Word of the Day - September 25

Another funny word. I chock this up to the fact that you can now suggest a word to be the "word of the day." I would love to see people suggest words. I won't be because thats kinda cheating for me. I wouldn't suggest people putting in words that I will never get to write funny gag from though. Catch 22.

Today's cartoon could be nothing than a nerdy kid in a bad phase having an embarrassing moment at school. I like the fall and the danger that the pencil possesses being so close to his face and such.

hobbledehoy\ HOB-uhl-dee-hoy \ , noun;
1. An awkward, gawky young fellow.

Word of the Day - September 24

Sometimes I just have to think...do these words ever get used in conversation? If so, they must sound so outrageous. Well, anyway. I knew I wanted to tackle delicious and put a spin on it. I needed something that would not be appetizing to most but delicious to a specific group. I came up with the smelly shoe for dogs. I didn't want to do anything too gross or offend any cultures or anything. I think the gag is driven home with the mom serving it on a platter (like a turkey would be served for Thanksgiving), the fact that all their dishes are dog bowls and the mom having a bone in her apron pocket. Little things make the drawing for me.

frabjous\ FRAB-juhs \ , adjective;
1. Wonderful, elegant, superb, or delicious.

Word of the Day - September 23

I've had to do transparent gags before and they aren't that fun to write as well as they don't usually yield a funny cartoon. So I decided to tackle vague. I like this because usually it's really true. The person presenting something has no idea what they're talking about. At least this fellow was honest about it and stated it in a nice pie chart.

diaphanous\ dy-AF-uh-nuhs \ , adjective;
1. Of such fine texture as to allow light to pass through; translucent or transparent. 2. Vague; insubstantial.

Word of the Day - September 22

This idea is one that I always thought was funny but cruel. I still think it's funny. Really, adding a vulture to a cartoon using enhances the gag.

agog\ uh-GOG \ , adjective;
1. Full of excitement or interest; in eager desire; eager, keen.

Word of the Day - September 21

Sometimes words are just funny with the way they are spelt or pronounced. This is one of those times.

How does this guy find shoes?! I love that he has drawn a huge crowd on the street because of it. You can infer whatever you want from this cartoon. I'm not explaining or doing into anything. Think what you want.

Brobdingnagian\ brob-ding-NAG-ee-uhn \ , adjective;
1. Of extraordinary size; gigantic; enormous.

Word of the Day - September 20

I dropped the ball on this one. I should have made the prisoner an adult insect. NOOO!!!
I don't really believe in this concept for say. I feel like things you thought when you were a child are completely changed when you grow up. Maybe it's just me personally but I feel like people I thought were cool in the past, I have different feelings towards today. I don't really hate anyone but I feel as people grow up they show their true colors in a sense, it may be a bad phase they get into but the real question is, with people be around when they get out of that phase?

imago\ ih-MAH-goh \ , noun;
1. An idealized concept of a loved one, formed in childhood and retained unaltered in adult life. 2. Entomology . An adult insect.

Life With Death - September 20

Here is this week's "Life With Death" strip. This one isn't political like the last one but it does touch on pop culture which I also try to avoid like political jokes. They are great at the time but sometimes lose their punch towards the end. I thought it would be funny to see Roger dressed up like a Jersey Shore guy. I was trying to find some word-play with "The Situation" but didn't come up with anything I was truly happy with. The closed was "The Desperation" which isn't very close at all. It's a good one time gag. I've gotten favorable thoughts from kids on campus.

I just sent next week's comic strip to the editor, so check back next week to see it or pick up a copy of The Kingsman on Brooklyn College's campus!

Word of the Day - September 19

Here's today's cartoon. I love the idea of a fish having big hairy man legs with his fish body. The dancing makes it for me.

jactation\ jak-TEY-shuhn \ , noun;
1. A restless tossing of the body. 2. Boasting; bragging.

Word of the Day - September 18

I floated around the idea of a construction worker gag but never was really happy with it. The club bouncer gag works perfectly. Guys can be waiting for hours to get into a club but the young, hot ladies get right on through. I would do it too if I were a bouncer. But at las, I am short, weak and creative. I will never be a bouncer.

wend\ WEND \ , verb;
1. To pursue or direct (one's way). 2. To proceed or go.

