May snowman

After a winter with very little snow here in Colorado, we all woke up today to find 11 inches of snow.

More here: 

On today’s drawing board...

 A political cartoon commissioned by the Thomas Paine Society. 

On the digital drawing board: Not quite annual post

My apologies for the lack of activity here. It’s been over a year since my last ‘journal’ post. I'd hoped to stick my nose in, sniff around, and type a few words during Thanksgiving weekend - like last year. 

Not to be. A large illustration for a long-time corporate client emerged a few days before the turkey went in the oven. …and I'm not one to take away from what became reduced family time.

I am fortunate, as 2025 has been my busiest year so far, with almost nonstop client and publishing deadlines. Thus, I’m here for a quick stop-in to share a few recent pieces - and hopefully not bore anyone. Let’s start: 

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Preliminary designs for a corporate mascot & bottle label icon for a soon-to-launch (and thus far undisclosed) dog vitamins company. After some sketches, we settled on an Australian Shepherd.

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I just created a main page illustration for a new political news website called "In the Soup”

It will launch soon, and I’ll update here when it goes live.

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One of twelve monthly magazine cartoons created for AIU Insurance in New York.

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A series of IT & cyber security cartoons created for Fidelity Investments, and their corporate customer website portal.

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McKesson Pharmaceutical: A series of monthly cartoons for their 80,000 employees, covering cyber security, and encouraging increased care with company computers and personal logins. These spanned from Fall 2024, through this year.

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Icon & mascot created for Point clothing, NYC. The heron character was created for their social media, clothing tags, advertising and the watercolor illustration below was created for T-shirts.

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Illustrations for postcards and framed prints - for a fantastic cookie bakery in Maui...

 

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The aforementioned Thanksgiving week illustration project for longtime client, Capgemini Corporation in Paris…a 20 X 30 illustration for a retiring executive, (later framed and presented at his send-off celebration.

(Clicken to embiggen)

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Illustrations and cartoons for a soon-to-be published business book, for an author in Los Angeles who specializes in selling businesses and companies. 

This has been a large project, involving writing and drawing humor for over 90 cartoons so far.

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Social media cartoons for POPL, digital business cards in NYC. 

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A political cartoon created for Vision 360 in Washington DC, 

including a chance for me to draw a young Matt Damon.

(Clicken to embiggin)

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Monthly illustrations and cartoons for a magazine covering the Boston police, Massachusetts State Police, and Mass. Fire departments. 

  

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A pro bono piece created for Wowbrary. It is a non-profit, national service that sends weekly emails about the most recent items added to your local library's collection. You customize which genres, and subjects you would like included in your newsletter, and also reserve bestsellers instantly.

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Lastly, an illustration of the University of Colorado football team’s most famous fan, Peggy Coppom, known as "Miss Peggy.” This was presented to Peggy at her 100th Birthday celebration, at the stadium. 

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Merry Christmas! And may the coming New Year be one of your best.

On the Digital Drawing Board: Giving Thanks on Turkey Day

Technically, it's possible for me to go a full week without glancing at social media. (Technically, it's also possible for my divorced buddy 'Steve' to marry Taylor Swift.)

I'm trying to avoid social media these days, both input and output. As for output, my Twitter, IG, and journal haven't been updated in ages because my work keeps me very busy. But Thanksgiving provided a break in the action, and time to reflect.

"Man is fond of counting his troubles, but he does not count his joys.” ― Fyodor Dostoevsky

My wife has mentioned to me that when she tells her book club friends about my job (writing & drawing humor), they usually respond with something like, “that sounds like one of the best jobs in the world.” She assures them that it has frustrating moments, like any career...but that it is usually pretty terrific.

Compared to my job's worst day, some jobs stink

She reminded me of this yesterday - and it snapped me out of my rump-dragging stupor - after a month of late nights, and tight deadlines (and little no skiing, or recreating). 

I’m almost always positive,  upbeat, and have fun every day at work and play. This has been an unusually crazy period, after I overbooked my calendar. (Yes, my fault). But this notion should've been more obvious to me. 

As with many creative people, it took time to establish my career. Early on, there were steps forward, (a great art director job out of college)...pauses (rejections from large media syndicates, where one comic strip is chosen from over 6,000 submissions received each year)...forward (two comic strip syndication contracts)...steps back (over 3,200 newspapers closed after I signed those contracts.)

I stayed with it - drawing and writing - while working side jobs, before it became a full time thing. I have friends and colleagues, (including younger folks I’m mentoring) who are on that same nonlinear artist’s path, and it can be challenging.

