COMIC STRIPS & PANELS IN US PAPERS

A small sampling from my recent trip.

The first time I went to the USA was back in 1993 and I have visited there several times since. On each of my trips I have been a very enthusiastic collector of American newspapers, particularly so I can see, and enjoy, what comic strips are included in their pages.

The first thing you notice about American papers and their comic strip page is just how many strips and panels are included. Over the years the number of strips and the size of their reproduction in the paper, may have decreased....but the number of strips in each paper far exceeds that which we have in Australian papers. More about this later.

Another thing you notice is the size and shape of the newspapers. To my recollection, this has also changed over the years. Not just from a broadsheet to tabloid format, as we have seen in Australia but, it seems, the common size for newspapers these days is, if you can imagine it, a broadsheet cut in half vertically. So an unopened newspaper, say the Los Angeles Times, is 58cms long/high and 28cms wide. Some papers, for example the St Louis Post-Dispatch, are even longer (60cms). 

And a third thing (well, really, it is a continuation of the first thing) you notice about the comic strip page is that it is, in most cases, an actual PAGE FULL OF COMICS!
Some daily papers even have more than one page of comics! 

And as for Sunday papers, well they can have multiple pages for their comic strip section.

To my knowledge, the most comic strips that any Australian daily newspaper has is the standardized (unfortunately) selection of the News Ltd metropolitan papers.
These capital city papers have 8 strips together (1/2 page) plus DILBERT in the business section. The eight strips featured in these papers are: HAGAR, FRED BASSET, THE PHANTOM, GINGER MEGGS, CALVIN & HOBBS, INSANITY STREAK, SNAKE and GARFIELD.

So, our largest circulation Australian daily newspapers have 9 (8 + Dilbert) strips.

Compare that to American newspapers....the smallest circulation daily paper that I picked up (the Sandusky Register...I'm sure you've all heard of it!) has eleven comics (11) every day!

Equivalent circulation American papers (to our Aussie metropolitan dailies) carry, on average, 3-4 times as many cartoons! 

For example, the Kansas City Star features 33 strips/panels in its daily edition.
The Chicago Tribune features 21 strips.

And Sundays?...
The Miami Herald has 35 strips in its Sunday edition! That is serious column space!
Even the Pharos Tribune (out of Logansport) with a Sunday circulation of just over 10,200, features 23 strips/panels!

Anyway, enough of my commentary.
Whilst in Canada and the US recently I picked up 17 newspapers (a mix of daily and Sunday editions).
For those interested in checking out what, and how many, strips appear in these papers, my summary below shows the paper's name, town, publication frequency and circulation.

USA/CANADA NEWSPAPERS & COMICS

MIAMI HERALD (Sunday - colour) - 190,751
PEANUTS, ZITS, WUMO, GARFIELD, DILBERT, BLONDIE, PEARLS BEFORE SWINE, DENNIS THE MENACE, HAGAR, MARMADUKE, TAKE IT FROM THE TINKERSONS, THE FLYING McCOYS, BIZARRO, LUANN, BARNEY & CLYDE, DOONESBURY, BEETLE BAILEY, WIZARD OF ID, STONE SOUP, RHYMES WITH ORANGE, DUSTIN, DEFLOCKED, THE ARGYLE SWEATER, PICKLES, REALITY CHECK, GET FUZZY, CLOSE TO HOME, JUMP START, ROSE IS ROSE, FOXTROT, NON SEQUITUR, BALDO, BABY BLUES, FAMILY CIRCUS, CURTIS

CHICAGO TRIBUNE (Daily - B&W) - 448,930
DILBERT, BABY BLUES, ZITS, MR BOFFO, FRAZZ, PEANUTS, PICKLES, DICK TRACEY, ANIMAL CRACKERS, PRICKLY CITY,
THE ARGYLE SWEATER, BLISS, DUSTIN, FOR BETTER OR FOR WORSE, BLONDIE, HAGAR, MUTTS, WUMO, SHERMAN’S LAGOON, BREWSTER ROCKIT: SPACE GUY, BROOM HILDA

