For you youngsters out there there was a time when editorial cartoonists and book publishing had a wonderful bond. Books of editorial cartoons with were regularly published with the added bonus of the cartoonists adding a running commentary to remind us of why the cartoons related to the times they were originally published.
This came to mind because of Jack Ohman‘s recent (which I forgot to include in my last roundup) Substack post offering a week of his cartoons with annotation. I miss the golden age of editorial cartoon collections.
Jack Ohman’s You Betcha homepage.
**********
Also absentmindedly not included in the last roundup was this half hour Comics Culture interview with Mutts cartoonist Patrick McDonnell.
Patrick talks of The Guard Dog Story and that it was completely plotted before he began the story, he says he still works with paper and ink in this digital age, prefers black and white dailies, and brings up his influences and heroes: Schulz, Herriman, Kelly, Segar, and Feiffer.
Not mentioned or asked is when (if?) Patrick will return to new Mutts strips on a regular basis.
**********
In the fall of 2004, a young political cartoonist named Phil Hands landed an internship with the Wisconsin State Journal. He drew cartoons about the 2004 presidential election, Wisconsin state politics, battles over taxes and spending in the city of Madison and Badgers sports. Looking back is amazing how many of these cartoons are still relevant.
20 years later, a middle-aged Phil Hands is lucky enough to still be drawing cartoons about many of those same subjects for State Journal.
The Wisconsin State Journal celebrates 20 years of Phil Hands cartoons with a gallery of his handiwork. (paywall)
**********
We’re so excited to welcome a brand-new comic strip to Comics Kingdom: Nibbles & Scratch by the talented cartoonist Tyler Dewhirst. If you love quirky humor, lovable characters, and clever takes on city life, you’re going to adore this duo!
Nibbles is the street-smart pragmatist … Scratch is the sunny optimist.
Comics Kingdom introduces most of us to a new comic strip today.
“Most of us” because the comic strip has been around for a while. Five years ago it was self-syndicated.
From the December 17, 2019 Milton Times:
About a decade ago Tyler Dewhirst submitted a few cartoons to the Milton Times. He was a student at Pierce Middle School at the time but the level of his artwork was professional even then.
This week Nibbles and Scratch return to the pages of the newspaper.
Dewhirst is beginning to sell his material which includes a series of single panel gag cartoons.
But the comic strip is something the Milton Times wants to include as the newspaper begins to look back at what has worked in the history of print news.
Dewhirst has refined his artistry to tell the tale of a pair of anthropomorphic cats who live in an alley and struggle to make ends meet together.
Dewhirst is beginning to self-syndicate the panel cartoon and the Milton Times is one of his first clients.
More about Tyler at his website and the social media links there, including his Patreon account.
**********
It is always a pleasure to get an extra Paul Berge cartoon during the week, it is doubly delightful when he uses his historical knowledge of editorial cartoons (check out his Saturday columns!) to use an old standard to create a new take.
In this case he re-imagined an 1871 Thomas Nast classic, refitting it to a current situation.
**********
On the subject of references…
So what do you do if you need to draw a castle?
If you’re Gary Hallgren you pull out your copy of Cartoonist PROfiles and use John Cullen Murphy‘s drawing of the Museum of Cartoon Art, aka Ward’s Castle and use it as reference for Hägar the Horrible.
Brian Fies for the heads up.
**********
From the Las Vegas Review Journal:
I don’t always agree with Review-Journal editorial cartoonist Michael Ramirez, but I have to admire his wit, talent and work ethic. No other cartoonist puts in as much attention to detail as Mr. Ramirez.
Most others in his field offer up simplistic sketches that get their point of view across with a quick perusal.
Mr. Ramirez gives the reader more meat to consider, with myriad little innuendos along with the obvious. I look forward to his posts even though they sometimes rub me the wrong way.
Thanks so much!