A pithy comic strip about life, love, lust and puthy cats.

Est. 1985

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Grill o’ My Dreams

By Jimmy Johnson

March 9, 2005


I begin today’s post with apologies and credit to Looney Tunes and Bugs Bunny. Readers always seem interested in knowing what or who influenced a cartoonist during the formative years. It’s a question that ranks right up there behind: “Where do you get your ideas?” “How far ahead do you work?” “Do you ever work in your underwear?” and “I don’t get it.” OK, that last one isn’t a question, but I hear it a lot. My lame stock answer usually is, “Oh, the same things that influenced other cartoonists my age,” meaning the same features that everyone else liked at the time I was a boy. Peanuts, for example. In reality, it can be a surprisingly complex question to answer. Every now and then, though, I am reminded of cartoon work that did influence me directly, and the old Warner Bros. Looney Tunes animated cartoons, originally produced for theater audiences of all ages, would be right up there. Even as a kid, I could appreciate a subtle, grown-up wit that absolutely was missing in the Disney cartoons that dominated the scene in my day. However, I would have to say I was a huge fan of Scrooge McDuck comic books and the work of Carl Barks. I think I may be the first person to apply the word “subtle” to a Bugs Bunny cartoon.



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51 responses to “Grill o’ My Dreams”

  1. Steven R. Avatar
    Steven R.

    I didnt know anyone who had a fancy grill when I was growing up. The neighbor who boiled peanuts outside, dug a hole for his wood. I did know some BBQ hog cookers who still used the hole in the ground method as well – although all the professionals used a brick pit. And of course there was those who had a set of bricks and a grate – instant grill.
    For the first ten or so years of his retirement, Carl Barks was pretty accessible and answered letters from fans. However he became so popular, he had to hire folks to deal with his mail, so that he could paint his Disney Duck paintings. I had no contact with him myself, but I know a lot of folks who did.
    I did do some correspondence with a couple of Warner Bros animators They enjoyed having their work remembered.

    1. Jerry Brown Avatar
      Jerry Brown

      I wished I had purchased some of Mr. Bark’s “Ducks” paintings when they were still affordable.

      Bob Clampett, the legendary “Porky Pig” and “Beanie & Cecil” creator/animator was a common guest at comic and science fiction conventions. I saw him speak at one in L.A. in the early 1970s.

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