Andertoons Cartoon Blog

"Rub My Tummy and It's a Deal" Available at Amazon

The wait is over.

You can now get your very own copy of the very first Andertoons book at the very awesome Amazon.com! (Verily!)

And to get this thing rolling, the first ten folks to blog about it will get a signed copy from me free of charge.

Just drop me a line with a link to the post and your address. You can grab an image here.

(Blurbers - you know who you are - don't bother. Yours are already in the mail.)

Hope you like it! And a special thanks to all the early adopters via Lulu!

Technorati Tags: andertoons, blogs, books, cartoon, cartoonist, cartoons, blogging

Stacy Curtis Has New Books

Hey, cartoony pal Stacy Curtis announced two new Meghan Rose books he illustrated are available over at Amazon now!

Go get 'em!

Technorati Tags: books, cartoon, cartooning, cartoonist, cartoonists, cartoons, illustration

The Back of the Napkin - Chapter One Review

OK, I'm not business book kinda guy, but Dan Roam's book caught my interest in a few different magazines I like. And after kinda poking fun at it (and Dan commenting so nicely despite that) I figured I really gotta give it a fair read.

That being said, I'm a stay-at-home-dad to two kids under five, plus I'm running Andertoons and trying draw funny pictures on a regular basis.

So I'm gonna take Dan's approach and review his book visually as I go along. Here's chapter one:

Technorati Tags: andertoons, books, business, cartoon, cartooning, cartoonist, cartoons

Jimmy's Non Sequitur

Regular reader, Jimmy, wanted to see a little more of the inside of the Trib's new comics section, especially the vertical Non Sequitur.

Here you go:

Sorry about the lighting and the general crumminess of the picture. I took it at 5:14 AM before my first cup of coffee.

I think NS holds up well. No idea if Wiley had to change anything.

Peanuts, however, doesn't work so well vertically:

Kinda awkward IMHO.

Anyway, there's a look inside for ya!

Technorati Tags: cartoon, cartooning, cartoonist, cartoons, comics

Don't Sweat the 7 Habits of Highly Effective Cheese Movers and What They Learned in Kindergarten

This book showed up in my Newsweek last week, and my Fast Company this week.

From the synopsis:

Used properly, a simple drawing on a humble napkin is more powerful than Excel or PowerPoint. It can help crystallize ideas, think outside the box, and communicate in a way that people simply "get". In this book Dan Roam argues that everyone is born with a talent for visual thinking, even those who swear they can't draw.

This strikes me as one of those crazy-idea-that-just-might-work books that come and go in a year or so, but I'm close to ordering it if, for no other reason, than to find some way to justify more cartoon usage.

Aw heck, it's a write-off.  I'm ordering.

Technorati Tags: andertoons, books, cartoon, cartooning, cartoonist, cartoons

Chicago Tribune Comics Section Format Change

Thanks for being patient while I battled my sinuses for a few days there.

As promised, here's the old Trib comics section (left) and the new one (right).

Looks like about the same number of comics, although they're printed a bit smaller.

All in all I'd say it's a nice new format, it's a good size for kids' hands, and including it with the TV guide may spur some readership.

Technorati Tags: andertoons, cartoon, cartooning, cartoonist, cartoons, comics

Wording

I love words.

And it's a good thing since writing is really the crux of the whole cartoonist thing.  You can be the greatest artist in the world, but if your writing stinks, t'ain't  nobody buyin'.

One of my tricks when I'm stumped is to hit the books.  I've got a number of different reference volumes to kick start the process:

• Cambridge Dictionary of American Idioms
•  The American Heritage Dictionary of Idioms
• The Dictionary of Cliches
• The Oxford Dictionary of Catchphrases

But I heard of a newer source of topical and popular language that I intend to be digging into the next time I'm drawing a blank, the Global Language Monitor.

There's tons of great stuff here, although I'd like it to be updated a little more frequently.

I'm also looking forward to digging into Semantic Antics: How and Why Words Change Meaning by Sol Steinmetz.

Dunno how inspiring it will be cartoon-wise, but it sounds like a fun read.

Word up!

Technorati Tags: andertoons, cartoon, cartooning, cartoonist, cartoons

Book Update

I've gotten my ISBN, my Library of Congress control number, and my bar code all put on and in the book now.

I also threw in some page numbers! (Oops! Forgot all about that last time!)

Now I'm just waiting for my preview copy to arrive. I'll letcha know once its available, but it should be soon! Woo-hoo!

Technorati Tags: andertoons, books, cartoon, cartooning, cartoonist, cartoons

Chicago Tribune Changing Sunday Comics to Tabloid Format

So I reading about the last season of BSG last Sunday, and I notice this on the inside cover of the Trib's TV Week:

Starting next Sunday, TV Week is becoming The Guide to TV and the Internet, with fresher TV listings, more channel listings and more color. And tucked inside The Guide will be your favorite color comics in an easier-to-scan tabloid format. Plus you'll get our experts' and readers' advice about the best sites on the internet, including those on chicagotribune.com and elsewhere.

Here are the details:

In our more up-to-date listings grids, you'll find nine new cable channels, plus color coding that will instantly guide you to movies, sports, news/talk, and our Best Bets.

In Comics, which will be a pullout section inside The Guide, Chicago's best comics and puzzles – now including the popular TV jumble – will be easier to hold ad share among the entire family.

Each week in our guide to the internet, we will cut through the jungle of millions of sites to the best ones as determined by Tribune experts and readers like you. Each week, we'll offer different topics for time-saving surfing.

Look for it next Sunday in the same spot you've been finding TV Week.

From the look of the graphic, it looks like The Guide is gonna be sized like Parade or the Trib's weekly local news mag.

Interesting huh? I'll post some pics next week of the new comics section.

Technorati Tags: andertoons, cartoon, cartooning, cartoonist, cartoons, comics

Webcomics' Impact

Weighing in at 162 comments so far, The Daily Cartoonist's recent post, Ted Rall, Rich Stevens, others debate webcomic impact on cartooning, is one of the best conversations I'd read or been a part of as far as the "freeconomics" (Chris Anderson's word from Free! Why $0.00 Is the Future of Business, another great piece on the subject) of cartoons online.

There's a lot to digest, and a fair amount of snark and vitriol at the start, but it's well worth your time.

Technorati Tags: andertoons, blog, business, cartoon, cartooning, cartoonist, cartoons, comics, webcomics