marc’s studio. Each flat file unearthed a new treasure trove of drawings that no one but Marc probably had ever seen. One drawer in particular made an impression on me. As each piece of paper was lifted, there was sketch after sketch Marc had drawn in person of jazz musicians during the heyday of the Los Angeles jazz scene. Included were drawings he created of the great Nat King Cole during live performances! Oh to have been a fly on THAT wall!
Speaking of performances, here’s a nifty introduction to that great King Cole voice! Enjoy!
Sunday is always the last day of events for the National Cartoonists Society’s (NCS)Reuben convention held every Memorial Day weekend. It is usually a little more relaxed than the day before since Saturday’s activities always spill over into the wee hours of Sunday morning. So, a bit of sleeping in is usually how most of the cartoonists start their Reuben Sunday. However, things started rolling by noon when Pittsburgh’s ToonSeum, managed by Joe Wos, hosted their first Comic Arts Festival!
Pittsburgh’s ToonSeum, a museum all about cartoon art, hosted their Comic Arts Festival on Sunday.
The street was blocked off for the day as art vendors, restaurants, and even a roller derby vendor (yes, roller derby) sold their wares. Some of the NCS’ more well known cartoonists were scheduled throughout the afternoon signing autographs for fans, and they hosted a panel discussion of women in the comics that included Cathy Guisewite (Cathy), Lynn Johnston (For Better or For Worse), Terri Liebenson (Pajama Diaries), and Hilary Price (Rhymes With Orange).
Pittsburgh – the only place you can find Earl from “Mutts”, Wonder Woman, and a roller derby girl line dancing in the street. By the way, check out the amazing hand cut woodprints by the Tugboat Printshop folks! (http://www.tugboatprintshop.com)An airhead version of Mort Walker’s famous soldier Beetle Bailey.It was the perfect day for a street festival! So many people came that you could barely move (cough, cough).This terrific mural painted by Brian Holderman in 2006 adorned a parking garage a block away from the street festival. Thankfully even the taggers have respected this piece by not painting over it.
Sunday afternoon offered some time for sightseeing. My pal Andy Heckathorne and I decided to walk over to a museum honoring one of Pittsburgh’s natives – some guy named Andy Warhol. To get there, you had to follow the yellow steel bridge. Follow, follow, follow, follow. Follow the yellow steel bridge.
Once at the museum, we bumped into many colleagues from the Reubens. I’d show you photos of them all next to Warhol paintings, but no photography was allowed which is ironic since Warhol’s work depended heavily on the photography of others.
This is the Andy Warhol Bridge. It felt rather sturdy for something that he likely built out of silk screens. I didn’t time it, but I would guess that it took about fifteen minutes to cross.After visiting the museum, it was obvious that Warhol’s success came from his hair. I am now on the path to becoming successful.This was the view from the Andy Warhol Bridge on the way back over to the main part of the city. That bridge is the one I was standing on in Thursday’s post about the ball game.Here’s another great street mural, this one in remembrance of Pittsburgh’s rich history in the production of steel.
At the end of the day, there was one final bash to close out the Reuben convention. With a theme of the 1920s, we retreated to a lower level ballroom where we were served prime rib, salmon, vegetables, and the like set to the strains of a band made up of local Pittsburghian cartoonists. Roughly half of the attendees came dressed in 1920s attire while the music being played was not exactly period. Many of the costumed folks retreated down the hall to a genuine speakeasy still intact from the days of Prohibition. It was a fun last night of socializing with colleagues, and was a great way to cap off a terrific weekend!
Cathy Guisewite and Barbara Dale in their 1920s attire. All I can figure is that they were the bee’s knees!Dan Piraro (“Bizarro”) doodling for a fellow colleague.Mason & Mick Mastroianni (“B.C.” and “Dogs of C-Kennel”) were excited to meet Bill Morrison (Bongo Comics) when they found out that Bill was the artist behind “The Little Mermaid” video and poster art of urban legend fame.Rob Harrell (illustrator), Mark Parisi (“Off the Mark”), Dave Blazek (“Loose Parts”), Chad Frye, Mark Pett (“Lucky Cow”), and Tom Gammill (“The Doozies” and “The Simpsons” writer) in one last shot at 2am after which some of us hit the hay and others went to the President’s Suite where the party continued on!
The next day, Memorial Day itself, many cartoonists scattered to the wind with our thoughts already on getting back together next year in San Diego! But just because we left the hotel Monday morning didn’t mean the party was over! I kept seeing cartoonists in the airport such as those in this final parting shot….
One last shot for the weekend in Pittsburgh’s airport with MAD’s Sam Viviano whose flight was delayed, and MAD’s Ray Alma whose flight WAS on time, but had just turned into a zombie from the weekend’s relentless activities.
