Life With Death - May 17

This is the last Life With Death strip for the semester. It always seems like I'm grinding out the last comic strip every semester along with all the other work for my classes. I had this idea but thought it might be too much to show in a tiny three or four panel comic. It would be a great Sunday format strip but I don't do those for The Kingsman. Anyone who rides the subway can relate to this. People think they can fit in the tiniest of places but they can't. It's annoying in real life but in cartoon form funny. Another semester in the can, only a year left of the strip unless I get an offer from another publication to prolong its existence. Check back in the fall for new strips, anything can happen, mostly because I haven't written any of them yet!

Sorry for the delay

Posts will be coming soon. I've had to slow down the pace I've been going at lately for my sanity and also my health. So much that I might be declining a full time internship at Harper Collins this summer to take it a bit more easy. I've still been doing the word of the day cartoons and haven't missed a day. I also will be posting work from this semesters art classes along with a bunch of pictures of the 20 foot sculpture installation me and three of my buddies did that is up at Brooklyn College right now. I haven't even posted any samples of my other comic strip, Pier Pressure. More to come. Stay tuned!

Word of the Day - May 14

Not only does this satisfy the definition since it has a "sawyer" in it, it also has a "save nature" attitude as well which I like. I grew up with wood furniture and wood everything in my house so I love wood and really respect it's beauty. I know you have to chop down trees to have wood but it's when people chop down trees for no good reason and waste the beauty, that kills me. Especially when you have a beautiful piece of wood and people paint it, it's sacrelig to me, wood is stained, not painted. I like this very much and feel like I should send it to nature conservation organizations because they would appreciate it.
Also I got to ink all of the week's word cartoons at work today since I had little to do on my last day plus pencil and ink todays. It was a little awkward having a reference picture of a gun on my computer screen when I was drawing it, though I drew it fast, I hope it didn't freak anybody out that happened to see it. Everybody should look out for Dikkers Cartoon Company in about a month - great web shorts and I worked on two of them. I will let you know when they officially launch so you can check them out.

sawyer\SAW-yer\ , noun;
1.One that is employed in sawing wood.2.Also called sawyer beetle. Any of several long-horned beetles, esp. one of the genus Monochamus, the larvae of which bore in the wood of coniferous trees.3.A tree or a part of a tree that protrudes above the surface in a body of water.

Word of the Day - May 13

Afterclap sounds dirty. When reading the definition, I was really done like the night before. I had worked all day in class, sculpting straight into my friend's show with a little man-lunch sprinkled in-between. I was hoping an idea would pop into my head right away so I didn't have to spend that much time on it and once I woke myself out of my tired daze and read it for a second time all I could think about was unexpected pregnancy. I thought it was funnier to have the woman meet the guy on the street and be forced to tell him it was his baby just because she bumped into him. Of course the guy isn't ready to be a father, he's wearing a hamburger shirt - Come on!

afterclap\AF-ter-klap\ , noun;
1.An unexpected, often unpleasant sequel to a matter that had been considered closed.

Word of the Day - May 12

I was super beat wednesday after working all day on my huge sculpture for over 6 hours straight and then coming home and penciling and inking the last Life with Death strip for the semester. So when I got to this, I was done. I drew up practically the same thing her except the woman was so exciting and happy with her arms straight up because the guy had extremely huge feet. I thought it was saucy. Then I was doing some definition investigation and decided it didn't quite work because it was unbecoming saucy so it had to be something that would make her uncomfortable and turned off, so I went with man speedo. Nothing with scare off a date more than if the guy picks her up in a banana hammock. But I kept the confident look he had earlier, I liked it.

malapert\MAL-uh-purt\ , adjective;
1.Unbecomingly bold or saucy.noun: 1.A malapert person.

Word of the Day - May 11

I nearly went super punny with this word and drew a scotsman at a table signing a form with a coat made out of human arms. It would have been a bit crazy (and a little serial killer like with the arm coat) but i was trying to figure out what to do for the first definition. After thinking throughout the day at work about it, I came up with the long registration line that happens every semester by the registrar office. I also thought the inclusion of a theme park-esque sign of the wait time was needed.

matriculate\muh-TRIK-yuh-leyt\ , verb;
1.To enroll in a college or university as a candidate for a degree.2.To register (a coat of arms), used esp. in Scottish heraldry.

Word of the Day - May 10

I WILL have a decision maker sometime in the future to make big decisions in my life. Should I propose, buy this house, accept the job, start a family? Time for the decision maker.

mugwump\MUHG-wuhmp\ , noun;
1.A person who is unable to make up his or her mind on an issue, esp. in politics; a person who is neutral on a controversial issue.2.A Republican who refused to support the party nominee, James G. Blaine, in the presidential campaign of 1884.

