My wife and I enjoy Chuck, the TV show about a computer nerd who gets sucked into the world of spies and intrigue when a secret government "superfile" gets implanted in his brain. It's kind of retro; a little bit Get Smart, a little Mission:Impossible. But the characters are all well-played--even those that started out two-dimensional have developed into interesting people. Now I hear that Chuck is in trouble. Not the character--the series. Viewership is off.
This happens to us on a pretty regular basis. We loved Space-Above and Beyond, a show back in the eighties (I think) that was sort of like a 40's war movie set in the future. And Cop Rock--a "drama" where cops and robbers would burst into song. It featured several new songs every week, and was actually a lot of fun. And Firefly, which was cancelled and evolved into the movie Serenity, which also stumbled. Eli Stone was a recent casualty, and while I read that the producers knew it was going to be dropped in time to resolve the story lines in the characters' lives, no final wrap up episode ever appeared.
There have been others over the years, and they always seem to be the slightly quirky ones. While The Bachelor and According to Jim last for years, our beloved little favorites seem to frequently fizzle out before their time. When we hear that one of our new favorites is in danger, we're torn between making sure we see every week to enjoy it while we can, or trying to break free before the end. We always wind up sticking with it, though, watching the final episode with a feeling of frustration. Of course, we know this was a good show and the public at large was mistaken. No show we ever like is really mediocre.
I'm not complaining to teach a lesson or make a point. It's Friday and I just feel like complaining. Well, maybe there is a point. Watch Chuck. Chuck is charming, Sarah the spy is sexy, Casey the other spy is wonderfully irascible, and the various secondary characters are a wonderful ensemble. I've thought of copying down the names of all the sponsors' brands, then writing to tell them I bought their products because I saw them on Chuck, but that would just be more frustrating if the show is canceled, because then I will have wasted extra time for naught. Tell you what: if you don't watch Chuck, please write to the sponsors for me. That way, it may save the show and you'll have done a good deed. Thank you.
Friday, March 13, 2009
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
QlownTown online
QlownTown has arrived! The site is up and running, and the response has been overwhelming. I thought I'd feel somewhat ambivalent when it finally went live, since it took so long to get there. But the moment I was told that everything was ready and I could announce, I was thrilled! The whole day was spent excitedly sending out e-mails and Facebook announcements. One of my favorite e-mails of all those I received in response to the announcement was "Qongratulations". I've tried to avoid overusing Q as a replacement for C or K, so I was amused to see it appear where I wouldn't have thought to put it. I wrote back, "very qlever".
Now I want to write a QlownTown song, and maybe do a video for uTube. I already have the first two lines: "Everybody sing and dance/kick your partner in the pants." I mean this to be in the butt, not front, so don't start injuring other people in the name of QlownTown.
I'd like to animate it, but that'd be a lot of work--something which I try to avoid if possible. But dressing people up as clowns and taping them would be a lot, too. I may just draw stills to illustrate the tune. I predict a one-year turnaround...glaciers and I move slowly.
Someone commented that she likes the colorful look of the cartoons. I had actually noticed that they were brighter than most, and thought about trying to tone them down. You see, as I go along coloring them, I do whatever color seems appropriate for the item I'm filling in, rather than choosing an overall theme first. And drawing clowns, it seems only natural to do a red nose, orange hair, loud clothes. If it's a clown house, shouldn't the floors be purple, or the walls be pink? So it often winds up bright. But I decided it's nice to have that distinctive feature.
When it came to coloring the "Clown mobsters" cartoon, however, I realized it was still in black and white (I scan the ink drawings in grayscale, then switch to color mode), and decided that particular strip looked best in b&w--the whole noir look. Of course, the pies in the violin case might not obviously appear to be pies to some people, but I'll take that chance. And as time goes by, if I'm behind schedule, I may just leave a cartoon black and white...but coloring them is a lot of fun.
I guess in some ways I've never progressed beyond the little kid with crayons and a coloring book. If I am someday able to hire someone to color them for me, won't that be a cool job to get paid to do? There's probably a cartoon in that.
Speaking of cartoon ideas, if you have any suggestions, please post or email me. I'd love to do strips that apply to particular occupations, services, sports, etc. I can't pay, but you'll get to see your idea online if it's used. You could even buy it on a T shirt or whatever, and tell people it's a professionally-drawn custom cartoon that was done for you from your idea.
Now I want to write a QlownTown song, and maybe do a video for uTube. I already have the first two lines: "Everybody sing and dance/kick your partner in the pants." I mean this to be in the butt, not front, so don't start injuring other people in the name of QlownTown.
I'd like to animate it, but that'd be a lot of work--something which I try to avoid if possible. But dressing people up as clowns and taping them would be a lot, too. I may just draw stills to illustrate the tune. I predict a one-year turnaround...glaciers and I move slowly.
