"Baked Alaska" #13-16

First off, an important message to pass along: The fine folks over at Alaska Cannabist magazine just compiled a dozen of my best "Baked Alaska" feature panels for their official 2020 calendar. (Link + more art/commentary below the fold)

Think of it as my “Greatest Hits“ (cough, cough) - A great gift for when you want to remember all the high points of the year, or so you won’t forget them, or something like that… Here's a link to order one direct from the publisher.

Shades of the historic fires that blanketed the Interior in 2009 and 2015, this last season really started to catch the attention of the media around the world what with increased concern about the effects of climate change. We here in Alaska are on the front lines, witnessing firsthand the far-reaching and devastating impact global warming has upon the environment and culture.

I also happen to be writing this amidst a current cold snap that has blanketed the ‘Banks with a thick, dense layer of ice fog. Part of the package when it comes to living the dream I guess, woo-hoo. Also another detail is the incorporation of obvious Photoshoppy filtery effects, which I normally avoid for aesthetic reasons, but in this specific instance it just helps make the respective points so much more effectively.

And it was only a matter of time before the tokin’ (sorry/not sorry) mascot would get dragged into this series. (link to Castor topics)

Then it underwent some rather significant changes mid-process when I decided to edit the original drawing by digitally deleting the cutaway section of the lodge, and further adding more log elements.

"The Dammed"

These were cribbed in part from an older Nuggets panel (also doubling as one of my classic posters) which in itself also has a somewhat convoluted history.

This particular panel was something of a mystery to a lot of readers, but for those of our viewers following along at home, there has been some alarming news coming out of the closely-studied waters of Puget Sound about the contamination of local fish with drugs. Of course this grim discovery is currently being overshadowed by the even more disturbing data being published regarding insidious microplastics invading all levels of the food chain.

You know for a blog entry about whimsical dope cartoons, this sure as hell is turning into a depressing post. So let's close out with an homage to one of the all-time greatest entertaining diversions from the horrors of the drug trade and cruel incarceration tactics employed by militarized police (whoops, there I go again).

"Earache my eye..." Yes, who could forget the original dopers, Cheech & Chong, whose seminal film "Up In Smoke" just celebrated it's forty-year anniversary.

PS: Updated with an unintended moment of hilarity: this strategic coupon placement just has to be one of the best marketing strategy's ever.