In the podcast, Buford offers a glimpse not only into his influences — the comics and the people who have inspired him — but also into the inspiration for Scary Gary, how the innovative comic was picked up by a syndicate and the creative process Buford uses to create the strip each day.

Buford also offers some inside information about the cast and the comic that no fans of the horror or comic genre should miss. With Gary and Leopold joined by Travis, a severed head in a jar, and a parade of other supernatural beings, suburban life won’t know what bit it.

Question the First, from Chip Skelton, “Broken Things”

Mr. Breathed, a good many artists tend to be loners. You’re very active physically and deeply committed to causes and ideas outside yourself. In your opinion, does a creator become a better storyteller if he/she moves beyond the books, movies, comics, video game, etc, and lives their lives beyond the fantasy and into the real world?

Your question belies the answer, Chip. Related to this, when I have spoken to college audiences, I ask them how many in the audience want to write in one fashion or another. Half the hands go up. I ask them what they’re majoring in. Usually communications, or journalism, or Film. Then I tell them they’re all the same idiots that I was in school. History is what every writer should study. Whether they be a novelist or a comic book creator. Study the world and it’s resident species. The rest is learned in an afternoon.

» Todd Clark also has a new book collection for his comic Lola. Check it out on Amazon.

» Arizona cartoonist Sean Hoy will be in Scottsdale for a couple of book signings to promote his book ” Out of the Cup” (coffee related cartoons). Naturally, the signings are at area coffee shops. See his website for more information.

» What the Duck creator Aaron Johnson is celebrating the upcoming 500th WTD strip. Fans can download a Go Duck Yourself cartoon then modify, color, accessorize it and send it back in. Best ones are featured on the site and get a WTD t-shirt.

» Rome News-Tribune editorial cartoonist Mike Lester was on Georgia Public Broadcasting yesterday and this morning.

» Editorial cartoonist Andrew Wahl was honored with 3rd place in the SPJ’s Excellence in Journalism Region 10. First and second place went to David Horsey of the Seattle Post-Intelligencer and Jack Ohman of The Oregonian.

» Hawaiian webcomickers Audra Furuichi and Scott Yoshinaga, who draw nemu nemu, will be part of The Teen Summer reading program presenting a the basics of webcartooning.

» Vlad Kolarov, who draws illustrations and cartoons for greeting cards, advertising, newspapers, etc. has launched a new web site to sell his single panel cartoons.

» Abell Smith, one of the cartoonists featured in Ted Rall’s “Attitude 3: The New Subversive Online Cartoonists” has posted his first animation.

» Mr. Media interviewed Cafe Con Leche creator Charlos Gary. During the live stream-cast Chris Browne who does the Hagar the Horrible calls in. A BlogTalkRadio player is below if you want to listen to the full program.

Open in your default player

Detach into a separate window

A sampling of questions and answers:

10. Are you concerned about the declining state of newspapers? Does Universal Press have a contingency plan if print really does fold? Do you think UPS and Uclick will ever merge back together?

LEE: What decline? But yes, we are concerned. Print revenues will be important to us for a long time, but we’re doing more with the online side of newspapers with special projects, emphasizing efforts in ancillary rights and broadening our offerings beyond the traditional column and comic strip. Right now, uclick does its thing and UPS does its, but we all recognize the need to work more closely. The Web, newspapers, calendars, books, television and movies afford us and the talent we represent a lot of opportunities. For The Argyle Sweater, we had a card deal and a calendar deal before the panel began in newspapers, thanks to in-house enthusiasm by our affiliate, Andrews McMeel Publishing. The outlets are many, including animation.

» Garfield will by highlighted in Total Licensing Magazine.

» Andrews McMeel Universal selects Handmark Co-Founder Eric Decetis as Chief Executive Officer of uclick Division”

» Eric Decetis is reportedly making $5 million/year doing cartoons for t-shirts, boxers and greeting cards, etc.

» Mr. Media (AKA Bob Andelman) will interview Jules Feiffer today at 1 p.m.

» Keith Knight will have an exhibit at the San Francisco Cartoon Art Museum.

» Kieran Meehan has confirmed to me that his feature A Lawyer, A Doctor & A Cop will be renamed to Pros and Cons sometime in the month of June.

Correction: Douglas Edwards was named chief executive officer of AMU’s uclick division, effective June 2, 2008, not Eric Decetis.

Washington Post Comics page editor Suzanne Tobin will be at this year’s National Cartoonists Society’s convention this year where the chat session will happen. You can send advanced questions through the link above.

UPDATED: You can listen to a recording of the show here.

» Diesel Sweeties creator Rich Stevens is interviewed by Newsarama about his strip and the difference between his online and syndicated work.

» Charles Brubaker has discovered YouTube video of Ford commercials designed by Dr. Seuss.

» Mark Anderson’s book “Rub My Tummy and It’s a Deal” is no available on Amazon. Go get it!

» Mark Anderson, yes the same one as mentioned above, has created a Facebook app to deliver his ‘toons through Facebook.

» Mike Rhode has a wrap up of an unique cartooning moment at the New York Times as one of their reporters covered the North Carolina presidential primary - in cartoon form.

Q: Do your cartoons hurt your personal relationships with the politicians you draw?

A: No, I don’t have personal relationships with the people I draw.

Q: Do you worry that your drawings will hurt the reputation of someone you have drawn?

A: No, if one of my cartoons hurts the reputation of a politician that I am criticizing, then I am pleased. (Sometimes the crowd murmurs when I say this. It doesn’t seem to be what they expect me to say.)

Q: Do you ever apologize for your cartoons?

A: Sometimes, but only if I make an error or if the cartoon is misunderstood. Usually the people who are angry about a cartoon are the people I intend to make angry, and I am happy to make them angry. (The crowd murmurs at this answer, too.)

Q: Do you ever draw cartoons that are supportive of China?

A: No, I don’t draw cartoons that support anything. I just criticize. Supportive cartoons are lousy cartoons.

Q: Now that you have visited China, and have learned more about China, will you be drawing cartoons that support China?

A: Probably not.

Q: What do you think about the terrible things that Jack Cafferty from CNN said about China? What can be done to make CNN apologize for these remarks?

A: (I try to be polite here.) Most Americans don’t know Jack Cafferty and haven’t read about his remarks, but most Americans have a negative view of China and would probably agree with Jack Cafferty’s remarks. I wouldn’t expect CNN to apologize. (The students murmur.) It is interesting that Jack Cafferty is a big issue here; the students all seem to know about the guy and seem personally insulted by him.

Q: At every event there is a student with a big smile who asks: Do you see many editorial cartoons in the USA about the Olympics? What are the cartoons like?

A: (I try again to be polite.) Yes there are lots of cartoons about the Olympics, and the cartoons from around the world are almost all negative about China.

Ed. Note: the “Q:” and “A:” were added above for clarity to the reader.