CHICAGO TRIBUNE (Sunday - colour) - 853,324
DILBERT, BABY BLUES, ZITS, PICKLES, WUMO, FRAZZ, FOR BETTER OR FOR WORSE, MISTER BOFFO, BREWSTER ROCKIT, TAKE IT FROM THE TINKERSONS, NON SEQUITUR, FOXTROT, DOGS OF C-KENNEL, CLASSIC PEANUTS, BLONDIE, BROOM HILDA, DUSTIN, THE LOCKHORNS, HAGAR, SHERMAN’S LAGOON, MUTTS, DICK TRACCEY, DOONESBURY, PRICKLY CITY

THE PROVINCE, Vancouver (DAILY - B&W) - 144,537
GET FUZZY, THE OTHER COAST, ROSE IS ROSE, HAGAR, GRAND AVENUE, HERMAN, PARDON MY PLANET, PEARLS BEFORE SWINE, RUDY PARK, TINA’S GROOVE, SHERMAN’S LAGOON, DILBERT, BLONDIE, ONE BIG HAPPY, ZACK HILL,
ZITS, HEART OF THE CITY, BABY BLUES, LUANN, DOG EAT DOUG, GARFIELD

VANCOUVER SUN (daily - colour) - 156,158
ADAM, REX MORGAN MD, MONTY, REPLY ALL, SALLY FORTH, OVERBOARD, MOTHER GOOSE AND GRIMM, BIZARRO, TUNDRA, BETTY, MISTER BOFFO, BEN, FLYING McCOYS, RUBES, SPEEDBUMP, FAMILY CIRCUS

THE PHAROS TRIBUNE, Logansport (Sunday - colour) - 10,259
CLASSIC PEANUTS, DILBERT, HAGAR, THE BORN LOSER, GARFIELD, BEETLE BAILEY, HI AND LOIS, DOONESBURY, FRANK AND  ERNEST, FAMILY CIRCUS, ZITS, BLONDIE, PICKLES, NON SEQUITUR, CRANKSHAFT, FOXTROT, SLYLOCK FOX, PEARLS BEFORE SWINE, GET FUZZY, THE LOCKHORNS, DENNIS THE MENACE, BABY BLUES, MUTTS

RENO GAZETTE - JOURNAL (daily - B&W) - 146,442
BC, THE BORN LOSER, PEARLS BEFORE SWINE, BEETLE BAILEY, ZITS, GARFIELD, BALDO, PICKLES, DOONESBURY, FOR BETTER OR FOR WORSE, DILBERT, PEANUTS, GET FUZZY, BLONDIE, WIZARD OF ID, BABY BLUES, NON SEQUITUR, THE FLYING McCOYS, DENNIS THE MENACE

THE STATE JOURNAL REGISTER, Springfield (Sunday - colour) -
PICKLES, FAMILY CIRCUS, ZITS, PEARLS BEFORE SWINE, BIZARRO, DILBERT, MARY WORTH, BEETLE BAILEY, GET FUZZY, WILL ‘N ETHEL SHERMAN’S LAGOON, DOONESBURY, BLONDIE, HI AND LOIS, LUANN, FRANK AND ERNEST, FOXTROT, DENNIS THE MENACE, THE DUPLEX, STONE SOUP, BABY BLUES, THE BORN LOSER, FORT KNOX, IN THE BLEACHERS, MALLARD FILLMORE, MUTTS

THE STATE JOURNAL REGISTER, Springfield (Daily - B&W) - 40,753
FRAZZ, BEETLE BAILEY, MARY WORTH, SHERMAN’S LAGOON, DENNIS THE MENACE, BLONDIE, DILBERT, LUANN, GET FUZZY, MUTTS, FRANK AND ERNEST, FAMILY CIRCUS, BIZARRO, PEARLS BEFORE SWINE, HI AND LOIS, BABY BLUES, PICKLES, THE BORN LOSER, MALLARD FILLMORE, DOONESBURY, ZITS

LA TIMES (Sunday - colour) - 954,010
DILBERT, DOONESBURY, GET FUZZY, PEARLS BEFORE SWINE, LA CUCARACHA, LIO, MUTTS, ZITS, BLONDIE, BABY BLUES, MARMADUKE, PRICKLY CITY, DRABBLE, PEANUTS, SLYLOCK FOX, FOXTROT, JUMP START, IN THE BLEACHERS, CANDORVILLE, NON SEQUITUR, FRAZZ, BIZARRO