Word of the Day - September 17

For a long time, I was trying to figure out a crazy person for someone to be making fun of. I finally later in the day came up zombie. It's an imitation that is easy to read and there is the whole don't piss off the guy who craves human brains. Most of the day, I was thinking that Monday's cartoon of imitating the dinosaur would have been perfect. I still like the zombie imitation and the laughing friends.

burlesque\ ber-LESK \ , adjective;
1. Involving ludicrous or mocking treatment of a solemn subject. noun: 1. Any ludicrous parody or grotesque caricature. 2. A humorous and provocative stage show featuring slapstick humor, striptease acts, and a scantily clad female chorus.

Word of the Day - September 16

After doing some research, I scrapped my thoughts of making a fat, flabby guy cartoon. I figured out that it was more of land that has word by it to make it real soft and disgusting like. I could just imagine the squish that you would hear with every footstep. I came up with the dopey kid doing something wrong. The idea of washing the carpet with a mop came soon after. The janitor sign is the cherry on top of the sundae.

quaggy\ KWAG-ee \ , adjective;
1. Marshy; boggy. 2. Soft or flabby.

Word of the Day - September 15

Another cartoon that asks the question - where did they get these toy guns? I like it when animals get back at hunters. It's a bit of poetic justice to me.

arch\ AHRCH \ , adjective;
1. Cunning; crafty; sly. 2. Obsolete . A person who is preeminent; a chief. noun: 1. A curved masonry construction for spanning an opening.

Word of the Day - September 14

I love the wolf in a sheep costume gag. It brings up the questions: Did the wolf buy the costume at a local shop? And if so, how did he pay for it? Or did he make it himself? And if so, where did he get the material and learn how to sew? I love the fact that the wolf smells the sheep to make sure the product is fresh. The horror look on the sheep is great too.

ambrosial\ am-BROH-zhuhl \ , adjective;
1. Exceptionally pleasing to taste or smell; especially delicious or fragrant. 2. Worthy of the gods; divine.

Word of the Day - September 13

This is the 200th Word of the Day cartoon! (At least, I think so. Counting is not my fortay.) When I read the definition, I was a little scared that the word wouldn't help make the cartoon great. Such is life. I was trying to pinpoint a small part that wasn't a cliche cartoon or just a guy with small hands or something like that. I went with the extremely small hands of dinosaurs. They can't reach anything. I had a thought of drawing a t-rex trying to reach something on the top shelf with his tiny hands but decided against it since he would have probably used his mouth to get it. Sometimes I think too logically which can kill a gag or drawing. I went with a guy making fun of a dinosaur's tiny arms. I thought it would be a funny impression and funny to see a dinosaur in somebody's backyard. I like it the impression of the dinosaur, it reminds me of Calvin from "Calvin and Hobbes" when he used to imagine he was a monster or something.

tittle\ TIT-l \ , noun;
1. A dot or other small mark in writing or printing, used as a diacritic, punctuation, etc. 2. A very small part or quantity; a particle, jot, or whit

Word of the Day - September 12

When someone is in love with someone else it's usually very obvious. Usually it's a big secret and people aren't as sly as they think.. The teacher/student dynamic makes it more fun. I feel like this cartoon should be viewed when listening to "Hot for Teacher."

subaudition\ suhb-aw-DISH-uhn \ , noun;
1. An act or instance of understanding or mentally supplying something not expressed.

Life With Death - September 13th

I just finished up next week's strip and sent it to the editor, Yelena and realized I never posted this week's strip. The first strip of the semester is always fun because it was either done in advance (which almost never happens) or I am frantic with the beginning of the semester to write and figure out story arcs I want to play out throughout the issues. I wasn't too frantic this time and it wasn't done in advance. I very rarely do political themed cartoons but I just had to do this one. I get universal healthcare but rushing to get it signed and ratified while it won't truly effect most people until years later. There is some irony there.

Being a "senior", I (like many of my friends that have already graduated or will be soon) are freaking out trying to figure out our future plans and find a job somewhere. I just had to address the job crisis and the "what do I want to be when I grow up?" question that we all have in our heads at this stage of our lives. This whole semester will be mostly geared towards trial and error (mostly for Roger) into what he wants to be. I'm not sure if I will carry this arc into next semester yet but it is very possible. I already know how the strip will end, thought it is not written out into gags yet. I'm the only one who knows mostly because I want to see if it still makes me laugh 6 months or so from now. Hopefully, yes.

