Who did this? Randomly saw it on social media.
And the New York Daily News’ front page is really funny, too.This guy climbed Trump Tower today. The whole country was glued to their tv’s and social media, watching it all happen live.
Draw it; don’t Snapchat it
Such a great idea – the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam is asking people to sketch the art they see in the museum, rather than take photos of it! Love this.
I’m at museums often and there are different policies, many allow you to take photos if you don’t use the flash, others are strict about you not taking photos, but this idea of recreating the art by drawing it yourself is really cool in that you can appreciate the art even more so when you get into every detail of the subject.
I see many people taking photos of themselves in front of the art and I can understand that, years ago, when I saw Starry Night for the first time, I was in a trance, I just stared at it and one time I had my cousin take a photo of me in front of it. Back then it wasn’t behind glass, I can’t remember if it was framed or not, but the fact that it wasn’t behind glass and you could get right up close to it and almost smell the paint was special.
Next time I’m at MOMA, in NY, I’ll be sure to sketch Van Gogh’s Starry Night, which is my favorite work of art. Maybe.
Probably not, but it’s a great idea.
Scott Adams – Ten With Tom
10 With Tom
10 questions in 10 minutes
After looking over the 10 With Tom I did with Stephan Pastis, Pearls Before Swine cartoonist, I thought why not ask the 10 questions of Scott Adams, creator and Dilbert cartoonist, after all, it was Scott who was Stephan’s tipping point. He liked the strip when it was kind of new, talked it up and overnight it became a sensation, something like that.
Here are my 10 With Tom questions with Scott Adams.
Tom: Are you recognized on the street?
Scott: Almost never, except locally.
Tom: If you had to kill off one of your Dilbert characters, which one would it be and why?
Scott: I have a character named Ted the Generic Guy. I kill him whenever I need something bad to happen in the strip. After that, probably Dilbert, but he’d come back to life somehow later.
Tom: What newspaper(s) did your family subscribe to/read when you were a kid?
Scott: Albany Times Union
Tom: Which comic strip, past or present, would you like to crawl into and spend the day?
Scott: Sounds like a sad life any way you look at it. But I’d go with Mutts because I like pets.
Tom: Without looking, what color is Lucy Van Pelt’s dress?
Scott: I’m thinking yellow or red. My final answer is…yellow?
Tom: No. It’s actually blue.
Tom: What do you usually order at Starbucks?
Scott: Cafe Mocha (hot) with whipped cream.
Tom: Me too! Always.
Tom: Last book you read
Scott: Hard to Ignore by Dr. Carmen Simon.
Tom: What bores you?
Scott: Listening to someone describe food or TV shows.
Tom: Tell me about someone you envy.
Scott: Someone has a better life than I do? My life hasn’t always been easy, but at the moment it’s spectacular. I honestly can’t think of anyone I envy. (But envy isn’t a big part of my personality in general.)
Tom: Do you still feel that Trump will win the election? (I know you endorsed Hillary)
Scott: It wouldn’t be any fun if I changed my prediction now, would it? My prediction assumed Trump goes into a deep hole before powering out toward the end. So we are right on schedule.
Thanks, Scott. Good sport.
Predicting Trump
Garry Trudeau, Doonesbury cartoonist, talks with Rachel Maddow about his early recognition of Trump as a political contender. He was almost psychic in his comics of 1987 and 1999.
But before that, there’s a funny scene from The Simpsons about the election.
My original cartoon art
I bought a few pieces of original comic art on Ebay today. I got an original Mutt and Jeff Sunday strip from July 16, 1961, by Al Smith and 10 Winnie Winkle originals by Frank Bolle, from February 1987. Frank drew Winnie two-up – meaning, two strips per page. The pages are 11.5″ x 16.5″
I bought these two sets outright but I bid on an original Bringing Up Father strip from February 21, 1945. I lost out on that one. I thought I had it and as is the case on ebay, someone swooped in at the last second and outbid me. That would have been a nice piece to have.
It’s pen and ink with slight blue pencil and Benday shading causing some staining as seen in scans below.
Original Mutt & Jeff, 1961
Original Winnie Winkle, 1987
Original Bringing Up Father, 1945
Original Bringing Up Father, 1945
Original Bringing Up Father, 1945
Original Dick Tracy
Original Andy Warhol shoe design
Original Flintstones cell
About 10 years ago, I bought this image of Dick Tracy drawn by Chester Gould and this shoe drawing by Andy Warhol. I don’t have any proof that these are real, but I believe they are. Warhol drew shoe ads for I Magnin, the department store, before the soup cans and before he became ANDY WARHOL.
A couple of years ago, I bought some Flintstone’s cells. I bought four of them, different images, signed by co-creator, Joe Barbera. But they are not cells from actual tv shows or movies so not sure of the value. I’ve tried to resell them over the years with no luck, but I actually like them so I don’t mind keeping them.
A trip back in time
I think I may have found a new favorite place in New York City; in Brooklyn, to be exact.
