comics

Dumping the Christmas tree

I used to do this. I would throw my Christmas tree off the balcony. But I didn’t leave the ornaments on, I would remove those first.

I did it because lugging it down the elevator left so many needles inside the elevator and it was a chore trying to get them all out, so I dumped the tree.

I had a convertible, so when I bought the tree I dumped it in the back seat of the car and brought it home. When I was getting rid of it, I tossed it off the balcony and then dragged it to the street.

I had someone stand downstairs to be sure no one was under it when I tossed it, so there was that.

That’s how I got the idea for this cartoon. Of course it’s funnier with all the ornaments and lights still on the tree.

I no longer throw the tree over because I bought an artificial tree some years back. I wasn’t that crazy about it after I set it up and thought I would just use it a couple of years and then go back to buying real trees, but it’s so easy to just lug it out of the spare room and lug it back, so it’s been the norm now.

My family and I do this gift exchange thing with ornaments. We give regular gifts, but the ornament thing is a game sort of. You get an ornament and wrap it and play that thing where you choose the ornament and the next person can steal it. I think it’s called the “White Elephant Gift Exchange,” but we do it with the ornaments.

For years I would wait till the last minute and go to the store and get the best of what was left. This year I forgot, so I took a good ornament off my own tree and wrapped that. I put it in an old sunglasses box I had and it confused people at the exchange. But when they opened it, they loved the ornament.

This year, no one stole anyone’s ornament and the last gift was a dud and one of my sisters-in-law got that.

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It’s all about Luigi

S0 this cartoon got a lot of play – lots of likes, shares, etc. It’s the month of Luigi. Luigi Mangione. I don’t know why I am linking to him, unless you live under a rock, you know who he is.

The idea for this cartoon was a natural. It just wrote itself.

While watching and reading the news, it was all about Luigi and I thought to myself, “Are they going to start naming newborns after Luigi now?” And the cartoon was born.

Some comments I received were that I’m idolizing a murderer. I think I’m just commenting on what’s going on in the country today. It’s the top story. While I don’t do political cartoons, I thought this was interesting to comment on. People are infatuated with Luigi.

It was posted on Reddit with the headline, “Even the girls?” And most of the comments there were about girls names for Luigi, like “Luigia” or “Luigina” or “Luigette” And many were concerned about Mario’s feeling (from the Nintendo game) Luigi’s brother, since the name Luigi is getting all the attention. Unfortunately, most Redditors didn’t really mention the victim in the shooting.

I don’t even like the name Luigi, I would never name one of my kids that. I don’t really like my own name, Thomas. I like Tom and Tommy, but when someone calls me Thomas, I cringe. Usually it’s people I don’t know like someone at the doctor’s office or at a hotel check-in or things like that.

Luigi is such an ethnic name. I think of Nintendo and Mario Brothers when I hear that name. I don’t think I know a Luigi in real life. But Luigi Mangione now stole that name and it’s his now every time you hear it.

He’s a hero to many because he struck out against our screwed up healthcare system, but what I don’t get is that Luigi’s family had lots of money, why didn’t they have good health insurance?

Over the years I’ve paid a lot for health insurance and when I need it, it came through. I wasn’t happy with the premiums I paid monthly, but I was happy when I had two hernia operations in 15 years and didn’t pay much or anything.

After the first one in 2009, I got one bill. For $58.00.

After the recent one I did not receive a bill. It was all paid for. I had CT scans, MRI’s and so many other check-ups over the year before the operation, and through all that, I didn’t pay a dime. And after the operation, I didn’t pay a dime. All those people called me “Thomas” by the way.

So while Luigi and his family may have had good health insurance, is he paying the price now for trying to help the little guy?

That part I don’t get. We do need a new healthcare system in our country. It’s odd that the healthcare is for profit. The most important aspect of our lives, our health, is controlled by huge for profit corporations. not doctors or medical personnel.

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Outside the box

If you swipe back and forth on this recent cartoon, you can see the difference. No, it’s not the cat or the box, it’s the text at the top.

