Tag: single panel cartoon

Categories
Children's Books

Jabbing at Picture Books

Cartoon of a dad reading a bedtime story to his son. The son says, “Read me the one about the dad who loved his son no matter what!”

USA Today has an article about the guys from JibJab getting into the picture book market. Gregg and Evan Spiridellis are using iPads and what they’ve learned from the e-card market  to bring kids into the picture book… literally.

I loved the fact that technology can bring picture books into a new realm. Just think what could happen in a couple of years! We could have animated picture books where the child is embedded into the story as if it was a home movie. There could be pop-up books that utilize 3D technology to put the child in the story. How would a kid react to see themselves pop out of the story? Wouldn’t that be awesome?

Some people may see this as a bad thing. But I believe any technology used to tell a story can be just as legitimate as any other. Content is the important thing. A poor story will flounder whether it is done traditionally or with every bell and whistle a programmer can throw at it. At the same time, a good story will shine whether it is done on back of napkins or in an iPad app.

However, technology can get in the way of a parent. If an e-reader is used in the place of a dad who doesn’t want to read that dad-blamed story for the one-hundredth time, then something very valuable is lost. Kids need to have their parents read to them whenever it is possible.

What are your thoughts?

Categories
accountability

Can’t Fool Me!


Cartoon of a boy with a halo. a girl says, “I’m your sister. You can’t fool me!”

The people that love us most are the ones that rarely let us get away with faking it. I tried several times as a kid to get away with a little infraction only to have my siblings blow a whistle on me.

Now that I look back on it, that was a good thing. Too many of us try to get away with things we know in our heart we should never attempt. It can be something moral or a goal you want to attempt, but just find it hard to get started.

If you’re having trouble getting started today, or quitting a bad habit, make an effort to find an accountability partner. Many times, the best accountability partners are the ones that love you the most. They know when you are telling the truth and when your halo is a little crooked.

At the start, you may find it annoying to be called on your little game, but that is just what we need. We all need someone to be honest enough with ourselves to point out the halo is not matching with your attitude.

Categories
cartoon creativity webcomic

Basis of all Creativity

Cartoon of a man in a fetal position. He says to another, "I'm okay. This is just how I get creative."

In high school, I had a graphic design teacher that loved to spout adages. One of his favorites was, “limitation is the basis for all creativity.”

I’d love to know whether he made that up or if he got that quote from someone. I googled the phrase and nothing came up. There were a few lines that began with “limitation is the basis of…” but then it went into something altogether different.

At the time, I thought he was talking about the limits of design technology. Back then, a personal computer was a novelty. Anything you created had to be for the limits of the printing presses or silkscreen printing. High tech was anything that could be done in a dark room with film or Photostat paper.

Thirty years later, the phrase still rings true to me. When you are limited with your resources, you learn to use your creativity. If all you have is a paper bag, you can learn to make the most use of it.

Sometimes, I get stuck on what tools I have at my disposal. I think I can’t be creative unless I have the latest hardware or software upgrades. I must remind myself that if I face a limit, it’s a golden opportunity to use my creativity.

Have you ever faced a limitation that ended up giving you a creative boost? Feel free to post it in the comments.

Categories
Adobe Illustrator adventure cartoon children cartoons gag cartoon Illustration Friday Parenting Cartoons single panel cartoon webcomic

Perennial Rides

Cartoon of a grandfather and grandson on a roller coaster.

I drew this for Illustration Friday. This week’s word is “perennial.”

When I heard the word, I thought about some people who may be up in years, but still love the amusement park rides. It’s always fun to see a senior citizen tackle a roller coaster. I also thought of the perennial summer traditions like county fairs and trips to amusement parks.

Categories
Adobe Illustrator cartoon gag cartoon Religion Cartoons technology cartoons webcomic

Cloud Computing

 

 

 

Cartoon of to angels in a cloud. One says, “Just when I thought I got away from PC’s, along comes cloud computing.”

I drew this for The Church of God E-Newsletter. This month’s edition is here: http://www.chog.org/chognews/CHOGnews-july11.htm