View to a Hill

Welcome another new recruit to the Salty 'Hams roster: Michael Hill!

Salty 'Ham Slam - reminder

Hey, SHC members, don't forget -- Our 12th Salty 'Ham Slam is coming up soon. If you didn't receive your email alerting you to the secret time and place, then please email me.

I'm hoping we'll have a good group this time around, but that can only happen if YOU arrive with bells on. Comment below (or email me) to let us all know if you're coming. Perhaps your enthusiasm will be contagious, encouraging others to show up as well.

Read about the fun we had at SLAM 1, SLAM 2, SLAM 3, SLAM 4, SLAM 5, SLAM 6, SLAM 7, SLAM 8, SLAM 9, SLAM 10, and SLAM 11 -- then imagine that, only better!

... so, who's coming?

Two New Recruits

The number of entries on SaltyHam.org just went up to 73, with the addition of two talented new Salty 'Hams.  Check 'em out!

Hunter Cressall, of Birmingham

Keith Thomson, of Birmingham

But, believe it or not, there are still a huge number of Alabama cartoonists who HAVEN'T joined the Salty 'Ham Cartooneestas!  What's up with that?

Salty 'Ham Slam 12

The twelfth edition of the Salty 'Ham Slam HAS BEEN SCHEDULED!! ... on a secret day, in a secret location.  If you're a member of the Salty 'Ham Cartooneestas, and you haven't gotten an email from me letting you know the particulars, email me: cgarrison[at]bham.rr.com

Heath-mation

Our fellow SHC Heath McPherson has been doing some GORGEOUS animation lately!

12-Gauge Comics in the news

12-Gauge Comics is based in Pelham, Alabama.  I just haven't gotten around to signing publisher Keven Gardner onto the Salty 'Hams roster yet.  Anyway, they just got this nice write-up on al.com.

Our Heroes begins

I've backburnered Zoo Laffs for the time being, to start a new weekly webcomic on Dumm Comics.  It's a PG-rated series about a superhero team.  Get ready for fun, adventure, and chortles, with ... Our Heroes!

I got a lot of help writing Our Heroes from my pal John Walker (who co-invented the Zoo Laffs universe with me).

I'm presenting the comics in pencil form for now, to enable me to put up more panels per week.  Maybe later, I'll ink and color it, or find some fellow artists who want to help pretty it up.  (hint hint, Salty 'Hams)

If you're a fan of Zoo Laffs, don't fret.  Although it's being set aside for now, I fully intend to do more Zoo Laffs stories in the future.  Especially continuing the adventures of Jakey & Sassafras, and Onion Puss & Holly.  But right now, here's a different thing for you!

To start reading the first Our Heroes story from the beginning, go to Gila Riseth - part 1.

magic whistle blog is good

I bring to your attention Sam Henderson's blog. Nice eclectic mix of stuff - recently, his own cartoons, some cartoons scanned from 50s mens mags, and scans of old comics. I particularly liked some old Hannah Barbera comics he wrote in the 90s that were drawn by another artist. I was never a big fan of HB, but there's something about these stories filtered through S.H.'s sensibility that really works for me. They're not particularly "off model", just playful and fun. Makes me want to learn more about the artist. His work looked blandly professional to me at a glance, but when you unpack it it's kind of appealing I thought.

http://www.themagicwhistle.blogspot.com

You Can Never Go Home

This is Part One of Two in the latest installment in my series of koas performances.
No digital effects; all in-camera 16mm film. Soundtrack forthcoming on cassette via Housecraft.
Part Two will be released on the Equinox next Sunday. 

You Can Never Go Home [part 1] from ratigan on Vimeo.

I know this isn't entirely cartoon-related, but you weirdos out there might enjoy it.  :)

Blakin' love, for the very first time

Please welcome to the fold, new Salty 'Ham Blake Showers, with his awesome graffiti-inspired illustration style.