I wanted to publish it with the script type which says, “Thinking outside the box,” but at the last minute I changed it to the usual block letters because I wasn’t sure if everyone would be able to read it.

As you know, script/cursive was not taught in schools for about 14 years. I’m not sure why. I know things are mostly typed, spoken and digital these days, but don’t people need to sign their names? And no one writes a note to the milkman anymore. Oh, wait, I guess no one knows what a milkman is either.

The good news is that cursive is making a comeback in public schools.

I really like the look of the script text in the cartoon, but in the interest of all my readers – young and foreign, who maybe read English as a second language, I went with the block letters.

Oh, and a funny fact – this cartoon ran on National Cats Day. A reader mentioned it. I didn’t know – it just happened. Right place at the right time.

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New York Comic Con

Went to NY Comic Con yesterday, opening day.

The usual cosplayers were there, but this year I didn’t see Spider-man, Superman or Batman, at least not many. In years past, there were so many of them.

But still it was fun. It seems to be more about video games and movies and tv, not so much about comics, as was the original premise.

I ran into my cousin, who is there all the time, at the booth for the company where he works, it’s an auction house for original cartoon art. I’ve purchased some things from their auctions.

We kibitzed for a bit and then I walked around to check out some other comic booths.

It’s sold out for the year, but if you ever get a chance to go to a comic con in any city, I highly recommend it.

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Meet Hilary Price, cartoonist of the year

Hilary Price is known for her cartoon “Rhymes With Orange,” which is published daily in newspapers all over the country as well as online in various locations. Just recently, Hilary won Outstanding Cartoonist of the Year at this year’s 78th annual Reuben Awards, presented by the National Cartoonist Society – it’s like the Oscars for cartoonists. The winner is chosen by fellow cartoonists by secret ballot.

It’s a very high honor won in the past by famous cartoonists like Gary Larson, Richard Thompson, Al Capp, Chic Young, Charles Schulz, Chester Gould and so many more.

She is featured in 10 With Tom this week. I ask her where the title, “Rhymes With Orange,” came from and what her work space looks like, and why she likes to work with a partner, among other things. You can read it all here.

A sample of Hilary’s cartoon, “Rhymes With Orange”

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Writing for me

I was mentioning us going apple and pumpkin picking in October. It reminded me of this guy that contacted me one day about writing gags for my comics. He was a gag writer. There’s a thing for cartoons and comics.

A few of us were headed upstate New York and this guy emails me just before we were to leave. He lived up where we were going – near Hudson, NY. He introduced himself and offered his services. He wanted to send me gags to buy for my Tomversation comic.

I emailed him back and thanked him for reaching out to me, but I explained that I don’t need that service because I write what I know and I express myself through the cartoons and I don’t think buying gags would be the same. Also, I strongly believe that 90% of a cartoon or comic strip is the writing. You’ve seen stick figure cartoons that have millions of followers – well, the people are there because of the writing, not the stick figures.

I told him I would keep him in mind, just in case and I mentioned the coincidence of us headed up his way that day. He invited us to stop by his house; of course we didn’t. But every time I think of us going upstate to pumpkin pick, I think of that incident.

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Burger in a bag

I got the idea for this cartoon from a guy talking on tv. He was the CEO or some bigshot with a restaurant chain like Applebee’s or TGI Fridays, one of those type places. They were talking about the $5.00 burger and chicken meals that all of a sudden popped up all over the place at the fast food places. Where were they all this time? Out of the blue these businesses are able to manage a decent price for food.

Anyway, this guy said, “We’re a sit down restaurant, we’re not one of these burger in a bag places.” And that stuck in my head, it made me laugh. That might be a term used in the restaurant world, but I thought it would be funny to have a fast food place named, “Burger in a a Bag.”

Some years back, not too long ago, there was a place in Hell’s Kitchen in NYC called Burgers and Cupcakes. It’s closed now, but I stopped in once as I was walking by, just to see what it was all about. It was all about burgers and cupcakes. It sort sort of fits in with the Burger in a bag theme, don’t you think?

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Do you prefer printed or digital books?

If you slide back and forth on today’s cartoon, you can see the difference in the two.

