Are We Having Fun Yet?
It’s Saturday, which means I’ve been pedaling my cyber-bike around the digital neighborhood all morning to deliver another cartoon newsletter to your virtual sidewalk. Our above-the-fold story is the release of my latest blog entry.
The cartoon studio has been hopping since our last issue. I worked on a week of gags sharing a common theme, and got a new chair pad for my computer station, which those of you with home offices will appreciate.
Looking Ahead & Looking Back
It wasn’t easy to choose a preview image that wouldn’t give away the theme of the latest batch, so I went with a redacted version. All will be revealed in July.
Our throwback art is the last of the “Itchy Acres” strips from Nickelodeon Magazine.
Jazz trumpeter Lee Morgan wrote and recorded a song called “Mogie,” which I adapted as the name of the character introduced in this strip.
Behind the Panels
Thursday’s “Sousaphobe” gag originally had different dialogue and was captioned “Xylophobe.” I made changes after learning that xylophobia is an actual word for the irrational fear of wooden objects, trees, or wooded areas.
As far as I can tell, there is no psychiatric condition called Sousaphobia.
The comic book in Friday’s “Man of the Sloth” panel was based on the third issue of Bill Griffith’s Zippy, which reprinted newspaper strips from 1979 and 1980.
I’ve been reading and admiring Bill Griffith’s comics since my teens. As a music-obsessed youngster, I spent too much time (and money) in record stores. In those days, independent shops often had a spinner rack stocked with underground comix, introducing me to cartoonists like Robert Crumb, Gilbert Shelton, Foolbert Sturgeon, Jay Lynch, Skip Williamson, Justin Green, Art Spiegelman, and Bill Griffith.
Beginning in the early 1980s, I occasionally corresponded with Bill and regularly saw him when I attended San Diego Comic-Con, up through the early 2000s. Our paths have crossed many times, and a comix hero has become a colleague and friend.
The Zippy comic in Friday’s Bizarro is a respectful nod to Bill’s influence.
Griffy has the artistic chops of a seasoned master and the creative energy of someone half his age. In addition to creating Zippy comic strips seven days a week for decades, over the past ten years, he’s also researched, written, and illustrated four fascinating graphic memoirs/biographies, including Three Rocks, the story of Nancy cartoonist Ernie Bushmiller, and Photographic Memory, the story of pioneering photographer William Henry Jackson, who was his great-grandfather.
He’s currently working on his own memoir, which is sure to be another classic. While we await its publication, you can order any of his books from Zippythepinhead.com, and he’ll autograph them for you.
Thanks for subscribing, and for reading Bizarro.
As Lee Morgan might say, I hope you have an expoobident week.
Your comments and questions are always welcome.
Cheers,
Wayno
I have a hard time differentiating between Lee Morgan and Feddie Hubbard. I have tons of both and love the post/hard bop they were such a big part of. You, sir, besides being a world-class arteest, have an impeccable taste in music.
"Man of the Sloth" was my favorite for the week. Since several of my relatives are pastors, I shared it with them all.