Alternative Car Security

Are you concerned about car security?

There’s not only the worry about having your vehicle stolen, but also the time involved in finding somewhere safe to park…and the cost of the insurance.

Worry no longer!

Here are three folks who have found novel solutions to their security needs.

Suki and Sasha

Suki here has managed to enlist the services of Sasha the snow leopard. Not only is Sasha highly effective, but Suki also likes the fact that a big cat is guarding her Jaguar. The only drawback with employing Sasha is that she tends to overheat a bit during the summer, a bit like Suki’s classic sports car as well…

A gaggle of guard geese

Who needs a car alarm when there’s honking instead? Like Suki above, Shelley is also a Jaguar E-type enthusiast. To avoid the sky-high premiums that would come with having to insure an expensive car on the streets, Shelley simply takes Gavin and Gertrude along for the ride instead.

Don’t tangle with the triffid!

Top florist and triffid-breeder, Angus Petal, always relies on his show-prize winning and automobile-guarding triffid, Amelia. One side-effect of this is that Angus has also avoided parking tickets for the last two years…

What’s next?

I put out a Cartoon Newsletter featuring a whole host of characters and cartooning tips. Add your name and best email address to the orange box below and I’ll wing a copy your way.

Dancing Sea Creatures

It all started with a tap-dancing turtle…

The Top-Hatting, Tap-Dancing Turtle!

Cue the lights! Cue the music! It’s time for the show!

The regular sea turtle comes out of the water once a year to lay its eggs and then returns to the sea. But what if it wanted to do something different Instead? That got me thinking about other possibilities. And of course if the turtle was going to stand out by dancing, then it had to stand out visual as well. I thought the pink made a nice contrast to the green, and it was only natural that I gave it a hat and cane as well.

After the fun I had drawing the turtle, I started riffing ideas about other sea creatures that could dance.

Octopus Moves

Dr. Ramit Patel led a team researching an Octopus who appeared to be waving its tentacles around in a form of modern interpretive dance.

Dolphin Dancers?

Betty Quibble once took her dance troupe on a North American tour in 1924. While crossing the Atlantic by liner, her girls practiced their routine every morning while on deck. Soon it became apparent that a school of dolphins were mimicking some of the moves, and even improving some of them. This led to Betty incorporating some of the dolphin’s ideas into her choreography, which led to a vastly improved show, although her dancers never did get the hang of the flips.

What’s Next?

From Turtles to Tuna…and Terrapins to Tiger Sharks…You name it - I can draw it for you!

I put out a Cartoon Newsletter featuring a whole ocean of characters and cartooning tips. Add your name and best email address to the orange box below and I’ll wing a copy your way.

Cartoon Hour - Drawing The Balkan Lynx

Every week I run ‘Cartoon Hour’, which is an hourly drawing session where folks get together to cartoon at the same time. I join in and draw a cartoon from scratch.

Cartoon Hour is held on Zoom and is a great opportunity to get some cartooning done, while enjoying the group atmosphere of everyone working on their own pictures. After the hour is up, we show each other what we’ve been working on. It can sometimes be tricky to find time to draw, so Cartoon Hour is time set aside only for this.

Last time, I drew the above cartoon, so for the rest of this article I’m going to go through the steps of creating it.

I came across a particularly stunning photograph of a Balkan Lynx.

I thought that I’d first draw a realistic version of it and then look at some gags to go with it.

Initial outline

Here’s the ouline that I’m going to use. I might come back to this in a subsequent picture to exagerrate and cartoonify it.

Putting the palette together

You can see both the palette I’m going to use to colour it, and also the reference picture.

Starting to colour the background

I’m a watercolour tool set at 30% opacity. I decided to create the background by doing a kind of dot picture by dabbing with the tool, rather than using washes.

The background takes shape

I added a lot more trees to the background than appears in the original photo, as I wanted more of a darker background to put behind the lynx.

Colouring the lynx

I’ve now coloured the lynx using the same dabbing technique. I’ve also enlarged the lynx.

The finished picture

To complete the picture, I added some darker patches directly behind the lynx, as well as some shadow and hatching. I also added some different tones to the background.

What’s Next?