Originally, I had the one guy reading a book, which I liked lot, but I thought that maybe I should make it an ipad, which seems more in touch with today. I have to admit, I read books on my kindle, actually on my iphone.

I have a kindle and a tablet, but I prefer to use my phone. It’s more convenient. The fonts adjust to the size of the phone, so they aren’t tiny, and it’s easy to read.

I’ve tried getting into audiobooks, but I don’t like the voices or the speed of the voices as they read the content. As for printed or digital books, I prefer printed if it is a graphic novel or a book on comics or comic strips.

My cousin loves books, she almost opened an independent bookstore. There is one in Madison Connecticut where we always plan on visiting, but we never seem to make it there. On Sunday, I saw a story on CBS Sunday Morning, about a small town in upstate New York, where they have many independent bookstores. I sent my cousin the story and she was already planning out visit.

We were once in Barnes and Noble and as she was perusing the books, I was taking a few pictures of books. She asked me why I was taking pictures. I told her it was so I could remember them so I could order them on Amazon later. She was not amused.

One time she handed me a book, it was Roz Chast’s book, “Going into Town.” She asked me if I ever heard of Roz. Of course I had. I told her I went to see the Roz Chast exhibit in The Museum of the City of New York recently. I had never been to that museum before and I located it to see Roz’s exhibit. I’ve been back to the museum many times after that. I love that area of the city and the museum.

I have many books I’ve “borrowed” from my cousin and her husband over the years. I don’t think I ever returned any of them. I guess I should.

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Ready for the Fall

This recent cartoon received a lot of talk lately. It seems another cartoonist did the same thing, a few weeks after mine was published and it might be a meme, too.

Over the years, so many cartoons have appeared that were the same or similar and it bothered me, but I’ve learned to get over it. There’s no way of knowing where the ideas come from, although this one particular cartoonist seems to have quite a few of my ideas pop up a week or two after mine are published. Coincidences, I guess?

I got this idea from a friend who actually asked me, “Are you ready for the fall?” And I laughed and said, “Of what, civilization?” And we both laughed. When he first said, “ready for the fall,” I thought of my favorite Madonna song, “Live to Tell.” In it she sings, “I was not ready for the fall.” I never saw the movie it’s from, “At Close Range,” but I’m assuming she isn’t singing about October.

The fall is special to me – Autumn, that is. In October and November, I’m in New York and there is a lot to do this time of year. I attend New York Comic Con in October and also in October, my cousins and I take our usual trip from NYC upstate to pumpkin and apple pick and to see the leaves changing.

In October, we sometimes go to the San Gennaro Feast in the Hamptons and also there’s an Oyster Festival, out east, too. This year, I see San Gennaro is in September. And of course, October is capped off with Halloween!

In November, we do Thanksgiving, and then the Saturday after Thanksgiving is the Southampton Christmas Parade, where all the small Hamptons towns get together for a light parade at dusk, then there is a tree lighting and fireworks afterwards. One of the best events of the year.

So yes – I am ready for the Fall – September, October and November.

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The red beanie

If you swipe back and forth on this image, you can see the two options for today’s cartoon.

The stovepipe hat won out in the end. Not just for Abraham Lincoln, but for the cartoon. At the last minute, I changed from the “caught dead” cartoon to the “more formal” one.

I saw a picture of Lincoln the other day and thought, I would love to draw Lincoln. It was the stovepipe hat which drew my attention, and in the end, the hat, which is the star, never made it to the drawing board. At first I thought of funny ideas for the stovepipe hat but the red beanie won out.

I thought it would look funny to put a red woolen hat on him and the cartoons emerged from there. The “over my dead body,” was dark and I’m glad I changed the final cartoon to the fashion-based one.

I’m not sure why I keep calling it a stovepipe hat, rather than a top hat, but I guess in Lincoln’s era it was called a stovepipe hat. In the 1920s, it was called a top hat.

What’s even stranger about the hat is Lincoln here, in 1862, wearing the stovepipe hat on the battle field. It doesn’t seem like the type of thing to wear in a battlefield.

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