What are the odds that “Sheldon” and the thoroughly excellent “Little Dee” would make an “Anna Karenina” reference on the same day?

That, my friends, is some rare comics/literature convergence, right there.

Every once in a while a podcast will invite me on for an interview about “Sheldon”…but I’ve rarely had as in-depth or enjoyable an interview as the one I recorded with “Art & Story“.

My portion starts at the 10-minute mark, so skip the exposition at the front, if you’d like. Here are some of the topics we covered in the chat:

– How do I create “Sheldon”?

– What’s the point of the strip? Why do I do it?

– What’s more important in cartooning: The art or the writing?

– How does an artist piece together their “style”?

– What’s the tone of “Sheldon”? Optimistic toward the world? Cynical?

– Looking at how Arthur Conan Doyle originally composed “Sherlock Holmes” in episodic updates, what can we learn for longer-form comics online?

– Why did I/we write “How To Make Webcomics”?

In the cartooning and illustration worlds, few sites have generated as much respect for their links and reviews as “Drawn”. Even Time magazine ranked it among its “50 Coolest Websites” list.

So I was really chuffed when “Drawn” put up a nice writeup of “How to Make Webcomics”. You can check out their write-up here.

After a week or so away from any computer larger than my phone, I’m back to work and catching up!

There are a few bits of fun news to report in the next few days, but that’ll have to wait until I catch up on a few dozen admin things, and a massively clogged inbox. 🙂

In the meantime, thanks for all your posts and e-mails on the recent Oso storyline. It was a fun change of pace for me, and I’m glad to see you guys enjoyed it!

Because he’s not particularly good with The King’s English, Oso’s adventure tale will be a completely non-verbal story. Which, unless I’m mistaken, I’ve never tried before. I hope you won’t mind me experimenting with something different…it’s fun to stretch the ol’ wings from time to time.

Anyway, each strip in this 8-day arc will be a double-sized strip…with a little more background detail than normal, to help pick up the communication when words are absent.

Lookin’ at them all spread out on my drawing desk, I think they came out pretty neat — I hope you enjoy ’em!

Also, just a head’s up: I’ll be away from the inna’net for the next 5-8 days, so please forgive me if I don’t get back to your e-mails for a while. As soon as I can, I’ll be responding to each and every one…as I always do!

Fun news for every Sheldonista who missed their chance on this Original Art: today’s your day to snag the Original Art for the Pancake-Eatin’-Extravaganza Splash Page in the “Good Luck, Baby Duck” storyline!

This drawing was an exclusive for “A Blizzard of Lizards” — flip to page 125 and you’ll see all cool little drawn details in the pic. Then head on over and throw your hat into the ring… here.

I love it when I really get a chance to *draw*…to stretch out, take my time and enjoy all the little nooks an crannies of a drawing. This drawing was definitely one of those times. Here, let me show you some close-ups:

For whoever ends up getting the drawing, I’m also going to add in the original pencil sketch for the splash-page, like so:

So, if you want a little slice of pancake awesomeness, swing on over!

This elephant is kinda awesome. If I didn’t think he was “trained” somehow to recreate this shape again and again…I’d be even more amazed.

I doubt, though, that elephants have the ability to think abstractly about themselves dancing with flowers… yes? Is that a safe assumption? I mean, I know dolphins and some monkeys have enough sense of “selfhood” to identify themselves in a mirror, but can an elephant independently abstract what “elephantness” looks like, recreate it in lineart, and give it a flower for good artistic flourish…all on his own? Surely this is just a trained set of actions.

If you’re an animal behavioralist who knows of such things, by all means, chime in below!

Regardless…pretty cool elephant. An awesome fella to have around at parties, I’d imagine. “Hey, Tumbaala, come show my friends your version of Whistler’s Mother”.

I’ve made fun of the look and feel of Australian money before…so I wanted to give all my Aussie friends a gutting comeback they can use against an uppity American cartoonist.

If I start making fun of the Australian Dollar too much, just point to any currency converter and say “Oh yeah? Well unlike the American Dollar, ours can still buy stuff.”

Zam! Topical monetary humor!

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Also: I’m sure there are goofier Australian Dollar designs than the one I picked…What’s generally considered to be the goofiest Australian bill in the last 15 years?

All right, party people…it’s patented Super Awesome Contest Time!

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What Can I Win? A brand-spanking Sheldon Original Comic Strip. Any strip available in the archives!

What Do I Have to Do? Just be your awesome self.

No, C’mon Man, Be Serious For Like Two Seconds In Your Life OK, OK, so here’s the deal: We’re looking for the best possible tagline to describe “Sheldon.”

Wait. Why Don’t You Just Write One? You’re the Cartoonist? So, funny story. I was actually a Marketing copywriter for many a year at Mattel Toys. Naming toys, writing backgrounds and fake histories for toys, and coming up with taglines for toys. Lots and lots of taglines. Did it for years as a freelancer, too. But oddly enough, when it comes to “Sheldon,” I think I’m just too close to it. I can’t write one up.

Is It Also Possible That You’re Doing It This Way Because A Contest Might Be More Fun? Totally, yeah.

Is There A Limit On How Many Taglines I Can Submit? Nope. But try to edit down to your best ones.

If Someone Thinks Of A Good One, And I Have A Funnier/Better/Awesomer Revision, Can I Submit That? Um…sure. Why not. In fact, should you win with the revised version, I’ll give out two originals: To you and to the first person.

What If There’s A Revision To A Revision To A Revision? Aw Lord above, why do we have to make this difficult? We’ll cross that bridge when we get to it. 🙂

So Where Do I Submit My Tagline? In the comments section, below, please. My inbox is already swamped…and public sharing of ideas tends to make the whole process more fun!

But I’m Not Registered! Go here to sign up. (And if you’re having registration problems, just e-mail me. The signup system runs like a 1988 Chrysler LeBaron, sometimes.)

How Long Will The Contest Run? New submissions can be submitted until Friday, April 4th.

How Will You Choose The Winner? Depending on how many really good ones there are, I may pick the top 5-10 and post them for comment and feedback. Then I’ll probably pick the winner a week later.

Sounds Like The Patented Good Times I’ve Come To Expect Around Here. Oh yes, my friend. Oh yes.

One of my great friends and co-authors on the “How To Make Webcomics” book, Brad Guigar, is coming out with his third comic strip collection… and I wanted to direct your gaze thusly.

The concept of Brad’s strip, for the uninitiated, is taking everything you love about superhero comics…and make it awesomely funny. It’s set around a corporation, Evil, Inc, which is run by and for super-villains. (“Cause you can do more evil, if it’s legal!”)

Head on over to Evil Inc. to check it out. Then, after readin’ for a bit, do yourself a solid and pick up the new book!