LA TIMES (Daily - colour) - 653,858
DOONESBURY, LA CUCARACHA, CANDORVILLE, HALF FULL, PEARLS BEFORE SWINE, NON SEQUITUR, LIO, ZITS, TUNDRA, PRICKLY CITY, FRAZZ, DILBERT, BABY BLUES, CRANKSHAFT, JUMP START, 9 CHICKWEED LANE, BLONDIE, GET FUZZY, BIZARRO, DRABBLE, MUTTS, PEANUTS

ST LOUIS POST-DISPATCH (Sunday - colour) - 223,826
FOR BETTER OR FOR WORSE, DILBERT, NON SEQUITUR, ZITS, BABY BLUES, PEARLS BEFORE SWINE, MUTTS, BLONDIE, DOONESBURY, FUNKY WINKERBEAN, PICKLES, FOXTROT, SALLY FORTH, SLYLOCK FOX, HI AND LOIS, GARFIELD, BEETLE BAILEY, FAMILY CIRCUS, RHYMES WITH ORANGE, MOTHER GOOSE AND GRIMM

ST LOUIS POST-DISPATCH (Daily - colour) - 137,380
DUSTIN, SALLY FORTH , PEARLS BEFORE SWINE, MOTHER GOOSE AND GRIMM, DEFLOCKED, PICKLES, RHYMES WITH ORANGE, FOR BETTER OR FOR WORSE, THE PAJAMA DIARIES, DILBERT, BABY BLUES, GARFIELD, MUTTS, PRICKLY CITY, HI AND LOIS, BEETLE BAILEY, FAMILY CIRCUS, SPEED BUMP, CORNERED, MARMADUKE, DRABBLE, ZIGGY, THE ARGYLE SWEATER, ZITS, FUNKY WINKERBEAN, BIZARRO, NON SEQUITUR, THE DUPLEX, TINA’S GROOVE, MARK TRAIL, LOLA, THE OTHER COAST, TAKE IT FROM THE TINKERSONS, BLONDIE

KANSAS CITY STAR (Sunday - colour) - 310,487
DILBERT, PEARLS BEFORE SWINE, GARFIELD, BABY BLUES, GET FUZZY, ZITS, FOXTROT, FOR BETTER OR FOR WORSE, NON SEQUITUR, BLONDIE, BEETLE BAILEY, ZIGGY, DOONESBURY, DENNIS THE MENACE, FAMILY CIRCUS, WUMO, WIZARD OF ID, DOODLES

KANSAS CITY STAR (Daily - B&W) - 200,365
DILBERT, BLONDIE, HAGAR, GARFIELD, BEETLE BAILEY, BC, WUMO, NON SEQUITUR, DIAMOND LIL, DENNIS THE MENACE, THE DUPLEX, LIO, PEARLS BEFORE SWINE, ZITS, PHOEBE AND HER UNICORN, RHYMES WITH ORANGE, BABY BLUES, SALLY FORTH, WIZARD OF ID, FAMILY CIRCUS, MARMADUKE, ZIGGY, THE ARGYLE SEWATER, FOR BETTER OR FOR WORSE, CURTIS, POOCH CAFÉ, RED AND ROVER, PICKLES, DUSTIN, CANDORVILLE, PRICKLY CITY, DOONESBURY, ZIPPY THE PINHEAD

THE REGISTER, Sandusky (daily - B&W) - 23,217
BEETLE BAILEY, BLONDIE, CRANKSHAFT, DILBERT, FOR BETTER OR FOR WORSE, FUNKY WINKERBEAN, GARFIELD, GET FUZZY, NON SEQUITUR, PHOEBE AND HER UNICORN, ZITS

SUNDAY COMICS - LA newspaper Group
DRABBLE, PEARLS BEFORE SWINE, DILBERT, GET FUZZY, PICKLES, BIZARRO, F-MINUS, WUMO, THE BORN LOSER, ROSE IS ROSE, PAJAMA DIARIES, FOXTROT, RUBES, FAMILY CIRCUS, LUANN, BALDO, GARFIELD, TINA’S GROOVE, SHERMAN’S LAGOON, MARMADUKE, OFF THE MARK, FRANK AND ERNEST

A Month to Remember! 

