SUNDAY STRIP TITLE FRAME ART

When I started drawing BUSHY TALES it was initially in the Sunday strip format. It wasn't long before the daily strip was introduced, but right from the start the Sunday strip has always had a special focus for me.
There are many reasons for this....the extra space to develop a gag, the enhanced opportunity to create something aesthetically pleasing....and the BT title frame!

Different cartoonists have different approaches to their Sunday strip title frame. Some have a set panel/frame in which nothing ever changes, whilst others play around with their title and its placement quite a bit.

With BUSHY TALES, I have kept the frame size and the hand-drawn title lettering the same, but every week the background image is different.

From the very beginning I have loved having the opportunity to create a title frame that is eye-catching and artistically pleasing. Often, it takes me as long to draw (and colour) the title frame as it does the rest of the strip. 

The title frame sometimes alludes to the content of the strip, or sets the scene for it, but not always. Sometimes the title frame works just as a beautiful background scene before the story/gag starts in the next panel.
I also put a lot of time into working on the colours in the title frame so that they complement the colours of the rest of the strip. Usually, I colour the title frame last of all so that I can best achieve this effect.

Overall, I am very proud of the BT title frames. In fact, I have used them as page headers on the BUSHY TALES website to good effect, changing them every now and again for variety.
You can check out the BUSHY TALES website at www.bushytales.com

Here are some of my personal favourite BT title frames from the last few years. I hope you like them, too.

Until next week......

Joyfully yours!

Ian

ian@bushytales.com

www.bushytales.com

Some GREAT NEWS!!!!

BUSHY TALES Syndicated on GoComics!

On July 27th BUSHY TALES will be launched in a worldwide digital/electronic syndication agreement with Universal Uclick, the world's largest cartoon syndicate.
(No, this does not mean immediate fame and fortune...but it is still a very significant and positive move forward in the competitive world of professional cartooning.)

This will initially be on their GoComics website and then, subsequently, through other digital/electronic outlets.         

(GoComics, from Universal Uclick, is home to many of the most popular comics and cartoons in the world. GoComics.com is the web's largest catalog of syndicated newspaper strips and web comics, offering new, fresh and free content every day.)

This syndication contract is for digital/electronic use only and does not cover newspaper syndication. However, it is still the biggest and most exciting news for the BUSHY TALES strip yet....and we hope it will lead on to even greater successes in the months and years ahead.

The launch is still some way off yet but I wanted to make a little bit of noise about it.
When the launch date gets closer you can be sure we'll be making a much bigger noise!

WOOHOO!

A BLAST FROM THE PAST!

In the current series of BUSHY TALES strips in which Doug, along with Jack and Sugar, is travelling back to his old home (which was destroyed by bush fire), they have encountered many different circumstances and characters....but none with such a special (personal) significance as the most recently encountered character, KEG.

Keg, Doug discovers, is a turtle who lived near his old family home. In the big fire, his turtle shell was crushed by a falling tree, but he survived and eventually found a new home in a discarded beer keg. Hence the name, Keg.

The interesting thing about this new character is that he is not new!

In fact, Keg was the central character in the earliest of my published comic strips, many years ago.

He didn't start out as the central character, but he soon took over the old strip and made it his own.

The strip, KEG, appeared for a number of years in several newspapers in Australia (starting in 1980) before making way for my next, and more popular strip, PEARLY GATES.

Keg, the character, has always had a soft spot in my cartoonist heart and I thought it might be a nice little throw back to the early days of my cartooning career to include him as one of the "side characters" in the current story line 

in BUSHY TALES.
I am sure that no one else has made the connection, but it did have a bit of personal significance at least.

As an interesting commentary on how much comic strips have changed over the years, I have had to work out the colouring for Keg in this BT series....as I had never had Keg depicted in colour previously.

An old character...but freshly presented!

MEDICAL UPDATE...

Thank you to everyone for their well-wishes, prayers and encouragement in my recent double knee replacement surgery and recovery.

I am thrilled to say that the operation went very well and the recovery has been going great.

Apparently, I am way ahead of the normal rate of recovery for people who have one knee replaced, let alone two at the same time!

There is, of course, still some pain and discomfort but each day brings me closer to full recovery.

I am extremely thankful for all the support and feel very blessed to doing so well so quickly.

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!

The Sojourners' Journey Journal....

The Continuing Travels and Travails of Doug and His Friends.

A few weeks ago Doug, along with Sugar and Jack, set out on an expedition back to Doug's old home. He barely escaped some years earlier from a bushfire that destroyed his home and family. He remembers very little about his early life, so he has set off to fill in some of the missing pieces of his life's puzzle and to see what his old home is like now.

Unfortunately, what sounded relatively simple in theory is proving to be more challenging in actuality. Along the way (which Doug does not remember very well, anyhow) our three travellers entered a strange city, whereupon Jack and Sugar were abducted. But for the intervention of Wombatman, Doug may have been continuing on his journey alone.

Thankfully, the three friends are still together, but, together, they are still lost.

On the upside, they are meeting some very interesting characters as they try and find their way out of the city and on to their destination (wherever that might be).

Here are a few more of the daily episodes of their journey....

For those of our readers not aware of these other characters, they are (in order)....

• Lil (from the DIAMOND LIL comic strip by Brett Koth)
• Brutus Thornapple (from THE BORN LOSER by Art and Chip Sansom)
• Andy Cap (from the ANDY CAPP comic strip, originally drawn by Reg Smythe)

This coming week will see even more interesting characters, and surprise twists, featured in this series of "crossover" strips.

Stay tuned for more fun and games!

