“Watusi withdrawal”

With the recent completion of my Watusi in Oz adventure– along with giving myself a sabbatical from the weekly deadline merry-go-round– I’ve been able to take a deeper dive into projects I’ve had sitting on the back burner far too long (including Watusi the Talking Dog #40). Still, I’ve been feeling a bit of Watusi withdrawal (maybe you have, too?), so I thought I’d make a new monthly comic, something loose & playful, just for my newsletter subscribers instead of posted to the open web. You can read the rest of this strip in my May newsletter (and subscribe, if so inclined) …

“Greetings from Winkie Country”

Another year, another “Watusi in Oz”-themed holiday piece! As many of you know, at the end of every year I send out a holiday piece to friends and family who have had an impact on my life that year, but as my audience has grown to include readers (via my website, FB, Twitter, & Instagram) I don’t know personally, I wanted to share the joy with my “virtual” friends as well. Thanks for taking the time to follow Watusi’s adventures every week. It’s much appreciated!

This year’s piece gives a peek at some of the adventure that occurred here in 2019. My Baum-length epic is entering its final phase (new episodes every Wednesday); I’d love to hear what you think about it, especially if you’re a fan of the original Oz books!

Besides this comic’s weekly presence in my schedule, I published seven other comics (including a collaboration with my friend Tom Cherry), helped kick off the Mid-South Cartoonist Association’s new ongoing comic series, made a dozen new prints, seven new paintings, and shared a gallery show with my friend Julie Nouwen. All in all, it was my most successful year as an artist yet, and I’m glad that comics can continue to be a part of my working life.

I hope you all have a happy start to your 2020! See you back here next week as we return to Winkie Country & “Watusi in Oz”!

“The barking contest (Summary judgment)”

This week’s comic is from Watusi #23 (Aug. 2007), part of a two-part double-blind experiment where I finished a batch of jam comics for #22 & Tom Cherry did the same for #23, both unaware of how the other was finishing them. The paired strips turned out to showcase the contrast in our styles which, while compatible, are very different. I tended to have overly-wordy solutions, while Tom’s were direct and punchy (and IMO, funnier)! You can see my take on this strip by scrolling down to last week’s episode, but if you want to see more of our contrasting styles playing well together, I recommend getting a copy of our new comic from 2019, Double Dip #2. It’s still my favorite single issue of all the comics I’ve published…

About the contributors: Dan Lauer is one of my APA-5 compatriots from back in the day; I love his mix of cartoony & action-packed artwork. Keith O’Brien makes wonderful postcard comics and blogs about life in Forbidden Falls, Maine. Even though Tom Cherry is a writer & actor appearing on stage, screen, & radio, he still finds time to be a cartoonist. And the world is a better place because of it!

(“Watusi in Oz” resumes in just two weeks– Wednesday, January 1, 2020!)

“The barking contest (Fine Print edition)”

This week’s comic is from Watusi #22 (Aug. 2007), part of a two-part double-blind experiment where I finished a batch of jam comics for #22 & Tom Cherry did the same for #23, both unaware of how the other was finishing them. The paired strips turned out to showcase the contrast in our styles which, while compatible, are very different. I tended to have overly-wordy solutions, while Tom’s were direct and punchy (and IMO, funnier)! While I’ll show off Tom’s take on this strip next week, if you want to see more of our contrasting styles playing well together, I recommend getting a copy of our new comic from this year, Double Dip #2. It’s still my favorite single issue of all the comics I’ve published…

About the contributors: Dan Lauer is one of my APA-5 compatriots from back in the day; I love his mix of cartoony & action-packed artwork. Keith O’Brien makes wonderful postcard comics and blogs about life in Forbidden Falls, Maine.

(“Watusi in Oz” resumes in three weeks– Wednesday, January 1, 2020!)

“One dog’s trash…”

This comic originally appeared in Watusi #7, way back in October 2003. While the main chunk of that issue was devoted to the middle section of my first continued Watusi story, it also featured strips created by students in my very first “Make a Minicomic” class. My goal with that class was to show students how they could make their own 8-page minicomic, and I led them step-by-step through to the completion of their own comic. What it really did, though, was teach myself that there’s a huge difference between creating a lesson plan and actually teaching a class, let alone motivating students to continue along the path of making art on their own. They say “those who can, do; those who can’t, teach.” Well, I can’t teach.

