Newsletter: Summer mayhem, party fails, cartoons & moreÂ
Newsletter #19
Summer So Far
I was sitting at the kitchen table, minding my own business, finishing an assignment. Then, out of nowhere, Claire appears, looking like this:
I sensed my productivity was about to plummet.
Claire started begging me to play cards with her. As you can see, she purchased EXTRA HUGE cards. They're humorous, but next to impossible to manipulate. (You should see her trying to do magic with these things. That's a whole other story.)
She was also wearing the "Cone of Shame," which is part of a game we own called Exploding Kittens. That's a lot to take in right there, so let me quickly explain.
Exploding Kittens is a card game co-created by a cartoonist I like, called The Oatmeal. His art is on the cards.
It's wacky and ridiculous and funny, and it involves a "Cone of Shame," like the cone that prevents a dog from licking a rash. If you're looking for a weird new game to play with friends, check it out.
ANYWAY, for some inexplicable reason, Claire was wearing that cone. She was also sporting a finger splint from our first-aid kit. Not sure what that was about. She probably gently bumped her finger against a pillow and then ran to get the splint. She's quick to bandage even the tiniest of wounds, usually with at least two ace bandages.
I explained to her that I had an assignment due, and she moaned and groaned. Then I gave her some ideas of things to do.
She left, I assumed to do one of these quiet, low-key activities.
Nope.
So, yeah. That's how summer's going so far.
Cartoon Come to Life
Remember this cartoon I did about Claire sleeping?
Well here's a picture I snapped the other day. I thought I'd share it because it's a "cartoon come to life" moment.
The night started with Claire in a normal position and the dog at the foot of the bed. In the morning I walked in to this.
From the Sketchbook: Social Fails
I've got a high school reunion coming up, and it got me thinking about "do's and don'ts" when it comes to events, parties and socializing. Mostly it got me thinking about "don'ts" because those are funnier.
Here's a sketch I'm working on. The "don't" for this one will be "Don't talk about rashes, bodily functions or infections." I'll be posting the full cartoon on Monday, so watch for that!
Cartoons
In the past two weeks we've covered summer-camp regret, book-loving people, summer fails and more. If you missed any, head over to my website to check them out!
On Facebook, the following cartoons did the best. The first one is a re-post from last year, and is a collaboration with my friend Abby from Abby Has Issues. The second one is a new cartoon based on a conversation I overheard at the park.
This next cartoon did the best over on Instagram. It's an idea I had been wanting to do for a while, but somehow it was falling flat when I drew it out. Then I heard writer and New York Times contributor KJ Dell'Antonia talking about her kids, and how they were going around the house saying, "What can we doooooooo?" Something about that long, drawn-out word ("doooooooo") just cracked me up, and gave me the ending panel I needed to finish the cartoon. There are a lot of times I have PART of a cartoon, and I just have to be patient and wait until I think of something or encounter something that rounds it out. This was one of those times.
Fun Fact: Claire was lying next to my desk moaning, "I'm SO booooooored!!" while I was working on this cartoon.
Hedger Corp
Quick note: Hedger Corp has been on a brief hiatus because I was up against a bunch of deadlines. But watch for more Hedger Corp stories this month!
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THANK YOU to all those who already support my work! My goal is to keep entertaining you!
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