This cartoon from July, 2002, was drawn during a period when I was using felt-tip pens. As I’ve stated before, I finally concluded that I don’t like to draw with felt-tips. My result, it seems to me, is always an uninteresting and bland line. It is possible to achieve a certain “sketchiness” with a felt-tip pen that can be aesthetically pleasing, but having never been a “sketchy” kind of cartoonist, this doesn’t seem to benefit me much. My pen work has never been great, and it concerns me more and more that my lines, now drawn with a pen nib and India ink, look cruder than ever alongside so much work that is being turned out on digital tablets these days. I’ll just have to live with it, because I cannot see myself ever going completely digital with my drawing.
160 responses to “Horizontal Pop”
There’s no reason why digital artists can’t imitate the pen nib, Jimmy. I’ve seen ‘brushes’ advertised which have been meticulously modelled on named nibs and pens. Then again, drawing on a digitising tablet just doesn’t feel like drawing on paper. (Although it will in a year or two, I don’t doubt.)
Keep up the good craftsmanship!
What Steve said. Your work looks much better than the majority of your colleagues. And the mind behind the tools seems to be working better than ever!
I was just about to say that so much tech drawing seems so much blander compared to your pen-and-ink lines, Jimmy. Machine-drawn lines are like drum machines have always been—never near as interesting as what the human hand can do.
Jimmy your art work is far, far superior to any of the current pack doing cartoons. You must be comparing yourself to some of the legends.
And I only read you daily among the current pack. You are actually funny.
From my very early morning post on today’s “live” comic.
Arlo will be happy to learn that the surface of Mars has been found to be more inhospitable to life than previously thought. Basically, the surface dust is full of disinfectant!
https://www.space.com/37402-mars-life-soil-toxic-perchlorates-radiation.html
I agree that Jimmy’s art work is great.
God bless us every one. God bless the USA.
Jimmy. Listen very carefully. DON’T CHANGE A THING! Thank you. You may now return to regular programming.
I’m with everyone who has commented. We love how you do A&J.
I love your art work as is. Pen and ink has a certain something that is hard to duplicate. And even the cartoons that you don’t like personally that you draw still are very good and worthwhile reading.
NOOOOO! Don’t ever change, Jimmy.
But it does remind me of what Chicago Tribune cartoonist Jeff MacNelly once said: that just as he thought he was getting pretty good at his brush, he’d take a look at Walt Kelly’s work. And in utter disgust with himself, he’d want to throw the whole thing away. I am so glad he never did. How I miss them both!
I know a webcomic artist that went full digital for several years, and then went back to pencil on paper.
Good afternoon Villagers…..
Yay….Jerry’s OK 🙂 Just drop in every now and then and say “hey”….”I’m OK”!!!
Mark..thanks for the new Kitteh website…have it bookmarked.
Took the two ‘kitteh’ makers into the vet’s this morning. I can’t believe the female is pregnant again, didn’t like doing it this way, but we do not need more kittehs. Need to look into if the county’s humane society can help $ out…but then, I feel they could use a donation too. So, what’s the difference…I’d rather Dad give a donation….
…gotta go, it’s lunch time. I’ve made beef and noodles for Dad, fresh peaches from the Farmer’s Market, and cottage cheese. Dang, I’ve just made myself hungry too. (Hint: peaches not ripe, put them in brown paper bag and they will ripen within 24 hours….love the peach drool out of the corners of my mouth 🙂 )
..oh, and Jimmy, keep up the good art work, you’ve come a long way baby!!!!
🙂 https://i.chzbgr.com/full/9052254720/hD202E524/
kinda reminds me of a Bugs Bunny scene where he’s flying through the air, shouting “look at me, I’m a ‘hair’ plane”!
…wait a minute, that would be ‘hare’ plane, right??!!
Right, not worrying about differences between hares and rabbits…wouldn’t want to split hairs, eh?
Debbe, maybe the local humane society offers special rates to those on social Security. There was a privately run spay and neuter clinic in Birmingham, AL that did that. We got two of mom’s kittens fixed there.
@JimmyJ
I believe in artistic circles the term is not “crude” but “primitive.” It is a creative choice rather then a limitation.
You’ll have to excuse me as it time for me to achieve my afternoon maximum horizontal.
I must be an absolute genius!
http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/messy-desks-genius-sign-work-environment-creative-interesting-university-minnesota-a7834786.html
We have a cat that we got from the humane society several years ago. When we got the second dog she decided she didn’t want to come in the house anymore. Now she was supposed to be fixed, but she is pregnant with her third (that I know of) litter. I guess I am going to have to buy a trap since she won’t let me near her anymore. Then I can take her back and ask why she is having kittens if she is supposed to have been fixed before we got her.
TR:
I have been saying that for years now – glad that it has been verified.
Debbe:
Check around – some Vet Clinics give a discount for barn cats.
There is one near us that does half price or less – they do clip the ear – our Skeezix
had hers froze off and Tippy was a feral outside cat till he figured inside was WAY better.
They do not keep overnight – drop off in AM pick up in PM – and they only do once a month.
Also check “Kindest Cut” they are mobil and do for donation?.
http://kindestcut.animalhumanesociety.org/spayneuter-services
They may locate one near you
or
https://www.google.com/search?q=kindest+cut&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8
They are keeping the female overnight, Scott (VDM) said I could keep ‘Big Daddy’ there too, so I would not have to make an extra trip to pick him up.
Still have four kittehs to catch and a very feral ginger colored male…will need to use canned food and catch/release cage to catch him.
I have so much respect for this father and son veterinarians….been going there for ages..
David, in Austin, you too are a Veterinarian….are you not?, hope my memory has clicked in here,
good night my friends
good night Jerry 🙂
Old Bear, thank you for the links…but my Big Daddy can afford the vet care, and I have absolute trust in the vet clinic…..I just am trying to keep my life simple as well as Dad’s.