Look back every week for the next strip and if you happen to be on Brooklyn College's campus pick up a copy of the paper in print and see how great the articles and college coverage is. The paper will be publishing every Monday for 10 weeks straight, so I better keep writing and drawing to keep up.

Word of the Day - September 11

This is word of the day cartoon #198. Monday I'll be at 200. I've never done such a daily commitment like this before and I haven't cheated once since starting. I wanted to do this for at least a year but I'm thinking it might keep going on. I'm still having fun with it and tackling something different everyday.

Well today's cartoon is something I fear very much. I know a few tattoo artists who look at me as fresh meat since I am a blank canvas. I always say when I get a tattoo, I just know that I'll hate it the next day. I would RUE the day. Huh. Huh. I just know I'll be thinking, "A tiger eating a baby? When did I think that was cool?!"

rue\ ROO \ , verb;
1. To wish that (something) had never been done, taken place, etc. 2. To feel sorrow over; repent of; regret bitterly. noun: 1. Any strongly scented plant of the genus Ruta , esp. R. graveolens , having yellow flowers and leaves formerly used in medicine.

Word of the Day - September 10

Can you guess what particular taste and flavor the soup has? Hmmm... Let's think.

soupcon\ soop-SAWN \ , noun;
1. A slight trace, as of a particular taste or flavor.

Word of the Day - September 9

Not quite an easy word but better than gerrymander! I feel like I have made this joke already with the cat birthday party. I hope it wasn't with another word of the day comic, though I'm not 100% sure. I like his name and the birthday fish. As well as the guy reluctantly singing but much lower.

jubilee\ JOO-buh-lee \ , noun;
1. Any season or occasion of rejoicing or festivity. 2. The celebration of any of certain anniversaries, as the twenty-fifth (silver jubilee), fiftieth (golden jubilee), or sixtieth or seventy-fifth (diamond jubilee). 3. The completion of 50 years of existence, activity, or the like, or its celebration. 4. A yearlong period to be observed by Jews once every 50 years, during which Jewish slaves were to be freed and alienated lands were to be restored to the original owner.

Word of the Day - September 8

Some weeks the words really help the humor and cartoon process, other weeks, it's like pulling teeth to manipulate a joke into it. After rubric, I didn't think I could get a harder word at least in the week but of course, I was wrong. Yikes. All I could do was make the Republicans doing shady things, (which they do all the time) and make the hippies want to cry and the hicks rejoice.

gerrymander\ JER-i-man-der \ , verb;
1. The dividing of a state, county, etc., into election districts so as to give one political party a majority in many districts while concentrating the voting strength of the other party into as few districts as possible.

Word of the Day - September 7

The feud between the blowdryers and the snowmen have been going on for centuries. That's one gang war that will never stop.

kenspeckle\ KEN-spek-uhl \ , adjective;
1. Conspicuous; easily seen or recognized.

Word of the Day - September 6

This word was killing me in the beginning. I didn't want to draw a form or a chart. Not that funny. I like office conflicts. I think it's a funny topic as long as I don't get caught in any.

rubric\ ROO-brik \ , noun;
1. A title, heading, or the like, written or printed in red or otherwise distinguished from the rest of the text. 2. A direction for the conduct of divine service. 3. Any established mode of conduct or procedure.

Word of the Day - September 5

When investigating a body always make sure that the lunatic killer isn't still in the room. I think thats the first thing you learn in private detective school.

zetetic\ zeh-TEH-tic \ , adjective;
1. Proceeding by inquiry; investigating

New Feature!

Hey Blog Readers (all three of you),

Just thought I would point out the new "Awesome Places to Visit" feature that has been added to the blog. This is something that I've wanted to do for a LONG time but keep forgetting. Anyway, there it is. I will be adding to it frequently because that is really the bare minimum of sites that you should visit for cartoons. There are professional sites there, blogs and some friends with amazing work that you should check out. If you think there is a great site that should be on the site, let me know and I'll add it. I'm off to finish the first "Life with Death" strip of the semester. Look for it next week after it is published.

