Inspired by Starbucks

People who know me also know that I like my java, to the tune of about 3 cups per day. Usually that only thing I get from my frequent visits from Starbucks is a pretty good caffeine boost. Well, after speaking with the friendly blonde-haired barista at the snooty Starbucks in the Palma Ceia neighborhood in Tampa, I was inspired. Kind of an epiphany, I guess. We were talking about this whole "Christmas blend" gimmick they try to pull off each year to sell more coffee. It’s basically the same as regular coffee, just with a more marketable name. That gave me an idea. I can't let the cat out of the bag now, you'll just have to wait to see it in Cafe Con Leche in December. But at least I got something out of Starbucks besides a the usual overpriced (but good) cup of Joe. Until then, please enjoy your cup of "Holiday Goodness."

Respect due

Here is list of some cartoonist that have influenced me most. Starting way back in the early 90s when I was just dreaming of being a professional cartoonist, I looked to some of these guys for inspiration. Here they are...

Jim Borgman: (Zits, editorial cartoons)
No one combines pure wit and artistic ability like Jim. I've been following his work since I was in college. The thing I like most about Jim's stuff is that he doesn't over do it. The cleanest (technically) cartoonist I've ever seen.

Jeff MacNelly: (Shoe, editorial cartoons)
I can't remember a better artistic style of cartooning than Jeff's work. Whether it was his comic strip, or his editorial cartoons, his creativity was second to none.

Aaron MacGruder: (The Boondocks)
Lots of stuff has been said about Aaron, but I gotta say that he definitely put us on the map (black cartoonists, that is). The T.V. show is good, but I gotta say that I really miss the comic strip.

Morrie Turner: (Wee Pals)
He was the first black cartoonist that I had heard about. Truly a pioneer. All of us (minority cartoonists) have him to thank for kicking down that door.

Lalo Alcaraz: (La Cucaracha, editorial cartoons)
That, right, Lalo. It wasn't until I spent a few years living in southern California that I truly realized how influential his work was. He touches the pulse of the Latino community like no other 'toonist can. If you don't believe me, just ask the L.A. Times. He's also a really cool dude.

Rick Tuma: (Clout Street)
Watching Rick's work taught me a lot about professionalism. Back in the day, I didn't have a lot of patience. Rick showed me that patience can bring greatness.

Mark Tatulli (Lio):
His comic strip that is one of the only ones that I look forward to reading everyday. Funny stuff.

Black Friday (From an artist's perspective)

I've always wondered why the day after Thanksgiving is called "Black Friday." So, I decided to venture out to the local stores and see what that deal was. Mad chaos! I went into the local Michael's Store ( I know, artist snobs. It's not exactly an "art" store. But give me a break, I live in Tampa, Fla.).
The store was packed with middle-aged white women fighting for things like knitting balls, plastic jewelry and glue sticks. I made my way through the jungle of chaos to finally find the art supply aisle. I grabbed my usual pad of Bristol paper and headed straight for the check out aisle where I found long aisles of people with coupons in hand. This wasn't a pretty sight, folk. I'm impatient by nature (you should see me driving). Anyways, I made it out alive.
I suddenly remembered how good I had it in New York. Actual art supply stores were just a subway trip away. Utrecht (on W. 23rd st.) and Pearl Paint (on Canal St.) were my usual stores of choice. Maybe someday Tampa will become a mecca for artists. Maybe we'll have more than 3 actual art supply stores in the Tampa Bay area. In the meantime, I'll just keep fighting the blue-haired ladies at the local Michael's Crafts Store.

Battle for the comic pages

Excellent article from the Wall Street Journal about the fight for space on comic pages in daily newspapers. Brought to my attention by the folks at DailyCartoonist.com.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB119560137171799830.html?mod=googlenews_wsj

Do you have a "Jamison" boss?

I don't know how many people out there have worked for a boss like Mr. Jamison (above) from my "Working It Out" cartoon. You know, the egotistical, self-centered, glory-hogging, credit-taking, micro-managing, oppressive kind you might find in your typical office. Personally, I've worked for MANY such bosses. In fact, Mr. Jamison himself is based on one particular boss of this type (who shall remain nameless).
Well, if you've ever had the misfortune of being employed by this kind of tyrant, I'd like to hear from you.

Beer time!

I'm sitting here desperately searching for ideas for my next cartoon but all I can think about is a cold beer. It's Friday ya know. I had a really tough week balancing 2 daily cartoons and a full-time graphics job. Not sure if I'm gonna get a cold one or not, I just thinking about crashing on the couch and vegging out for the night. In any event, lots of cartoon stuff to do this weekend ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday. Speaking of, I just checked the schedule and found out that I have to work that day. Ugh!! The schedule just isn't kind to me...

Book signing (last year)

A few posts ago I mentioned that I had published a book last year called "Its Always a Great Day to be the Boss." Going back into my digital camera the other day, I came across a few photos of myself during some book signing events. It was a great experience meeting folks. I learned a lot of stuff too about the marketing side of the bizzo (fo shizzo). Anywayz, here is a pic of me outside of the Barnes & Noble on Tyrone Blvd. St. Petersburg, Fla. I still carry the book as far as I know.

Lookin' out for the homies

Just realized the other day that I haven't given proper due to some of my cartoonist friends out there. I decided to give links to some of them. You can check them out in the section to the right labeled "Cartoonist Sites." Check em out, they're all pretty good. Oh, and big ups to my homies Paul, Rick T., Matt and all of the peeps at Daily Cartoonist.

"Working It Out" book in the U. of Toledo library

Yeah, I know. It prolly doesn't mean that much to most readers of this blog, but my first book (yes, I do have a book out) titled “It’s Always a Great Day to be the Boss,” is now in circulation at the Carlson Library at the University of Toledo, my alma mater. That’s astounding, considering I spent much of my undergraduate career there lampooning the president of the university and the administration (sorry bout that). I guess I’ve come full circle now.
By the way, if you wanna purchase a copy of my book for some strange reason, go to your local bookstore. It’s only $9.95 people! Sorry for the shameless promotion. Or better yet, just go to this link…

http://www.amazon.com/Its-Always-Great-Day-Boss/dp/1402208006/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/105-4474109-2230035?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1194993963&sr=8-1

D'oh!

See what happens when you don't get a good nights sleep. After looking at today's edition of "Cafe con Leche," I realized that I had inadvertantly given Trey, one of the main characters, a name-change. I've long established that Trey's last name is "Garvin," but in todays panel I named him "Trey Johnson." Wierd, huh? I guess I should've stayed at a Holiday Inn Express.