Here's Why The Weird Recorded Message

In case you call me, here's why you hear what you hear. If you solve the mystery without using witchcraft I will give you a nickel.

(And yes, those who accidentally (or whatever) call me asking for prayers get prayed for.)

Some Caricatures I Drew On Sunday

Well, more of illustrations than caricatures really. But it's my style and it's fun to draw. This was my first solo caricaturing event, and the first time I drew two people on one paper. (A: Yes, drawing two people is 250% more difficult than drawing one.) I drew 30 kids or more at the Decibels event. As usual, the kids were sweet and adorable and patient and greatly costumed. Here are snapshots of some caricatures.

Two sisters, one a wee baby in a carriage

Two movie-star looking tween-teen girls

A ginghamed sister and
her brother dressed as Thomas the Tank Engine
This was kinda a threefer. I never thought of Thomas as creepy until I drew him.
Thomas, you're creepy.

I put the girl dressed as an iPod in the iPod
And added an app that stretches out the ear.

Two disabled children in wheelchairs
The boy had the most beautiful eyes, with long, long lashes. But if I had put them in he woulda looked girly so I left them out, except in my mind. What was wonderful is when I showed the kids their drawings, they both stopped thrashing about and just stared and stared at their likenesses. That was the best.

Two very earnest, very young veterinarians
We had a refreshing conversation on animals.

I was also privileged to draw the winner of the donut-eating contest. She was about six-years old and shared with me her secret: eat them in four bites.

Phone Lending

A certain percentage of mortgages happen because customers think they've called Girls Gone Wild. Because when I called my lender's toll-free number, I misdialed and that's what I got. Princess, my rep, helpfully let me know that, should I qualify, the $300,000 charge on my credit card would come with a 30-year repayment option. That seemed excessive for a DVD, but it was Buy One Get One Free.

Sure, it starts with a free phone call; but it ends with two mortgages.

Sunday With The Decibels

Got plans for Sunday? C'mon by for a kid's costume party. I'll be the caricature artist at Sunday's Decibels Foundation event to benefit children with hearing loss. I'm very much looking forward to drawing scarrry childlings (2-year-olds dressed as puffy red spaceships!). As a kid I remember how adults always laughed at us but could never explain why. Now an old person, I still don't know why. Adults are weird, especially when you are one. [Note to self: Laugh with, not against.] Here's my Dear Diary entry about last year's event. And here's the lowdown from www.decibelsfoundation.org. Please come if you can, dressed as a can, so I'll know it's you.

Trick Mustache

Here’s my cartoon for the October issue of the Pet Gazette. The punch line came from my spouse, who every year cultivates a handlebar mustache which he insists is for Halloween.

Not sure why the lizards, other than that I’ve been wanting to draw lizards. In second grade I had a pet lizard named Colors, because, ah, it changed colors? These days I’d name it Carol, a good name for a girl or a boy who wants to get picked on.

This is the second cartoon in my Official Style (the only other evidence of it was this).