BUSHY TALES goes overseas and interstate!

In mid-October I nestled into my seat on the long-haul flight from Brisbane to Los Angeles, the first of 13 flights I would take in the next few weeks in North and South America and Australia.
The second, a connecting flight from L.A. to Vancouver followed just a few hours after the first flight, the two flights being separated by a couple of cups of coffee in an overpriced cafe in LAX.

The purpose of this trip was primarily to meet people that I am now dealing with in the Universal Uclick syndicate, as well as to meet the head of another syndicate that had been showing interest in taking on BUSHY TALES. And, as an additional bonus, I had planned on catching up with a couple of cartoonists that I had been having some wonderful contact with over a period of time. 

One of these cartoonists was the reason I found myself on a plane bound for Vancouver.

GRAHAM HARROP and "TEN CATS"

I had been exchanging emails with Graham for quite some time....since I first discovered his lovely strip, TEN CATS, and he first saw BUSHY TALES. I guess it has become a bit of a mutual-admiration society in some ways! In fact, we have even done a bit of "crossover" cartooning, featuring each other's characters in our own strips.

A recent example of Graham's TEN CATS - 

As well as this delightful strip, which won the coveted Reuben Award a couple of years ago for the best online comic strip, Graham is also one of the editorial cartoonists for the VANCOUVER SUN.

I was able to catch up with Graham on the day of the Canadian general election after he had finished his cartoon for the following day's paper...no prizes for guessing what it was about!

Anyway, Graham and I spent a delightful few hours together, enjoying good food and conversation in one of his favourite restaurants on the water's edge.

It was an honour for me to meet Graham and to get his encouragement and enthusiasm for the work that I do with BUSHY TALES. 

There were other things that I was able to do whilst in Vancouver (zip-lining up on Grouse Mountain etc) but the high point was the time I had with Graham talking about cartooning and life in general. 

From Vancouver I flew to Chicago where I picked up a hire car for a week, and set off for the next of my meetings....this time in Cleveland, Ohio.

CHIP SANSOM and "THE BORN LOSER"

As with Graham, Chip and I had been emailing for a while. it started after I had used the main character from TBL, Brutus Thornapple, in one of the BUSHY TALES strips. Chip loved it and we exchanged strips and friendship from that point.

THE BORN LOSER has been one of my favourite comic strips for decades. originally done by Chip's father, Art, THE BORN LOSER appears in over 1,000 papers worldwide. Chip started assisting his father with the strip many years ago and, then, when Art died, Chip continued the strip on. it is a readership favourite and a strip that people can readily relate to.

A recent BORN LOSER strip - 

Chip and I met at the Rock and Roll hall of Fame and Museum in Cleveland...a great place to spend some time.

 

We enjoyed a meal and a couple of hours of energetic discussion on all sorts of things, particularly on cartooning and the changing world of newspapers and publishing.

Another good friendship was developed and, indeed, it felt like we had been friends for years already. 

Then it was back in the car and off in the direction of Kansas City, Missouri, the home of Universal Uclick Syndicate. 

UNIVERSAL UCLICK SYNDICATE

This is the syndicate (mentioned in previous blogs) that has BUSHY TALES under contract for worldwide digital rights. I have always been a person who values relationships and meeting the people that you deal with. So, having secured the syndication agreement with this company, I felt it was important to find my way to KC and say "G'day!". After all, the good people at Universal probably don't get to hear that all that often.

The syndicate has its own building in the middle of downtown Kansas City.
 

When I arrived everyone was abuzz with excitement. I was soon to find that it was not because of my being in town. Oh, no.
It happened to be that the first game of the World Series (baseball) was to be played in Kansas City that very night between the home team, the Kansas City Royals and the New York Mets. The World Series is, as the name implies, a series of games (best of seven) between the two top teams from the different baseball regions/competitions. The name, World Series, is a bit of a misnomer as the teams are all based in the US (with the Toronto Blue Jays included...maybe for that international flavour).

Anyway, I arrived at the syndicate and had a wonderful time being shown around and introduced to everyone (including John Glynn the CEO) by Shena Wolf, the Acquisitions Editor.

