Free At Last!

Today's cartoon just proves that I really cannot help myself when it comes to word play. I took care when drawing "LeoTardo". It was important to show him expressing pure joy in his new found freedom of movement. "Look at me! I'm free at last! Free at last!"

The Colonel's Comeuppance

Today marks the one year anniversary of BuckToonz blog. In honor of this most august occasion, I am posting one of my all-time favorite cartoons. Sharp eyed readers with long memories will note that "The Far Side", had a similar cartoon a few years ago. However, I'm proud to say mine was published first.

This first year of blogging has been a great learning experience and a lot of fun.  I want to thank all of you for joining me on this ride. As of today, BuckToonz is now seen in 40 countries around the world! This is astonishing to me. As the readership grows and continues to patronize my sponsors, I can justify increasing the number of posts each week. That means more free cartoon hilarity if you help spread the word.

This first year of postings has consisted of selected cartoons from my back catalog. These toonz were carefully plucked from their hidden vault, then lovingly tweaked, colorized, and otherwise upgraded for your enjoyment. Writing these commentaries has been great fun too, and has been an opportunity for me to share the back stories behind many of the cartoons. Hopefully, these have been interesting and given you some insight into my creative process and influences.

Here are some things to look forward to in our second year together. New, never-before-seen cartoons will be making their debut. And I'm pleased to announce that BuckToonz will have an Online Store opening soon. There you will be able to purchase an array of affordable products emblazoned with your favorite BuckToonz. There will be things like: signed prints (suitable for framing), coffee mugs, mouse pads, T-shirts, bumper stickers, and whatever else I can think of. There will also be other non-cartoon creations of mine available for purchase. Such things as: humorous signs, decoupage, collage, wood carvings, sculpture, paintings, various art objects, and inventions(!) Some of these will be limited editions and one-offs. If I create it, you can own it! I believe that art--like humor, is best when shared. Whatever I produce will be made with the usual fun and whimsy you've come to expect.

I read and appreciate all of your comments. Please continue to post them here, or on my Facebook  page. It's going to be a great year folks!

Send In... the Clownfish

When my brothers and I were growing up, there was a lot of laughter in our house. Word play and joking around were strongly encouraged. I credit my parents for all of this. I like to tell people I was "raised funny". Cartooning became a natural outlet for me.  

Dogs With Jobs

Where did the phrase "working like a dog" come from? It certainly has no relevance to most dogs I've seen who's main occupation seems to be laying around, and licking themselves.  But there are some impressive exceptions to this rule. Cable television has programs that show dogs performing functions and tasks that make life safer and easier for their two-legged masters.

I took my dog to obedience training classes last summer. It was there that I fully realized that any dog can be trained to do darn near any thing. With love, patience, and proper motivation there are seemingly no limits. My 8-year-old Labrador Retriever had a bad habit of scratching at the back door when she wanted to go out into the yard. The house interior had just been repainted, so her  scratching had to come to an end. I hung a bell on the doorknob and trained her to ring it by using her nose or paw. She actually rings the bell to be let out now, but no one really believes me when I say this. At some point I need to catch her brilliance on video. Next, I want to train her to find the TV remote when it goes missing-in-action. Now that is a useful skill!