Someone commented that she likes the colorful look of the cartoons. I had actually noticed that they were brighter than most, and thought about trying to tone them down. You see, as I go along coloring them, I do whatever color seems appropriate for the item I'm filling in, rather than choosing an overall theme first. And drawing clowns, it seems only natural to do a red nose, orange hair, loud clothes. If it's a clown house, shouldn't the floors be purple, or the walls be pink? So it often winds up bright. But I decided it's nice to have that distinctive feature.
When it came to coloring the "Clown mobsters" cartoon, however, I realized it was still in black and white (I scan the ink drawings in grayscale, then switch to color mode), and decided that particular strip looked best in b&w--the whole noir look. Of course, the pies in the violin case might not obviously appear to be pies to some people, but I'll take that chance. And as time goes by, if I'm behind schedule, I may just leave a cartoon black and white...but coloring them is a lot of fun.
I guess in some ways I've never progressed beyond the little kid with crayons and a coloring book. If I am someday able to hire someone to color them for me, won't that be a cool job to get paid to do? There's probably a cartoon in that.
Speaking of cartoon ideas, if you have any suggestions, please post or email me. I'd love to do strips that apply to particular occupations, services, sports, etc. I can't pay, but you'll get to see your idea online if it's used. You could even buy it on a T shirt or whatever, and tell people it's a professionally-drawn custom cartoon that was done for you from your idea.
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Launch!
Okay, you've read this before. (If not, you can check previous posts and read it now.) But this time I think I mean it: the QlownTown site (www.qlowntown.com) will officially launch online on Friday, March 6th, THIS YEAR! That means that you will see a new cartoon every day from then until the end of time, or until I run out of ideas and shoot myself.
Coming up with new ideas doesn't worry me, because I have about a year's worth now, having been generating ideas the whole year this has been in development (and even before that). Of course, there may be days when you'll read one and say, "He had a year to plan and this is the best he could come up with?*" But, in the words of Maine humorist Tim Sample, "If you don't laugh, it's not because it isn't funny...it's because you don't get it." Of course, that may be true of Maine humor, which can sometimes be, as many regional styles are, distinct and peculiar (I personally love it, and have a slight whistle in my S's to this day because I spent so much time trying to get that whistle when doing a Downeast accent), but may not be true of your average everyday comic strip humor.
So if you think a cartoon's not funny, let me know. If it's because you don't know a critical part of the joke (for example, if a character speaks in French with no translation or you never heard of Puddintane), look it up on the Internet first. I'm still amazed at how I can type in a long sentence, like "How do I change the rear wiper on a Toyota Prius?" and will get links to sites with pictures, instructions and other information I didn't even know I wanted. There's also a site I love www.ComicsIDontUnderstand.com, where people post comics they, well, don't understand. Then a number of people will write in with explanations, critiques, etc. Any exposure is good exposure, within reason, so if you don't get one of mine, send it to them.
And speaking of exposure--oh, what a smooooth segue!---once you've visited the site, PLEASE tell everyone you know about it. Send emails, call them on the phone, accost them on the street, put posters on their front doors, send flaming arrows with the web address on the shaft into their yards--just get the word out. It's been a year-long process, and the payoff will be if I can get thousands, ultimately tens of thousands of people reading the strip...well, that, and get them to buy merchandise related to the strip. But for now, please spread the word...that's Phase One of my plan for Qlown Domination.
I recently marked down the original art from what it was going to be, because I had priced it at the value I anticipate a year or two from now, but of course it may not be worth that much yet. So I see the original art as a good investment. Remember, there's only one piece of original art for each strip, so when the first one's gone, they all are!
See you on Friday!
*Grammatically speaking, this sentence should actually end with "...up with which he could come?", but that sounds somehow inappropriate.
Coming up with new ideas doesn't worry me, because I have about a year's worth now, having been generating ideas the whole year this has been in development (and even before that). Of course, there may be days when you'll read one and say, "He had a year to plan and this is the best he could come up with?*" But, in the words of Maine humorist Tim Sample, "If you don't laugh, it's not because it isn't funny...it's because you don't get it." Of course, that may be true of Maine humor, which can sometimes be, as many regional styles are, distinct and peculiar (I personally love it, and have a slight whistle in my S's to this day because I spent so much time trying to get that whistle when doing a Downeast accent), but may not be true of your average everyday comic strip humor.
So if you think a cartoon's not funny, let me know. If it's because you don't know a critical part of the joke (for example, if a character speaks in French with no translation or you never heard of Puddintane), look it up on the Internet first. I'm still amazed at how I can type in a long sentence, like "How do I change the rear wiper on a Toyota Prius?" and will get links to sites with pictures, instructions and other information I didn't even know I wanted. There's also a site I love www.ComicsIDontUnderstand.com, where people post comics they, well, don't understand. Then a number of people will write in with explanations, critiques, etc. Any exposure is good exposure, within reason, so if you don't get one of mine, send it to them.