It was great to find out more about the syndication process and to meet the people that I have contact with in the syndicate.

Then, after work, we went for drinks at one of the local watering holes.....before everyone disappeared to get to the stadium for the game, or to get the best seat in front of the telly.
(I watched the game and, yes, it was exciting...going for a mammoth 14 innings instead of the normal 9 before a winner was determined. And, yes, it was the Royals who won this first game and who went on to wrap up the World Series.)  

RENO, NEVADA, and INK BOTTLE SYNDICATE

The last meeting I had arranged for this trip was with Bill Kellogg, the Managing Director of INK BOTTLE SYNDICATE. This is a smaller syndicate that gives more personalized attention to a small stable of features. it grew out of the success of the TUNDRA comic strip (drawn by Chad Carpenter) which became the world's most successful self-syndicated comic strip (over 650 papers) under the management of Bill. 

Ink Bottle Syndicate (read Bill) had shown interest in taking on BUSHY TALES to represent to newspapers around the US/Canada. Again, it was a good time to meet personally and discuss things directly. Emails are good, but nothing beats the personal touch, in my opinion, anyway.

It had been snowing around Reno for the last couple of days and the temperature was very, very low. But things were a lot warmer in the huge casino that we went to for a meal and chat (yes, that's all we did there).

The outcome of this meeting was very positive with Bill offering a contract to represent BUSHY TALES to the print media of North America. 

So, all in all, the purpose of my trip to the US had been successfully fulfilled. Hopefully, the activities and meetings of the trip will open doors and help further the progress of BUSHY TALES in the US and other markets.

I realize that nothing happens overnight in this industry.....but I hope that the foundations we are laying with BT augers well for the future of the strip.

After flying home I had just a few days before Robyn, my wife, and I set off for Melbourne.....

MELBOURNE and THE AUSTRALIAN CARTOONISTS' ASSOCIATION AWARDS.

There were two things that drew us (pardon the pun) to Melbourne. Firstly, our eldest daughter lives in Melbourne and it was an opportune time to visit with her. And, secondly, the ACA (Australian Cartoonists' Association) annual awards night, THE STANLEYS, were on.

The Stanleys are named after Stan Cross, legendary cartoonist of early last century. It is an occasion when as many of Australia's cartoonists as can make it get together for various activities, culminating in the Stanley Awards night/dinner.

The ACA happens to be the world's oldest cartooning association (previously known as the Black and White Artist's Club and other names). 

This was the first time in many years that I had attended The Stanley's, and there are many people in the industry that have "come along" since I was last at such an event.
But it was good to catch up with some old friends and to make some new ones, as well.

The personal highlight of the night for me was to named as one of the nominations for the Comic Strip Artist of the year.

I did not win the award (my good friend Gary Clark, SWAMP, did...again!) but it was a huge honour and affirmation to me just to be named as one of the nominations for the award by my cartooning peers. I hope that I can continue to build on the growing success of the strip in the months and years ahead.

So the past month has been a very busy one...but a very good one.

BUSHY TALES is steadily gaining attention and a place of its own in the comic strip world, and I am very thankful for that. It has taken a lot of work over the past few years. Speaking of which, I think another deadline is coming up and I need to get back to the drawing desk!

Until next time!

Joyfully yours,

Ian  

THE JOURNEY CONTINUES...

Doug. Jack and Sugar have been lost in the strange city as they try and find their way to Doug's old home (previously destroyed in a huge bushfire).

With a little bit of help (or not) from some more "borrowed" characters from other strips, our travellers finally seem to be getting back on track.

The visiting characters in this fun little "crossover" series-within-a-series are.......

SNOOPY from the PEANUTS comic strip by Charles Schulz.

LARSEN E. PETTIFOGGER the lawyer from the WIZARD OF ID strip by Brant Parker and Johnny Hart.

And, JOE and CRUNCHY, police partners from the JUMP START strip by Robb Armstrong.

Once delivered beyond the city limits, our trio of travellers will wend their way on to more adventures as they get closer to their destination. Stay tuned for the coming strips! 

