"Frazetta in Alaska"

Nostalgia: I have a sweet spot for the work of master fantasy illustrator Frank Frazetta, ever since during high school as a budding art major I was turned on to his pen & ink work, which, along with his graphite pieces, are simply stunning examples of craftsmanship and technique (as evidenced by one particular piece posted below). Unfortunately 99% of the public never sees that stuff, instead only remembering classic album covers and cover art for pulp paperbacks (*update: check out the recent record-setting auction of one of his iconic paintings here) mostly big men with big muscles and big swords fighting big monsters while defending women with big, uh, hair. I always take the time to showcase samples of his lesser-known works, including meticulously rendered concept work and process pieces, to all of my drawing classes. Just look at the energy of each individual stroke as they coalesce into such a powerful, dynamic composition.
This scenario recalls the epic shot taken while on a semesterly field-trip up to the UAF Museum of the North with a Frazetta homage (documented a couple years ago on this post), I still have the prop pencil in a corner of my office as a sort of obscure reference to the giant penny in the Batcave. Also this keeps getting pushed back in the production pipeline as far as getting printed (always something "better" to swap out in the schedule), and will in all likelihood never the page of the newspaper, and so why not: here's an exclusive for the regular readers.

Center for Cartoon Studies: Gag Workshop Summer 2025

Just returned from taking a week-long workshop on gag comics under Hilary Price (creator of the syndicated cartoon “Rhymes With Orange” since 1995) at the Center for Cartoon Studies in White River Junction, Vermont. It had been nineteen years since I was there last, when it was Harry Bliss who taught a class on single-panel comics. Proving once again the meta-lesson in that you ought to remain teachable, and you're never to old to go back to school, and that taking classes is always humbling when you realize just how little you know. It was a perfect balance between professional development as a teacher, especially one that teaches comics, and inspirational insights into my own personal creative process over on the other side of the drawing board as a publishing cartoonist. There was a great mix of personalities and varying skill-sets within our group, with a wide range of ages and experience all brought to bear on an intensive, immersive five-day deep dive into one of the most foundational aspects of sequential art.

Both buildings of the campus are located right on main street downtown in the historic village, and our classroom was in the former post office building. One particular highlight was getting to do research for our homework right next door in the Schulz Library, which was a mecca for us comic nerds to geek out on. There was a daily, sometimes hourly rhythm to the course, each day consisting of a constant stream of warmups, lectures, exercises, breaks, group/collaborative exercises, jams, writing/conceptual exercises, more warm-ups, etc. (repeat). The collective synergy from all eight of the students was fantastic, plus we had a teacher's aide who was a current second-year student at the school, and his contributions and artwork was excellent. We hung out together in varying small groups over lunches and dinners, getting to know the story behind everybody, and made some wonderful new friends & colleagues.

Hilary Price is four-time winner of Best Newspaper Panel Cartoon by the National Cartoonists Society + Cartoonist of the Year in August 2024, with her feature appearing syndicated in over a hundred newspapers. I was in awe of how much energy, output and passion for not just the medium, but also for teaching others about cartooning, was so inspiring on both a professional + personal level. Emphasis was on many components in the creative process like hand-lettering, and how the deliberate arrangement of visual elements in the composition - both image and text - are in fact “sequential” insofar as how we perceive/interpret the cartoon. Hearing someone of such stature further re-legitimizing this particular medium was so gratifying and empowering, as sometimes this single-panel sub-category gets lost amidst the ascendancy of the lofty graphic novel. Another fantastic aspect to this institution is the variety of different genres students can explore, as there was a horror workshop running concurrently with ours. The Center even has a manifesto free to download (here) called "The World is Made of Cheese," which literally illustrates the center's MO.

