A new planet?

I have either discovered a new planet orbiting a nearby star...or Jupiter was lined up with the ice rings around the moon last night. One or the other.

Puppetooning

Robin and I got our "Puppetooning" on today at a wonderful party for a small herd of very short people (commonly known as children). They squealed with delight at Vanilla's monkey business.

By the end of the afternoon each child had a sit-down session with me and got to take home a personalized cartoon. (Even some adults got in on the action...but don't tell anybody)

Better late than never

It only took 16 years to get our hands on an official copy of an episode of Bingo & Molly that we shot in New Zealand. The gorgeous puppets were built by Richard Taylor of WETA (Lord of the Rings). Now we can sit back and watch it and deal with our frustration.

Robin created the show and played the title role of Molly. I played Bingo as well as Mr. Growl, the wolf up in the window.

Hands-on at Schulz Museum

The museum was full of a variety of artists today, helping kids with many types of projects. I was in charge of zoetrope animation...the spinning gizmo that started things long ago. Many a wide-eyed child marveled at their own creations coming to life. Was the next Walt Disney among them? Who's to say?

Being Maliboobooed

There is nothing quite like being Maliboobooed. I could barely get through the gate this morning. Malibu had spotted me coming and was crossing the field at full speed, diving onto her back for her morning tummy rub before I could latch the gate behind me. It's like being targeted by a heat seeking missile of joy.

Our pal Pickles

In 1997 Robin and I were living in the same hotel in New Zealand as we co-starred in Bingo & Molly for the Discovery Channel. Every morning and evening we'd meet in the lobby at the cage of Pickles, the sulfur-crested cockatoo. I've always felt that Pickles had something to do with transforming our 20 year friendship into our now 12 year marriage. Today I emailed the hotel in New Zealand and asked if Pickles was still there, thirteen years later. He is. He's doing well and about to turn 30. If you don't believe me, see for yourself.

Yea Pickles! We love you.

Doug Engelbart

Doug Engelbart just died. He invented the mouse and ushered in the era of the internet that has altered our lives tremendously. A few years ago I was commissioned to create a cartoon to honor him at a ceremony at Stanford. He wasn't overly optimistic about the reality of it...as far as his ability to slow down our lemming-like march towards the cliff.

The News

I’m beginning to gather my news out back. The national news is filled with drug commercials whose side effects are lethal. The local news is nothing more than ambulance chasing with a camera. If the newspaper gets any thinner you can cut a hole in it and use it for a toilet seat cover. No. I’m beginning to trust my own eyes more as the state of coyotes and turkeys and the bees informs me of things. I think I might trade in my TV for a Mary Oliver poem. 

Santa Rosa Toy Con

Robin and I had a good time at the first Santa Rosa Toy Con. I never fail to think of Galaxy Quest at times like this. Meanwhile, a number of Dark Star fans approached my table and made no connection between me and the hairy guy in the photo. Tempus fugit.

The facts are here

The fact of the matter is that I just learned my cartoon did not win the coveted cover spot on the 2014 Union of Concerned Scientists political cartoon calendar. Nevertheless, it will have its own month once again, having been chosen from all the entries over the last seven years. Sadly, I fear it's a concept that will have a long shelf life.

The freelance life

A few years back I won a Haiku contest sponsored by some freelancing group. This year marks 30 years of freelancing…and the poem still holds true.

The freelance lifestyle
Career of endless searching
That work interrupts

Oh say can you see?...

Oh say can you see?...

Reagan’s deregulations

Bush’s private war

Wall Street’s immunity

Monsanto’s rule

Halliburton’s profits

The NRA’s bloody legacy

The Senate’s cowardly vote

They say you reap what you sow.

From the look of this tired flag

I’d say we have a lot of sewing to do.

BITE ON!

I've created many characters in my day but Crabby Trojan is the first one I will ever wind up eating.

What's new at the zoo?

Last year I volunteered with other USC alumni, repairing the African savanna exhibit at the SF Zoo. (They removed most of the animals first) It rained the entire time. I've signed up again this year but will be better prepared.

The Refarmation

Last night we watched a documentary called FRESH. Like others I've seen, it points out the lemming-like nature of our big-agra food production model. Unlike other films, it focuses on real world examples of sustainable, organic solutions. Very encouraging. If you study the state of water, soil and the fisheries (as I've been doing for a current book project) it is easy to fall into despair. I recommend this documentary as a glimpse of light from the end of the tunnel. It inspired me this morning to create the following bumper sticker.

Available at:   http://www.cafepress.com/narelle.774629946

People Are Like Lollipops

 
The book I recently illustrated, PEOPLE ARE LIKE LOLLIPOPS by Annie Fox, is now available (for young children). Check it out at any of these links:

Print via CreateSpace: https://www.createspace.com/4121961
Print via Amazon: http://bit.ly/printlollipops
Kindle via Amazon: http://bit.ly/kindlelollipops

AARP

After years of solicitations from the AARP I've decided to fight back and create my own organization.

Life imitating art

On the heels of the latest Daddy Ducktape book, an unruly passenger was restrained and gagged on board a flight today by fellow passengers and crew using duck tape. Life often imitates art...but I didn't see this one coming!