Kirk Out

Sad news.  Our fellow SHC Kirk Creel, who was diagnosed a while back with pancreatic cancer, has left this mortal coil.

As a dependable regular at our get-togethers, you were an all around nice guy, Kirk.  You'll be missed.

(obit)  (fb page)

Recent Roundup

Hey-now!

I've just gone and collected a few pieces from some of the blogs, webcomics, and deviantART pages of our fellow SHC's. (You guys should come and post stuff here more often yourselves, just to keep the blog alive.)

I can't take the time to turn the following names into links. If you want to see more from any of these great Alabama cartoonists -- and find a whole boatload MORE Alabama cartoonists, to boot -- consult the alphabetical list HERE.

 Chris Fason

 Chris Fason

 Benjamin Faucher

 Sean Finn

 Sean Finn

 Chris Garrison

 Andy Gray

 Andy Gray

 Delaine Derry Green

Richard Haigler

Kablooey!!! - afterword

Over at Zoo Laffs (my weekly webcomic on DummComics.com), I just finished up a 10-part story.  It's called Kablooey!!!, and it stars Jakey the Jerk and Sassafras Vallee.

If you missed it, and you'd like to read it from the beginning, start HERE.

For those who DID read it -- If you'd like to see some behind-the-scenes artifacts, I put up a few bits from the "making of" on my sketch blog.  Check 'em out HERE.

Samson's V-Day Surprise

LΔZYDΔWG - Warped Cream

Some good friends have a label called Step Pepper Records, an independent music outlet based in Birmingham. They give away tons of FREE music on their website, so check it out if you're into instrumental beats, mixtapes, and overall weirdness.

I made a quick 3D promo for the artist LΔZYDΔWG (whose album Warped Cream can be downloaded HERE for free) and thought I'd share. Enjoy!

Massive Art Sale !!!!!

This came from our fellow SHC Scotty White:


Hello Everyone.
I'm cleaning out the dungeon. Check out the available paintings page at www.neuroblast.webs.com.  Making space for new projects. Looking forward to an art filled 2012. Sick ideas are on the horizon. Make an offer .. Sale prices good through February.

Later on,
Scotty

Did anyone else hear about Invest Comics' One and Done contest?

http://investcomics.com/category/one-and-done

Someone showed me a link and I gave it a shot, even though I knew I wouldn't get any kind of payment. I figured, Screw it! If it'll help the CBLDF and the comic community, I can waste some talent coming up with ideas to send in. Besides, I haven't done anything in months.

It just occurred to me about a week ago that I never heard back from them so I figured I'd take a look at who my competition was... lo and behold, turned out I had actually won! I was never notified by accident, though.

They haven't said when the book will be published yet, regardless, here's the strip they chose... not the one I would have went with, but the one I feel was the funniest.

Inflation by ~weezel365 on deviantART

Recent Roundup

Hello to All!

I've just gone and collected a few pieces from some of the blogs, webcomics, and deviantART pages of our fellow SHC's. (You guys should come and post stuff here more often yourselves, just to keep the blog alive.)

I can't take the time to turn the following names into links. If you want to see more from any of these great Alabama cartoonists -- and find a whole boatload MORE Alabama cartoonists, to boot -- consult the alphabetical list HERE.

Derek Anderson

 Tom Briscoe

 Tom Briscoe

 Ryan Brown

Ryan Brown

 Jessica Campbell

 Jessica Campbell

 Howard Cruse

 Howard Cruse

 Christopher Davis

Christopher Davis

Christmas Caricatures

I drew some more caricatures recently, at some Christmas parties.  To see my favorites and read my full report, check out THIS POST on my sketch blog.

Neglect

Sorry the jam blog is sort of languishing here, folks. I've had a lot going on lately, so I haven't been doing my occasional Recent Roundups as usual. Help keep the blog alive by posting here sometimes, will ya?

I'll try to get back on track soon. Meanwhile, today is week 2 of a long form story arc I've started, over at my weekly webcomic Zoo Laffs. So check it out!

Daumier at the BMA

The Birm. Mus. of Art has an exhibition of prints by the 19th cent. French newspaper illustrator/cartoonist Honore Daumier thru the end of the month. Prob. worth seeing if you care about that sort of thing. It's mostly lithographs, a few gilotages(?) and wood engravings. There are also some copies of the original publications the work appeared in.

The show is divided into topics such as daily life, theatre, politics, feminism (Daumier makes fun of those crazy women trying to write books and smoke cigars like men), ancient history, lawyers and politicans, etc.

The work spans many years, from something like the 30s to the 70s. To some extent you can see the drawings getting much more abbreviated and rapid later in his career (I imagine he's saying to himself "They still want more of these things! Always another greasy stone! Oy vey!" (or French equiv.) He lived thru some miserable years for France (and Europe) which he represents in one case with a skeleton contentedly playing double flutes in the aftermath of one carnage or another.