For the record, it has been great fun for me drawing this series of strips so far....it has given me the opportunity of placing the characters into unfamiliar surroundings and meeting some interesting characters along the way. (And some of the other cartoonists whose characters I have "borrowed" have been very positive and affirming in their response!)

MEDICAL TIME-OUT

It might be a couple of weeks before the next BUSH WEEK blog comes out.....I will be going in to hospital for double knee replacement surgery.
The time in hospital and the subsequent recovery time from this surgery will mean a bit of a break in the publishing of the blog.

I'll be back with the next blog, or at least an update on things, as soon as I can comfortably do so.
Here's to successful surgery and swift recovery!

HELP US PROMOTE BUSHY TALES

Here are a couple of ideas on how you might be able to assist us….

•If your local, or favourite, newspaper does not run BUSHY TALES as one of its comic strips, why not drop the editor a friendly note (mail or email) requesting it?
Editors are interested in what their readership wants, so it might help to get their attention.

You could suggest the editor contacts me at ian@bushytales.com for further information.

•Share the BUSHY TALES strip with others on Facebook and ask your friends and family to “Like” the BT Facebook page (www.facebook.com/BushyTalesComicStrip). 

This will enhance the profile of the strip and spread the word about it.
We would love to have a growing online readership…and it will further increase the opportunities of print publication, too.

•Subscribe to BUSHY TALES at the GoComics website (it is entirely free) and receive BT daily online and in your inbox. Your support in this way will further advance the chances of broader syndication.
Go to www.gocomics.com/bushytales 

Of course, if your newspaper does take the strip on, don’t forget to drop the editor a line and thank him/her! Positive comments are few and far between…but very much appreciated!

And thank you for your continued readership and enjoyment of the BUSHY TALES comic strip. Long may you enjoy it!

Q & A.....
SO, WHERE DO YOU GET YOUR IDEAS FROM?

I reckon this would have to be the most asked question of any cartoonist. I wouldn't mind having a dollar for every time I've been asked that question, and I'm sure other cartoonists would say the same.
Interestingly, it is not just non-cartoonists who ask this question. Even cartoonists are curious about the "inspiration process" of other cartoonists.

A couple of weeks ago I was very privileged to share dinner and several hours with Stephan Pastis, the cartoonist behind the PEARLS BEFORE SWINE comic strip (hugely popular in the US and around the world) and a couple of other cartoonists from Brisbane.
It was a wonderful time....good meal, great conversation, excellent company, lots of laughs.
But one of the high-points for me was hearing Stephan talk about how he gets his ideas for the comic strip. 
It so happens that it is quite different to the process (if it can be called that) that I go through.
But that's the thing with inspiration....it is not a neatly packaged commodity that you can buy on a supermarket shelf. It is quite a personal and individual thing, really.


So.....How do I get my ideas for my cartoons?

Let me answer by telling you a little story......
My cartooning career was officially launched back on September 23rd, 1980, the date I was first published in a newspaper. It was not with BUSHY TALES, nor even PEARLY GATES....it was a very early comic strip I did which was originally called BUNYIP (later changing name to KEG).

Anyway, prior to the date of publication I was interviewed by the paper (the Gold Coast Bulletin) for an accompanying story on the day of publication.
This was my first ever press interview and I thought it went really well. Of course, one of the questions I was asked was "How do you get your ideas for the comic strip?"
Now, as I was very inexperienced at this sort of thing, I answered honestly. I later learnt that was a mistake. But, in my first interview I was just happy to answer any questions the friendly reporter asked and, so, I answered honestly. It went something like this....

HE: How do you get your ideas for the comic strip?
ME: Usually when I'm relaxed. Often I will get ideas whilst I'm in the shower. You know, when I'm relaxed.

Of course, I was very excited about the launch of my cartoon in the paper and, when a copy of the paper was delivered to me I hastily opened it up to see how the interview came across and what the comic looked like in print.

On the front page of the paper it had a little promo for the article inside...."Turn to Page 5 to meet our new cartoonist" (or something like that).
So I turned to page 5.
And almost died.

"Ian strips for strip ideas!"... Was the banner headline that greeted me (and every other reader of that day's edition) on page five!
Looking at it later on I could see that it was a great headline...but at the time I was mortified that my simple, innocent comment about the source of my inspiration could be so twisted!