Price (who considers herself “a writer who draws” rather than “an artist who writes.”) was the perfect instructor at the right time in both my life and career. It was revealing to experience such a course from a student perspective, and if maybe a third of the lessons were familiar exercises or assignments that I use in my own courses, she totally customized them and taught them in completely different ways, some of which I shall dutifully emulate to improve my teaching the same material. Doing essentially double-duty by taking notes on how-to-teach plus doing the assigned work, I wrote and drew so much so fast my hand cramped a couple times – that’s really rare. She was such an exceptionally attentive teacher, very inclusive, supportive and engaging. Since her emphasis was on the generation of ideas, it was ideal to focus on the conceptual underpinnings ie words first, then drawings. We progressed through character development, then plotted punchlines stressing "process over product" ("Amplify - Simplify"), setting + design, some collaborative exercise, "crosstraining" in longer formats like strips and other multi-panels, and constant group reviews of all the work we did during the workshop. An omnipresent timer was used for everything, so as to bypass the inner critic and short-circuit the impulse to over-analyze. A few lessons were in part drawn from Ivan Brunetti and Lynda Barry, each of which are "textbooks" in my own classroom, and another suite of recommended titles have already been ordered. We spent a lot of time exploring various techniques in brainstorming tropes and visual cliches, and the pacing + placement of punchlines with repeated emphasis on how "it's not the joke - it's the getting the joke."

Another highlight of the week was on the morning before the last class when I was last on the list for having a 20-minute one-on-one review/critique with the teacher, whereupon I proceeded to split that time into two 10-minute sections: the first was an attempt at encapsulating my experience of the entire workshop in the context of a cartooning teacher. The second was an overview of a mini-portfolio, from the perspective of the recent NCS rejection (which I'm over btw, and now back at the "self-made rugged artist" thing hand-carving cartoons borne out of the "independent arctic work ethic") (grrr) (snort), and most importantly, showing how the aesthetic effect both her work and that of Peter Gallagher's "Heathcliff" has been in directly influencing my recent stylistic shift. This was true for both the coloring approach/palette overhaul, and now also in the revamped gag-writing aspect. I can't wait to see the growth of even more low-hanging fruit and to in turn share the creative juices with this fall semester's group and future classroom gigs. One irony is that in all of the differing assignments & critiques the weakest and hardest one by far for me personally has always been introducing the single-panel/gag cartoon in my own classes. Now it with be the tentpole for the whole semester.

Yeah I went into total fanboy mode over a special guest cartoonist Suzy Becker (1990's “All I Need to Know I learned From My Cat”): she gave a show & tell of her work + process to our class one morning. Exposure to so many cartoonists during this workshop reminded me of how the relative geographic isolation of living in the middle of Alaska tends to make one even more ingrown than a lot of "normal" artists, and that I really need to get out more. Meeting and listening and talking to both of these artists, each a consummate professional in the field, taught me to add yet another re-evaluation of my own personal work, in that of my entrenched tendency to overwork my panels. It's a good thing that I only have to do a weekly feature, because if I had to do a daily for syndication, I'd never leave the damn cabin. The process, belabored here on Ink & Snow for years, of doodling, then sketchbooking, then penciling>inking>scanning + digital and watercoloring, is resulting in cartoons that many times illustrate perfectly the industry mantra that "a good joke will sell a bad drawing." Unfortunately my parallel career as an art teacher who constantly insists on criteria such as enhancing depth in the composition by using fore/mid/background elements and obsessive attention to linear perspective etc. I love to draw, and absolutely enjoy incorporating all the tricks of the trade that are quite simply just not necessary when making a cartoon. As per usual I'll over-correct on the mental highwire in both directions, going back and forth between extremes multiple times, before finding the correct balance.

This last image is an example of a homework assignment where we were tasked to use an everyday regular object/nearby scenario as a photo reference to incorporate into panel. My hotel room was right down the hall from an ice-machine, and since this transplanted barbarian from the north was suffering from a comparative 90° heatwave (w/60% humidity), it personally resonated with me. On a closing note, maintaining the momentum after a sorely needed reboot has rekindled the daily ritual of putting pen to paper… One final lesson on how everything is fodder and fuel, and anything can be a canvas, even a sick-sack.

In closing, an all-around immersive and powerful experience on many different levels: the Center for Cartoon Studies is an outstanding place full of wonderful folks that I wouldn't hesitate to recommend to other aspiring talents, at any stage in their career. After a pilgrimage to the Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum, I aim to return to Vermont for some more serious, scholarly study into cartooning.