Halloween Caricatures

I drew some caricatures last night, at a Halloween party.  To see my ten favorites and read my full report, check out THIS POST on my sketch blog.

Salty 'Ham Slam 11 - On Reflection

Our eleventh official conventionette was totally nice.  We were at the J again, and we had a chipper group: Frank Cummings, Tim Spinosi, Ben Faucher, Richard Haigler, and Garth Potts were there.  And we welcomed first-timers Kinch Raby, II, and Andy Gray.  And there was me, Chris Garrison.

Top, left to right: Andy Gray, Richard Haigler (twice), and Benjamin Faucher.

Bottom, left to right: Kinch Raby, II; Tim Spinosi, and Frank Cummings.

I heard our fellow SHC, Kirk Creel, came down with what sounds like a bad case of the pancreatic cancer.  Yeesh!  So, instead of working on comic jams and caricatures as we sometimes do, we hatched this collaborative card for him:

Crew cut guy by Tim Spinosi; cat that ate the canary by Kinch Raby, II; afro-frog by Andy Gray; pajama kid by Frank Cummings; sickening ducky by Chris Garrison; hooka-pillar by Ben Faucher; coy bunny by Richard Haigler.

Plus, I got some cool guest art in my sketchbook:

Fruit of the Loom Apple Guy, by Kinch Raby, II

Bobblehead Spider-Man, by Ben Faucher

Left-handed '80s rocker, by Andy Gray

As usual, we snacked on Oreos, Nutter Butters, and Chips, Ahoy! cookies.  Then, Tim and Frank got into a breakdancing contest.  Frank was poppin' and lockin', but Tim started doing the hopalong worm, all around the perimeter of the boardroom, in circles.  He continued in this way for an hour and a half, until everyone conceded that he was the winner.  For those of you who missed it, you really should have been there!

All tolled, everybody had fun at the slam, and there was much camaraderie.  So join us, won't you, for the NEXT Salty 'Ham Slam! (as yet unscheduled) (official members and invited guests only, please)

Oh, and you can look back at previous slams, here:

Slam 1

Slam 2

Slam 3

Slam 4

Slam 5

Slam 6

Slam 7

Slam 8

Slam 9

Slam 10

Recent Roundup

Yo, Pawty People.

I've just gone and collected a few pieces from some of the blogs, webcomics, and deviantART pages of our fellow SHC's. (You guys should come and post stuff here more often yourselves, just to keep the blog alive.)

I can't take the time to turn the following names into links. If you want to see more from any of these great Alabama cartoonists -- and find a whole boatload MORE Alabama cartoonists, to boot -- consult the alphabetical list HERE.

 Chris Rosko

 Chris Rosko

 Perry Sessions

Jason Shoemaker

 Corey Stockley

 Corey Stockley

 Carolyn Wass

 Hayley "Sio" Williams

Hayley "Sio" Williams

 Andrew Willmore

Andrew Willmore

Caricatures

Here are some caricatures that Ed Abernathy and I drew at a wedding reception back in June.  (mine are the ones where the folks are drawn smaller)

I think I improved between then and when I did these more recent ones; hopefully I'll continue to get better if I do some more.

Honk if you love Hate!

I just discovered Peter Bagge's 'Hate' comic a few days ago. How I've missed this comic for so long, I dunno. Maybe I drank too much NyQil back in the early 90's and just woke up last weekend. Maybe that'll explain it, but whatever. I really like this indie comic. The art isn't so awesome that it will make you go 'Holy Moses! I'm ca-ca-ca-crappin' my paaaaaants!!!' but it's a really unique, fun style that goes well with the " 90's, Seattle slacker " stories that grace it's pages. I love the flow of the comic and how the protagonists aren't really great people and how they're actually kinda crummy human beings, and  how you don't have this 'cheesy, fluffy Full House endings' to every story. The comics that I've read thus far, are essentially about sh*tty people with sh*tty lives who are kinda hopeless. Just like real life! Anyway, after reading a few issues, I realized this is how I've wanted to do an indie comic, but I just never knew it. So hopefully, my uber-ADD and giant lazy streak won't keep me from actually cranking out a decent short story like the ones you'd find in 'Hate' pretty soon.

Let's Be Frank

And here's ANOTHER new Salty 'Ham for you to welcome!  Introducing Frank Patriot.  (Not his real name; all the best cartoonists work under pseudonyms, right?)

Finn for the Win

New Salty 'Ham, y'all!  Check out Sean Finn.

Cartoony Street Art

This blog, Southern Guise, seems to be showing off a lot of fun street art, from right here in our neck of the woods.  Somebody please track these vandals (?) down and tell them to join the Salty 'Ham Cartooneestas!