More Caricatures

I've been doing more caricatures, at THE Club's 4th of July party; Altec's Family Fun Day; and Sidewalk's Saturday night After Party, at the Avondale Brewing Company.  Here are 12 of my favorites:

Onion Puss, #1

Onion Puss is now in print.  Add this to your collection!

Issue #1 collects all the Onion Puss strips so far, from my weekly webcomic Zoo Laffs.

Onion Puss is the most wretched little fella you ever saw, and he has terrible luck with girls.  Fun adventures!  In this issue: Onion Puss goes on a wild ghost chase with the elusive Priscilla, the vivacious Holly, and the long dead Elizabeth. (recommended for ages 13 & up ... give or take)

You might have read this online already, but if you buy the print comic, you get

• the wonderful TACTILE sensation of holding the comic in your HAND and turning the PAGES
• the satisfaction that comes with the feeling of OWNERSHIP, and the ability to actually HAVE these comics among the precious THINGS that you have gathered throughout your life
• the warm feeling that comes from ENCOURAGING an artist to keep MAKING stuff, not just for his own personal enjoyment, but for actual monetary RECOMPENSE

Only $2.99.  Order now!  (And while you're at it, you can still pick up Jakey the Jerk, #1, too.)

Collins and Cole

The number of entries on SaltyHam.org just went up to 70, with the addition of two talented new Salty 'Hams.  And they're bringing a little more gender balance to the group, because they're both female girl-persons.  Check 'em out!

Amy Collins, of Florence

Jennie Cole, of Montevallo

But, believe it or not, there are still a huge number of Alabama cartoonists who HAVEN'T joined the Salty 'Ham Cartooneestas!  What's up with that?

Mystery Animals

Here are some illustrations I did for a pal, for a secret project of his.  I can't tell you what it is!

Reacting to the Past - 2012

Here's an illustration I did recently for an educators' workshop at Central Michigan University.  To offset the harsh realities of history, I decided to depict all the characters with pleasant looks on their faces.

The guy in the upper right is Professor Mark Carnes, in the role of Revolutionary War general and statesman John Morin Scott.  Also shown: Frederick Douglass, Berthe Morisot, Emperor Wanli, Cardinal Robert Bellarmine, Emma Goldman, Socrates, Anne Hutchinson, and Jawaharlal Nehru.  As themselves.

More Sketch Cards

Following up on last week's post, I finished my cards for Alterna Originals 5th Anniversary Trading Card Set, my third sketch card set for this year.

From top; "Adam Wreck", "American Terror", "Anyone But Virginia", "Deadbeat", and "Fubar." You can find out more here.
Characters & related elements © their respective owners/Alterna Comics

Comics a-Plenty

Several of our fellow SHC's have new comics ventures that are definitely worth a mention here.  Interestingly, I'd say they all fall into a genre I'll call funny-auto-bio.  I think there are a lot of arty-auto-bio comics in the world, but not a lot of FUNNY-auto-bio comics.  However, all of a sudden, here are several great funny-auto-bio comics, being produced by Salty 'Hams:

Howard Cruse just launched a new webcomic series called Howard Cruse's Occasional Comix.  It's awesome, just as you'd expect from Cruse.

***

James Hislope has begun drawing a strip which he regularly posts to Facebook.  It's called A Warehouse Life.  It's fantastic, and I can't believe how fast he turns it out.

***

Meanwhile, Mark Martin has TWO funny-auto-bio comics running on Facebook: Rowdy and When Mitchy Met Janet.  As usual, he makes brilliance look effortless.

Sketch Cards

I recently finished my first non-charity sketch cards* for the U.K. based Unstoppable Cards' The Avengers 50th Anniversary Trading Card Set, based on the 1960's tv series.

My latest charity-based sketch cards are for Island Dreams, benfitting the Advocate Hope Children’s Hospital’s Family Assistance Fund.

I'm currently working on cards for Alterna Originals 5th Anniversary Card Set, I hope to have these finished and posted online in the next week or so.



*For those that don't know, sketch cards are trading card size (usually 2.5" x 3.5") original artwork that is inserted into packs of trading cards as a premium.