Each year when Saturday rolls around during the National Cartoonists Society’s (NCS)Reuben convention, the excitement gets a little more palatable. It begins with a great buffet breakfast followed later in the day by more seminars when they bring out the big guns (you know, the legends), then the black tie Reuben Awards banquet in the evening.
The first of the seminars on this day was by none other than children’s book author/illustrator Mo Willems. Unfortunately I arrived late due to another business meeting I needed to attend, and clearly missed a great first half because the second half of Mo’s talk was sooo informative and entertaining as he recounted his journey from conception to finished book.
The second speaker of the day was magazine and comic illustrator Drew Friedman. Drew’s work often features celebrities whom he nails in likeness while making them rawfully unglamorous at the same time. Even he acknowledges that his thing is often adding liver spots on people. He had several great stories for us of meeting celebrities after they had seen his depictions of themselves – some with good reactions, some with not so good like to the tune of a (frivolous) multi-million dollar lawsuit.
Drew Friedman as he told us about gingerly returning a phone call to Jerry Lewis after Jerry had seen a painting Drew created of Jerry.I like to title this one “Cartoonists Listening.” Kim and Jerry Scott (“Zits” & “Baby Blues”), John Martz (humorous illustrator), and Sam Viviano (“MAD Magazine”) enjoying the seminars.
The final seminar of the day was by the legendary Brad Anderson who first created his comic strip Marmaduke back in 1955. He showed us samples of his pre-Marmaduke art, magazine gags, and tales of wooing his wife with drawings on envelopes sent from his position in World War II. Of course included were Brad’s thoughts about his beloved Great Dane’s creation 58 years ago and how he continues to draw his pop cultural icon.
Brad Anderson at the microphone telling tales of his much loved “Marmaduke” comic strip.Fellow canine cartoonist Patrick McDonnell (“Mutts”), his wife Karen O’Connell, Carol Isaacs from the Professional Cartoonists Organization in Great Britain (PCO), and Brad Anderson’s bride Barbara watching Brad’s talk.A group of British cartoonists from the PCO sent us a tablecloth that they doodled on, so we reciprocated in kind. My random blue monster sits amongst some mighty fine sketches of greater renown.
After the final talk of the day, all the cartoonists retreated to their rooms to doff their drawing duds in order to adopt a little refinement. Yes, I speak of cartoonists in tuxedos and gowns which is the only wardrobe appropriate when walking with one’s nose in the air. You cannot very well muster a proper “How do you do?” when wearing jeans and plaid, nor can you eloquently sashay across a stage in sneakers and cargo pants. Formal wear is the only acceptable way to go.
Chad Frye, jazz musician Grant Geissman (who authored a soon to be released book about MAD’s Al Feldstein), and Andy Heckathorne enjoying some rarefied air.The ballroom was elegant, long and slender, unlike some cartoonists.Some table mates and good friends Bill and Kayre Morrison (Bongo Comics) with me and Andy Heckathorne (Penn State artist).Jerry Scott (writer of “Zits” and “Baby Blues”) presented Brad Anderson (“Marmaduke”) with the Milton Caniff Award for lifetime achievement in our industry.The Walker Bros., sons of “Beetle Bailey” creator Mort Walker, were on hand to collectively present a couple of awards. From left, Greg Walker, Brian Walker, and Neal Walker who are part of the team on “Beetle Bailey” and “Hi & Lois”.Vijaya Iyer, her husband Jeff Smith (“Bone” comic books), and yours truly during a break in the festivities.Cathy Guisewite (“Cathy” comic strip) presented the Silver T-Square Award to Lee Salem of the Universal Press Syndicate.Ed Steckley accepting his Reuben Division Award for Advertising and Product Illustration.Part of the Reuben fun is socializing. Outside the ballroom I caught a few moments with Betty & Greg Evans (“Luann”), Jerry Van Amerongen (“Ballard Street”), and Jeannie Schulz (caretaker of all things “Peanuts”).Usually when the Reuben Award is presented, one of the NCS’ elder cartoonists is chosen to make the presentation. Playing up the “elder” aspect of things, the very youthful Lynn Johnston (“For Better or For Worse”) entered the stage hunched over while rolling an IV tower. Then she proceeded to announce…..….that we had a tie. Both Rick Kirkman (“Baby Blues”) AND Brian Crane (“Pickles”) had won the Reuben for Cartoonist of the Year!
The awarding of the Reuben Award itself was historic this year when both Rick Kirkman (Baby Blues) and Brian Crane (Pickles) had won the grand prize for Cartoonist of the Year. The organizers had hidden a second statue that was produced when the second name was read surprising everyone in the room. The last and only previous time this had happened was in 1968 between Johnny Hart (B.C.) and Pat Oliphant (editorial cartoonist). Brian Crane, having been a nominee for this award many times in the past, gave a very warm and heartfelt speech in appreciation. When Rick Kirkman took to the mic, he unrolled a long piece of paper that hit the floor as he began to read his speech. Both gentleman are class acts who have created a worthy legacy of charm and humor with their comic strips.