I was on a steep learning curve in those early years and one thing I learnt very quickly was not to be so honest with friendly reporters!

How do I come up with the ideas now?
Truly, I wish it were a simple formula that could be reproduced on command. But it isn't.
Some cartoonists draw their way (through doodling, character sketches etc) to their idea. I find that doesn't work for me.
Over the years I have discovered that I need to keep my eyes and ears open....maybe it is just a word, or a phrase, that I will hear that will trigger an idea, or a gag.
Maybe it is something I will see.
For me it is really all about trying to be a sponge that absorbs anything that might, at some stage, spark a creative urge. I write these things down in a notebook...sometimes the little notation may sit there for months, like a seed waiting for the rain to nourish it to fruition. Other times, the idea comes together pretty quickly.

And, sometimes, the ideas come from the characters themselves. When you have clearly defined characters and themes in the strip,it is not unusual for ideas to come from there...though you do have to be careful not to be repetitious. 

But you know.... this is a crazy business!...Not only is it difficult to come up with an idea for every day of the year...but the ideas you might think are great may not come across as all that great to others.
This is because humour, like most forms of artistic endeavour, is a very subjective thing.

So, it is not only about coming up with an idea, but trying to come up with an idea that works well, hopefully, for others, too.
It's enough to make you go crazy! 
But maybe you need to be a bit crazy to be a cartoonist, anyway!


DOUG'S INCREDIBLE JOURNEY Continued....
Following on from last week's blog, here are a few more in the series of strips tracing Doug's journey back to his old home. I am really enjoying the opportunity that a change of scenery provides for the strip artistically.

YOUNG READERS ACTIVITY PAGEI am still working on some activities for this page so it will be ready for next Monday's blog.
Stay tuned!

Until next week.
Joyfully yours,

Ian 

WEBSITE: www.bushytales.com
FACEBOOK: www.facebook.com/BushyTalesComicStrip

The Art of "BUSHY TALES"

PRESENTATION

From the very first BUSHY TALES strip, it has always been my desire and commitment to present the strip in a very visually and aesthetically pleasing way. 

For sure, I want the strip to stand out from others because of its high-quality art, but I also want to make the BUSHY TALES strip a joy to look at simply because I love drawing the Australian bush, the setting for the strip and the characters. 

The above image is the title frame from one of the latest BT Sunday strips and it is a good example of how I try to present the strip (I do spend a bit more time on the title frames than other frames where there is action and/or dialogue).

Unfortunately, due to the continually reducing size of comic strips printed in the newspapers, it is a challenge to make a strip "good art" that will not be lost in the reduction, and not just to succumb to using simple line drawings (not that there is anything necessarily wrong with such strips...I just want to do more with BT).
Of course, it never used to be this way......

Back in the days when newspaper comic strips were valued, not just by readers but by editors as well, things were different. The comics were printed at a size that cartoonists can only dream about these days. There was plenty of room for detail and pictorial story-telling. Sadly, as the competition for column space increased, editors took the view that the comics could easily get smaller (and smaller and smaller and.....).

So, as a way of compensating for the increasing reduction in the printed size of their work, cartoonists (with some exceptions) started to use less detail, background and unnecessary "clutter" in their strips. This was/is a great shame.

One cartoonist in recent times who refused to be contained and confined to the restrictions of space was Bill Watterson with his legendary "Calvin and Hobbes" strip. Watterson made his strip a compelling and overwhelmingly effective argument in support of the view that comic strips COULD BE good art. And his art was way better than just good!

Personally, I think many other cartoonists have followed Watterson's lead and influence (I know I have). These days there are many comic strips that are beautifully crafted and drawn, not just relying on the "talking head" approach of former years.

Next week, I will list some of my favourite comic strips (past and present) and many of these strike that delicate balance between the art and the humour with great success.

It is something that I continue to strive for with BUSHY TALES. 

They say that in a comic strip good writing can save bad art, but good art can never save bad writing. So the constant challenge for me (and every cartoonist) is to make sure the balance is in synch and the writing (gag/story) is the priority with the art playing a strong supporting role. It is not always easy, but it is good to have such a criteria to be aiming for....and evaluating with.

