Talking in Circles

I was watching an old black and white movie the other night and there was one of those great Frank Capra type rumor spreading montages; one jump cut close-up after the other of low angled characters gushing gossip that keeps getting bigger and bigger. Pretty soon we're recycling blatherskites, and we see the same ginks the second and third time around, expanding on the scuttlebutt every pass through. What with the Internet and everything, I don't know why someone doesn't slip a sequence like that into some indie flick. Except, I imagine, fingers flying over keyboards might be a little less dramatic than people squawking into those old timey two part telephones.

Primitive Doodle

Okay, so I write this blog, almost daily. I post a doodle, then I pop in some sort of verbiage, usually a little description. And from time to time I frame the words-part as if I'm a little surprised at what I see in the picture-part. Which often is true. I mean, I'm the guy who just drew it, right? So I should have an inkling what the intend was, donchathink? But, see, these are doodles and, as often as not, vast chambers of my brain remain unoccupied when I scrawl some on this stuff down. And a picture might end up looking a little more this way or that way when I take a good look at it. So even five minutes after the fact, a drawing may be perceived by me, the observer, quite differently than what was put down by me, the artist. Which brings us to this happy little bastard. Here's a doodle I found in a very old scratch pad. Drawn years, and years ago. I thought it sorta interesting, then I saw that faint inscription "CAVE GUY". What? I meant this to be a cave man? It doesn't look anything like a prehistoric type to me now. A biker, maybe. A beat poet... perhaps some 57 year old drummer in a rock band. But a cave guy? Where's his club? His raggedy animal skin mumu? Did I intend him to be a cave man, or was that something I thought of later? I guess what I'm say is... what was I thinking?

Face UP

Or is that face up again? Okay, so I like doodles with faces. And I like doodles with faces to have faces. This is an old one I found on a scratch pad. Looks like there's someone's logo and address peeking through down there with the chin crowd.

Mister Smug

Fat cat. Self satisfied. Pretty damn pleased with himself. Smarmy. Don't trust this guy. Not for a nano second. And what the hell's with that suit?

Icky Sticky Thingee Bob from Outer Space

Long, slimy looking space tentacles are just about the easiest thing to doodle. There really isn't a shape or proportion of negative space to be found on a notebook page, legal pad or copy sheet that can't accommodate some sort of invading tendril. Sometimes there's enough room to attach it to the appropriate, drooling monster. Sometimes there ain't. Don't matter. I suppose there are some folks who would take the same opportunity to draw some flowery garland or maybe an ivy vine. Me? I prefer super flexible space appendages.

Just a Little Creepy

...but fortunately, there aren't any more creepies where he came from.

Ears to Easter

Got a lot more unnecessary rabbit doodles to draw, so I better hop to it.

Spring Has Sprung Here in Northern Minnesota

...but just barely. Still snowin' this week.

High Profile

Okay. Okay. Okay. I'm not saying that a cartoonist should be judged soley by how big and ugly he can make a nose. Well... yes I am. Kinda. Except, maybe you might also get points for creepy eyebrows too.

Close Only Counts...

Lookin' Acha!

Well, actually, I don't know what she's lookin' at. Her nails, her shoes, the latest issue of ROAD AND TRACK... who knows?

I'm of Several Minds on the Subject

"It's all about multiple personality issues. No it's not! I'm sorry... I didn't hear the question."

The Gangs All Here

"Welcome. I'm glad to see all your enthusiastic faces. Of course, it would have nice if a few more had shown up, but that's okay, I have my task sheet here and I'm sure there's enough of us to get everything done that... wait! Where is everyone going? You know I can't run this comittee by myself! Hey! Muffy, Lonzo, all you guys....come back! Great. Now, what am I'm supposed to do with all these ballons and the trained poodles?"

Okay, So I've Been a Bit Spotty...

The blogging has been hit or miss the last week or so. Sorry. Blame it on too much work. Or too little work work. Or Daylight Savings. Or sun spots. Or the sub prime rate crisis. Or the writers strike. Wait... they settled. Skip that one. Hell, just blame it on the Bosa Nova. The dance of love.

Eye See You!

Hey, what are YOU lookin' at? What? Is it my shirt? Something on my shirt? My teeth? I just flossed. Geez... didn't yer mother ever talk to you about staring? I mean, for cryin' out loud, at least blink or something...

Busy Morning

Well, things just keep happening. Looking at this old sketch I found, I'm wondering why I don't draw ear hair more often... funny touch.

The Crawling Eye Picks Up a Few Things at Piggly Wiggly on the Way Home from Work

One day when I was a tiny boy, I was waiting with my sister, Ann, in a movie theater lobby. We saw a big poster for an upcoming movie, "The Crawling Eye" and it depicted an enormous, disembodied orb clutching a scantily clad woman with one of its prehensile optic nerves... and it was leering at her (well, I mean, what else can a disembodied eye do?) My sister laughed uncontrollably, talked about moronic the thing was, how doofy such a movie must be. I thought it was so cool. I was in love with the Crawling Eye. A little over a year later, I was switching channels on a Jurassic era TV set, when what should pop up on the Million Dollar Movie? The very first scene from "The Crawling Eye"! This in itself seemed very startling and science fiction like to my six year old brain. Back during the Eisenhower administration, NEW movies didn't pop up on television, movies on TV were OLD! (well, obviously, new low budget, bottom half of the bill movies with names like "The Crawling Eye" did show up but, hey, I was in first grade. What the hell did I know?) Anyhoo, three minutes into the thing, a mountain climber turns up with his head ripped off and THAT WAS THE SCARIEST DAMN THING I'D EVER SEEN IN MY SIX ENTIRE YEARS!!! Turned it off, ran upstairs and hid in my bed. Had nightmares for weeks.

Saw that thing on DVD the other night. Damn. I love "The Crawling Eye."

A Cat. Another Damn Cat.

A few bazillion cartoon cats have crept outa my felt tip over the years. Here's another, distinguished only by his free standing eyeball. But, hey, he seems happy enough, so what's to cripe?

Hey, It's the Gang at Work!

Dipsy, Elmira, Llewelyn, Iris, Osco, T.J., Doctor Svenwiff, Betty Bea, Knuckles, Oona, Mort ...and Crazy Corlis

Ro-Buddies

Big bot. Little bot. One has a nifty video screen, opposeable thumbs and (I think) knees. And the other... uh, the other pretty much looks like two tin cans stuck together. But, still they're pals. Companions. Fast friends. Well, actually I don't know how 'fast' either one could be, but they are chummy.

Dog in Space

Well, in the air, anyway. Main lesson here? Don't doodle while hungry.

No Matter What Shape You're In

Or no matter what shape you are...