About the contributors… that’s kind of a mystery to me. Ted, Shauna, & Levi were all good students in the class, and I love the panels they came up with during this ice-breaking project before they began work on their own comics. I don’t know what life has had in store for them; hopefully something creative & everything good…

(“Watusi in Oz” resumes Wednesday, January 1, 2020!)

“Doesn’t rhyme with orange”

And, and the risk of sounding like a public radio spot, I’m thankful for readers like you! With Thanksgiving just a day away, I want to take a moment to express my thanks to all my readers– I’m truly grateful for each and every one of you who take the time to check in on Watusi’s adventures every week. I’m especially grateful for those of you who take the time to comment on my work here (which lets me know if it’s connecting with its readers, or if it’s missing the mark) … and doubly so for those of you who also support this work financially. Whether it’s purchasing a minicomic at Zine Fest, ordering the print edition of Watusi in Oz (books 2 & 3 coming in 2020), or buying a print at one of my popup events, it all goes toward giving me the time and resources that make it possible for me to create art, including this comic which you get to read for FREE.

The easiest way for you to support my work, especially for those readers far afield from Memphis, is to become one of my Patreon patrons. For as little as $1/month, you can help make this ongoing comic possible, plus get immediate access to online bonus comics, including a full-color Human Spring adventure.

Hope you have a happy Thanksgiving! (“Watusi in Oz” resumes Wednesday, January 1, 2020!)

“Talk show! Meow!”

To wrap up this batch of Watusi jam comics, here’s an all-new collaboration with my friend and fellow APA-5 alumnus Drew Boynton! I rarely get the chance for my drawings to share a panel with another artist’s, so this one was a lot of fun! While real life activities have conspired to keep Drew away from his drawing board lately, you can see more of his Doggie & Jilly comics in my new Doghouse Funhouse anthology, as well as on his website.

I hope you all have a happy start to your 2018! See you back here next week as “Watusi in Oz” resumes!

“Wrapping up Christmas”

This little comic was my holiday piece for 2008, and it’s also included in my Festive Funnies collection. Wishing you all the best for the holidays ahead!

(“Watusi in Oz” resumes in two weeks– Wednesday, January 3, 2018!)

“You win a few…”

This comic is from one of the earliest Watusi issues (#4, Aug. 2003), an issue assembled from fellow exhibitors at my very first comic convention as an exhibiting artist– SPACE 2003. That show was a great experience and a great introduction to other artists who were soon to become my peers and, in many cases, my friends. Unfortunately, most of the cons I’ve attended in recent years (which, granted, are geared more towards vendors and cosplayers than to creators) haven’t measured up to that experience…

While I may not be in this video from the event, both of this comic’s other collaborators are: James West (small press cartoonist & RPG illustrator) and Matt Dembicki (who has only gotten busier as an artist, editor and publishers since then).

(“Watusi in Oz” resumes in three weeks– Wednesday, January 3, 2018!)

“Soak’d!”

I may have drawn this strip years and years ago, but it’s only now seeing print– so I thought I’d share it with you online, too!

The second issue of Watusi’s Doghouse Funhouse (my giant-sized kid’s comics anthology) had a l-o-o-n-g road to completion; I won’t go into it here (since I’ve already gone into it here), but I’m glad it’s finally done and available to the public. I’m really pleased with everyone’s contributions in the issue, and hope you’ll purchase a copy for yourself– more details about the comic, its contributors, and how to order a copy can be found here. Or…

You can just stop by the Memphis Arts Collective’s Holiday Show and Sale, where that issue will be on sale along with my other comics, prints, drawings, paintings, buttons, and more! I’m excited to be a part of the event again this year– it features over 30 artists and artisans from the Mid South showing and selling unique handcrafted items you won’t find anywhere else! It’s open at 1501 Union Avenue every day through Christmas Eve, so you’ll have lots of opportunity to shop local, support local artists, and have FUN! Watch my Twitter feed for announcements of when I’ll be at the market; it’s your chance to get comics signed or just chat with me about my art. Hope to see you there!

(“Watusi in Oz” resumes Wednesday, January 3, 2018!)