Turns out the word “scritch” comes from Peanuts! Specifically, the Sept. 24, 1956 strip. Not surprising, actually. It *sounds* like a fun, Schulz-esque word, doesn’t it?

When I was a Cartoonist-in-Residence up at the Schulz Museum in Santa Rosa, I had great fun looking at his originals from the 50’s and 60’s (great years)…that’s probably where my brain soaked up that word!

I love the sound “scritch scritch scritch”. I don’t know where I stumbled upon that particular word — I certainly didn’t create it….Crumb, perhaps? — but it served me well in this strip, and in today’s.

Speaking of today’s strip, always fun to have the unnecessary “Soleil Moon Frye” reference in there. Makes absolutely no sense….for which I can only laugh.

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[LAST MINUTE EDIT: Ha! I just did an archive search for the word “scritch”…and this Sheldon strip came up as well.]

I’m instituting a new rule, next Halloween. If you’re a trick-or-treater, and you’re taller than me, or have more facial hair, NO CANDY FOR YOU.

And in a follow-up to my favorite Sheldon Halloween strip from years past, here are some reader favorites:

1.) The Lost Art of the “Trick”

2.) Lactose Intolerance and Halloween

3.) Solid Literary Reference

4.) Sauron, and a Good Followup

5.) Ha! I’ve Clearly Had This Revelation Before!

You’ve probably heard me talk about two new projects I’m working on: the cartoonist-advice podcast Webcomics Weekly, and the upcoming book for Image Comics, “How to Make Webcomics”. These are by no means solo projects: I’m doing them with three fantastic friends: Kris Straub, Brad Guigar, and Scott Kurtz.

In fact, we’ve been having so much fun working together on these and other projects, that we’ve decided to band together in a “Traveling Wilburys” sort of way. In addition to the book, related book talks, and the weekly podcast, we’ve got a number of new and behind-the-scenes projects that we’ll be working on together. And because we crack each other up, there’s a lot of laughter along the way. Being in the humor business, it’s always good to be laughing.

The expansion of Halfpixel would’ve meant split energies on my part with Blank Label Comics — the great co-op of cartoonists I’ve belonged to for 3 years. And those split energies wouldn’t have been fair to either Blank Label’s “everyone contributes” model, or to the new workload on Halfpixel projects. So, as friends, we’ve all decided to part ways. There’s no drama in the parting: Blank Label is and shall remain a great group of friends and artists I respect.

What does this mean for you? Well, the only substantive change at the moment will be a new forum system that will have one added benefit: now, you’ll be able to directly chime in on the day’s blog post. The new Sheldon forum (coming in about two weeks — I’m still fiddlin’ with the css layout) will be able to do that. I think it will make the blog posts another nice springboard for discussions, which’ll be good.

Aside from that, there’s only one other change you can expect as a Sheldon reader: more of the same good stuff. The site’s the same, the strip’s the same, and the cartoonist behind it all is the same….albeit a little more excited for new ventures!

Want to read more about this? Here’s the first journalistic-y interview with all four of us about Halfpixel.

I thought I’d share with you the ridiculous costumes my wife and I are going with for Halloween this year. This is the first costume I’ve really loved since my now famous Cap’n Crunch froma few years back.

This year’s outfits are really fun. Check out some of the ridiculous, ridiculous facial expressions this look inspires.

On Tuesday night, we’ll be ending the celebratory sale on original art! This is the only time before Christmas that originals will go on sale, so be sure to snag any gift-strips while they’re still $25 off.

Lot’s of responses to today’s (admittedly) random jokes about Edgar Allen Poe’s “The Cask of Amontillado” and everyone’s favorite shape, the Dodecahedron. (If you haven’t read the short story “Amontillado”, please treat youself. It’s a suitably Halloween-y short story.)

And! Real Quick! Here’s my favorite Sheldon strip on Halloween from year’s past. Which one is your favorite?

Rejoice my friends, rejoice! After literally decades of waiting, we can all look forward to a new album from 1980’s hip-hop/pop star “Tigra”.

And don’t stand there pretending you don’t remember that name:

“We like the cars

The cars that go ‘boom’

We are Tigra and Bunny

And we like the ‘boom’!

It was the classic 1980’s ode to cars with bass! And after decades in a self-imposed exile, where she was no doubt working on hydrogen-fueled auto technology, Tigra is back. Back.

Sad admission: I brought this up on Friday night at dinner with friends, and after we laughed for 20 minutes…we all kinda had to admit that that song rocked. My wife and I have been singing an a capella, lounge-like version all weekend. Like Mel Torme would do if he were singing Tigra and Bunny’s greatest hits.

Sad admission #2: I had to do a Google search just now to remember the name of their band: “L’Trimm”. How ridiculously rad is that name??

Kinda cool fun fact: my Google search further revealed that they were 16 when that song came out. Man! How is the rest of your life not a huuuuge let-down after you’ve recorded “We Like The Cars (The Cars That Go Boom)” at 16?

Amid the $25-off sale for original art, I’m realizing I need to clarify one quick thing…

Lots of folks have been asking me if the art for such-and-such a strip is still available. And I’m realizing I didn’t explain that part:

The Sheldon 9000 Accu-Weather Auto-Track™ System keeps track of what original art has been sold and what hasn’t. So if you see the text “Buy Today’s Original Art” under your favorite strip, it’s still available. Hurray!

But if the red text “Purchased” prompts up, then that original is no longer available. Boo!

There’s only one of each, so when they’re gone, they’re gone.

…Especially when they’re 25 smackers off! 🙂

Seems Oso wasn’t the first pug to try on a unicorn costume. Check out this photo sent in by Sheldonista Victoria G. I love this guy’s face. It’s saying “My dignity…draining away…”