Remember if you're not laughing, you're crying. (or probably just normal)

Word of the Day - September 4

No don't try to help miss, it's not too bad, his arm is just on fire. I have no idea how his arm got on fire but my money is on spontaneuous combustion. At least, she didn't throw her wine on it to try to put it out. That might have made it worse.

degage\ dey-gah-ZHEY \ , adjective;
1. Unconstrained; easy, as in manner or style. 2. Without emotional involvement; detached.

Word of the Day - September 3

True friends laugh at your pain and misfortune. Now this is no stronger bond than the bond between fly fishing partners according to the fake magazine, Fly Fishing Afficianado. (Say that five times fast.) It's always the little ones that put up the most fight, that's why no one tries anything with me. I'm scrappy.

cachinnate\ KAK-uh-neyt \ , verb;
1. To laugh loudly or immoderately.

Word of the Day - September 2

This is a long time dream of mine. There is never enough hours in the day to please everybody and get everything done. Priorities need to be made for certain things but you need to appease everyone as well as yourself. I'm someone that likes to have fun hanging out with people but I enjoy the sound of silence. I'm not talking about the Simon and Garfunkel classic, I'm talking about solitude. To get writing/drawing and your thoughts out, you need some time to hear yourself think. This cartoon addresses a common thing with men. We just want to relax and watch sports in comfort but sometimes we have to suffer through unwanted family togetherness. Which is sometimes pleasant but mostly not. If I had this ability, I would get a lot more artwork done, my puppy, Heidi (her full name is Heidi Klum Lassen) would be happy because I would play with her all day, no one would get mad at me for never hanging out with them and I would be able to watch all the sports I want! It would be such a simpler life and definitely less stressful.

bilocation\ bahy-loh-KEY-shuhn \ , noun;
1. The state of being or the ability to be in two places at the same time.

Word of the Day - September 1

Happy September everybody! This cartoon is a big reason why I don't drink to excess. I barely make sense in sobriety. I don't need booze to have a good time or to act wacky or fun. It's all about your attitude, demeanor and ability to open up. A joke I've been telling for a while is when people used to say, "Wow if you act like this sober, I would love to see you drunk," I would reply, "I would probably be sitting in the corner, smoking a pipe talking about the stock market." This is also why I carry a pipe around everywhere I go, just in case I have a few too many.

anacoluthia\ an-uh-kuh-LOO-thee-uh \ , noun;
1. Lack of grammatical sequence or coherence, esp. in a sentence.

Word of the Day - August 31

I love the idea of self-destructive snowmen. I don't know if it's the fact that I watch Frosty the Snowman every year fight and struggle not to melt or get wiped away by a magic spray "Summer Wheeze." I've touched on the idea before. I like the idea that it's so cold that a snowman has to get warm. It's funny. Plus, homeless people don't like to share their barrel fires with outsiders.

beek\ BEEK \ , verb;
1. To bask or warm in the sunshine or before a fire. 2. (Of wood) to season by exposure to heat.

Word of the Day - August 30

This is a great word. I use it many times. With a word like this, you really have to create a story which is not easy to do right away. I started thinking of who plays pranks or has fun with people. I thought of clowns and possibly a rogue magician. From the beginning, I wanted to set the prank in a serious environment because it makes the prank completely inappropriate which I think is more funny. After researching clowns a bit, I thought of what classic pranks they did. I always liked the endless bandana/handkerchief bit. I always thought it was so weird, stupid, genius and uncomfortable all at the same time. I was going over serious situations in my head and thought of surgery. Then everything clicked. I don't know if anyone has done this gag before (most likely yes), but I really like it.

shenanigan\ shuh-NAN-i-guhn \ , noun;
1. Mischief; prankishness. 2. Remarks intended to deceive; deceit. Often used in the plural.

Word of the Day - August 29

This is what you get when you buy a house next to a fraternity. I originally pencilled this cartoon and had the father coming with his hands out as to try to block their view and get them to scram but when I looked at in later in the week before inking, I decided he needed to show his anger a bit more. The inclusion of the baseball bat did that. This cartoon also has the phenomenon that all guys possess, the ability to high five without looking away from the girl. It always happens right.

kith\ KITH \ , noun;
1. Acquaintances, friends, neighbors, or the like; persons living in the same general locality and forming a more or less cohesive group.