I put out a Cartoon Newsletter, which as well as containing a whole host of characters and cartooning tips, also contains information about Cartoon House. Add your name and best email address to the orange box below and I’ll wing a copy your way.

Three Cartoon Backgrounds

I’m a huge fan of recycling cartoons and will often use a the same character in different settings. I also like to save background to use again, particularly if they’ve taken me some time to draw.

In this article I’ve selected three different backgrounds and made a few notes about some possible ideas for cartoons based on them.

The Remote Castle

Some possible ideas:

• add a monster (I always like to add a monster if possible!)

• a vampire’s layer (okay, so folks might count that as a monster…)

• add a long car that curves as it goes around the bends

The Train Interior

Some possible ideas:

• have an animals sleeping on the bench

• have something coiled around the pole

• add a bizarre background outside the train

The Mountain Top

Some possible ideas:

• alternative mountaineers

• a bizarre building in the background

• add a yeti (they’re not monsters in m y book…)

What’s Next?

I put out a Cartoon Newsletter containing a whole host of creatures and critters. Add your name and best email address to the orange box below, and I’ll wing a copy your way.

Three Ideas For ‘On The Beach’

I recently dug an old background out of the archives, so I thought it would be fun to think up different ideas to go with it.

The Top-Hatting, Tap-Dancing Turtle!

Such a fun one to draw!

Trouble Ahead?

It’s good to sometimes hear the monsters point of view.

Giraffes Abound!

Who would have thought it?

What’s Next?

I put out a Cartoon Newsletter containing a whole host of characters, as well as cartooning tips. Add your name and best email address to the orange box below and I’ll wing a copy your way.

Ideas For ‘On The Beach’

I dug up this background from the archives, so I thought it would be fun to explore some new ideas for cartoons using this as a backdrop.

Mind mapping the scene

I’m a big fan of mind-maps, so I decided to start off with one. Please feel free to add your own suggestions where you see the red question marks.

I’m going to come up with three different ideas and post them tomorrow.

What’s next?

From Seashells to Sea Lions...and Squid to Sharks...You name it - I can draw it for you.

I also put out a Cartoon Newsletter. Add your name and best email address to the orange box below and I’ll wing a copy your way.

Snake Cartoons

Cartoons don’t always have to be about cats and dogs, or other creatures that are regarded as cute. So I’m happy to put the spotlight on some serpents for this collection of snake cartoons.

In the middle of some thing…

Word of the Day

The following two cartoons were used in a ‘word of the day’ cartoon challenge that I used to participate in.

Going for a Slither…

Some folks feel that hero pet doesn’t always have to lay about in a tank and that a bit of fresh air might do it good.

What’s Next?

I put out a Cartoon Newsletter featuring a while menagerie of critters, along with cartooning tips. Add your name and best email address to the orange box below and I’ll wing a copy your way.

Three Ideas For ‘In The Puddle’

Seeing as it is rainy season at the moment, I thought I’d around with some cartoons centered around a puddle. I used the same puddle and background each time, swapping out the characters.

The Puddle Kraken

I always enjoy throwing a sea monster into a scene!

Oasis in the Middle of the City

For some reason an oasis popped into mind, so I decided to surround the puddle with this herd of zebras.

Exit The Croc!

Crocodile are always fun to draw. I wonder if she escaped from the sewer?

What’s Next?

From Crocodiles to Krakens…and Zebras to Zoologists…You name it - I can draw it for you!

I also put out a Cartoon Newsletter featuring a while menagerie of characters and cartooning tips. Add your name and best email address to the orange box below and I’ll wing a copy your way.

Rainy Day Walkies

Some pets, and even owners, are reluctant to venture outdoors when rain is falling and puddles falling.

Having, some pets revel in the wet conditions.

Hans Von Algae and Zoltan

Hans Von Algae - Europe’s finest pond dipper - has never been a fan of wearing rubber boots, so instead ventures out with a pair of flippers on his feet instead. He is accompanied everywhere by his failthfaul Schnauzer, Zoltan, who is similarly footshod.

Claudia Caulifower and Cynthia

Noted librarian and demolition expert, Claudia Cauliflower loves to take her pet anaconda, Cynthia, for a slither on wet days. Seeing as anacondas are aquatic creatures, Cynthia thrives when puddles are on the grown. They usually have the streets to themselves as all the neighbourhood dogs steer well-clear when they are about.

