The Exaggerator is BAKK!!!

okay enough of this comic book stuff for a while... time to do some exaggeration! hope you like.

Retail caricature, why we do what we do

Some folks see a street caricature artist, or artist in a theme park or at a mall working "retail" and think we bring home giant bags of money every day!

The truth is that some days, we bring home very few dollars, almost pennies...

Other days we take a lot of abuse from irate customers,bratty kids, street people, so called "real artists" who look down on us, law enforcement officials who give us hard times setting up, and other retailers who we have to fight for space! You feel like EVERYONE is using your backside for a target!

Then why do it at all? why not give up, and get a "real job?"

It's because of the FREEDOM!! of knowing that you are NOT taking a handout, NOT relying on Government aid, but making a living with your own two hands, your brains and your wit! Retail caricature tests your negotiation skills, your public relations skills, your marketing skills, and of course, your drawing skills. Everyday is a new challenge, and yesterday's work, means nothing today. You must show up for work and PROVE yourself everyday! That's satisfying and it's also AMERICAN! Ive left home without a dime in my pocket and have come back with hundreds of dollars, all because I took a chance on myself, and took advantage of what this country has to offer all of us, OPPORTUNITY. We're going through hard times now, but as long as I have a pencil and paper, I have the confidence that i will never go hungry!

PUPPY POOP PIMP COMIC 6

There comes a point in every negotiation involving males where words can no longer adequately carry the message you want to express.... nothin like a little primal physical persuasion to ensure that everyone's on the same page. In the old days a man would even respect you more if you knocked him "upside his head" especially if he knew he had it comin..
It's been my experience also, that so called "Alpha Males" have a tendency to take so called"brainiac guys" for granted, thinking they cant possibly "ring your bell" if the situation arises.
As for the punch in the eye, it's always been a fight ender for me.....

PUPPY POOP PIMP COMIC 5

copyright infringement and creator's rights is something I, and every other artist takes very seriously. Although so called creative people may SEEM like they make great works of art easily, it really DOES take hard work. Even these few panels for this cartoon series took a couple of months of planning out and mulling over in my head. Artists deserve to be compensated for their work, even if it seems to be "crap" or "poop". You shouldnt be profiting from my poop without my consent. Lifting and profiting off of another artists' work is something that happens on the internet all the time, unfortunately. All you do is copy and paste, and it's "yours" I recall one friend who was furious when he saw HIS cartoon silk screened on a strangers' tee shirt while shopping in the supermarket! If that wasnt bad enough, the guilty party even erased HIS name, and wrote in his own! That artist,cartoonist, Oliver Gaspritz, was an editor I worked with at The Canarsie Courier Newspaper Years ago. Tom Richmond, on his blogsite, has some excellent idiot proof articles on this, that are worth reading about.

PUPPY POOP PIMP COMIC 4

I've got this squirrel who lives in the tree infront of my house, owns property in the back of the house, and also has carved out a space for himself and his FAMILY on the roof of my house! The squirrel "came with " the house, so i guess he feels he has "squatters rights" or something like that. I imagined if the little pest could talk, he'd probably would be an attorney. He'd probably try to stick it to me also, since he cant get into my garbage can like he can my neighbors.
The story is about to reach it's end. Stay tuned.

PUPPY POOP PIMP COMIC 3

For those of you who are wondering, dont worrry, Im coming to a climax to this story and i'll be right back doing the caricatures you all know and love. As always, there's an element of reality in these strips, not that I work part time as a pimp, but I've been a fan of 1870's media, growing up watching Superfly, "Goldie" Huggy Bear,from Starsky and Hutch, and Rooster from Baretta. Loved the outlandish costmes the players wore, and for you youngin's out there, YES, they really DID dress like this! LOL!
My Dog, actually DOES lay down with his feet in this strange position. At first I thought he had broken his legs, but soon realized that he just had crazy flexability and liked laying donw like this from time to time. He also likes to sleep on his rug in the living room with his bowl right next to him.

PUPPY POOP PIMP COMIC 2

2nd installment in the series. I once read that if you're going to make your own comics, it's best to write/draw first about the things that you know. My dog, Butchie, is ten years old, and like most "senior citizens" his stomache is kinda delicate. Every week I have to boil chicken, sweet potatoes, and rice, mix it in a giant bowl, and bag meal portions for the week. If I dont do this and feed him regular dog food instead, he WILL throw up all over the floor , and have the runs for days. He really DOES love chicken gravey too. Stay tuned for the next cartoon.

