Street Sketch

I’m a big fan of the famous cartoonist R. Crumb. One of the reasons I like his cartoons so much is that he takes the time to drawbackgrounds. And since his stories are usually in a rural setting, he draws rural backdrops.Most of the time it’s what you would see on any average street--power lines, dusty windows, garbage bags, and so on. This page in my sketchbook was an exercise I did when I was trying to remember non-descript things I saw that day.

"I find you sexually inadequate." Napkin Sketch

When I think of a cartoon gag, even one that is in poor taste, I try to make a quick sketch. Now I can look at this and think of how to rework the image: Maybe the socks need to look a bit more like socks; maybe use buttons as eyes; maybe I should skip the whole button option altogether. Then I have to decide which would be better to submit this cartoon to, The New Yorker, or Playboy? The choice is clear—The New Yorker, they pay more.

Cat and Spool from Napkin Sketchbook

Running cats is a favorite topic I like to draw over and over again. Here’s one from my napkin sketchbook. There is a dry erase board on the fridge at home where I draw new ones from time to time. (I wait to see when my wife notices the changeover.)

Napkin Notebook Tiki

For years, my restless hand doodled on restaurant napkins—then I left behind thousands of great ideas, along with the tip. One year my wife gave me a tiny little pocket sketchbook, just for capturing all those doodles rather than abandoning them. Today’s picture shows how I take an idea from the sketchbook and develop it into something that’s marketable. Check out the link to see.