Shelley Voot, and Bertie and Benjy

Since moving away from the sea, former keep surfer and windsurferShelley Voot has found it increasingly difficult to to indulge in her former pastimes. Fortunately for her, she was able to invent the sport of Otter Boarding instead.

What’s Next?

I put out a Cartoon Newsletter featuring a whole host of characters and cartooning tips. Add your name and best email address to the orange box below and I’ll wing a copy your way.

Ideas For ‘In The Puddle’

Seeing as it’s still rainy season here, I thought I’d come up with some cartoons centered around a puddle.

Here’s the puddle and the scene that I’m going to use. Now to come up with some ideas with what might be lurking in the water.

Mindmap

That mindmap has got some ideas started. Feel free to add your own suggestions where you see the red question marks.

I’ll post some further ideas and doodles soon.

What’s Next?

I put out a Cartoon Newsletter featuring a whole host of characters and cartooning tips. Add your name and best email address t othe ornage box below and I’ll wing a copy your way. A

The World’s First Touring Band?

Today we venture back into antiquity to explore the roots of the globe-trotting music groups that we are so used to hearing and seeing about today. You may well think that this is a fairly recent phenomenon, but in fact this goes back further than you can imagine.

Music historian Cedric Triangle has chosen to dedicate his career to studying musical concerts, particularly those put on by the same group or ensemble in several different countries and continents. When younger, Triangle fancied himself as a jazz musican and was part of the ground-breaking Vernon Cupboard quartet, combining of Cupboard on sax, Triangle on trombone, Max Whiff on bass, and Clam on drums.

Triangle’s career would surely have developed further if it wasn’t for the notorious backstage incident at The legendary Spangled Prune club in New York, whereby his trombone was damaged beyond repair in a clash with an escaped ostrich.

Triangle’s jazz aspirations never recovered from this setback, however, as he wanted to have some sort of career in music, promptly enlisted in a degree course in New York studying the history of music. For his thesis, Triangle decided to focus on global tours and soon discovered that this was by far means a recent occurance.

Upon graduation, he was able to pick up lecturing work at the same university, and over the following his years was able to achieve tenure. What secured his appointment as professor was his book on the until then little-known Viking Magnus Bumnotteson. Bumnotteson it turns out did not embark on the usual raiding and pillaging for which Vikings were renowned, bit instead undertook ‘muscical raids’ whereby his ship, crewed by fellow musicians would swoop in on a seaside or riverbank town, do a a gig, and then sweep out again after passing around a helmet for donations.

Bumnotteson toured all over Europe, and it is believed even went as far as North America, where archaeologist uncovered a horn bearing his inscription.

Unfortunately there is no record of any compositions having been written down, but the tale was recorded for posterity in the folk story ‘The Axe, the Raven, and the Tuba’, which Triangle discovered on a research trip to Norway in 1995.

Sally Sold Seashells On The Seashore

Sally used to sell seashells on the seashore.

However, there wasn’t any money in it, so she switched to selling Giant Squid instead.

What’s Next?

From Seashells to Squid…and Squirrels to Sealions…You name it - I can draw it for you!

I also have a Cartoon Newsletter with a whole host of characters and cartooning tips. Add your name and best email address to the orange box below and I’ll wing a copy your way.

Headless Cartoons - The Crow

The following two cartoons are a pair.

Pause for a moment on the first picture, before you scroll down to the second.

The first cartoon shows the scene from a first person perspective, the second one from a third person perspective.

Who’s the first person?

And now you can see the scene from the third person point of view.

What’s Next?

From crows to Koalas…and kangaroos to Cheshire cats…You name it - I can draw it for you!

I also put out a Cartoon Newsletter with a whole host of characters and cartooning tips. Add your name and best email address to the orange box below and I’ll wing a copy your way.

Ideas For ‘On The Bench’

I recently started on a new illustration project.

One of the illustrations is going to involve a bench. I thought it would be fun to think up some different potential gags that could be set on or around a bench.

I started by creating a mind map and explore some possible ideas for cartoons.

Feel feel to add your own suggestions where you see the red question marks.

Next post I’m going to add some rough doodles exploring some of the ideas.

What’s Next?