Word of the Day - May 9

Now that's awkward. The state of being a woman and the attempted state of being a woman. I immediately thought drag queen when I read this word. What does that say about my mind?

muliebrity\myoo-lee-EB-ri-tee\ , noun;
1.The state of being a woman.

Life With Death - May 10

Here's the new Life With Death strip published in The Kingsman for this week - the second to last of the semester. I feel comics and humor alike are all about contradictions, comparisons and even contrasts. This comic has it all, contradiction of Abbey being at peace and centered and when Death makes a bit of noise, she freaks out and snaps at him, comparison of how Abbey deals with Death and how Roger deals with him and the contrast of Roger loving Abbey for snapping at Death, something that a guy sometimes would be turned off by but Roger loves it because she has all the guts that he doesn't have when it comes to sticking up to Death. I have a lot of ideas that sometimes don't work as well because of the limitation that a three or four panel comic gives you because the art is too complicated with all the dialogue that has to get out or it just takes too much time to set up the particular back story to achieve the humor intended with the last panel. If this was a real daily comic, most of these would be spread out with more panels into a "Sunday" format. Something to think about over the summer for next year possibly. Look for the last comic of the semester sometime next week.

Word of the Day - May 8

Why must women dress men is stupid outfits? I think they try to test the waters to see how stupid they can make us look. The same goes for babies, no the kid doesn't look cute in the little sailors uniform give him a mets cap and manchester united jersey to wear!
Also besides this being the longest definition in the world, this cartoon has FINISHED my sketchbook! One down, many to go. I have another sketchbook I will draw the comics in that is practically the same one only this one will hold more since I won't have to rip out 1/3 of the stuff already in it.

chevron\SHEV--ruh-n\ , noun;
1.A badge consisting of stripes meeting at an angle, worn on the sleeve by noncommissioned officers, police officers, etc., as an indication of rank, service, or the like.2.A V-shaped pattern, especially a kind of fret used in architecture.3.Also called chevron weave, a herringbone pattern in textiles.4.In skiing, a method of going up a slope in which a skier sets the skis in a form resembling a V, and, placing weight on the inside edges, advances the skis by turns using the poles from behind for push and support.

Word of the Day - May 7

I used to be a HUGE basketball freak when I was young. I loved the Knicks and was a pretty good player myself. I was crazy about it. Then about the time everybody got to be giants and I didn't, basketball was a different sport for me. Now I'm not a fan and that doesn't have to do with the Knicks sucking. I just can't watch the sport. The Mets put me through hell every year but I still LOVE baseball. Anyway when I saw this word, I thought of basketball because basketball has an obvious decision call in it whether it was a three pointer or not. Whether the player's foot was on the line or what. I also thought like in no other sport is there a huge discrepency of people. The player who is freakishly tall and doesn't really care or argue, the ref who is a smug little being who doesn't want to admit he was wrong at anytime because he'll look bad on television and the typical "Pat Riley" coach that screams his head off about anything and has plastered his hair back with a pound of hair gel. Funny image that no other sport quite possesses like basketball but that doesn't mean I'll start watching it again.

eristic\e-RIS-tik\ , adjective;
1.Pertaining to controversy or disputation; controversial.2.Of argument for the sole purpose of winning, regardless of the reason.noun: 1.Argument for the sole purpose of winning, regardless of the reason.2.The art of disputation.

Word of the Day - May 6

How do fish keep their hats on and not have them float onto the top of the surface? Let's ponder.

perpend\per-PEND\ , verb;
1.To ponder; deliberate.2.To be attentive; reflect.noun: 1.A large stone passing through the entire thickness of a wall.

Word of the Day - May 5

I knew this word and love to use it in anytime I can. I feel like this image has happened all around America when the mother or wife gets on a health kick and tries to push tofu on unwilling males of any age. I'm sure they are running to a steak house or hot dog stand right now. Why don't we live to see our retirement again?

vamoose\va-MOOS\ , verb;
1.To leave hurriedly or quickly; decamp.2.To leave hurriedly or quickly from; decamp from.

Word of the Day - May 4

So I drew the Elephant man - I just realized that. Huh. I don't know how I feel about that. But I do know that, doctors all over the world have given this very gesture to some poor bastard.

iatrogenic\ahy-a-truh-JEN-ik\ , adjective;
1.A malady induced inadvertently by a physician or surgeon or by medical treatment or diagnostic procedures.

