Sooper Puppy returns

"The pack is back" as I dust off the little miniatures I made years ago to sit on my desk as I wrote eleven Sooper Puppy films for kids in the mid to late 1980s. Now Sooper Puppy is preparing to star in five new short films for kids in order to facilitate trauma therapy. From left to right that's Big Jon (a gopher), Grandpaw, Baxter (AKA Sooper Puppy), Stoops and Grizzle in the background (the Garbage Can Gang) and Baxter's best friend Pickles on the right. When I cast puppeteer and friend Robin Goodrow as Pickles I had no idea that we would marry 15 years later. Thankfully we're both house broken.

Ho Ho Holy Mackerel

We haven't put up any Christmas lights yet this year because this house down the road has sucked all the electricity out of the grid. Fourteen years in the making all the characters climbing all over this property were hand painted by the owner. He either has a lot of spare time or drinks copious amounts of coffee. Happy Holidays!

What in the world?

I just discovered this vintage image of my wife Robin Goodrow and her alter ego Vanilla from Buster & Me, her award winning children's TV series that ran for 20 years on NBC in San Francisco. I never realized they'd both gone into outer space but I am certainly grateful to NASA for the photograph.

To see more go to busterandme.com

Ned the elephant

Ned the elephant has just been rescued by the USDA. It's only the second time the USDA has ever done that. He's currently at the Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee where he will be recuperating from his mistreatment. They have a wish list of needs that can be found by pasting the following URL into your browser:

http://www.elephants.com/estore/views.php?cat=6^108&sub_link=&desc=Ned%20Wish%20List&menu_oid=6

The Snake Whisperer

My wife Robin has an uncanny ability I have never seen before. Over the years I have had various snakes. I have never seen them respond to anyone and "come" on request, like a dog, until now. Last night Robin and Roosevelt were having one of their conversations. When he later headed in the direction of the Playsnake of the Month fold-out I made and put on the back wall of the tank Robin suggested he go up and give "her" a kiss. He did. I married a snake whisperer!

Strangle U

I've been wondering where my new snake ever learned to hide so well. With the recent arrival of his diploma I now understand.

Roosevelt T. Boa

I'd like to introduce the newest member of our family, Roosevelt T. (it stands for "the")Boa. He's a rosy boa and lives in a simulated desert right in my office. He reminds me daily not to waste energy - to be still and quiet. He's a good teacher.

Wack Wacky Wackier

Just when things were getting a little dull in comes Wacky Wendy from New York to raise the wackosity quotient. She makes amazing crazy hats out of paper plates. Say what? It must be seen to be believed. Go to www.wackywendy.com and see for yourself. But be careful. It could put a dent in your doldrums.

High elf-esteem

My wife Robin (in the white) took off for a few days with our friend Angela to let their hair down and their wings out. Somewhere in a wooded glen in Oregon they joined thousands of other fairies to commiserate about having to pretend to be normal humans most of the time.

Some turkey in Turkey

On June 15th, despite frantic last minute efforts on my part to re-secure my lapsed domain name narellecreative.com, it was purchased by a guy in Instanbul who is holding it for ransom. I have elected to change my web site to narellecreative.net...also reachable via briannarelle.com.

Another successful safari

This year's Cartoon Safari at the Charles M. Schulz Museum got off to a great start with the added Zulu zip of Baba Shibambo who agreed to bring drums and marimba for the kids to play. You can even catch a glimpse on YouTube. Just type CARTOON SAFARI into the search window and get ready to boogie!

You can hear more of Baba Shibambo at: http://myspace.com/vusishibambo

What do you know, it IS rocket science!

It's time once again for the Union of Concerned Scientists to put together their 2009 calendar to celebrate government interference in scientific research. Last year my cartoon made it onto the February page. Here's one of my entries for this year.

NEWS FLASH! UPDATE! This cartoon has been chosen as a finalist! That means I will have a whole page one month next year and I'll soon announce the web site to go to and vote. If I get the most votes of the twelve finalists this cartoon will appear on the cover of the calendar and I will be flown to Washington DC. Get ready to vote soon!

50% of Narelles

In 1898 my grandmother adopted the name Narelle as a stage name, having been inspired by tales of "Queen Narelle" of the Moruya tribe of aboriginals on the southeast coast of Australia, near where my grandmother (and father) grew up. 110 years later there appear to be only four Narelles left (by name): being my brother and his wife, my niece Nina and myself. Nina's recent visit to the Bay Area brought half of all the Narelles together for a less than massive reunion. (It was a great visit. Just not massive.)

Farewell Danny Boy

It's been almost three years since young Danny Maguire was run over by a drunk driver in southern California. Since the death of Danny's little dog Buddy (a while ago) I've been planning to deliver a little stuffed replica, which I did two weeks ago. Danny's courage and love are well documented, as are the sacrifices and efforts of his parents. On the eve of Danny's 23rd birthday (two days ago) he let go of this world and left us. Or so it seems. His testimony to love throughout his ordeal is the stuff of legend. And legends never die.

Sitting on a teenager

Lovey Dovey finally gave birth. Unfortunately it appears she has been sitting on a condor egg. If this little guy gets any bigger I'm going to have to reinforce the hanging pot with 1/4 steel chain.

Peace begins at home

We recently planted flowers in a hanging pot on our porch, right next to our front door. Mr and Mrs. Mourning Dove thought it was lovely and after working things out with their avian real estate agent decided to move in and raise a family. There is little we can do but come and go quietly, passing not 18 inches from Mrs. Dove each time. She sits on her nest with total equipoise, unflustered by our passings.

Schulz meets Bode

I had a grand time holding court at the Schulz Museum today. At the end Mark Bode and his wife Molly showed up. I met Mark in 1975 following the untimely death of his father, the late great underground cartoonist Vaughn Bode. I initially moved to the Bay Area to help continue his legacy. Mark has grown up carrying that torch, becoming a remarkable artist in his own right. Today the wife of Charles Schulz met the son of Vaughn Bode in a cosmic collision of above ground and underground cartooning history.

Good grief, Charlie Brown!

I'm moving back into Snoopy's house for the month of March for my second stint as Cartoonist-in-Residence at the Charles Schulz Museum in Santa Rosa, CA. Now, if they'd just move over a little there might be a little room for me on top of that doghouse.