I put out a Cartoon Newsletter containing a whole host of characters and cartooning tips. Add your name and best email address to the orange box below and I’ll wing a copy your way.

Forgotten Formula One Cars

Most folks have heard of the big Formula 1 teams, such as Ferrari and McLaren. Others who follow the sport more closely will know the smaller teams, and also recall some of the teams from yesteryear who have long since given up the sport. There have been so many teams come and go, many of them bowing to the pressure of extreme completion or ever-pressing financial problems. Among the most obscure of teams and certainly one of the most distinctive was the Scrodd JS-1. Which had it’s debut and also final race at the 1987 Monaco Grand Prix.

Scrodd had been trying to raise money to fund his F1 teams for several years, and when the 1987 season came around it looked like he would be unable again to get the money together to register a car. He even put on a bake-sale however, his plan to get some quick cash when disastrously wrong when the oven caught fire and all his cakes were burnt.

Enter Lionel Zott

However, on the eve of the start of the new season, a major sponsorship deal came out of the blue thanks to Lionel Zott of the Zott, Zoot, and Colon advertising agency, and the Brussels Sprouts Promotional Board of Great Britain. Zott had been employed by the BSPBGB to revamp the image of Brussels Sprout amongst Britain’s children. Countless young British people had grown up loathing Brussels Sprouts, and the board set about trying to improve the image of the vegetable. Zott hit upon the idea of sponsoring an F1 team, figuring that the sport was so glamourous and exciting, that merely seeing the name ‘Brussels Sprouts’ on the side of an F1 car would get kids clamouring their parents to buy and cook the vegetables.

Brussels Sprouts to the rescue

All the other F1 teams had at this point signed major sponsorship deals, with the exception of Scrodd F1 who had the car ready to race but no money to enable it to do so. The deal was quickly struck whereby the car would be sponsored by ‘Brussels Sprouts’ for the duration of the season.

Zapp the Flash

Scrodd signed Italian driver Ernesto Zapparelli, who adopted the nickname ‘Zapp the Flash’, and was called ‘Zapp the Crash’ by everyone else. Zapparelli’s Racing career had been mixed to date, he was regarded as being one of the very fastest drivers around, its just that he wasn’t very good at staying on the racetrack for any length of time. His reputation of crashing cost his previous teams a lot in terms of potential points towards the manufacturers championship, as well a lot of money in broken cars. However he was available and quickly signed when offered a contract.

The 1987 Season

Sadly the car was lacking for pace and failed to qualify for any race in the first half of the season. In Belgium the car was two minutes behind the next slowest car, and in Germany the qualifying lap took two two hours due to Zapparelli having to get out and push.

The Monaco Grand Prix

The team had an amazing stroke of luck at Monaco. At the pre-race dinner, food poisoning, possibly due to a dodgy trifle, laid low twenty of the drivers. Faced with only five drivers able to start the race, the organisers were desperate to try and make up the numbers and so allowed the Scrodd JS-1 to enter its first race.

Zapparelli started from the back of the grid. Points were awarded to the first six finishers, so Zapparelli was guaranteed at least a point if he finished, and due to the extremely high attrition rate at the road circuit in Monaco, there was every chance he might secure a podium place.

Zapparelli started slowly and by the end of the third lapped, the race leader had already lapped him. Although it was obvious that the car was way slower than the other entrants, it got to the halfway point of the race performing reliably, and was now in 4th place due to two other cars retiring.

With five laps to go, Zapparelli was still in 4th, and due to the mechanical wear and that the tough street circuit imposed on the cars, there was still a strong possibility that another racer might retire and the Scrodd might claim 3rd place.

Disaster strikes

However, during the 50th lap, a strong gust of wind blew off a race official’s toupee which lodged on the front of Zapparelli’s helmet blocking his vision at a crucial moment. Momentarily blinded, Zapparelli failed to judge a corner and ended up crashing in spectacular fashion, with his car ending up on top of a crash barrier next to the harbour.

The car burst into flames, and fortunately Zapperelli was able to escape from the cockpit by undoing his safety harness and dropping in to the water below.

The car burned fiercely for a minute and then toppled over into the harbour.

It was at this precise moment that Lionel Zott and the Brussels Sprouts Promotional Board released that their campaign had failed.

