Life with Death - March 21

So I found out due to midterms, the paper didn't print last week like I thought. That means I have this week off. I posted what I thought was going to be in the paper that week. They used this comic and will use the previous comic for next week. I thought since this comic was printed this week, it was okay for me to share it with you guys. They obviously liked this one better than the previous (so do I) since they chose to run that one first.

This comic was another Wednesday morning/afternoon "I need to write a strip." I wanted to continue Roger's attempt to relax and thought I should take it to an extreme. I like how Roger plans things out very maticulously in his head and in a second, Death finds and exploits the flaw. This one was easy and fun to draw. I realized people like to see someone get shocked in the throat. Something to keep in mind for the future. Next week, there will be no post since I posted that comic already. Maybe I'll post a panel out of order as a sneak peek. We'll see how hectic things get.

As always you can read "Life with Death" here or in The Kingsman. Check it out, they got good things in there and I'm not just talking about the cartoon.

Word of the Day - March 23

Now thats something to avoid.

eschew\ es-CHOO \ , transitive verb;
1. To shun; to avoid (as something wrong or distasteful).

Word of the Day - March 22

Let me guess, he's named "Harry."

fugacious\ fyoo-GAY-shuhs \ , adjective;
1. Lasting but a short time; fleeting.

Word of the Day - March 21

I've said before that when having to come up with ideas constantly, you need to draw on your own life sometimes. You need to keep certain funny and strange situations in the vault and know when to use them. Well this was one of those times. This happened during my Spanish Regent freshman year of high school. I was a freshman among sophmores and juniors the whole year and when the regent came, I was one of the last ones to come to the room for the test. I was implored to sit in the middle of a ring of kids I knew from class. Something seemed fishy to me. I was more comfortable in the back. I got a 96 on the regent and now I can't speak a lick of spanish if my life depended on it.

prescience\ PREE-shuns; PREE-shee-uns; PRESH-uns; PRESH-ee-uns; PREE-see-uns; PRES-ee-uns \ , noun;
1. Knowledge of events before they take place; foresight.
-- prescient adjective

Word of the Day - March 20

Now I don't want the money if you're going to put these restrictions on it! No! No! Wait! I'll take it.

largess\ lar-ZHES; lar-JES; LAR-jes \ , noun;
also largesse
1. Generous giving (as of gifts or money), often accompanied by condescension. 2. Gifts, money, or other valuables so given. 3. Generosity; liberality.

Word of the Day - March 19

Adults want to let loose more than kids just because they aren't suppossed to.

interregnum\ in-tuhr-REG-nuhm \ , noun;
plural interregnums \-nuhmz\ or interregna \-nuh\
1. The interval between two reigns; any period when a state is left without a ruler. 2. A period of freedom from authority or during which government functions are suspended. 3. Any breach of continuity in an order; a lapse or interval in a continuity.

Word of the Day - March 18

Guys will forever dress like little boys. We don't change.

truckle\ TRUHK-uhl \ , intransitive verb;
1. To yield or bend obsequiously to the will of another; to act in a subservient manner. noun: 1. A small wheel or roller; a caster.

Word of the Day - March 17

Look at that guy, drool.

quaff\ KWOFF; KWAFF \ , verb;
1. To drink a beverage, esp. an intoxicating one, copiously and with hearty enjoyment. transitive verb: 1. To drink (a beverage) copiously and heartily noun: 1. An act or instance of quaffing. 2. A beverage quaffed.

Word of the Day - March 16

Never wear a belt to a big meal or jeans at a strip club, you never get your money's worth.

apposite\ AP-uh-zit \ , adjective;
1. Being of striking appropriateness and relevance; very applicable; apt.

Word of the Day - March 15

That outfit looks great. Let's go!

blandishment\ BLAN-dish-muhnt \ , noun;
1. Speech or action that flatters and tends to coax, entice, or persuade; allurement -- often used in the plural.

Word of the Day - March 14

That kid does look scary.

pusillanimous\ pyoo-suh-LAN-uh-muhs \ , adjective;
1. Lacking in courage and resolution; contemptibly fearful; cowardly.

Word of the Day - March 13

A true revolutionary. This is why so many people want to be cartoonists and news anchors. Don't need to wear pants.

aver\ uh-VUR \ , transitive verb;
1. To affirm with confidence; to declare in a positive manner, as in confidence of asserting the truth. 2. (Law) To assert, claim, or declare as a fact.

Word of the Day - March 12

The guy with his hands on his head is what I do during my art history class. So many stupid questions.

prolix\ pro-LIKS; PRO-liks \ , adjective;
1. Extending to a great length; unnecessarily long; wordy. 2. Tending to speak or write at excessive length.

Word of the Day - March 11

That one guy seems really interested.

epicene\ EP-uh-seen \ , adjective;
1. Having the characteristics of both sexes. 2. Effeminate; unmasculine. 3. Sexless; neuter. 4. (Linguistics) Having but one form of the noun for both the male and the female. noun: 1. A person or thing that is epicene. 2. (Linguistics) An epicene word.

Word of the Day - March 10

Nothing like a parent to embarrass a kid.

ersatz\ AIR-sahts; UR-sats \ , adjective;
1. Being a substitute or imitation, usually an inferior one.

Word of the Day - March 9

The ones who swagger usually have toilet paper on their shoe.

fanfaronade\ fan-fair-uh-NAYD; -NOD \ , noun;
1. Swaggering; empty boasting; blustering manner or behavior; ostentatious display. 2. Fanfare.