Word of the Day - May 3

This is one comic that relies a bit heavily on the sign but at least its not dialogue. Also I feel I'm really becoming a real cartoonist because only real cartoonists feature or "steal" another cartoonist's characters or gags and make fun of them into their own. It's the way of the art. In my case, I stole or "mimicked" as I so nicely like to put it, the great Charles Schulz. Hey if you're going to "mimic" go to the top!

jnana\juh-NAH-nuh\ , noun;
1.Absolute knowledge acquired through meditation and study as a means of reaching (in Hinduism) Brahman; (in Buddhism) a state of awareness independent of conceptual thought

Word of the Day - May 2

It's only fitting for a word to mean using long words to be a long word. I had to write my own long word in the comic. Though the gag doesn't rely on the dialogue so much as the art tells the story. So my objective is still right. Try saying my word three times fast.

sesquipedalianism\ses-kwi-PEED-l-iz-uhm\ , adjective;
1.Given to using long words.2.(Of a word) containing many syllables.

Calendar Illustration

The above illustration is for a calendar we are putting together for my illustration class. (I'll post more work from the class when I can.) There are 12 students in the class so it works out perfectly. I got January so I did this new york style illustration of January. It's 11 by 8 1/2, pen nib, india ink and watercolor. This was a big undertaking for me since I haven't really used watercolor that much but after hours of toil, I think it's better than my first watercolor. (This was my second) Everybody's illustration had to have a brooklyn parrot in it. I chose not to make the parrot (or in my case, parrots), the focal point of the illustration. Look for them in the illustration. They're easy to find, it's not like Where's Waldo? or anything. The snow is added in Photoshop after. Instead of signing the illustration and drawing attention to it, my professor suggested we somehow involve out name cleverly into the illustration, though I was the only one to do it, I was really intrigued and found a way to involve it. As I've told many people, only a Lassen would have a office in a dirty, dingy alleyway.

For the cover of the calendar, we decided to involve the parrots since they hold everything together. I wanted them to be party parrots because it's fun to say and fun to draw. We decided to take a real photo of an egg carton and everyone contributed a party parrot in an egg to the cover. Above is my contribution. Mine was a little bit of a design headache for my friend, Matt who was doing the cover work because of the parrot's hands outstretched and all but it turned out good. My party parrot was tame compared to what I wanted to do, but for a school calender cover, we don't push the limits with drunk, boobie flashing party parrots. Not this time.

Life With Death - May 3

Here's this weeks "Life With Death" comic published in The Kingsman. I like how uncomfortable Death is around Roger and his girlfriend. Plus the idea of having a tongue cramp is amazing. Just penciled the new strip for next week and will post it when it is published. Only two strips left for the semester, next week and the week after. It'll be interesting to see what happens.

Word of the Day - May 1

Just like a little kid to build himself a girlfriend. What am I saying, some grown men would probably try to do the same.

omnific\om-NIF-ik\ , adjective;
1.Creating all things; having unlimited powers of creation.

Word of the Day - April 30

Most days I read what the new word is and I'm mystified because I've never heard of it before but sometimes I go "oh I know that!" and I feel really smart for like a minute. This was one of those days in which I felt smart. I knew this word thanks to the wonders of television. I always wanted to dress up like one of those airplane navigators with the ear muffs when my wife or someone I know is giving birth. I'm grateful I got it out of my system with this drawing and didn't do it in real life because if I did it, whoever was going through the immense pain of childbirth would want to inflict that same pain on me. I bruise like a peach.

doula\DOO-luh\ , noun;
1.A woman who assists during childbirth labor and provides support to the mother, her child and the family after childbirth.

Word of the Day - April 29

I like this pose. The man pulling and clawing at the doctor for help was an idea I had from the start, it was just fleshing out the pose. I also like his Gene Simmons like tongue.

valetudinarian\val-uh-too-din-AIR-ee-un; -tyoo-\ , noun;
1.A weak or sickly person, especially one morbidly concerned with his or her health.adjective: 1.Sickly; weak; infirm.2.Morbidly concerned with one's health.

Word of the Day - April 28

Simple invisible man sort of thing.

pellucid\puh-LOO-sid\ , adjective;
1.Transparent; clear; not opaque.2.Easily understandable

Word of the Day - April 27

Ice cream can solve any problem on a hot day. Especially free ice cream.

quash\KWOSH\ , verb;
1.(Law) To abate, annul, overthrow, or make void; as, "to quash an indictment."2.To crush; to subdue; to suppress or extinguish summarily and completely; as, "to quash a rebellion."