I was wandering around the other day and I checked Google Maps on my iPhone and as I was navigating my way around, I noticed that the New York Transit Museum was highlighted on the map. I was right around the corner, so I walked over. The funny thing is that I couldn’t find the entrance to the museum until I realized that it’s the actual subway stop at the Court Street station. You literally walk down the subway steps and there is the museum. It’s two floors below street level.
On the first level there are lots of items from the past including turnstiles from almost every decade, there are old buses that are deconstructed and you can sit in them and get the feel of driving them.
The purpose of the museum is to “interpret and preserve the history, sociology and technology of land-based public transportation systems in New York City.” There are small replicas of stations from the past and rebuilt trolley models and the best part of all is down below. One platform below the main platform is a trip into the past. Old train cars from the past are right there on the tracks. The old cars are in almost perfect condition. There are cars from 1915 and 1925 and 1938 and so on. There are cars from the 1960s and the red cars you’ll remember from the 7 Line.
Vintage ads are all still in the cars, so you really feel as if you are going back in time when you enter the cars, ghosts of the past fill your mind, just seeing the worn seats and turnstiles makes you wonder and think of all the people who have used the mass transit so many years ago.
When I picture the past, I usually think of sepia tones, but the bright colors of the old cars are amazing.
The older the trains, the more comfortable they seemed to be. There were ceiling fans before air conditioning was introduced and as the years moved on, the trains became less luxurious and more plastic.
The older subway cars reminded me of the old trains you see on westerns, you know, the trains used for long distance travel across the country.
The New York Transit Museum is located at the corner of Boerum Place and Schermerhorn Street in Downtown Brooklyn and accessible by over 20 bus and subway lines. The entrance to the Museum is down two flights of stairs. A second wheelchair accessible entrance is located on the corner of Schermerhorn and Court Streets.
Hours
Tuesday-Friday: 10am – 4pm
Saturday & Sunday: 11am – 5pm
Closed Mondays and major holidays
Admission
Adults $7
Children (2-17) $5
Seniors 62+ $5, free on Wednesdays
Museum Members free
Children under the age of 17 must be accompanied by an adult.
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Stephan Pastis – 10 With Tom
10 With Tom
10 questions in 10 minutes
I got the chance to ask Stephan Pastis, creator of the comic strip, Pearls Before Swine, my Ten With Tom questions last July. I do the Ten With Tom feature once in awhile for the Huffington Post. Stephan has one of the most popular comic strips around, his tipping point was when Scott Adams, creator of the Dilbert comic strip, noticed his work and mentioned it in a blog post. The rest is history. His online readership went through the roof overnight.
He won the 2015 Reuben Award for best newspaper comic strip. I’m trying to follow in his footsteps with my comics, so it truly was an honor doing Ten With Tom with Stephan.
Do people mistake you for Seth Macfarlane?
I’ve heard that before, but the one I hear more is Robert Downey, Jr. I even had a restaurant owner in Dublin, Ireland tell me what an honor it was to have Robert Downey, Jr. in her restaurant. I told her that I appreciated it, but that I didn’t like to be disturbed while dining.
Why do you create your comics 7 months in advance, why so far ahead?
I’m anal retentive. I need to relax.
Are you recognized on the street?
Almost never. Except as Robert Downey Jr. in Dublin.
What are a few of your favorite classic newspaper comics from your childhood?
Far Side
Calvin and Hobbes
Peanuts
Bloom County
Flintstones or Scooby Do?
Scooby. There’s always someone trying to scare away prospective house buyers by filling it with fake ghosts and/or monsters. Knowing that the ghost thing is a sham, I could probably get a great deal on real estate.
Which comic strip would you like to crawl into and spend the day?
Krazy Kat. Lots of peyote and throwing bricks at others.
Dick Tracy or Little Orphan Annie?
It wouldn’t be Annie. Her lack of pupils would be disturbing, particularly if you fell in love. You could never look into her eyes.
What section of the printed daily newspaper today should be eliminated to add more comics?
Many of the comics.
Without looking, what color is Olive Oyl’s dress?
Top half of her is red. Bottom half of her is black. Both halves are probably stained by spinach.
Do you think you’ll ever go digital in creating Pearls Before Swine? Why?
No. Too lazy to learn. Plus, it doesn’t seem like something Robert Downey Jr. would do.
Thank you Stephan!
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Jack Davis; you know his work
On the same day that Richard Thompson passed away, Jack Davis also passed. You may not know the name but if you read Mad magazine you have seen his work and his art graced TV Guide for many years. Just looking at the covers from TV Guide brings back my childhood. These images were seared in my head at the time and just looking at them brings back so many memories. He was the master of crowd scenes.
Here are a few. For so many more, check out Drew Friedman’s blog here.
Richard Thompson died today
Photo courtesy Dustin Fenstermacher
Richard Thompson is best known for his Cul de Sac comic strip. The strip started running in newspapers in 2007 and ended in 2012 due to his Parkinson’s Disease, which he was diagnosed with in 2009. Cruel irony for a fantastic cartoonist.
More here.
Here’s an enjoyable video called “The Art of Richard Thompson.”
The Art of Richard Thompson from GVI on Vimeo.
Hillary wins Dem Nomination
This is a rerun of the cartoon I did for when Hillary won Iowa. I just changed the text. 🙂
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