I got together with some buddies at Tony Romas in South Orange County. Ken Culotta, Robert Baurle, Marsha Eaton, Marsh Moreno and Greg Gray all got together. I’m sorry I didn’t get a photo. Marsh did do this drawing in my sketchbook of a new endeavor of his – Theatre work. He’s been rehearsing for a small stage show travelling Central Florida.

Below is a sketch of bells Robert Baurle was handing to everyone.

Vince Guerrera hosted our annual Christmas to do. It was at his home in Clearwater. Here’s a pick of gatherers. From Left to right, “Chainsaw” Chuck Machewski, Vince Guerrera and Danielle Shockley. Behind them is John Stevens, Ann Sabo and June Sabo.

Later we got together with my brother, Jeff, in Tampa. Below is Sandra and Jeff.

Here’s a sketch of Jeff eating.

Sandra and I attended the annual Christmas gathering of Orlando Remembered at the Citrus Club in Orlando. I was, as always, a great meeting! Our Chairman, Robert Serros also recognized that a year had passed since the passing of his brother and the heart and soul of Orlando Remembered, Andy Serros. Above are sketches of three attending: Jack Kazanzas, Charles Gray and Elaine Pancake.

Later we joined friends G.K. Sharman and James Saunders for lunch in Longwood at Mona Lisa in the Longwood Village in Seminole County. That’s Mr. Saunders to the left that I sketched quickly in the parking lot.

I made a coast-to-coast Krispy Kreme encounter. After last nights caricature event in Daytona Beach, I pit-stopped at the landmark Krispy Kreme on Speedway Boulevard and Nova Road. It is the eastern most store in Florida and one of the last original nearly 50 year old Krispy Kreme buildings still standing in Florida, besides the one in Gainesville. I nabbed a doughnut there.

This morning, on my way to Clearwater, I pulled off and swung by the western most Krispy Kreme on Kennedy Boulevard in Tampa and picked up a box. One thing I learned is that the Tampa doughnuts are 14 cents more.

Above  Sioux Hart and Ron Johnson experience 3-D Batman! Rob’s 3-D comic was one of items shared at the Suncoast Inkslinger meeting at the Bellevue Biltmore in Belleair. Below is Jeremy Buchanan and Greg Canales. Apparently ensconced in gossip is Tracey Canales and Ann E. Sabo.

After the Inkslingers, I headed to The Villages (A place I do all I can to avoid) to see my friend and fellow National Cartoonists Society member, George Pieper perform in a show named ‘Broadway Memories’. All performing reside in The Villages and what a lot of singing and performing ability exists there!

George, literally, wore many hats and sang a number of numbers. Below is a sketch of George singing ‘There is Nothing Like a Dame’ from ‘South Pacific’. Beside his sketch is of another great entertainer who belted out tunes from ‘Mame’. 

Over these few days the Florida Chapter of the National Cartoonists Society me in Boca Raton. We had a great time! One of the highlights was wandering Downtown Delray Beach with fellow artists Eddie Pittman and Dana Summers and his wife, Mary Jane. Most of the chapter made their way to the Downtown.

One of the stops we made was to Hands Stationers, which is mostly art store and has been in business in Delray Beach for 75 years. Liz Hughes there was a huge help with putting together the groups goody bags. We all were pciking up items there and just about all of us could make the claim of finding supplies we couldn’t find any where else. Helping that was Eddie Pittman who introduced me to a common item to the painter and uncommon to me: The paintbrush with a water cartridge that feeds the bristles.

We also stopped at The Blue Anchor British Pub. There’s quite a history to this bar involving England and Jack the Ripper. Best to click here to learn more about it. While there I tried out that paintbrush from Hands. Above is a sketch of books in the restaurant/pub.

The best highlight was everyone indulging in, comic book artist and one of my former teachers, Jose Delbo’s Argentine cookout skills Saturday night. Another highlight  was Florida troubador, Val Wisecracker, who entertained us that night. She was a HOOT! Above is Jose and Val.

Here’s Jose drawing Batman on a Tampa Bay Lightning hockey stick that attendee Robert Giordano is going to display at his Arts Center in St. Petersburg.

I got a chance to further try out that brush mentioned above when Jose’s wife, Mabelle, asked me to draw a caricature of her friend. Fellow cartoonist George Peiper asked if I’d draw an alligator picture. So I further, further tested that brush. Above is me, George and the watercolor painting I made for him that night.

