Rob's Blog

Author Archive

Drawing I did live this past Sunday: ‘Catching a Bad Guy’!

by on Jun.21, 2022, under Cartooning, Illusration

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!

Leave a Comment more...

Book Review: ‘Born to Be Hanged’ by Keith Thomson.

by on May.09, 2022, under Books

Born to Be Hanged: The Epic Story of the Gentlemen Pirates Who Raided the South Seas, Rescued a Princess, and Stole a FortuneBorn 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.

View all my reviews

Leave a Comment more...

For Free Comic Book Day – Champions for Champions: Battle for Ocala comic book.

by on May.05, 2022, under Cartooning

Thought I’d add to the Free Comic Book Day.
I did this over two years ago with the Champions for Champions art class I volunteer to teach. I put it together in a week, but ran headlong into the virus mess and this never got printed.
It’s a short, simple tale featuring Ocala, Florida, Mayor Kent Guinn and little characters created by the class.
Thought I’d present it, via ISSUU, for today.
Leave a Comment more...

Drew some stories Tuesday at an event in Sumter County, Florida.

by on Apr.13, 2022, under Caricatures

Drew some stories Tuesday at an event in Sumter County, Florida.
It’s been nearly 4 months since last doing this for an event.
 
A bit tougher than usually getting ready for the event, as I had to remember just all I needed for the event. Especially being prepared with pens. The last photo challenged the Tombow brushes to produce the thick, black mane. Though that also eased a too heavy look of the illustration.
 
The event was trying at first, funner later, but still hoping not to do many events involving this caricature/storytelling in the future.
Again got talked down to and treated as some side show nutter.
I don’t get that treatment drawing the Happy Animal drawings, though, in many way, that takes far less skill.
Folks just can’t shake the caricature-thing as being a lesser artwork done by lesser humans.
Leave a Comment more...

Book Review: ‘The Case of the Reluctant Model’ by Erle Stanley Gardner

by on Feb.23, 2022, under Books

The Case of the Reluctant ModelThe 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.

View all my reviews

Leave a Comment more...

Working on newest Swampy’s Florida book!

by on Feb.18, 2022, under Cartooning, Swampy's Florida

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!

Leave a Comment more...


Book Review: ‘Between Flops: A Biography of Preston Sturges’ by James Curtis

by on Feb.13, 2022, under Books

Between Flops: A Biography of Preston SturgesBetween Flops: A Biography of Preston Sturges by James Curtis
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

A well written book of Preston Sturges and his life and films. The balance is not only good, but excellent in view of recent efforts that I try to dip into and find politics and a sick spotlight on sexual whatever. This is realistic and keeps the home life mostly home and unravels the mess Sturges stirred while stumbling into the film world.

Truly is remarkable Sturges got anything done known today due to Sturges inability of self control. That is well documented here to the point that, as Sturges comes up with another project, I cringed to learn what was to come next. In a sense, the book is a nail biter.

I really like the layout of the book. Gold stars for noting dates throughout, something 99% of recent books can’t get right.
I would’ve liked to read more of the aftermath of Sturges after his death.

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

View all my reviews

Leave a Comment more...

Drawing in to read: Books this past week…

by on Jan.13, 2022, under What's New?

Last weekend took a few days tidying home untidiness from the holiday times and flying through pages to get some reading in.
 
Finished the soon-to-be-published, disastrous ‘Billy Wilder: Dancing on the Edge’ that started as a smart biography the first half and midway shifted to the author’s emotional view of the director written as if we all would accept his view. A lot of this was from the narrow perspective of early 21st century American political views, than the more world-view the book started with.
 
Gladly finishing that, I jumped into “It’s the Pictures that got Small” of Wilder and his first major co-writer, Charles Brackett. Almost mid-way through that and finding the volume of mostly Brackett diary entries very enjoyable. Especially the parts with Brackett commenting of time with his old Algonquin Round Table pals, Alec Woollcott, Edna Ferber, Marc Connelly and Dorthy Parker (Have you read this, Agata Stanford ?).
 
As I read of Brackett’s work on the 1936 film ‘Piccadilly Jim’, I thought I’d seen the film. I hadn’t! It’s a film of a cartoonist! A Great film about a cartoonist! Wodehouse writes a character that, with one line, keenly demolishes our worth on the planet. The character may be right. 🙂
 
This had me wondering if the Wodehouse book I hadn’t read was also about a cartoonist. It isn’t. The book is much more outrageous and much fun.
 
I also read an advanced copy of ‘Soaring in Style: How Amelia Earhart Became a Fashion Icon’. The short volume is fashioned for children and botches Earhart’s history terribly to remodel for the title. Artwork is fine, but the P.C. reworking fits poorly for the 1920s. Reading some Wodehouse and those of that era would’ve helped straighten the head of the writer.
 
Here are links to the books recommended:



‘It’s the Pictures that got Small : Charles Brackett on Billy Wilder and Hollywood’s Golden Age’, edited by Anthony Slide and, Brackett’s grandson, Jim Moore :
https://amzn.to/3GrcrOk


 
The book: ‘Piccadilly Jim’ by P.G. Wodehouse:
https://amzn.to/3zXbnzc


 
The film: ‘Piccadilly Jim’ starring Robert Montgomery:
https://amzn.to/3qomFJS
Leave a Comment more...

My INKtober & CATober #14 – Kitty and Bunnies!

by on Oct.15, 2021, under Cartooning

Kitty and bunnies playing!
Here’s the INKtober #14 and CATober #14 that I inked and painted a couple hours ago.
Leave a Comment more...

Book Review: ‘The Writer’s Crusade: Kurt Vonnegut and the Many Lives of Slaughterhouse-Five’ by Tom Roston

by on Oct.13, 2021, under Books

The Writer's Crusade: Kurt Vonnegut and the Many Lives of Slaughterhouse-FiveThe Writer’s Crusade: Kurt Vonnegut and the Many Lives of Slaughterhouse-Five by Tom Roston
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

The entire packaging of this book is misleading and can be very confusing as the deeper in the book one goes, the more finds a journal of post-traumatic stress disorder, aka ‘PTSD’, and a general analysis of the theory. THAT should be a part of the cover, back cover, advertising, etc., etc.

Vonnegut’s life is examined, but nearly in the backseat as the author drones on and on and on about ‘PTSD’. That would be fine, IF that is why I was intrigued to read the book. I am familiar with the psychological theory and, though interesting, not something I wanted to read about.

I have extensively studied Vonnegut. Even had a college course all about Vonnegut. I’m pretty knowledgeable of Vonnegut and wanted to read another view. That is missing as the author desperately tries to tie Vonnegut to ‘PTSD’. Considering all I’ve studied, I disagree that ‘PTSD’ is a worthy set of letters for Vonnegut. I didn’t find the author altering my view.

The author was too hung up with the theory and works through the book to make that plug into Vonnegut and have a light come on. The energy wasn’t there, I found.

There are some worthy pieces in the first half of the book, but the rest is for those interested in the ‘PTSD’ subject.

Bottom line: i don’t recommend this book. 4 out of ten points.

Note: i got to read an advanced copy via NetGalley.com.

View all my reviews

Leave a Comment more...

Looking for something?

Use the form below to search the site:

Still not finding what you're looking for? Drop a comment on a post or contact us so we can take care of it!