Dr. Indiginerd

Quick note of thanks to the UAF College of Indigenous Studies for hosting a visit  from Lee Francis IV, aka Dr. Indiginerd. He opened the first Native American comic shop (Red Planet/now ATCG) and the first Indigenous Comic-Con (now Indigenous Pop Expo). We got to hang out for a while inbetween his presentations for Indigenous People's Day, and geeking out about comics in my office was on of the highlights of the semester for me: it's so inspirational to connect with folks in the comics world and share stories.

ROWR! Peter Gallagher's "Heathcliff"

Half a dozen years back I had to admit I was wrong in at least one instance when it came to "legacy strips" (aka zombie strips) what with the awesomeness that is now Nancy Now I gotta say it again: sorry, I stand corrected, as there's now a new recent favorite that been making my day a lot as of late: the now-fifty year old feature "Heathcliff." Also, I continue to be humbled and amazed at the breadth and depth of new stuff that is continually coming out in popular media, be it books, movies, music or art - especially in comics. It's hard to keep up especially when one's tendency is to slowly surrender to solipsism as an artist, and focus more on your own output. But as John Muir once said: "When one tugs at a single thing in nature, he finds it is attached to the rest of the world." (*Update: erroneously misattributed quote). And so staying aware of the connections that can be drawn in art is not only important for history, but as we'll see shortly, can be crucial to staying open to change and inspiration in ones own work. So let us tug at the cat tail. 

The original creator of the original orange cat was George Gately, who retired in 1998, as did his assistant John Gallagher. Nowadays their nephew Peter Gallagher is in charge of cleaning the creative litterbox that is coming up with the current cat cartoons. Posted above here are the first two panels I saw of his that hooked me into following the feature: the first ("In Heat") immediately told me that, hey waitaminite, this was something else entirely different, not the least in content, and was one of the rare times I just laughed my jaded ass off. The second panel ("Hot Dogs") is when I officially fell in love with the character - that total-air body launch is one of the many endearing tropes regular readers look forward to. Others would be Jimmy the Frog, the helmet, meat tanks and gorillas etc. - as I tell new readers, just stay with it, even if it doesn't make any sense at first, or at all, as it can get delightfully surreal sometimes.

Here's a selection of interviews, one from Solrad and another from Uproxx, and in particular this "Comics Culture" video from Terence Dollard's informative channel, that give some more insight into Gallagher's process of both idea generation and making the art (including going from roughs to finished piece, techniques etc.), and his weekly workflow. He also speaks to the comparative advantages of doing a single-panel gag format, which was personally validating for me, not to mention insights coming from  another established professional in the industry who also teaches at a local university). Oh and yeah, oranges. 

Aside from all the this fan-boy stuff, I had a small epiphany after becoming increasingly curious as to Gallagher's usage of color, which appears, along with his linework, to be very simple. A limited and subdued palette consistently of desaturated pastels, without any cuts for contrasting value (say, like for cast shadows) or even much of a range like for example in gradations to show an object's volume, or to enhance pictorial depth. While after much study, reflection and experimentation, I don't think I could restrain myself and my coloring instincts and not employ those same techniques, but in retrospect, I have a lot to learn about restraining my tendency to make my own panels appear overworked ie too "Photoshoppy." Ironically that's what turns me off from so much if not most of contemporary color work done especially digitally, and you can imagine the horror at the sudden realization that you are actually aesthetically repelled by most of your own work. This is similar to the reaction most artists have at looking over their own material, except I'm very much effectively still right in the middle of incorporating it into my own material, as it's only been within the past few years that the ratio of color versus black & white panels has flipped, and now the vast majority of my cartoons are in full color. 

One of the interesting perspectives you can gain from seeing your work displayed in a show, particularly retrospectives when everything’s up on the wall, is the cumulative gestalt experience in critiquing aspects that otherwise normally wouldn’t be noticed amidst the usual drip of daily or weekly displays of the work. You can note patterns emerging such as arrangement of compositional elements, or specifically in this instance, color usage. And compare and contrast any overall visual elements with other similar works. This is what was done in screen-grabbing swatches of Gallagher’s recent panels and comparing/contrasting his restrained color usage against what can be seen while looking at a wave of archived work on my Instagram page. And so, sigh, time again for yet another reboot - but that's pretty much the MO whenever sitting back down behind a drawing table every day anyway. Back to the proverbial litterbox.

