Above is a caricature I drew of this Army hero, Jesse. I have Jesse as a hobbit trying to use his computer skills to defeat the dragon as Gandalf loses his patience with the slowness of the digital world.

Cartoonists gathered at the Sawgrass Marriott in Ponte Vedra, Florida, to welcome home 500 Army soldiers returning from Iraq and Afghanistan. We were part of a Yellow Ribbon event put on by The Florida National Guard. The cartoonists attending were Michael Jantze, of the comic strip ‘The Norm’ and teacher at the Savannah College of Art and Design, Don Perlin, co-creator of Ghost Rider and at one time or other has drawn most of the Marvel superheroes, and Aaron Olson, National Guardsman himself and student at the Savannah College of Art and Design.

Above artists Aaron Olson, Michael Jantze and Don Perlin draw for soldiers. Don’s wife, Becky is at the the end.

After the soldiers had gone Dana, Aaron’s wife, and Aaron Olson speak to Major Sarah McLevy, who did a great job organizing the huge event. Seated is Michael Jantze, drawing a Hulk cartoon for the Major.

Me, Michael Jantze, Arron and Dana Olson.

We wrapped up our work in Glades County by attending the annual Florida Trail southeast regional conference that was held at the Fisheating Creek Campground. Woke up to dragon flies hovering outside the place we were staying. So I sketched as they hovered.

I went to the edge of the creek where the canoes are launched and sketch the drawing below.

I wrapped this piece for a local group. All digital color.

I’m digging up all sorts of items from the past as I clear through boxes. Below is a page from a sketchbook from around 1986. I love hearing all sides of an issue. Back then I had more time to do that. A dear friend told me about a retreat with …radical Abbie Hoffman and I went to see first hand what this fellow was all about. During the retreat I made a ton of notes and sketches. Was I shocked to open the pad last night and there at the top is Hoffman’s autograph. I don’t recall getting it, butI did.

After the retreat, which was somewhere near Umatilla, we all gathered at East India Ice Cream Shoppe in Winter Park. I remember former classmate Missy Gaston working there that night. She was shocked when I told her later who she was serving.

What I have always remembered from the retreat was Hoffman speaking of the need for “one world” “an order” “a world dollar”. It was just a couple years later that George H.W. Bush started preaching a “New World Order”, essentially what Hoffman had described at the retreat. A major reason I have a problem with the Bush family.

Another set of books. ‘Glades County History’ is about one of the 67 counties in Florida. It’s well meaning but missing an enormous amount of time. Otherwise it is well written. ‘No House Limit’ is outstanding part of the Hard Case Crime series. This was written by someone living in Vegas and he does an amazing job of depicting the area. A good story, too. ‘Big Sugar’ is an NPR type crying in his coffee about horrendous conditions of workers and just ignoring who they’re working for. If the businesses are so horrible to treat people this way, then why not give the reader at least some benefit of the doubt that the knowledge gained would still have us outraged as to the workers treatment. I read this 20 years ago and I’m wiser now and see through the effort to just rile up the crowd. ‘The Messenger’ is another recent book that could have had about a hundred pages ripped out and still have been in excess. There’s a well crafted plot there, just over produced.

Sandra’s parents celebrateda big 49 years together. Many congratulations to them! Above is a part of the card I painted for them.

Being the Florida Chapter Chairman of the National Cartoonists Society meant putting on the annual meeting. It started on September 11th with a reception at the Hilton in Ocala. The next morning there was breakfast and the business meeting.

We had a terrific room for a business meeting, thanks to Debbie Fulgoni and the folks at the Hilton. Our usual 20 minute business meeting turned into a 2 hour workshop. In the photo from the lower left & around the table is Jose Delbo, Linda Gialnella, Ann Sabo, George Peiper, Bruce Beattie, Eddie Pittman, Tom Armstrong and Dana Sumemrs.

Afterward we moved on The Appleton Art Museum for the opening of ‘Florida Inkslinger- Cartoonists of the Sunshine State’. I assisted the opening by giving a short talk and draw on creativity.

I left the Appleton and stopped at nearby coffee shop, Chelsea Coffee, to slow down a minute and join Sandra, Ann Sabo and Dick Daniels.

I was very fortunate to have former Tribune Media Services cartoon editor, Mark Mathes, come and speak to us about the future of our business.

Mark’s daughter came also and asked cartoonists for an autograph. Dana Summers, editorial cartoonist of the Orlando Sentinel and the comic strip ‘Bound and Gagged’ obliges.

After dinner gag cartoonist George Peiper speaks to cartoonist/illustrator and gag writer, Mike Osbun, and his wife, Jackie.

Comic book artist Jose Delbo and his wife Maybelle take a peek through Mark Mathe’s dauhgter, Rachel’s book of collected art.

Mark Mathes listens as Tom Armstrong talks shop. Tom’s wife, Glenda, is behind him.

One of the big surprises coming from the Appleton event was the appearance of Earl Engleman, one of the most prolific gag cartoonists in the past few decades. Earl and his wife, Shirley, just came out to see the exhibit and stayed for dinner. It was great to uncover another professional cartoonist in Florida!

I saw my sister for the first time in a couple years with dinner at Black Angus Steakhouse. The restaurant is a new version of the old haunt my sister and I went to in Winter Park during oour childhood days. Above is my father, my sister, her two daughters and me.

Below is a caricature drawn later that day.

Here’s a sorta fuzzy fellow with his equally fuzzy caricatue.

Later met with Ken Culotta and Marsh Moreno.

Another caricature! I hadn’t done a triple in many, many years!

Later I met with ol’ Ken Culotta workin’ on some political gags. Below is part of the work space. The pad has a sketch Ken made for Tuesday editorial cartoon that I was sorry to set aside at the last minute.