Inaugural Ball

Robin and I had a great time at the Inaugural Ball. It was fun to meet Barack but boy is that guy skinny. Damn near paper thin. I hope the White House chef can fatten him up before a stiff wind blows him away. For me yesterday was the beginning of the new year. Happy New Year to all!

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.

Going to the dogs

My senior term paper in high school was about UFOs. It's taken me all this time to figure out why we see so few of them.

Yet another item available as cards, postcards, mugs, etc. in my online store. See link on the right.

Talking turkey to power

These postcards are available in my online store. I'm sure Nancy Pelosi has gotten some by now, but she could always use one more.

Beware the Talibank

We watched a documentary last night called MAXED OUT. It is must viewing. Who needs wacky terrorists crawling around in caves in Afganistan when you have an entire banking industry preying on the most vulnerable among us, including college students, to suck the very blood out of them via their wallets?

Watch out Hillary!

This campaign continues to gather momentum. My feeling is: with a President who's in the dog house we might as well put a dog in the White House. Hannah once licked the hand of a girl in a coma and brought her back to consciousness immediately. Show me one other candidate who can claim that! Let's get over our species bias and get out there and vote for Hannah.

Campaign going to the dogs

Hannah and Tigger are official Animal Assisted Therapy dogs. I've been visiting hospitals and psych wards with them for years. They improve the quality of life wherever they go. So I got to thinking yesterday...why not run them in the 2008 election on the Lickertarian ticket? Who knows? This might catch on. You can purchase their new campaign bumper sticker as well as a nifty coffee cup featuring the dynamic duo at my store www.cafepress.com/narelle. You can just click the link on the right side bar.
10% of profits will go to the Angel On A Leash program. Visit www.angelonaleash.com

New Promo Post Card

Hot off the press! A new post card to promote Robin and myself. My new career? Stamp licker.

Laying down on the job

Robin and I spent our sixth anniversary today laying down once again to help form the words IMPEACH and 4PEACE on the grass in Berkeley with 1000 other people for the benefit of cameramen in helicopters. It was a glorious day on a hill full of kites. It felt a bit like Pepper Land, give or take getting rid of a few Blue Meanies. We were joined by Cindy Sheehan and former Congresswoman Cynthia McKinny, shown here with Robin.

Please let me be wrong!

I would much prefer to say "I blew it with that one!" than to say "I told you so!" However, given the apparent insanity of this particular administration I just thought I'd try to get the jump on them and at least raise a little public awareness.

AXES OF WEEVIL

I finally figured out what this current war mongering is all about. I have a number of Axes of Weevil products available in my online store. Just click the link on the right and look in the Politics section.

On a wing and a prayer

Here's Gideon the penguin gettin' down in the latest installment of The Gnu Life.

Deja vu all over again

This image is a bumper sticker I made recently using a logo I created years ago. It's one of many items current available at my online store: www.cafepress.com/narelle
Yesterday Robin and I joined 1200 others near the Golden Gate Bridge to form the letters IMPEACH, REASON and TREASON on the grass of Crissy Field in San Francisco. You can view pictures at the following link: www.beachimpeach.org/photos-bi3.html Helicopters hovered overheard filming. It was a beautiful day but sadly reminiscent of similar events during the Vietnam War and Nixon era. As the song goes..."when will they ever learn?"

Stop that bus!

This GNU LIFE strip appeared this week in the church bulletin of the Center for Spiritual Living in Santa Rosa.

Raising a new generation

Yesterday was the 40th anniversary celebration of the Summer of Love in San Francisco. The weather was pristine in Golden Gate Park as 40,000 folks took a trip down memory lane.

Bedtime for Gonzo

Rummy, then Rove, now Gonzo. It certainly has the appearance of rats deserting a ship. The truth is that they've probably done the maximum damage they can. Time to exit, stage left. You can see more of my political cartoons at www.cartoonfreeamerica.com

Schulz Sketch-a-thon

I was one of twenty cartoonists holding court at the Charles Schulz Museum today in celebration of the museum's fifth anniversary. It was like a mini comicon. I met a ton of great folks. Jeannie Schulz treated us all to drinks and munchies at a nearby restaurant afterwards. Good fun. You could almost feel Snoopy dancing.

Jailbirds in New York Times

This cartoon adorned a half page ad calling for impeachment in the west coast edition of the New York Times on Thursday. It also appears, full page, in the SF Bay Guardian.

I made it!

I posted this cartoon back in April when I created it for a contest held by the Union of Concerned Scientists. I didn't make the top twelve that were voted on last week so I obviously didn't "win". However, the UCS just contacted me to request its inclusion in the calendar they're producing using the twelve finalists. A small version of my cartoon will appear as well. I guess I came in thirteenth. The calendar will go on sale in September.

Dark days in America

I don't think the Bush administration is shredding the Constitution. I just think they've written their own and are defending it to the death. John Kerry just solicitied online for a 30 second radio spot. Here is my submission that includes the newly modified Constitution.

We the people of the United States, in order to form a more profitable union, establish advantage, insure domestic unrest, undermine the common defense, subvert the general welfare and ensure the blessings of liberty to a select few and their wealthy heirs do ordain and establish this distorted Constitution of the United States of America.

Which Constitution are your representatives upholding?

It’s up to us to hold their feet to the fire.

Our founding fathers are counting on us!

New celestial body

Teenage cousin Mary Kate, down in Texas, recently participated in a basketball tournament playing on a team of home-schooled girls. Ironically, they never have the advantage of a home game. Nevertheless they went out and kicked butt. It inspired me to create a new celestial body and name it in MK's honor.

Toxic 4th of July

KEEP BREATHING!

Every year on July 4th (the day before Robin's birthday) our entire town fills with pyromaniacs. We usually escape in advance, but with both of us sick we stayed home. I taped up the inside of the doors in hopes of preventing the toxic stench from wafting in (the prevailing winds carry all the smoke on our street straight into our house). The tape job wasn't suffient. We were forced to run the gauntlet to get to a movie theater and breath fresh air until past midnight when it was safe to go home. The drive there was like a war zone, acrid smoke wafting everywhere. What a holiday. Get drunk and poison yourself. Very American. This morning Robin awoke to find this birthday card on the kitchen counter. We made it through another year.

Back from the jungle

I just wrapped up a five day Cartoon Safari at the Charles Schulz Museum, teaching 20 kids ranging from ages 6 to 11. It was a blast. An exhausting blast, but a blast nevertheless. Among other things, I had them draw many zany elephants and sign a card that I sent to the Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee. These young artists are already having an impact in the world!

Anybody want a used war?

I just did this illustration for a book cover.

Does a bear sleep in the woods?

The last hoorah

Okay. So the Warriors lost to Utah and their season is over. Walter will survive as long as he's got baseball, Oprah and I Love Lucy reruns.

No more back seat driving!

Tomorrow morning I take the front seat, grab the control bar and receive my first flight lesson in a trike (a huge hang glider wing with two seats, three wheels and one engine). I've been working with Michael Globensky of Spirits Up (www.spiritsup.com) at Petaluma Airport where I provide ground instruction to aspiring Sport Pilots who want to buzz around in the sky with a motorcycle helmet on. Getting this hands-on experience will help me customize my curriculum and better understand what these students are up to. Up in the air Junior Birdmen!

The gnus of the day

Aaah, nuts!

I went to the San Francisco Zoo over the weekend to do some research for my strip and came upon this little prairie dog searching for some lost parts. Too cute for words. So I'll shut up now.