Salem News: The Winning Hand

Published in THE SALEM (MA) NEWS 08/27/2011:
Casino gambling in Massachusetts is coming close to being a reality as more and more representatives turn out to be in favor of it.

Coyotes In Salem

Unused SALEM NEWS cartoon.
As it says, Coyote sightings in Salem have increase along with reports of missing cats. Easy to make that connection, eh? I'm sure my vision of what's been happening was one reason that my cartoon was rejected. (Maybe I should have used ALF)

For Art's Sake: The Name Game

My latest FOR ART'S SAKE strip from THE COMICS BUYER'S GUIDE #1682;
I can understand many Superheroes from different companies having similar powers (Compare Mr. Fantastic to Plastic Man, Aquaman to Sub-Mariner, and how many Bulked-up brutes have we seen with colossal strength? But NAMES?? The original CAPTAIN MARVEL seen here has to call his books "SHAZAM" since Marvel Comics started their OWN Captain Marvel" (The kid with his head off is called "Captain Marvel," too..HIS SHTICK was that he was an android that could seperate his body parts when he yelled "SPLIT!") some time after Fawcett cancelled their series and was restarted by DC..But to let ARCHIE get away with their own DOCTOR DOOM? I guess adding the "MAD" makes all the difference...
Maybe I should have colored this, in case anyone doesn't get the joke about THE THING looking "like Archie Andrews' Toupee"...

Salem News: Duck, Goose! Duck!

Published in the SALEM (MA) NEWS 08/24/2011:
The "Available resources" mentioned above is the actual World War II Army tank that's prominently displayed in the center of Hamilton's Patton Park. I'm sure Republicans/teabaggers would have no problem using tax money like this..After all, anything that involves weaponry seems to get all- and more the money it wants (except in the case of better protecting our soldiers!)

And just in case anyone reading this blog is wondering about my political leanings, I'm Independent! There's enough blame to go around for EVERYONE to share!

Salem News: Dumpster Dividends

Published in THE SALEM (MA) NEWS 08/16/2011:
There've been a recent state of trash dumpsters- huge, 20 foot ones- being stolen,
and then repainted, disguised, and then resold or rented to unsuspecting people.
One guy even had like 20-30 hidden on his lot at one point..I found it kind of absurd how someone would go to so much trouble to an oversize trash can in order to make a few bucks..Then it hit me how I could combine a LOCAL issue with a NATIONAL issue..

Ten Years of ToughPigs

As anyone who reads this blog can guess, I'm an avid MUPPETS fan, and have been involved in Muppets fandom since the introduction of MUPPETZINE in 1992. Since then, I've done logos,comics, and sundry illustrations for MUPPETZINE, and continued on when MUPPETZINE was converted into the website TOUGHPIGS in 2001.
From Danny Horn to Joe and Ryan, TOUGHPIGS is still going strong today, with its never-ending stream of news, reviews, articles, and interviews, wich both keep the magic and memory of Jim Henson's work alive and continues to make me proud to be a muppet fan..We may not be as vocal or visible as the STAR TREK and STAR WARS crowds, but we're there...and no less weirder.
The artwork above is my contribution to a special anniversary page showcasing artists who've done Muppet artwork in the past, in both fandom and professional channels. All of them with their own unique view! You can see the entire page at:
http://www.toughpigs.com/tp10-art/

DigBoston: Standard & Poor

My DIGBOSTON website cartoon for 08/14/2011..
This one seems kinda obvious, doesn't it? I can bet I'm not the only one who thought of this joke...

A Pleasant Surprize

It isn't often that when the local newspaper devotes its entire editorial page to one single issue and used the cartoon you drew (and thought was rejected) as the headliner.
Forgive the choppiness of the image: I had to combine this from multiple scans because entire page was too big for the machine to do at once.

It's Not easy To Go Green When You Have To Go Brown..

My latest from the 08/07/2011 edition of DIGBOSTON'S SUNDAY COMICS PROJECT website. Gawd, I must have been in SOME mood..

An Alternative To The Previous Post....

When I decided to do a SALEM NEWS cartoon about the stink over the air turbine plans, I actually came up with TWO ideas. I decided to draw up the both of them and let my editor Nelson K. Benton decide which one he wanted to use. (If any)
He chose the one you saw in the last post. He even added a title,"Two Lips and Hot Air" In the print edition of the paper. (For some reason, the SALEM NEWS website doesn't use the cartoons online.)
The cartoon above is the alternate version. Seeing it now, it seems to come off a little too obvious, which is probably why he preferred the second one.

Salem News: Two Lips and Hot Air

Published in the Salem (MA) News edition 08/05/2011.
The latest stink here is the city wants to put up a huge wind turbine in the Winter Island Area. a public meeting the other night turned into a huge melee with tempers rising and people walking out.
Basically, many of the residents don't want it. citing that it would be noisy, dangerous, unsafe for the kids, and deadly to birds.
I do respect the residents for their right to dissent, but I can't see the harm there would be.
Unsafe for the kids? Couldn't the parents just make sure they keep away from the thing? And wouldn't it AT LEAST be fenced off in the FIRST PLACE?
Deadly to birds? I would think MOST birds would have the instinct to keep away from a rapidly spinning object in the first place. More birds get done in from flying into clear glass windows than an obstacle they can clearly SEE.
Noise? How noisy can a turbine be? It doesn't even spin under its own power! The Shaugnessy Hospital used to have TWO wind turbines and even at full blow, they weren't that loud! Considering the noise I hear outside MY neighborhood.. traffic and drunken people shouting and cursing at two in the morning, I'd rather have the chupa-chupa of the turbine! And given winter island ALREADY gets its share of Traffic from tourism, the rowdy crowds, and the Salem Willows, you'd think a turbine would be soothing by COMPARISON!!
I think they're being a bit too picky here. If they don't want it in their neighborhood, fine. But to say not to put it anywhere at ALL...
I am NOT an enviromental extremeist. I'm not saying it's going to solve all our energy problems. but the time may come when we will definetly have to start implementing other sources of energy. (I'm sure once the big oil companies find out a way to make us pay for wind and sunlight, these projects will REALLY get started) Other countries have already started to some degree..I thought the US was supposed to be AHEAD in matters like these! It just shames me that like the war between Obama, the GOP, and the Teabaggers, all everyone is doing is yelling like spoiled children until they get their way. No compromise. No cooperation.
"Go Green..But not in MY Backyard" They say in their "Samart Phones" as they drive their "Smart Cars"
Though it doesn't seem anyone is being too smart these days..