The crash had planted the idea in millions of TV viewers that Brussels Sprouts should be incinerated and then thrown away.

The BSPB withdrew their funding immediately and lacking the means to build another a car, Jeremy Scrodd folded his F1 team.

Zapp the Fish

Having had a very near-miss, Zapparelli decided to reevaluate his life. Feeling deep gratitude for the sea having saved his life, he changed careers entirely and took up diving, eventually becoming a marine biologist. He went on to discover the Goopa-Goopa fish, known for it’s charactestic “Goopa-Goopa” sound when it is out of water.

The Le Mans 24hr race

Undeterred by his setback in Formula One, Scrodd went on to design a car to compete in the 1990 Le Mans 24 hrs race. This time his car managed to qualify officially, only for it to retire with exactly 23 hrs 59mins of the race left to run.

What’s next?

From race drivers to relaxing rabbits…and Brussels Sprouts to Beaming Badgers…You name it - I can draw it for you!

I also put out a Cartoon Newsletter. Add your name and your best email address to the orange box below and I’ll wing a copy your way.

Gerald Looking Around The Corner

Gerald here is peering cautiously around the corner, but what exactly is he up to?

And how come a goat is roaming around the streets of the town anyway?

Recently I decided to work on a greater range of poses for Gerald. Using some goat pics as a reference I copied a bunch of new poses that I could potential use. One of them was the above pic, which I’m returning to today to try and thing up some gags or captions to go with it.

One thing that Gerald is always on the look-out for is the ever elusive snow leopard, who has a habit of escaping around the zoo and prowling around to create a little havoc in Gerald’s life.

Given Gerald’s never-ending appetite for flowers, no florist is safe In his neighborhood.

One plant that Gerald tried to take on, and failed, was the Giant Peruvian Jungle Triffrid, who has born a grudge against Gerald ever since.

What’s Next?

From goats to go-karting gerbils…and giraffes to gorillas…You name it - I can draw it for you!

I also put out a Cartoon Newsletter, continuing a while host of different characters and cartooning tips. Add your name and best email address to the orange box below and I’ll wing a copy your way.

Developing New Poses For Characters

I draw Gerald the Goat more than any other character, and I always have fun penning his latest escapades. However, it struck my that I’ve been drawing him in a limited number of poses, so I thought it would be good to introduce a little more variety to his character.

To do I came up with the following plan:

1. Trace goat poses

2. Copy goat poses

3. Cartoonify the poses

4. Think up some gags using the poses.

Trace goat poses

I first found a bunch of goat silhouettesand traced them. Tracing images helps me to get used to how the actual proportions should look.

Copy goat poses

I then split the tracings onto two different layers, and left space beside each images so that I could coop them.

Cartoonify the poses

I now created a transparent layer on top of the copies and drew them again, making them more cartoony and to look like Gerald.

I found this surprisingly tricky to do. It felt a bit awkward trying to match Gerald’s proportionswith the actual goat proportions. He sometimes came out looking a bit odd, and so I had to do some of them a few times.

It highlighted the following points to me:

• I’ve drawn Gerald in a limited range of poses before. Drawing those poses feels comfortable, so trying some new will feel a bit awkward at first.

• A cartoon doesn’t have to exactly look like the real thing, although it should echo it and contain the basic essence of it.

• I need a lot more practice drawing Gerald in different poses!

Think up some gags

No gags as yet, however, one of the poses was ideal to show Gerlad peering around a corner…possibly looking out for the leopard…

What’s next?

From Goats to Gorillas…and Gerbils to Goanas…You name it - I can draw it from you!

I also put out a Cartoon Newsletter, featuring a while host of characters and cartooning tips. Add you name and best email address and I’ll wig a copy your way.

Elephant Cartoons

Sue here was relaxing at the coffee shop and zoned out for a few moments. This enabled Trunky to sneak up and snaffle her sticky bun.

I’ve put together a collection of elephant cartoons that I’ve drawn over the last couple of years. I think I’ve rounded them up all, but there might have been a jumbo that managed to slip through the cracks, in which case I’m sure it’ll appear again later.

This one was drawn when I was producing a series of Hare cartoons to help promote the GoGo Hares charity campaign in Norwich in 2018.