BUSHY TALES on GoComics

GoComics is the largest comic strip portal on the internet. It is the web-based arm of Universal-UClick (formerly Universal Features and United Media syndicates) and features a huge range of the world's most popular comics.

BUSHY TALES is (at the moment) featured in the "second string" section of the GoComics selection of strips....and we hope it will not be too long before we get an invitation to the "big table". We'll certainly let you know if and when this next step in the syndication process takes place.

In the meantime, you can register (free) to receive BUSHY TALES (and as many of the other great features as you like on the GoComics site) in your email...or just go online to read it whenever you like.

The website address is: www.gocomics.com

And if you want to find BUSHY TALES go directly to...
www.gocomics.com/bushy-tales

We'd be honoured to have you show your support for the strip in this way.

To be honest....we are thankful to everyone for any, and all, the support they can give! 

Cartooning has always been a tremendously competitive and cut-throat business, but I reckon it has got considerably worse with a shrinking newspaper market and everything being able to be accessed easily and freely online these days.
So, yes, your support means a lot to us. Thanks.

Till next time.....

Joyfully yours,

Ian 

www.bushytales.com

HAPPY EASTER Everyone!
In case you haven't already seen the BUSHY TALES Easter strip for this year (on GoComics or Facebook) here it is.....

DOUG'S JOURNEY Continued...
Doug, Sugar and Jack continue to encounter some hazardous times as they try to find their way through the big city. Thankfully, Wombatman is there to save the day. Sort of.

They have been lucky to escape this time....but what will happen now... where will they go....and how will they get there? Stay tuned!

Q&A
IF YOU COULD BE ANY OTHER CARTOONIST, WHO WOULD YOU CHOSE TO BE?

Wow, that is a tricky question. I'm not really sure how to answer it because I have a different answer for different considerations.

For example, if the question is just relating to artistic and creative genius and style, I think I (along with everyone else) would chose to be Bill Watterson (Calvin and Hobbes). He rewrote the script of what you can do artistically in a comic strip and I am sure he has had a profound influence on every cartoonist for that reason.

However, if the question relates to longevity and consistent quality over a long period of time I think I would go with Charles Schulz (Peanuts). For over 50 years Schulz produced his strip all by himself. He took great pride in being the only person who ever drew it (many cartoonists these days have assistants).

But if the question relates to the cartoonist's character...well that's a bit more difficult because I don't know much about many of them and so it is hard to judge/choose. Although, I do have the highest regard for Johnny Hart (BC) who did not compromise his beliefs and faith even though he had many opportunities to do so.
But I am sure there are many others, too, whose character is equally laudable.

But, I guess my definitive answer to this question is....
Really, I'd just like to be the very best cartoonist I can be....and, hopefully, that will be good enough.

Thanks for reading!

Until next week.
Joyfully yours,

Ian 

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

CARTOON CROSSOVER FUN!

BUSHY TALES and TEN CATS
This past week has seen these two comic strips share their characters!
This sometimes happens between comic strips (they are often called "crossover" strips because the characters "cross over" from one strip to the other) and can be a lot of fun.

I have enjoyed the TEN CATS comic strip ever since I first came across it a few years ago on the US syndicate website, www.gocomics.com. I think it is a great cartoon and extremely well drawn with a cast of delightful characters (ten of them are cats, obviously).
TEN CATS won the 2012 NCS Reuben Award for best online comic strip (the Reuben Awards are like the Academy Awards for cartoonists) which gives some idea of the high quality and popularity of the strip.
Anyway, it so happened that the TEN CATS cartoonist, Graham Harrop, also became quite a fan of BUSHY TALES and, over the last couple of years, we have enjoyed corresponding and encouraging each other (though I am sure most of the benefit and pleasure of this has been mine).

Over the past few years I have featured some other comic strip characters in BT but in recent times I had the desire to incorporate TEN CATS into my strip...and last week gave me a great opportunity to do so.

As mentioned in the last couple of posts, Doug, Jack and Sugar have left The Bluff on a great adventure...a journey back to Doug's old home (previously destroyed by a wild bushfire). En route, the trio find themselves in a large city full of inherent dangers for every wombat, rabbit and sugar-glider passing through (it's a good thing Wombatman is travelling with them!).
Whilst writing the strips for last week, I had an idea of how I could "borrow" some of Graham's ten cats and infuse them into this BUSHY TALES story line.
I contacted Graham to see if he was okay with the idea, which he thankfully was.
You can see the crossover action in the last one of these three strips.....

 I am pleased to say that Graham loved the strip and it proved to be a big hit on the GoComics site when published last week. 
But that was not the end of it.....Graham then wrote to me asking if he could return the favour. Of course, I was thrilled with the prospect so quickly said "Yes!"
Thus, yesterday (Sunday) TEN CATS had a special reference to BUSHY TALES.....

So....a bit of fun for a couple of cartoonists and, hopefully, some of those who read the respective strips.
By the way, you can subscribe to receive BUSHY TALES and TEN CATS ( and lots more great comic strips) FREE every day to your email.
Simply go to www.gocomics.com and find your desired comic strip/cartoon and then follow the appropriate prompts.

BUSHY TALES Activities-for young readers
On this page you will occasionally discover some fun activities to enjoy!
And, sometimes, we might even feature some of your drawings, too!So here are the first couple....more will be added in the weeks ahead! Have fun!

QUESTIONS & ANSWERS
Next week I will answer another question, or two, 
from our readers.
This will be a recurring feature of this blog, so it is 
never too late to send in your questions.
Simply email your questions, or comments, 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

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