I ran across ‘The Monkees Go Mod’ while perusing a bookstore and I thought I’d share a couple pages of cartoon artwork from the 1967 book. Both are drawn by Dick Hodgins, Jr. If the style has a Dennis the Menace type look, that’s because Hodgins was an assistant to Hank Ketcham drawing Ketcham’s strip ‘Half Hitch’ and helping with the Dennis strip.

Hodgins’ dad was also a cartoonist. For years he was staff cartoonist for The Orlando Sentinel in Orlando, Florida. While at the Sentinel he drew a history of Orlando comic strip and a ton of other art. Later Hodgins, Sr. joined his friend Jim Ivey at Jim’s ‘The Cartoon Museum’ to teach cartooning classes. I was one of the lucky ones to take one of those classes. I’ll have to post some Hodgins, Sr. art sometime.

This is a caricature illustration I did a few weeks ago for Donna Hartsfield, above. I met her at a restaurant near in Winter Park, Florida, and produced the entire piece there.  I didn’t want to post the photo until the recipient received it. Jeff was presented with the art last weekend, so here’s the photo of Donna and the art.

I found myself making more caricatures on July 4th. The one above was had watercolor added. The one below is a bit light because of the lighting when photographed.

A very busy past week. Above is one of many completed pieces.

Here are a few caricatures I drew last Wednesday.

Parts of a larger illustration for a brochure project I’m penciled and inked today. Eventually it will be colored. It was drawn with ink on paper.

We had a book signing of ‘The Best Editorial Cartoons of the Year, 2010’ at Barnes and Noble in Orlando at the Colonial Plaza. Myself and Dana Summers, editorial cartoonist for the Orlando Sentinel, first had a cartoon talk about the business. Below are photos from the event. Many thanks to old friend Richard Scott for taking many of these photos.

Here I am talking about something of other.

Here’s Dana!

Here’s me and my old friend who I went through grade school with, Richard Scott.

The towering Mitchell brothers, fellow cartoonist Dave and Gary, over the diminutive me.

My old buddy and gag writer, Ken Culotta joined us and signed books, too. Here he speaks to Dana and Dana’s friend Michael Bell.

Dana signs the book by drawing a tall Obama.

Fellow cartoonist/ comic book artist, Orlando Pagan, stopped by.

Dana passes along advice to a fellow. Robert Baurle came by. Robert, Ken and I often get together and discuss politics and joke around. Robert is brilliant about the geo-political world and is planning to start blogging about it. I look forward to his writings and his thoughts!

Here’s a group shot of us who care about politics!: Dana Summers, Ken Culotta, myself and Robert Baurle.

I joined the resurrector of the Orlando Christmas star, Jack Kazanzas at the intersection of Orange Avenue and Central Boulevard in Downtown Orlando for the rising of the star. Above is a sketch I made there. Beside that is Jack welcoming all to the event.

There were goodies for all!

Orlando Utility employees got goodies, too!

My second attempt to film me sketching. The batteries ran out, but I got a solid minute nevertheless. I’m sketching on of the original building from the rearly 1900s of Rollins College in Winter Park, Florida. By the way, I went to Rollins, my sister went, my mother went, etc.

Below is the final sketch.

Later we had a birthday dinner at my favorite steak spot in the world – Linda’s La Cantina. Below is the table beside us as the waiters were cleaning the table.