The Quetzalcoatlus was a pterosaur that lived about 70 million years ago. It was one of the biggest flying animals of all time. Although it was not as big as portrayed in the picture, it was plenty big enough and would have been quite handy to deliver things with. (Provided of course that you could train it not to eat the good binge delivered or the recipients of the goods…)

Another one going back in time a bit.

The following two cartoons come as a pair. One viewing the scene from a first person perspective, the other from the third person.

First person perspective. (Elephant’s eye view!)

Third person perspective.

This one speaks for itself.

This one was used to help illustrate a story.

Many folks want to workout, but are reluctant to hit the gym. Who needs exercise equipment anyway when you can use an elephant instead?

What’s Next?

From Elephants to Aardvarks…and Antelopes to Iguanas…You name it - I can draw it for you.

I also put out a Cartoon Newslettter. Add your name and best email address to the orange box below and I’ll wing a copy your way. A

Using An Elephant To Workout

Many folks like the idea of getting fitter, putting on a little muscle, but are put off by having to go to the gym. Whether its a busy schedule, an inconvenient location, or simply gym culture not being your cup of tea, some people are looking for alternative exercises they can do in the comfort of their own home.

However, does this mean you will have to buy some special equipment and install it?

Not at all.

The following exercises only require the use of an elephant.

Beanly here has been thinking about stepping up his exercise game for some time. He’s finally gotten around to it and has recruited Eliza to help him out.

Dips

Elephant tusks make perfect dip bars.

Pull-ups

Who needs a bar to do pull-ups, then you have an elephants trunk? If you ask nicely, or offer it a sticky bun, then the elephant may consent to helping up out a little.

Bench press

One of the classic shows of strength. This one will really give you an idea of your overall power.

Coming soon: How to get an elephant into your apartment.

What’s Next?

From Elephants to Iguanas…and bodybuilders to badgers….You name it - I can draw it for you!

I also put out a Cartoon Newsletter. Add your name and best email address to the orange box below and I’ll wing a copy your way.

Cartoon Clinic - The Galapagos Marine Cat - Revised Version

Previously I posted the above cartoon that I wanted to try and improve.

I indentified a few areas to work on:

• The cat blends in too much in the sea. I realise that in nature nearly all animals blend in with their environment, however, this doesn’t really help the clarity of the cartoon. So I want to add a darker sea background, and make the cat’s colouration a lot brighten so that it stands out.

• There are also too many ares of white on the rocks. I need to make them darker so that there’s no white to catch the eye, and also to help the characters to stand out more.

• The cartoon is about the cat, not the iguana. However, at the moment the Iguana is more brightly coloured and so the attention goes to it rather than the cat. It should be the other way around.

• Both the cat and the Iguana would benefit from a bolder outline.

• I can do a better job with the sea. While it is clear at the moment that that sea is depictured, I think I can make the sea a lot more interesting.

• The horizon is too uneven.

• Can I work a second gag into the picture?

Here is the amended version:

I’m now going to go through the changes I made step-by-step.

Recolouring the cat

The cat needs to be a lot brighter and more colourful to help it to stand out from the background. To simulate fur, I’m using a technical pen in ProCreate at 30% opacity and then building up all the different coloured lines on top of each other. You can see the pallete than I’m going to use for this version.

Toning down the iguana

In the previous version, the iguana was brighter than the cat. I selected white at 30% opacity and then went over it a few times until the colour was a lot more muted.

Darkening the rocks

I made the rocks darker so that both characters would stand out more.

Changing the sea

I’ve now started reworking the sea. Previously I used a watercolour brush, this time its a turpentine effect as I really like how you can create water with it.

I’ve also smoothed out the horizon line.

Zooming in

One reason I feel that characters merged too much with the sea before was that they were simply too small. The emphasis is on the cat first, iguana second, so its not so important to have too much sea in the background.

The completed cartoon

I went over the rocks with a smudge tool to blend in some of the previous lines, added a little more colour to the cat, and that’s it!

I decided against adding a second gag, as after I’d zoomed in there was less space to play with, and I felt that another gag would distract too much from the two characters.

What’s next?

I put out a Cartoon Newsletter with a whole host of characters as well as cartooning tips. Add your name and best email address to the orange box below and I’ll wing a copy your way.