"VIP" Virgil Partch

Born on St. Paul Island, Alaska, Virgil "VIP" Partch (1916-1984) was one of the most successful cartoonists in American history. I suppose it's a technicality that he could be labeled an expat, but still pretty cool to claim him as an Alaskan. Jonathan Barli author of "VIP: The Mad World of Virgil Partch" (2013 Fantagraphics) attributes his work  as by a "mid-century cartoonist who revitalized the gag cartoon."

He starting his career in 1937 illustrating at Disney, then later with Walter Lantz on Woody Woodpecker, he then served as art director/cartoonist for the US Army’s “Panorama” magazine. Starting with a sale to Collier's in 1942, he began freelancing his single-panel gag panels to magazines like Playboy and The New Yorker, and “also published 19 books of cartoons and illustrated 12 others, including the two children's books, The Dog Who Snored Symphonies and The Christmas Cookie Sprinkle Snatcher” (UC Irvine archives).

From 1960-90 he created the popular syndicated feature “Big George” which appearing in around 300 newspapers, as well as the strip “The Captain’s Gig” in the 70’s. Partch is one of the historical giants whose stupendous output, insightful commentary and clean lines continue to be an artistic inspiration even today.

 

Art Supplies in Alaska

Way up here in the Interior we are at a distinct disadvantage when it comes to procuring the tools of our trade, be it Cartooning, Drawing, Fine Art or whatever. Alaska does have one actual art supply store down in the big city: Blaine's located in los Anchorage, and I've known folks to do the 800-mile road trip just for that reason alone (I did it once with a housemate for straight down & back again bomb-run for doughnuts, but this isn't the time to get into that).

Had to do an emergency supply run around town to try and locate some workable fixative for classes, and struck out at the top only five choices in town. As an aside this particular instance of sticker shock was so egregious it caught my eye and merited a snapshot, and price comparison. And people think I'm joking when I say that even with a 50% off coupon you'll still save money buying online versus at the corporate chains - even with priority shipping fees.

Lots of folks equate Joann’s and Michael’s craft stores as interchangeable as Coke/Pepsi or Ford/Chevy or Mac/PC, but there are a few subtle distinctions. One is how Michael's has its own line of art supplies, the Artists Loft brand, which in my experience has some of the absolute worst materials. And when you are teaching beginning students it's especially crucial to not frustrate their initial explorations into making art by making them crutch their way using inferior supplies (which in turn means subjecting them to the cruel & unusual industry devoted to separating artists from their money with exotic art materials). Another is how much inventory at Joann’s is kept under lock + key behind giant glass display cases, which requires the additional step of tracking down someone free somewhere out on the floor for assistance. Which, in my experience, given the preponderance of poorly-staffed and untrained help usually on hand at these chain stores, can be quite a quest in itself. One could also argue against the marketing strategy behind making a customer feel like a petty thief, regardless of any shoplifting issues.

Speaking of getting ripped off, as an art teacher I continually warn students about how much we get taken for a ride on supplies, and for this post we won’t even start in on the notorious Alaskan shipping woes esp. what with the “contiguous states” caveats snuck into the fine print at the bottom of most orders and specials (“certain restrictions apply!”).

Here’s a quick sample list of what materials I used in a random weekend at the studio: the first price is Dick Blick versus Michael’s:

Mixed Media paper $6.28 vs $12.99 

Bristol Board $11.64 vs $17.99 

India Ink $6.65 vs 9.99 

Marker set $21.99 vs 49.99 

Brush $12.04 vs $13.99 

Pocket brush $11.49 vs $30.99 

Watercolor pencil set $10.79 vs $22.99 

Total: $80.88* vs $158.73** 

*plus free shipping (Lower 48) + another 10% off 

** these are on-line prices… costs are even higher still for in-store, as we get gouged AGAIN when the shipping costs are passed along to the customer.

 

Corben etc.