PUPPY POOP PIMP COMIC 1

Hope you folks are enjoying the comics. I'm still healing from my "humpty dumpty" fall down my stairs, and as a result havent gotten the chance to ride the trains and clown commuters. My pit bull Butchie, STILL needs to be walked, however, and since I'm cursed with this creative, capitalistic mind, I couldnt help but think of a way that i could some how turn a profit with my dog..... As i was picking up his poop, this idea came to me, and i ran to my drawing board..... stay tuned for continuing comics in this PUPPY POOP PIMP series....

Adventures in Retail....

You cant please everybody, can you? LOL! i have never been beaten up by a customer, but some sure wanted to!

I hate riding the train at midnight comix with dialogue

I really hate creeps who bother women who are just trying to mind their own business and get home. I see this scenario played out in many subtle ways on the traim by these "romeos" who try to make love connections which is really a form of "mock interview" to ascertain whether you are a potential victim or not. In cases like this, it's better to hit first and ask questions later. Seems there's never a transit cop around when you need one. There hasnt been a lot of violence on the trains in recent years, but things like this were the norm back in the seventies... opps, i just "dated" myself...

"I hate riding the train at midnight"

Im still at the studio healing and doing my comics with all the spare time i have. I am LOVING it. I did this one last night, and was almost giddy uploading it.

Some caricatures just stick with you. I drew this picture a few weeks back of this solitary woman riding the train and midnight unescorted. I felt there was a potential story here but couldnt put my finger on what it should be. After taking to a friend of mine, a petite woman who did a lot of late night subway commuting herself, I came up with a story with her in mind. The woman I caricatured here even is wearign one of my friend's "signature" berets. This srory, I hate taking the train at Midnight, is dedicated to all you intrepid female subway riders.

I consider Robert Crubm, to be THE best New York City Cartoon artists, so this work was also drawn with a "Crumb Vibe" Crumb, as Ive said in earlier posts is one of my influences.
Enjoy and please comment!

Vincente Minelli Happy Brithday Caricature

Vincente Minelli is the Husband of stage/screen/recording Icon Judy Garland, AND the father of of film/theatre icon Liza Minelli
Jan gave this assignment for Feb 28th so Im actually one day ahead. Theres not many photos on Minelli available , but I can definitely see from the one i copied that his daughter takes after him. A great face, especially the eyes. i was really pleased with how this turned out.

Artists Spotlight on Niall O Loughlin

Dublin's own, caricature artist, Niall O Loughlin, is another artist whose work continues to inspire feelings of admiration, awe and jealously. His recent take on our new president is a departure from the "happy go lucky, always smiling" pictures that are often drawn of Obama, and shows another more human side. What mades a caricature great is the statement that an artist makes with their work and Niall's statement here is so slick and well executed I wont even TELL you what it is, but take your time and really LOOK at the picture and you will see.
More of his Brilliant work can be found on his website featured on the right side of this blog, but just in case you just cant wait to scroll down, you can find him at

http://nialloloughlin.blogspot.com/

Timothy Spall Happy Birthday Caricature

Actor, Timothy Spall, was todays Birthday target as assigned by Jan Obedebeek on the Forum site today. He's done a ton of films and is a terrific supporting "character" actor. I know him from the Harry Potter Films, and most recently from Sweeney Todd.
In this caricature, Im not completely satisfied, as i thought I made him look a wee bit "too good" , He almost looks like an overweight "Tom Cruise" here, looking at it again. In retrospect, I could have made him a little rounder especially in the cheek area, made the forehead a little broader as well. I will come back again to revise this for sure at a later date.

ANATOMY OF A FREELANCE JOB COMIX(based on a true story)

Been doing a LOT of in house freelance jobs lately, and after one particualrly "killer job" I decided to make a comic about it, as best i remember it

First thing I recieved was the deposit check and samples. The client overnighted it as promised, and I was confident they had followed my instructions to the letter. This was a massive twenty person caricature for a company poster and I emphasized that I needed good samples. To my horrow when i got into the studio i found these teeney weeney almost postage stamp sized pictures that were blurry and washed out looking. I thought my eyes were gonna roll outta my sockets to make them out. My Client had also given me a killer deadline. I called my client in desperation pleading for better pics, and also an extension if I was doomed to work with these. their answer was concise and immediate. I immediately got myself a pot of coffee on and went into automatic pilot, sketching erasing redrawing, ripping pages up, throwing them all over the studio..... Finally in the wee hours of the morning I managed to scan everything, photoshop held together and I scanned everything over.

The client loved them.