Word of the Day - March 8

How lovely little brothers can be. I'm a little brother, I know.

puckish\ PUHK-ish \ , adjective;
1. Whimsical; mischievous; impish.

Word of the Day - March 7

It's so he doesn't eat at his stitches.

chortle\ CHOR-tl \ , transitive and intransitive verb;
1. To utter, or express with, a snorting, exultant laugh or chuckle. noun: 1. A snorting, exultant laugh or chuckle.

Word of the Day - March 6

It's the moustache nazi!

demagogue\ DEM-uh-gog \ , noun;
1. A leader who obtains power by means of impassioned appeals to the emotions and prejudices of the populace. 2. A leader of the common people in ancient times.

Word of the Day - March 6

It's the moustache nazi!

demagogue\ DEM-uh-gog \ , noun;
1. A leader who obtains power by means of impassioned appeals to the emotions and prejudices of the populace. 2. A leader of the common people in ancient times.

Word of the Day - March 5

I remember sitting down to think of an idea and I immediately thought of the lipstick collar. Right after I said but it's from a monkey who likes to dress in women's clothes and wear makeup. 20 seconds flat. If only they were all like this.

confute\ kuhn-FYOOT \ , transitive verb;
1. To overwhelm by argument; to refute conclusively; to prove or show to be false.

Word of the Day - March 4

Why do all food critics have to wear scraves with an outfit?

gastronome\ GAS-truh-nohm \ , noun;
1. A connoisseur of good food and drink.

Word of the Day - March 3

I want that hat. I can wear it to the theater.

gimcrack\ JIM-krak \ , noun;
1. A showy but useless or worthless object; a gewgaw. adjective: 1. Tastelessly showy; cheap; gaudy.

Word of the Day - March 2

He's so expressive at such a young age.

wunderkind\ VOON-duhr-kint \ , noun;
plural wunderkinder \-kin-duhr\
1. A child prodigy. 2. One who achieves great success or acclaim at an early age.

Word of the Day - March 1

A radical idea that shouldn't be ruled out all together. Try the blender first.

masticate\ MAS-tih-kayt \ , transitive verb;
1. To grind or crush with or as if with the teeth in preparation for swallowing and digestion; to chew; as, "to masticate food." 2. To crush or knead (rubber, for example) into a pulp. intransitive verb: 1. To chew food.

Word of the Day - February 28

Well thats what happens when you go on the carpet.

cosset\ KOSS-it \ , transitive verb;
1. To treat as a pet; to treat with excessive indulgence; to pamper. noun: 1. A pet, especially a pet lamb.

Word of the Day - February 27

I know. I know. I'm way behind. Well, I'm finally catching up.

A sunburn is really bad when a beach ball hurts a lot. Been there.

rubicund\ ROO-bih-kund \ , adjective;
1. Inclining to redness; ruddy; red.

Life with Death - March 15

Here's this week's Life with Death published in The Brooklyn College Kingsman. I decided to have Roger try to relax a bit about his future in his own way. It's something that really hits its peak with next week's comic that I did yesterday. I love the second panel of this strip more than the punchline at the end. It's such a non-sequitur mini freak out in the middle of the strip. I just needed to include it.

As always you can read Life with Death right here or pick up a copy of The Kingsman!

Plus I will have three weeks of word of the day cartoons posted this weekend...hopefully.

Life With Death - March 7

Here is this week's Life with Death published in The Kingsman. I wanted to resolve Abbey's story sometime in the middle of the semester but make it very subtle. I like the fact that the guy who works the hardest (Roger) has nothing figured out while everyone else has their purpose or career set. Roger's will be resolved later but it's fun to see him squirm. This comic shows how in love Roger is with Abbey even when she screams at the top of her lungs, he becomes more in love with her. I've shown this before in a comic but thought it would nice to do a follow-up since she's going to be a kind little kindergarten teacher.

I just sent in next week's comic. It was written and drawn today. As things pile up, I need to be able to finish things on certain deadlines. So check back next week for that strip. I particularly like the second panel. Well, you see Roger says...Oh hell, you'll see it next week.

More Ceramics!

Hooray! I got this sixth piece constructed. After I finished my marathon day, Monday I wanted to be like this guy but I didn't have the energy to move my arms.

Above is the full image. This piece is about 25 1/2 inches tall and will sit on a pedestal inside of Bust #6 which can be seen here http://mattlassen.blogspot.com/2011/02/bust-6.html
This is the part that makes it a Jack in a Box or Jack in a Bum. As you will see in more pictures, the base measure 15 inches tall and was constructed with slabs and put together individually. The figure was then constructed separately and attached to the base tower. I added some coils to act as ribbons shooting up from the base to enhance the celebration and figure but they also act as support for the figure, just in case he thought of dropping. He did drop once Monday but only because I was tempting fate and trying to attach him balancing on one leg. He stood for a little while but fell eventually. I pieced him back together and finished the piece up. All thats left is some smaller pieces and lots of painting.

Below are more detailed shots! Enjoy.

Life with Death - February 28

Last week, I had so busy. In Brooklyn College world, Wednesday was a Monday which completely messed me up. I had my regular Monday plus I had to go to the MET afterwards and look at paintings. Luckily, I wrote this strip in my head on the train ride back. Thank god, I didn't meet anyone because I kept repeating it in my head. I liked the visual in my head and was able to replicate it in an adequate fashion. I like when cartoons do things that really can't happen in real life. It's fun. This week, I wrote the strip and a possible other one in my head on the train just like last week. The new strip was written, drawn and submitted today. Check back next week to see what happens next or you can always read "Life with Death" by picking up a copy of The Kingsman.