 
Artist Richard Corben died: He was a tentpole talent for one of the most influential comics that inspired me in highschool, Last Gasp's "Slow Death." Afterwards when my tastes matured (/s) and I evolved into a Heavy Metal fan, there he was again. His unique, distinctive style carried over regardless of the character or content. 

After my first year over on Instagram, I'm throttling back my uploads and limiting posts to just one a week, probably Sundays, just here on like Ink & Snow (for the most part). This on account of the time + energy spent on-line is an omnipresent drain on limited resources that could be otherwise invested in more projects. I've seeded the platform enough at this point, and it's a decent portfolio of material. One little thing I've recently started doing was using my Instagram tag in the copyright fine print next to the title and signature. I swapped it out instead of the Ink & Snow address that I’ve used since forever, just to see what would happen. I'll start with the 2019 stuff now, and as with both print + blog, slowly spin off the wheel and become detached from reality, meaning the time-honored seasonal distinctions have broken down: winter or summer is just a state of mind that lasts all year. Trivia: My favorite filter as of late is Perpetua, which since even the official Instagram blog neglected to show a sample of, here's what the nifty split-screen effect looks like as applied to my panels. Trendy and like most hipster effects - or cartoons for that matter - aesthetically empty and ultimately forgettable.

That being said it's still a great place to look at neat art, especially divorced from the toxic effluent continually vomited out on Facebook. One can only hope they will now become divested from that rotting corpse and regain their independence from the Walmart of the Internet that has contributed to the decline of democracy. Bonus points for irony in saying this on a Google product, created on an Apple product while listening to a Disney product being played on another Google product. Good thing I just bought some more Forever Stamps and fresh ink.

"WAP" Wet Ass Panels

"Threat Display" + Inky Goodness + Checkered Demon

Recent panel for the newspaper feature, and another installment in the growing beard series. Doesn't really matter what the implement, there's something so inherently satisfying in rendering lots and lots of hair. I'm living in the right place it seems.

Speaking of textures, I really love pen + ink, and to be able to let that come across in a classroom studio setting is always a real treat.

Seeing results in the work of students just feeds right back into the loop and inspires in turn. Posted here are some sample excerpts from the critter spot illustration assignment, a favorite time of the semester.

And what could I possibly add to the years of posts on how simply awesome it is to see it all channeled into comics. Just outstanding and wonderful.

Not to mention the pure practicality and relative cheapness of the medium. Nothing like sharing living space with, say, a potter for example, to make one have a keener appreciation at the logistics and convenience of being a cartoonist - at the least when it comes to storage of your art.

Besides also being a great place to hang out and draw, conversations can sometimes be thought provoking. No shortage of issues and opinions in the art world, especially as of late.

Recently busted a student working on her math homework while it art class. One way to get a gold star.

Been thinking lately about one of the underground cartoonists I used to collect (The Checkered Demon comix), S. Clay Wilson.

Referring to his and the Zap crew's status in art circles, S. Clay Wilson himself said:
“If you’re not good enough to be a cartoonist, maybe you can be an artist.” It’s the same old dirty coin. There’s all this snobbery involved in both directions. People want everything in neat, safe categories and have things explained to them, like this interview.
So you think being a “cartoonist” counts against you?
No, I think it’s favorable. Artists? Who ain’t an artist? But you meet a cartoonist. “Oh really?” Art can be anything, right? - The Comics Journal

B. Kliban Redux

I've written here + here) before about one of my all-time favorite cartoonists, B. Kliban, and the influence his work has had on my own work and career. I also frequently lecture about his drawings in my studio art courses, both as an example of superlative technique in pen & ink and also as a source of constant inspiration when it comes to comedic content. Kliban joins the pantheon of giants in the field (Schulz + Don Martin comprise the trinity), and is well worth studying - students, aficionados and practitioners of the craft.

Cold Bacon’s reprint of a good biographical piece on Kliban here, and also Judith Kamman Kliban’s “Meet The Master” short and some galleries on Pomegranate here. She briefly alludes to the importance of Playboy Magazine for Kliban:

In 1962, Playboy discovered Kliban, so to speak, when he responded to an ad for cartoonists. A long standing relationship began, and Playboy published his work for the next thirty years.