PEARLY GATES vs BUSHY TALES

My previous comic strip, PEARLY GATES, and my current strip, BUSHY TALES, are vastly different.
PEARLY GATES was a comic strip based on the age-old gag of St Peter being at the Pearly Gates of heaven. I took the setting and crafted a comic strip that ran continuously every day for almost 20 years. 
However, the strip was somewhat limiting from an artistic point of view.
I used to say (and still do) that PEARLY GATES was not an earthly look at heaven but, rather, a heavenly look at earth. One of the reasons for this distinction was that I had no way of knowing what heaven looks like and, even if I did, it would be way beyond my capacity to draw it, anyway! So I didn't try. My characters spent all their time sitting around on the proverbial clouds.
Sometimes, I would switch to a scene down on earth for a bit of variety (and to give me something other than clouds to draw!). But, as much as I loved doing the PG strip, I did find it a rather limiting experience as far as artistic expression goes.

So, with BUSHY TALES, I was definitely looking for something that would allow me to be more creative and expressive. 

THE PROCESS

These days, many cartoonists use computerized and digital programs to draw their cartoons. I'm not one of them. I guess I am a bit 'old school', but I love the feel of pen on paper.So all the BUSHY TALES strips have been drawn by hand. My hand.

I am always trying to improve my style and, often, I will look back at a strip and think that I could have done it better. I guess that is the ongoing process of development...not just of the cartoon, but also of the cartoonist.

Once I have finished drawing the strip on paper, I then scan the original into the computer and work on the colouring using Photoshop. (It is also in the Photoshop program that I produce a version of the strip in Greyscale.) 

I have always been a big believer in cartooning being a black and white medium (in fact, the Australian Cartoonists Association was originally called the Australian Black and White Artists Club), but I must confess that I do really enjoy colouring the strip....it can take almost as long as the original drawing! 

It is through the colouring that the strip becomes even more of a visual feast and, I hope, a point of attraction and appreciation for readers.
The same strip is shown here in the three different versions....
Black and White (as it is scanned into the computer), Greyscale and Colour.

 As you can see, there is quite a process in the production of each BUSHY TALES comic strip. I think it is worth the effort....I hope you do, too.

QUESTIONS & ANSWERS (Q&A)

In the coming weeks I would like to do a blog full of answers to  questions from readers.
So...if you have any questions about BUSHY TALES, or cartooning in general, please send them to: bushweekblog@bushytales.com

I'd love to hear from you.

Until next week....

Joyfully yours,
Ian 

WEBSITE: www.bushytales.com
FACEBOOK: www.facebook.com/BushyTalesComicStrip

Welcome to the new "BUSH WEEK" blog from the BUSHY TALES Comic Strip!

We (meaning myself and the great little cast of characters from my BUSHY TALES comic strip) hope that you will enjoy catching up and sharing a laugh with us every week or so.

The BUSHY TALES strip is a relatively new strip that has been developing over the past few years and, now, is starting to gain some very positive response from readers and comic fans in several countries.

If you are not already a fan of BUSHY TALES, I hope you soon will be! Over the next few weeks I'll be introducing you to the various characters and a lot of the background and behind-the-scenes stuff that goes into producing a comic strip.

Of course, we have a lot to do to get this blog sorted how we would like it (so please give us a few weeks to get organized). 

In addition, you can also catch up with all the fun and laughter of BUSHY TALES at the strip's website.... www.bushytales.com .

And you can join in the fun by "Liking" the BUSHY TALES Facebook page, too! Just go to www.facebook.com/BushyTalesComicStrip to connect with us there.

And you can receive BUSHY TALES emailed directly to you for free by subscribing at the internet's largest collection of comics. Go to: www.gocomics.com/bushy-tales

This strip is one of the early Sunday strip favourites.
It also was the inspiration for the first BUSHY TALES t-shirt design.

And, also, we'd love you to spread the love around a bit...let all your friends know about BUSHY TALES and the "BUSH WEEK" blog.

We'd be very grateful if you joined us in our grand mission....the wombatification of the world! 

I look forward to sharing my weird, wacky, whimsical wombat world with you in the blogosphere.

Joyfully yours,

Ian