While going through more boxes in storage, I found this Louie & Bruce comic strip among my papers from teaching cartooning to kids years ago … I think it was 1988. I know … I thought I had finished writing about my old strip, but chance and fate had other plans. With Christmas five daysContinue reading A Louie and Bruce Christmas Surprise [comic strip]
Teaching Art Is FUN
Not long after I stopped drawing my Louie and Bruce comic strip, I began teaching art courses to adults and children. One of the youth courses was Drawing Cartoons, so I used my strips as teaching aids during the 6-class course. About halfway through the course, we discussed anthropomorphism—giving human characteristics to animals or inanimateContinue reading Teaching Art Is FUN
Louie and Bruce Singles, 1982, Part 2 [comic strips]
Old jokes and gags were common in Louie and Bruce’s world. I sometimes stole gags from TV, tweaked them, and used them in my strips. The snowball gag above is probably older than my dad, and he’s in his eighties. But it was a perfect gag for Leroy. Mark Twain said that because of humor,Continue reading Louie and Bruce Singles, 1982, Part 2 [comic strips]
Louie and Bruce Singles, 1982, Part 1 [comic strips]
Leroy is Louie’s brother. Louie has a pointed head and Leroy’s is flat. I referred to him as a carrot top—not because his hair was red (which it wasn’t), but because the three hairs that grow from the center of his head reminded me of three stems of a carrot after the leaves have beenContinue reading Louie and Bruce Singles, 1982, Part 1 [comic strips]
Louie’s Cat Acts Up [comic strip]
In January of 1982, I drew an anthropomorphic character for the Louie and Bruce comic strip: Louie’s cat. I didn’t have a name for the stray alley cat Louie took in, so he was called “Louie’s cat.” Names that I kicked around were Barfield (a play on Garfield), Rowdy Dangerfield (because he thought he wasContinue reading Louie’s Cat Acts Up [comic strip]
Debarking Up the Wrong Tree [comic strip]
It’s December 1981 and the sawmill I work at is shutting down for the winter. Life for Louie and Bruce and the gang goes on, though this is the last full-feature strip of them at the mill until 1983. No one does a better pratfall than Louie. But falling into a debarking machine isn’t myContinue reading Debarking Up the Wrong Tree [comic strip]
Frank’s Lunch Break [comic strip]
Welcome to another Louie and Bruce comic strip feature from 1981, never published at this website until now. The top 3 throwaway panels (see my last post about that) introduce and set up the problem, which carries through the strip to the end: Frank forgot his lunch. I was influenced by cartoonist Garry Trudeau’s earlyContinue reading Frank’s Lunch Break [comic strip]
Louie’s Problems [comic strip]
I’m going to feature “old” artwork—mostly comics and other drawings from the 1980s and 90s—during November and December to close out the year. This is another Louie and Bruce comic page from 1981 that I’ve never featured here before. Like the one in my last post, I found this comic while I was going throughContinue reading Louie’s Problems [comic strip]
A Louie and Bruce Treasure Hunt [comic strip]
This Louie and Bruce comic page is from September 1981. I was 24 and married for ten months. I had big dreams back then and a bigger future in front of me. I found this comic and others like it while I went through old boxes during a search for decorations of Christmases past. TheContinue reading A Louie and Bruce Treasure Hunt [comic strip]
Hell’s Fury [politics]
I usually stay away from politics when I’m on the internet. Too many uneducated people try to sway my opinions with poor arguments that would get them laughed out of a Philosophy 101 class. Anyway, there’s a big stink in the state of Pennsylvania (and I don’t mean the governor this time) over the POTUSContinue reading Hell’s Fury [politics]
New WIP Installment 4 [fiction]
In this final installment, Abigail and Quinn butt heads, and then Abigail goes to the hospital’s breakroom to cool off. It is still Monday and four days before Halloween. I have a feeling that the holiday is going to pair up Vree and Abigail before the novel ends. Have a happy and safe Halloween everyone.Continue reading New WIP Installment 4 [fiction]
New WIP Installment 3 [fiction]
We leave Vree in this installment and learn more about one of her nurses, Abigail Gentry. I based her looks on the illustration below. The hair in the illustration is curlier than how I described Abigail’s. I may need to add a new description when I sit down for my final draft. Oh well. Anyway,Continue reading New WIP Installment 3 [fiction]