This legacy, along with that of founder Hugh Hefner, who championed the careers of many of the industry giants like Shel Silverstein, Harvey Kurtzman, Will Elder, Gahan Wilson and many more, has now been effectively tied off if not trashed with the outstandingly dumb decision with the new revamp to includes dumping one of the signature aspects of the publication: they have cancelled the cartoons. Stupid, stupid, stupid.

Besides the exquisite craftsmanship, classic non-sequiturs and astonishing caricatures portraits, Kliban's panels encompass everything from the surreal to the sensual, and the feline to freaky. His introspective observations capture the everyday moments and events which are ordinarily overlooked but provide an unending wellspring of material from which to draw insightful, poignant and at times delightfully irreverent commentary.

Posted here are two contrasting self-portraits of the artist which illustrate the range and degree of  stylistic expression even the comparatively simplistic compositions can encompass. The balance between loose, expressive contour line contrasted against areas of richly textured marks in conjunction with solid blacks represents a perfect aesthetic marriage between image + text, between the caption and the picture.



A real big thank-you to Natalie "Tally" Nourigat (a Portland, Oregon cartoonist) - he reposted insightful correspondence (above) which ought to be required reading for not just aspiring cartoonists but also any artist. I certainly expose as many of my own students to this way of thinking, and emulate it as often as possible for my own personal MO.

Also there is the critical aspect of the creator himself, portrayed as dour and disheveled: paradoxically ill-humored in a humorous tableau - not so much as an unwilling participant in the scenario as an objective and passive prop by which the panel's inherent ludicrousness is filtered through or reflected upon.

As of late I've been availing myself of the resources sporadically available through postings of fans and aficionados alike on the Facebook group "The B. Kliban Appreciation Society."  The above image from a 1975 advertisement for NORML is one example of the comparatively rare commercialization and re-contextualization of his cartoons. Heads-up on poster Bruce Ojard who has been uploading some really amazing examples of Kliban's early works and images as of late, including this treasure from Playboy in 1983 with a bonus cat.

Also of note are the many other simply wonderful photographs that have been getting posted, including several from one of the folks behind the original Comic-Con and others similar events such as the Eisners and Friends of Lulu, Jackie Estrada. I'm running right out and ordering a copy of her latest book "Comic Book People."

Image Jackie Estrada

Yet another outstanding and rewarding find of the year for me has to be this 1978 interview with Stephen Banker that was recently uploaded to YouTube (link here). What a rare treat to finally be able to hear Kliban's own voice as a supplement to all the self-portraits... as it adds another dimension to the image constructed inside over all these years. Score!

"Chill-Cat"

What started out with the basic concept as the doodle posted above - ballpoint pen + watercolor wash in the sketchbook - eventually evolved into a much more involved piece. Basic issues of simple respect aside, there was no way I would even contemplate properly tackling such a complex cultural design without any formal training in formline.

The resultant panel wound up as a collaboration with another artist friend, Abel Ryan (previously featured here before), who created the custom beaver blanket + hat designs for the final version.

One can't help but be continually impressed at the quality of work that is constantly being created within the UAF Fine Art department's Native Arts studio. Also I've been really inspired by a recent purchase of an amazing graphic novel "Red" by Haida-Manga artist Michael Nicoll Yahgulanaas (video here).

Once Abel emailed me the penciled-out imagery, I pasted it in to see how it would look: AWEsome.
Bonus trivia in the detail of a view from his hometown of Metlakatla that I snuck in from photo-reference. Mainly just so I could say Metla-CAT-la.

After receiving a surprise packet in the mail of the hard-copy finished designs, I then set about scanning them for final placement. The inherent awesomeness of the design in turn necessitated an expansion of the real-estate, as in making the blanket bigger so as to accommodate more of the art.

Started the whole thing way back in March, with another another bout of output in August; finished it all up in December; ran in the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner the following January Update: April. There's always a batch of similar concepts in varying stages of completion that clutter up my studio and brain. It's never so much a stressful pressure as it is just a nice buffer zone knowing there's always ideas floating around just waiting to get paid attention to. And no shortage of inspiration either - thanks Abel!