Interesting that a strip about old people and a strip about babies both won. Hmmmm. Maybe next year middle aged cartoons will have a chance.
Emily Crane admires her father’s new mantle decoration while Brian Crane chats with a previous Reuben winner Greg Evans who is likely giving advice as to how to light the trophy once Brian gets it home.
The evening wrapped up with a post banquet reception in a beautiful art deco room next to the ballroom where friends and colleagues could continue to chat and enjoy hors d’oeuvres until collapse.
Tired cartoonists who remain happy! Charles Kochman (Abrams Books), comic book nominee Amanda Conner (“Power Girl”), John Reiner (“The Lockhorns”), and me. Hard to believe it was almost 2am when this was taken.
If you would like to see a complete list of winners, please visit the NCS’ official website where all winners and samples of their work can be seen. CLICK HERE to go to Reuben.org!
Whew! Hard to believe that all happened in one day! One more day of photos yet to come!
When Friday rolled around last week, cartoonists from far and wide could be found at the check-in desk for the weekend’s festivities. Name badges were put on, goodie bags were enjoyed, and backs were slapped. It was great seeing old friends and meeting new ones.
Andy Heckathorne of Penn State, editorial cartoonist Jeff Parker who is also co-creater (with Steve Kelley) of the “Dustin” comic strip, and yours truly.A picture at the check-in area of “MAD Magazine’s” Sam Viviano taking a photo of Great Lakes Chapter members Mark Szorady and Polly Keener.Walking through the streets of Pittsburgh, I stumbled across this well done, yet bizarre mural of Pittsburgh natives Andy Warhol and Andrew Carnegie getting their hair done over local dive Wiener World.
Friday afternoon delivered to us three informative seminars on three very different topics. The first seminar was hosted by Andrews McMeel Publishing who brought together a panel to discuss their foray into e-book publishing. Second up was Rob Rogers, Pittsburgh’s own editorial cartoonist who shared with us his work, most notably several cartoons poking fun at Pittsburgh’s very young mayor (only 26 years old when he was elected) whom Rob depicts as an impish child. The third seminar was provided by Terri Liebenson, cartoonist of the syndicated Pajama Diaries comic strip.
A candid moment of members of the NCS Great Lakes Chapter posing for a photo between seminars. Included in the bunch wearing a red shirt is the legendary humorous illustrator, 90 year old Roy Doty.
In the evening, the National Cartoonists Society members descended upon The ToonSeum, Pittsburgh’s cartoon art museum. On display were original pieces of art by every Reuben winner in the NCS’ 67 year history of the awards. Of note was an original by Rube Goldberg himself, along with his Reuben Award and his original sculpt when he designed the trophy named after him. Also garnering many “ooooohs” and “aaaaahs” was an original daily Calvin & Hobbs strip that Bill Watterson had hand colored and signed to Charles Schulz. Rare stuff indeed!
Cartoonists enjoying the Reuben winners art show at Pittsburgh’s ToonSeum complete with an anvil dangling from the ceiling. On the left is Rick Kirkman (“Baby Blues”), next to Rick is Greg Evans (“Luann”), against the yellow wall is children’s book illustrator Mo Willems, and to the right of the art is Nick Meglin retired from “MAD Magazine”.More cartoonists socializing in the ToonSeum such as John Reiner (“The Lockhorns”), Barbara Dale (greeting cards), Anton Emdin (“MAD”), Sam Viviano (“MAD”), Jim Borgman (“Zits”), and Abrams book editor Charles Kochman.The ToonSeum likes to have visiting cartoonists sign wooden drawing boards. You can see that my impromptu monster sketch is in good company.The Greenville Gang – Floridian cartoonist Keelan Parham who grew up in Greenville, SC, and yours truly with pal Andy Heckathorne who were art students together in Greenville.With great architectural details like this all over the city, it is no wonder Christopher Nolan made Pittsburgh his Gotham in “Dark Knight Rises”.
As the evening wound to a close, cartoonists gathered once again in the lobby of the historic William Penn Hotel where the gentle jazz strings of the piano scored our conversations long into dreamland territory. I enjoyed chats with Tundra cartoonist Chad Carpenter, his associate Bill Kellogg, Archie artist Stan Goldberg, new acquaintance Ainsley Olsen and Los Angeles pal David Folkman (Hogan’s Alley Magazine).
Standing in the magnificent lobby of the William Penn Hotel, the legendary Stan Goldberg known for his work in Archie Comics and the original color designer of the early Marvel Comics superheros.While Pittsburgh isn’t quite Philadelphia, there was still lots of brotherly love amongst colleagues such as here with David Folkman and Stan Goldberg.
With Saturday and Sunday still to come, more images from the 2013 Reuben weekend will be on their way!