And speaking of exposure--oh, what a smooooth segue!---once you've visited the site, PLEASE tell everyone you know about it. Send emails, call them on the phone, accost them on the street, put posters on their front doors, send flaming arrows with the web address on the shaft into their yards--just get the word out. It's been a year-long process, and the payoff will be if I can get thousands, ultimately tens of thousands of people reading the strip...well, that, and get them to buy merchandise related to the strip. But for now, please spread the word...that's Phase One of my plan for Qlown Domination.
I recently marked down the original art from what it was going to be, because I had priced it at the value I anticipate a year or two from now, but of course it may not be worth that much yet. So I see the original art as a good investment. Remember, there's only one piece of original art for each strip, so when the first one's gone, they all are!
See you on Friday!
*Grammatically speaking, this sentence should actually end with "...up with which he could come?", but that sounds somehow inappropriate.
Monday, February 16, 2009
New Ideas
Scott Adams recently wrote that every time he mentions a book idea on his blog, several people will write to tell him that book has already been written. I've reached the point where I jot down ideas and inventions just so I can say, "Oh yeah, I thought of that back in [year]" when someone else manufactures it. For example, I suggested to Ford years ago that they put a drop-down door under the rear window of an extended cab pickup, so the truck bed could effectively be extenbded by pushing long items into the back seat area, and saw that idea finally appear in another company's truck years later. This doesn't mean I thought of it first...I just have the satisfaction of saying that I came up with the idea years before it appeared on the market.
I came up with the idea of a New Beetle station wagon a few years back, to make the VW more practical and cash in on the appeal at the time of the PT Cruiser and what was then the new New Beetle. (If they do another version will that become the Newer Beetle?) I'm waiting for them to build it--I may even buy one!
There's a website, whynot.net, that is an open forum for ideas like this. Let's face it: most of us lack the resources and/or dedication to ever bring our cool ideas to market, so why not put them out in the public eye where some auto exec or maufacturing honcho might see the idea and "make it so"? One woman suggested inswinging windows (the whole unit) , so you could clean or paint the outside as easily as you clean a door. Can this be built practically? Maybe not, but she has no means to execute it, and perhaps some window manufacturer will see and like the idea. We don't always have to be paid for our ideas, do we? Yeah, it'd be nice to get millions of dollars for an idea, but there's a certain satisfaction in being the one who came up with the idea first. Hey, they can put in in your obituary, so at least you get credit posthumously.
I came up with the idea of a New Beetle station wagon a few years back, to make the VW more practical and cash in on the appeal at the time of the PT Cruiser and what was then the new New Beetle. (If they do another version will that become the Newer Beetle?) I'm waiting for them to build it--I may even buy one!
There's a website, whynot.net, that is an open forum for ideas like this. Let's face it: most of us lack the resources and/or dedication to ever bring our cool ideas to market, so why not put them out in the public eye where some auto exec or maufacturing honcho might see the idea and "make it so"? One woman suggested inswinging windows (the whole unit) , so you could clean or paint the outside as easily as you clean a door. Can this be built practically? Maybe not, but she has no means to execute it, and perhaps some window manufacturer will see and like the idea. We don't always have to be paid for our ideas, do we? Yeah, it'd be nice to get millions of dollars for an idea, but there's a certain satisfaction in being the one who came up with the idea first. Hey, they can put in in your obituary, so at least you get credit posthumously.
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Energy efficiency
I'm listening to some people talking on the radio about the new mandates for more fuel efficient cars by 2020. I don't see why it's taken this long for people to take action; we were talking about improving efficiency in houses and cars at least as far back as Jimmy Carter's presidency. The argument that more fuel efficient cars will "cost" more ignores the fact that we're paying more for gas now than we would be if cars had been more efficient decades ago, as demand would be much lower than it is. Thus, the long-term result is that more efficient cars cost less, because the cost of fuel is ultimately lower.
Now, if there'd been a higher gas tax long ago, to make saving fuel more appealing to the masses, we'd have seen better vehicles long ago. (Now we're in a recession and even I question the viability of raising the gas tax(es) at this time.) But weren't you more concerned about saving fuel when gas was $4 a gallon? And the thing people seem to forget is, we're dumping our mistakes on our children and grandchildren. Even so, I think there are more and more people recognizing that we need to make big changes in how we use fuel.
On another note, I like T. Boone Pickens's idea that we should fuel commercial trucks with natural gas. It's produced in the US, and I believe it's cleaner than gas.
Now, in QlownTown. everything is powered by gas or hot air, but what types I won't say.