Val’s music had us all drawing! Here Tom Armstrong, the cartoonist for the comic strip Marvin, and Linda Gialanella, who forecasts and cartoons the weather for Channel 10 in Tampa, sketch away!

Sandra and I headed to Orange County. Her for a conference. Me for a haircut at Jim’s Barber Shop. Unfortunately for me, Jim’s ill and his shears are taking a break, too.

That gave me time I didn’t expect, so I hit the bookstores. Picked up lots of goodies. Below are the best covers. All books I’ll probably never read. I’ll just admire the covers. I really like the layout of ‘Native Stone’. The Frank Lloyd Wright-ish structure with teh red tree-ish image and the placement of the T-square, also with red. All that imagery and the artist puts a watch on the guy. Interesting choices. I wonder why. The artist who created the very bottom art put no watch on the pirate. It seems to me pirates would want to know what time it is…Just wondering…

Later I picked up Sandra and headed to Sweet Tomatoes in Altamonte Springs. There we joined our good friends G.K. Sharman and James L. Saunders. Also joining the healthful buffet was my father. Good talk and plenty of cooking hints from Mr. Saunders.

We had some Inkslinging going on Sunday. Above is Sioux Hart with Fran Matera. I’m a big fan of Fran’s work. Below is a panel from the strip he worked on, Mike Nomad/ Steve Roper.

Below is John Stevens and Jim Fern discussing art.

My friend LeAnn Weiss got married today at Discovery Church in Edgewood. I’ve known LeAnn for a couple decades working with the Republican party back in the mid and late ’80s and into the ’90s from the Young Republicans to the Orange County Republican Executive Committee to many political campaigns. Over the years she switched gears and became an author and has produced a jillion books. Above are just a small part of the decorations. Those hung from the ceiling and were quite a few feet tall.

After the wedding I went into caricature mode as you can see above.

We were at the annual National Cartoonists Society Reuben Weekend in New Orleans. This was the best meeting since I joined in ’95. Great food, fun and fellowship!

The group first tackled Habitat for Humanity projects. Two busloads of cartoonists were sent off from Downtown New Orleans and out to the devastated areas of Southern Louisiana. Here are photos:

We were given instructions by a Habitat for Humanaity employee (The fellow in the yellow).

Next we worked! We were split up in separate groups. I felt like a real slacker when working with the group I was with . Here are two of the three hardest workers: Up on the ladder is Leigh Hanlon, with Tribune Media Services, and cartoonist Sandra Boynton.

Of course, there was some cartooning! Here a spare piece of chipboard is drawn upon by Mad Magazine’s Sam Viviano….

… and Sandra Boynton.

Here’s the finished board. Hard to see, I know. My drawing is of a fellow on a ladder to the left of the board.

Here is the house after we worked on it. A good deal of the siding you see was put on by the crew. There was also a bunch of roofing completed also.

We went to many a restaurant. Above is our waiter at a small and very good dinner spot, the Orleans Cafe. There we ate with John Read of ‘Stay Tooned’ magazine. That’s John below. Spooky, ain’t he?

We spent the day visiting Sarasota and the bookstores there. From the old Charlie’s Newstand (or whatever it’s called today) to Parker Books to Helen’s Books to The Main Street Bookstore. We had  a very good lunch at El Greco Cafe. I drew the drawing on the right looking out the window to this building down the street.

We drove out of Sarasota and through Parrish into Plant City where we met my Aunt and long time friends Susie and Russell Noel and their family at Fred’s Market where we had another Fred’s outstanding meal. Many thanks to them for joining us. Getting home we had cake, ice cream and presents.

We had lunch with Tom and Glenda Armstrong at the 1945 created Linger Lodge. Known for it’s fine Southern fare, it’s been recently bought by others and now has a “chef”. The food showed it. Worse, no fried chicken that I was looking forward to.

Though less than what was once there, the Linger Lodge can still boast quite a collection of stuffed critters that decorate throughout. To the left is a mounted water moccasin that hung near our table. Just above us on the wall was a ten foot gator. There is also a bar that has no mirrors from which to sit across. Instead various snakes and wild animals stare back at you. That seems like a great opportunity to me. One who gets tipsy might experience something else still.

Though the food was average we had a great time with the Armstrongs.