Categories
New Riders Internet Yellow Pages

Web site gods

Cartoon of the greek god of web sites
Copyright 1998 Kevin Spear & New Riders Publishing

Cartoon of a nerdy guy next to an old PC. The caption says, “Ernie was the Greek god of web pages.”

It feels romantic whenever you take something modern and bring some mythology to it. That’s why I have always loved comic books. It takes the mythology of old and brings it into the modern age. The most obvious example is Thor, the Norse god of thunder and lightning. Then there’s The Flash. That guy is Mercury,  the Roman god, in tights.

I have admired web coders and designer for quite some time. I drew this cartoon as part of a book entitled “The New Riders Yellow Pages.” At the time I drew this, The Internet had taken over the public. The web bubble had not burst yet. web designers and coders were almost looked at as gods, even if their name was Ernie!

 

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Categories
Creative Writing webcomic writing

The Secret Guardian of the Front Porch

Cartoon of a man in a porch swing

Cartoon of a middle-age man sitting in a porch swing. He says to a woman, “Care to join me? I’m part of a secret group known as, ‘The Guardians of the Front Porch.'”

Frank had a crush on Edna for a lo-o-o-o-ong time! His adoration for her went all the way to the fourth grade. She was always with her friends on the playground. He would try to get her attention by pretending he didn’t notice her. Unfortunately, that worked too well. Edna didn’t notice Frank until eighth grade.

By that time, Frank was quite sensitive about his acne. He had one pimple that refused to leave until senior high. When they were both juniors, Frank almost asked Edna to the prom. Unfortunately, Percy, “The Rock,” Marbel also had the same idea.

Edna and Percy dated until they both split for college. Frank stayed home after graduation and worked at the local cardboard box factory. The one time Edna returned from college, Frank decided this was the day to meet up with her. Unfortunately, he was boxed in a tragic taping accident and shipped to Des Moines.

Thirty years later, Frank was fully recovered from the unfortunate boxing match. As he sat on his mother’s front porch, he spotted Edna walking downy he street. His lip quivered as he thought what would be the wittiest thing to say. He had just seen a television special on secret societies. What could be wittier than that? He called for Edna. She turned and smiled. She walked up to the porch. Now was Frank’s big chance…

This was part of the Write practice writing prompt entitled, “What is your Character’s Secret?

 

Categories
growth

Resolving to Avoid?

Cartoon of a sheep and a wolf

Cartoon of a lamb and wolf. The sheep says, “€œThis year, I resolve to stay away from unnecessary risks.”

One thing I have discovered over the years is that if I make a resolution to avoid something, that temptation doesn’t necessarily go away. Resolutions just don’t work if I phrase them as a negative. I can give up soda pop as a resolution. But if I don’t replace it with something, such as water, I usually fail.

So instead of thinking about what you’re going to give up this year, think about what good habit you can replace it with.

This month, my goal is to write five hundred words a day. Hidden within that goal is to regulate how much time I spend online. If I’m going to write those words, something will have to give. So while I may not be surfing as much, this will give me a better opportunity to write my blog. I also plan to explore writing my next book.

So what is your resolution for the new year? Feel free to leave a comment and let us know.

 

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Categories
Safety Cartoons webcomic

Taking Playground Safety Seriously

Cartoon of a business man jumping off a swing

Cartoon of a business man jumping off a swing. The caption says, “Playground tester, Cyrus Kolter demonstrates his graceful form as he jumps off a swing.”

My dad is an insurance guy. He spent his career as an underwriter. He sees safety hazards wherever he goes. Sometimes, that didn’t make trips to the playground fun. I didn’t realize the curly slides could be such a death trap.

All the same, he taught me to pay attention to my surroundings. Too many times, we assume a playground, a school or any public place is safe. While officials like Cyrus Kolter do their best to make these places attractive and without hazards, It’s always a good idea to pay attention and survey the area instead of plunging right in to that merry-go-round of misery.

Have fun, people! But play it safe too!

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Categories
Christmas holiday

Seven Easy Tips to Nurture Giving in Your Child

Christmas cartoon of a boy at a fast food restaurant

Cartoon of a boy at a fast food restaurant. He asks a worker, “My dad hates gift cards. Can you wrap up a hamburger in festive paper and a bow?

Our children are assaulted with a flood of commercials this time of year. They have seen so many toy commercials, they could probably quote them back to you verbatim. What do you do when everything around your children screams greed and you want to teach them to be giving?

My local paper had a great article by Kathy Schwartz entitled 10 Perfect Gifts Parents Can Give. That got me thinking about ways parents and teachers can teach how to be giving.

Here are seven easy tips:

  1. Volunteer at a community center.
    1. Perhaps there is a soup kitchen, homeless shelter or women’s shelter that would welcome your help.
    2. Be sure it is okay to bring your kids. Also you will need to discern if your kids are mature enough to be a help instead of a distraction.
  2. Find a service that gives gifts to those less fortunate. Two great ones are:
    1. Operation Christmas Child
    2. Angel Tree.
  3. Have your children participate in gift giving for relatives. The family can brainstorm what a grandparent, aunt or uncle wants. It doesn’t have to be store-bought. A homemade ornament can be just as meaningful if there is some thought put into it. (try to get beyond gift cards. It’s just too easy to grab a handful of these guys. Wrapped hamburgers also aren’t a good idea!)
  4. Have the family make and decorate Christmas cookies for the neighbors. The kids can decorate Christmas cookies with icing. The kids can also help deliver the gifts door-to-door.
  5. Team together with a family or with your church to sing Christmas carols door-to-door. Your church or religious institution probably has a list of elderly members that would love to hear some Christmas cheer.
  6. Attend a church service to remind everyone the reason for Christmas. Many churches have a Christmas Eve service.
  7. Read the Christmas story from Luke 2:1-20.
    1. Talk about what the stable would have looked and smelled like.
    2. Why would the king of the world choose to come to earth in such a humble way?
    3. What would Mary and Joseph have felt when all these events occurred?

Try some of these techniques to get the focus off of the gift-getting and onto being generous.