Pete Moss and the Search for the Holy Nib

Hey folks! Finally finished the comic I've been working on (off and on) since mid-winter. Here's the cover:

It's in the adventure/humor all-ages camp. So that pretty much rules out most comic readers I guess. If you'd like more information, there's some preview images and a brief synopsis at my blog: timrockscomics.blogspot.com

Hopefully we'll all meet down at the local J some time and raise up our glasses to the fine people at Copies for Less in Irondale.

Jakey the Jerk, #1

Jakey the Jerk is now in print.  Add this to your collection!

Issue #1 collects all the Jakey the Jerk strips so far from my weekly webcomic Zoo Laffs.

Jakey the Jerk is a little ram who has trouble with women.  Because he's a jerk.  In this issue: Jakey goes on a mountain hiking adventure with the beautiful and baffling folk singer, Sassafras Vallee.  Is she the girl for him?  (recommended for ages 13 & up ... give or take)

You might have read this online already, but if you buy the print comic, you get

• the wonderful TACTILE sensation of holding the comic in your HAND and turning the PAGES
• the satisfaction that comes with the feeling of OWNERSHIP, and the ability to actually HAVE these comics among the precious THINGS that you have gathered throughout your life
• the warm feeling that comes from ENCOURAGING an artist to keep MAKING stuff, not just for his own personal enjoyment, but for actual monetary RECOMPENSE

Only $2.99.  Order now!

APF caricatures

The Alabama Phoenix Festival appeared to me to be a pretty great success.  What did you think?

Also, I drew a bunch of caricatures.  To see my favorites and read my full report, check out THIS POST on my sketch blog.

The Alabama Phoenix Festival

It's here!  Birmingham sci-fi, fantasy, gaming, & arts convention The Alabama Phoenix Festival is starting now and continues throughout the weekend.  Click that link for all the info.

A bunch of Salty 'Ham Cartooneestas will be there: Tom Briscoe, Chris Fason, Andy Gray, James Hislope, Kinch Raby, and me, Chris Garrison.  As well as a bunch of other artists who probably SHOULD be SHC's, but just haven't joined yet.

I'll be selling Jakey the Jerk #1, which collects all the Jakey stories so far from my webcomic Zoo Laffs, and I reckon I'll also do a few caricatures.  See you there!

Follow Me

Some news from our fellow SHC Don Stewart:

Alabama Artist Unveils Work At Infantry Museum

Birmingham, Alabama

May 23, 2012

The DS Art Studio is very pleased to announce the release of Don Stewart’s newest composite artwork, Follow Me.

The complex ballpoint drawing detailing the history of the United States Army Infantry will be unveiled on Memorial Day, May 28^th, 2012 at the National Infantry Museum in Columbus, Georgia.

Based on the iconic "Iron Mike" statue that stands at Fort Benning, Georgia and the National Infantry Museum, Stewart’s latest composite image honors the United States Army Infantry. The drawing is composed of over 225 objects, focusing primarily on firearms and personal items used by Infantry soldiers from 1775 to the present, with emphasis on the Seven Army Values of Loyalty, Duty, Respect, Selfless Service, Honor, Integrity, and Personal Courage.

Similar to Stewart’s 2010 Marine Corps drawing, Uncommon Valor, half of the proceeds from print sales of Follow Me will be donated to support our nation’s Wounded Warriors. Reproductions of the drawing will be available after Memorial Day in limited and open editions.

Development of the Follow Me drawing from start to finish can be seen HERE.

Also, don’t miss our Uncommon Valor VIDEO.  

Thanks!

Don

More Party Caricatures

I've been drawing some more caricatures.  To see my favorites and read my full report, check out THIS POST on my sketch blog.

Recent Roundup

Hi, nice persons!

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.

James Hislope

James Hislope

 Jonathan Hooks

Marcus Lusk

 Mark Martin

 Mark Martin

 Heath McPherson

 Melody

Melody