Now, if there'd been a higher gas tax long ago, to make saving fuel more appealing to the masses, we'd have seen better vehicles long ago. (Now we're in a recession and even I question the viability of raising the gas tax(es) at this time.) But weren't you more concerned about saving fuel when gas was $4 a gallon? And the thing people seem to forget is, we're dumping our mistakes on our children and grandchildren. Even so, I think there are more and more people recognizing that we need to make big changes in how we use fuel.
On another note, I like T. Boone Pickens's idea that we should fuel commercial trucks with natural gas. It's produced in the US, and I believe it's cleaner than gas.
Now, in QlownTown. everything is powered by gas or hot air, but what types I won't say.
Friday, January 16, 2009
Inauguratioon
Everyone seems to be weighing in on the upcoming inauguration. The country, and perhaps the world, seem to be largely of one mind on two things: that we're glad to see George Bush and his cronies go, and that we're excited about the possibilities with an Obama administration. This doesn't mean there aren't detractors, skeptics and naysayers, but I'm getting emails from staunchly anti-Obama voters who still are keeping an open mind to see what is to come, and wishing the new president well. While there may (will) be disappointments, there's an air of optimism that does us good in these troubled economic times. Somtimes a figurehead is good for us, regardless of our leanings. The best thing Ronald Reagan ever did for the US was, I believe, make us feel good about ourselves. While the massive debts he ran up were a burden on taxpayers-to-come ---they always seem to forget that deficits are repaid by our children, not us---that sense of self-worth was encouraging. I'm glad to be feeling hopeful again. Whatever else happens, a period of well-being, however tainted with worry as well, does a soul, and country, good.
By the way, read the Adams biography if you haven't already. It'll give you a new sense of pride and amazement at what a job our founding fathers did in a generally selfless way to establish a better form of government.
By the way, read the Adams biography if you haven't already. It'll give you a new sense of pride and amazement at what a job our founding fathers did in a generally selfless way to establish a better form of government.
Friday, January 2, 2009
It's a new year, innit?
Well, the holidays came and went and still the site isn't up. I decided to hold off on ordering the calendars, because how many would I be likely to sell without a comic strip to relate them to? And now that it's January, I may not be able to sell many because everyone's bought their calendars! We'll see how that goes in the first few weeks the site is up.
All I can do now is draw cartoons and wait for other people to get their part together so the site can be launched. If it isn't online this month, it will have been a year that I've been at it with no site to show for it.
On another front, I've been sketching house plans. One set will ultimately be for our house when we move in the next year or so. Others will be for sale at the website. Yes, I'll eventually be offering house plans! I used to be a contractor and restorer and won an award for a house I built in Maine. While house designer and cartoonist may not seem to go together, both involve fitting elements into a space so they look good and serve a function. And they're two things I love.
I went to the car show in Boston last month. I was especially taken with the Nissan Cube, which looks like, basically, a Cube. Some might find it ugly. It's definitely funny looking, but very practical. It seems a logical followup to my Beetle, which is really a cartoon on wheels. My wife, however, has informed me that it's her turn to choose our next car, so what I think may not matter much anyway. There are no immediate plans to buy a new car anyway, so who knows what will be available when we buy? She likes the Honda Accord, natural gas engine version. You install your own pumping station in your garage: no stops at the gas station! This appeals to me too: natural gas is domestic, oil is mostly foreign. One more way to work towards energy independence. If anyone out there has one of these Accords, let me know. We already have a Prius, and a friend suggested we get a license plate that says SMUG. But I'm afraid some bitter Hummer driver would ram us the next time gas goes up--and it will go up.
All I can do now is draw cartoons and wait for other people to get their part together so the site can be launched. If it isn't online this month, it will have been a year that I've been at it with no site to show for it.
On another front, I've been sketching house plans. One set will ultimately be for our house when we move in the next year or so. Others will be for sale at the website. Yes, I'll eventually be offering house plans! I used to be a contractor and restorer and won an award for a house I built in Maine. While house designer and cartoonist may not seem to go together, both involve fitting elements into a space so they look good and serve a function. And they're two things I love.
I went to the car show in Boston last month. I was especially taken with the Nissan Cube, which looks like, basically, a Cube. Some might find it ugly. It's definitely funny looking, but very practical. It seems a logical followup to my Beetle, which is really a cartoon on wheels. My wife, however, has informed me that it's her turn to choose our next car, so what I think may not matter much anyway. There are no immediate plans to buy a new car anyway, so who knows what will be available when we buy? She likes the Honda Accord, natural gas engine version. You install your own pumping station in your garage: no stops at the gas station! This appeals to me too: natural gas is domestic, oil is mostly foreign. One more way to work towards energy independence. If anyone out there has one of these Accords, let me know. We already have a Prius, and a friend suggested we get a license plate that says SMUG. But I'm afraid some bitter Hummer driver would ram us the next time gas goes up--and it will go up.
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