Small & Big

This is great. Humor writer and author Tim Bete presents:  How I converted 7,000 hours of work into $10 hard cash and then turned a single stupid idea into $37,000. He discuses publishing, editors, ideas... helpful stuff for any writer. He presented at the 2012 Erma Bombeck Writers' Workshop. Runs 58 minutes. Warning: Enjoy!

But that's nothing compared to what Simon's cat accomplishes... I love everything about Simon Tofield's Simon's Cat cartoon animations: the writing, the sound effects, and especially that they're drawn in simple black-and-white outline. You can really see how a simple, well drawn line, moving through time, can express mass and volume. So well done. Watch more adorable feline atrocities committed by Simon's cat at www.simonscat.com and on YouTube at www.youtube.com/simonscat .

"I can't let (my parents) know I have super powers. They'd only worry." This is the first cartoon my pal John Fountain did. It's called  The Tantrum and it aired on Nickelodeon at like 3 am on a Sunday at the dawn of the 21st Century. It is autobiographical. This is the first time I've seen it because SOME people don't tell some other people stuff. As far as I know it is the only instance of Putting Out Fire By Giving It The Raspberry. A pity. (If the military jumps on it they'd call it POFBGITR. That's pronounced "PUFF-bah-giter" and help generals say "puff" more.) Without further a-doo-doo here's The Tantrum: Also, Fountain's better half has a good blog called To Kid or Not To Kid . Will she or won't she kid herself? Go there and peek.

Truly great people help others to feel great too.

You can catch Liza's thoughts about preparing for the talk at lizadonnelly.com/archives/video-of-my-ted-talk .

Mike Cope inking his Valentine cartoon, which appears in this month's issue of Reader's Digest Canada , to a great score by Glenn Miller and his Orchestra. (Now that's music!) Happy heart day to you. More Mike at Copetoons.com .

This invention is a really big help for a very, very, very, very small percentage of Americans. Perfect for family get-togethers. From Conan O'Brien.

What mustaches cannot overcome, a dinosaur can: the Brontësaurus. Enjoy!

I like how, on the comments section of this YouTube video, somebody wrote: “Unlike other boring geniuses, Roz Chast is funny!!!”

I'm on vaycayshun. See you after I get back. In the meantime, talking animals:

My favorite starts at the 1:23 minute mark. Heh heh! Is the video more funny or less funny because of star fisherman Bill Dance ’s lack of humor? I saw this posted on Laugh Lines , a New York Times blog that I highly recommend you check out there, Poopy Pants.

If she’s so smart how come Brain Storm doesn’t clean the kitchen table? Y-u-c-k. Other than that, Yes, this mousey is smarter and more focused than us humans, who, try as we might, cannot slip through the handle of a coffee cup. What we need are smaller, more focused and intelligent brains, anti-gravity dexterity, and bigger cup handles.

Remember this one from Saturday Night Live, where Seth Meyers interviews Will Forte as Robocall? Oh, ’twas nutty during campaign election time.

It took almost 30 years but a fan named Jeannie ( blog ) has successfully flow charted that Bonnie Taylor song, “Total Eclipse of the Heart” ( YouTube ). And then there’s this...

Focus your deep, penetrating concentration on the 1:04 through 1:16 minute mark. Near as I can piece it together Mason the tube sock puppet has this to say about Small & Big: “And __________ that rooster lady, you know, she’s got that small, big, medium, some kind of blog, ___________ cartoons, and to ______ money she, ah, likes to draw pictures of stuff, of cat litter boxes, and I saw on there a month ____ on there a toupee, some kind of Zen man.” This is historical: Small & Big’s first known video reference, and on MasonMania . The Rooster Lady detects no cuss words. (Mason previously appeared in Why You Should Keep Yourself Far, Far Away From Coffee .)

Reason #3,756: Hand Puppetry (Click the right arrow to begin. It’s like 47 seconds long.) From Mason Mania , home of the missing sock.

Just in time for the holidays.