Tag: cartoons

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cartoon

Cartoons, Memes, and Stranger Things

Cartoon of a pastor and a sound technician

The cartoons I have posted on my site are considered single-panel gag cartoons by the industry. (Yes, there is still a cartoon industry!) But when memes came along a couple of years ago, I realized the single panel cartoons I have drawn over the years would fit in that category.

The other day, I came across this article that reinforced my conclusion. While it focuses on political cartoons, it also applies to single-panel, gag cartoons.

https://www.dailycartoonist.com/index.php/2019/05/17/political-cartoons-are-relics-replace-with-memes/
From The Daily Cartoonist

Technology has made it possible for nearly anyone to make a single panel gag. No, I don’t mean something so bad it gives you a gag reflex! I mean a gag as in a joke.

Cartoon of a pastor and a sound technician

Thanks to image programs like Photoshop, and scores of others, anybody can take a photo and add a clever quip to it. I realize this may rub many fellow cartoonists the wrong way. After all, today is nothing like the glory days of magazine gag cartoons in The Saturday Evening Post, Colliers, or Esquire. Back then, a magazine cartoonist could earn a living with sales from these magazines.

I don’t think today’s trend is such a bad thing. While anyone can do this, it still takes creativity to match an image with the text. Sure, the cartoon industry has changed and declined. But other industries have gone through similar changes. We learn to adapt and move on.

So a gag cartoon is a meme before there were memes, it seems. It may be strange, but I am fine with that.

Categories
cartoon writing

Why I Stopped Posting Cartoons for a While

sketch of a boy before a classroom. He says, "The following is the best paper I've ever copied!"
Copyright © Kevin Spear

sketch of a boy before a classroom. He says, "The following is the best paper I've ever copied!"
Copyright © 2014 Kevin Spear

Why I Stopped Posting Cartoons for a While

Every one in a while, something happens that makes you step back, take a look at what you’re doing and analyze your actions. Such an event took place for me a few weeks ago.

For over fifteen years, I have had at least some form of a presence as a web page. When the company I worked for gave me the opportunity to try this new world-wide web, I jumped at the chance. I wanted to post my cartoons to the world. I had some success as a magazine cartoonist.

Continue reading “Why I Stopped Posting Cartoons for a While”
Categories
church cartoons webcomic

Why the little things get us riled up

Cartoon of a guy eating a sub sandwich at church

Cartoon of a guy eating a sub sandwich in a church pew while a disapproving elderly woman looks on. the caption reads, “It all began when they allowed coffee in the sanctuary…”

I thought of this idea when I saw a lively forum discussion about allowing or refusing coffee in a church’s sanctuary.  Some were vehemently opposed to such nonsense. Others were insistent that all parts of the church should be welcoming and as long as it wasn’t a distraction, why not?

Personally,  I bring my coffee with me into the sanctuary. There was a time this was a no-no in our church. But we let go of that controversy years ago. I haven’t seen anybody bring a full meal into the sanctuary.

When I was younger, I thought of having a pizza delivered into the sanctuary (That would have been a major faux pas then). Hey! if it’s good for the youth group, it would be good for the rest of the church, right? Fortunately, young love and marriage kept me from such foolishness before I had the money to try such a stunt.

It does amaze me how little things like this can get people worked up. We focus on these little irritations because it is so much more difficult to focus on the difficult issues. It’s much more difficult to love your neighbor than to have an opinion on coffee/church etiquette.

I drew this for the February, 2014, Church of God E-newsletter.

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Interview

Interview with Church of God web site

Photo of me drawing a cartoon at a light table

I draw a monthly cartoon for the Church of God (Anderson, Indiana) newsletter. This month, Carl Stagner interviews me and picks my brain about being the man behind the cartoons.

One of the paragraphs sums up why I do what I do:

Humor can play a major role in encouraging broken people and inspiring spiritual growth. “The one thing I love about humor, if you’re dealing with a serious topic, humor can ease the blow, especially if it’s difficult to understand or explain. Humor helps us look at things from a different angle.”

Whatever you’re going through, I hope a cartoon or doodle on this site can give you a smile and maybe motivate you to keep running the race of life with endurance.

Blessings!

Categories
children cartoons

Cartoon: Angry Old Birds

Cartoon of a boy and grandfather watching TV

Cartoon of a boy watching television with his grandfather. The boy says, “I bet you would be a happier person if you watched more cartoons.”

I’m a news junkie, but I have to watch myself. If I’m not too careful, I can get a bad attitude quickly. Let’s face it, TV news loves to find all the “Man bites dog” stories. When things get bad, I have to find a channel with some animated cartoons, and fast!