Signing Things

On a regular basis, I get asked about signing things.

Most of the time, it's because someone sees a cartoon and thinks it would be a great gift for someone. Which I love.

However, this is a limitation of Zazzle - I can put up artwork and people can get prints of it, or greeting cards or shirts or what have you, but if they want something hand-signed or colorized or original artwork, well, Zazzle doesn't quite cover that.

So, I've put signed cartoon prints into my Etsy store. This way, you can let me know if you'd like a signed print of a particular cartoon. I've put in some favorites, but you can also email me and say, "You know that one, with the kid and the trampoline and the groundhog? I'd like to get a signed print of that one for my cousin Gus." And I can do it for you! I print them on photo paper and everything.

So, if you run across just the right cartoon for Aunt Mabel, or your brother Rick in Memphis, or whomever, just let me know. I'm happy to sign them to whomever you like.

Another Oldie

This one has a special place in my heart, partly for the interesting mail it generated. You see, a newspaper in Virginia once did a piece on me, and included this cartoon - in full color - really big on the front of the section. This prompted someone to write in that the cartoon was disgusting, and that Jesus did not die on the cross for us to publish such filth to our youth and,... and... well, other things. From that time forward I decided that the world was divided into two groups: People who find dog pee funny, and people who do not.

2,000 Cartoons.

Sheesh, that's a lot of little drawings.

I drew and inked the 2,000th Brainwaves cartoon yesterday... so I thought I'd go back and look over some of my favorites. Here was an extremely early one, number 22 - so that would be around 1994:



Note the Chia Pet and Velvet Elvis.

I think these 2,000 cartoons generally fall into the categories:
Cartoons with animals
Cartoons about struggling to get through your day
Cartoons that make you go, "huh?"

That covers a lot of them, anyway.

Thanks to everybody who has read, and published, my cartoons over the years. All over the place. You are all extra cool.

So Many Books...

Ipp Reading
Originally uploaded by betsystreeter

Currently I'm reading Cryptonomicon, by Neil Stephenson, and The Life You Can Save, by Peter Singer. I've made good progress on both, which is good because I've got an Amazon box on the way and also have been browsing at Mrs. Dalloway's in Berkeley and purchases will be inevitable.

Split Infinit-Ipp

Ipp Visits Mars
Originally uploaded by betsystreeter

One of the things I love about the Ipps is that they boldly go. They are kind of like an alter-ego, going places when I can't. They need no airfare or hotels or anything. This is partly why I've got to build a better Ipp so I can send them on trips to visit people.

Building a Better Ipp

The first time I made an Ipp, a 3-D Ipp, it looked like this:



Stop laughing.

Okay, I have minimal sewing skills. And, the arms of an Ipp present some distinct problems. You can barely see them here - they are black and floppy.

"Real" Ipps, on the other hand, have much more expressive faces than this - and arms that move around. And feet. Granted, they have evolved a fair amount since I first started drawing them.

But I really, really want to make a good Ipp. I want to send them on journeys around the world. I want to give them to people. I already have given away some small Ipps - I made their arms out of pipe cleaners. But pipe cleaners are not so great either. They get sharp after a while.

So, I think I'm going to have to make them into kind of flat toys. So I can put in the expressions and poses without having them stand up. They can still be squishy and cuddly, and even magnet-able or pin-able.

I know I can do better. So I will get out the felt and see what happens.

Slightly Less Bad?

I was listening this morning to people on the radio, debating how best to get lots of energy to fuel all this stuff we all like to have. One was arguing that new oil drilling is one hundred percent bad, for a host of reasons - the other was saying, let's find alternative and renewable sources, but in the meantime we have to get our own energy. So we should drill some.

The best (and most amusing) point I thought was that pretty much everyone listening to the debate was listening on the radio in their car, while going around burning up fossil fuels. Heh.

So I guess the question is, do we try to do things that are slightly less bad short-term, or do we go cold turkey and wrench everyone out of the grip of all our energy piggyness?

The results will be the same regardless - resources will shrink and get really expensive (money and environment and time-wise) and stuff will have to change - the trick, though, is to convince everyone that they are making their very own choice as to what to do. See, because people in the US MUST like they are the deciders. Not unlike a 2 1/2 year old: You let them make a choice, but limit the options. Would you like the red socks or the blue ones (you WILL be wearing socks). Would you like the more efficient car or the non-petroleum-based fast food?

Happy Passover/Easter/Chocolate?

If I were a bunny rabbit I would be pretty confused this time of year. They are wondering whether they are supposed to come out of the ground and see their shadow, or eat bitter herbs, or go to church, or what. The answer to this, of course, is chocolate in all of the many shapes and sizes and colorful wrappers that bloom this time of year. It's the chocolate harvest.

It's the Content, People.

So, I'm what's known as a content creator. You know, a person who makes content. Cartoons. Drawings. Writings. Stuff. Content.

I get a rash when people don't want to pay for content.

See, you already are paying for content - you're just paying the wrong people.

With newspapers, the content and the delivery of the content are put together by the same people. They write it, and print it, and send it to you. Then, to make more money, there's advertising. But the whole package is made by the same people.

With the Internet, the content is separate from the delivery. So see, you're already paying. You're paying your cable company or whoever for access. Every month.

This somehow convinces people that whatever shows up on the screen should be free. Even though cable TV programming isn't free. You have to subscribe to channels. And pay for them.

This gives me a rash.

So here's the deal - the Internet is a great place to build awareness, and yes, to get lots of information. And transact business, which, by the way, people pay for. Amazon doesn't just send you books for free. You pay for them.

But when someone uses their hard-earned time and talents to make something you like, it is worth something.

So since there aren't any great micro-payment models out there yet, at least in the West, here's a suggestion: If you like something, tell people. Put it in your blog. Put it in Twitter. Put it in your Facebook page. Those links grow exponentially. Oh, and there's this low-tech version of that also, which is word of mouth. It's really neat too. So, as Alan Hamill once said, "Tell a friend."

Really. Because to people who make content, that word of mouth is like gold. That's how you build an audience and get noticed and yes, begin to sell things. And make a living.

So if you like something, say something. You can tell people about it over your smart phone, the one that costs lots of dough each month to keep working.

Yay for content!