Inked this with no pencils, making it up as I drew during Wednesday live over at my Cartoons by Rob Smith, Jr. live broadcast.

This celebrated Spaghetti Day and pulling a card marked ‘Elves’.

To Americans, Leslie Phillips is nearly unknown. In the U.K., Phillips had been one of the longest performing actors until his death Monday at 98. His work is mostly known for comedies of various sorts and popular series, like the ‘Carry On’ and ‘Doctor in…’ films.

His career spanned from the late ’30s to present. Unlike the lofty silliness of the U.S. Hollywood, where a “Star” is relegated to film or television or whatever the stage in life requires, in the U.K. an actor can do whatever they want and do. Phillips would slide from a comedy to a television spot to a serious film to a children’s television spot and back to film again.

He was one of favorite actors that i was tickled was still with us and was routing for him to hit his 100.

I drew and made most of this as I drew as #INKvember #7.
I’m thinking I made add some other actresses and actors still with us and with a long, noted career to my INKvember activities.
That will also aid getting back t caricature, something that has become far more difficult due to the wrist and arm break.

Taking Your Pet for a Hop.
Drawn live this past Sunday right here.
Made it up as I drew.
The mention of otters and Southern toads brought this drawing on.

Occasionally I’d like to share pieces of artwork I really like.
Here’s one, I find, one of the best paintings of likenesses in a movie poster, I’ve seen.

I don’t know who did the painting. A scribbled signature can be seen appearing to be ‘E. Hantrell’, but I can’t find who that is or was.
Please let me know if you know who the painter was.

The poster art for ‘Carry on, Cowboy’ is stupendous.
The likenesses are excellent. Simple painting method with startling results. It’s not just the likeness of Sidney James, in the middle. It’s also the angle portrayed. Excellent work!

The Kenneth Williams, with arrow in backside, part seems to be the law of ‘Carry On’ posters, as each has his iconic shocked looked.
Charles Hawtry is also perfect, getting Hawtry’s image and him in action as hilarious indian chief.

The ladies are really the best of the lot. Joan Sims, farthest right, appears to be in the background. Taking another view of the poster and she stands out due to the painting techniques.

That leaves Angela Douglas, the only one still with us today. Seems clear to me her head was redone and attached later. Note her neck area, angle of head and light blue splashed around, what might otherwise be, cut lines. Wonder if that was Douglas or someone else?

Still an excellent painting. Too bad the poster is messy otherwise.

Here’s the drawing I did live Sunday.
Making it up as I went along.

The response to the dragon drawing two weeks ago had me adding one this time.
Scott Shaw! last week typed in ‘Investigator’, which I saw after the live broadcast. Though I’d use it this time.
A call from Marguerite Cavenaugh just as I was to go live had me ask her her favorite animal. Thus, the elephant.
I saw Pam Archer tune in as I started, reminding me of the pineapple statue near where she life in Lake Placid, Florida.
Needed a good name for the savings and loan the dragon was pilfering from. Looking through those watching the broadcast, saw a good, short name that fit. So I swiped it from Melissa Busby.

The live broadcasts have gone well and sure helps me as an exercise of drawing. Especially as I’ve been stepping aside the live gig work.
Thank, you all, who have been tuning in! 🙂

A sped-up version is coming soon!

Born to Be Hanged: The Epic Story of the Gentlemen Pirates Who Raided the South Seas, Rescued a Princess, and Stole a Fortune by Keith Thomson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This book is fantastic! The history is well written, researched, explained with gold nuggets spread throughout inserted brilliantly.

First, if you’ll note my reviews, I do not get a NetGalley offer and praise it up and down hoping for print recognition. I’ve skewed most because most newly written books have proven to me to be demonstrably worthless.

I find the usual issue are political views being lodged into the narrative and then flogging the reader with the views over and over again. I get it if the book is prefaced upon political ideas. Even found one writer expounding political gunk throughout a horrid history of Looney Tunes cartoons!

Writer Thomson writes history as history should be written, as it happened with supporting documentation. Thomson also does what is rare to find in most histories ever written, dates and years of happenings. This so much aids the reader as to context and connecting ongoing events. This last is the spine that all else emanates as the narrative pours out extensive details and stories of the travels of the pirating privateers and those they encounter. Additional background is sprinkled that adds to the shine of the history with, no doubt, exclamations of, “Oh! I didn’t know that!” I love the way he connects various everyday items of today to the goings-on in the late 1600s.

The writing is also crisp and vibrant. There’s more than the occasional writer who makes history as a fictional novel. This is far better than that. The writing excels between what could be dry history and fictional dialogue to support the narrative. Thomson skillfully maneuvers the documented historical perspectives into a solid presentation that compels reading more and more. In this case it’s the wonder of who survives and how.

Well worth reading and likely to lead in those that don’t even like history or pirates. For those of us who has history as part of our profession, this is a must-read.

Bottom line: I recommend this book. Ten out of ten points.

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The Case of the Reluctant Model by Erle Stanley Gardner
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Klunky plot with a far to mechanical approach. At this point, later in the series, Gardner was pumping out 1 or 2 Mason books nearly every year for 30 years, not including his other A.A. Fair books. This is another where, it appears, the book writing started with the ending and worked back to the beginning. Sadly, this chalks another convoluted plot that needed better structure at the the start to have the great twists and turns end with a great novel.

Still, the book is a bunch of fun. I do wish Gardner had been descriptive of reoccurring characters, instead of assuming the characters so established…via book or film.. to just drop in a name and continue the story. Settings, as usually, are also severely lacking.

Bottom line: I recommend this book. 5 out of 10 points.

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Ah’m drawn’ lots of gators Friday day/evening/night!
Hit a speed bump – nearly one to end the project – involving the Ross Allen book, but – Good news! – roaring back into action late Friday afternoon.
So much to do and so little time!