Like most people, I am so caught up in the rhythm of things now, that I often forget the path behind. I once only dreamed of making a good living writing and drawing humor. Today I took a breath and thought: I am thankful for the career I have now - but even more so for other things...like family, and friends. 

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I haven’t had time to share advertising or publishing work here in many moons, so, I'll grab a few recent things:

Pharmaceutical giant McKesson decided this year that they wanted to create a regular comic strip for their 80,000 employees. I was shocked when they told me they are #9 on the Fortune 500 list, (making them larger than Microsoft, Ford and General Motors). That size, and complexity made for a detailed and lengthy hiring process.

After a national search using an outside agency, McKesson contacted 65 cartoonists in June. They conducted a two-month period of portfolio reviews - and finally, interviews for the final five of us. Somehow, I was fortunate enough to be awarded the project. 

The work encompasses writing and drawing humor, with a focus on cyber security, and corporate IT. We started in October, which was "Cyber Security Awareness month". Below are two initial pieces, with corporate messaging added to the cartoons. 

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The cartoons appear on each of their employee's computers/devices at sign-in, highlighting security to begin the day. A new cartoon about a different subject runs each month. (To be honest, I'd get tired of seeing the same thing on my monitor say, 30 times. So, I can sympathize with any McKesson employee who's 'had enough' of a cartoon by the end of each month.)

The response thus far has been very positive, and even their CEO recently got in touch with me with an idea for next month's subject matter. It's been a great deal of fun, thus far.

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A few years ago, Fidelity Investments hired me to create a series of financial cartoons for their online investing division and website. 

A separate division within Fidelity decided that they wanted new cartoons, and they sent RFPs a group of cartoonists. After a few MS Teams meetings, I ended up with an offer.

The cartoons will cater to their commercial customers, both the newsletter and website. The subject: Artificial Intelligence, IT, and online security. (There's a pattern here.) 

                   The project is just getting under way, and above is an initial cartoon (first draft.)

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One of several cartoons created this month for Causeway Software, in the UK:

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A commissioned illustration to celebrate the retiring Director of the Pleasantville Music Festival in New York. Bruce Figler presided over this grand festival for 8 years, and this piece will be printed, famed and given to him at his retirement party in early January.

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 Over the past year I’ve been doing pen, ink and watercolor portraits for an upscale dining club in Norwalk, Connecticut. (Background on that ongoing commission is in this journal post.)

The past month, Martha Stewart and her manager were in the restaurant, became members, and shortly afterward the owner contacted to me to let me that she wanted a pen & ink drawing (for herself, and also a copy to join the pen & ink drawings framed on the restaurant walls.)

They sent me some photos and interestingly, the request for Martha's piece was to draw her with her cat. (Sharp-eyed readers will notice that this has a bit less exaggeration than my usual caricatured pen and ink portraits.)

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I just signed a contract to create 12 monthly cartoons for Amalgamated Insurance in New York. (That sounds like a company name from a Bugs Bunny cartoon, doesn't it?) Here are the first two pieces:

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A cartoon for an online dating book, in progress:

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Two books recently left the drawing board and went to press, in time for 'all important Christmas sales'. At least that's what the publishers called it as deadlines were moved up last month.  One book involved writing and drawing, the other was straight Illustration.

Five Minutes from a Meltdown began as an idea from the head of Yorkshire Publishing. He contacted me last year, wondering if I'd be willing to team up with Hollywood screenwriter, David Meyer. He thought it might be fun to see us take turns riffing on various subjects of our choice, (social unrest, dogs, country music - and completely devolving from there.)

David wrote some very funny poems. 

I wrote and drew my own (non-poetic) stuff...some samples:

(Book cover design & cartoon)

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I just received my box of 25 sample books from the publisher.

4.3 on Goodreads - so far.

Update: A review and interview from Literary Titan:

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This book wrapped up last month, and it was pure fun, allowing me to illustrate one of my favorite subjects - dogs - in a whimsical style. "Gertrude the Groomer" is a 32-page children's book by children's author, Victoria Wintersperger. It's about a retiree who runs a dog grooming shop, and proceeds to have some serious trouble with her eyesight. 

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Lastly, a recently released business book by Harry Max, former executive of DreamWorks Animation, and advisor to Apple, Adobe, Google, Hewlett-Packard, and Microsoft.

While reading the manuscript for creating illustrative concepts, it became clear that this was a unique take on a subject that can help nearly anyone.  I also realized - between the first and second page - that the author is a terrific writer. 

After chatting with Harry on the phone, reading the manuscript, I started by writing ideas and humor, after concepts were approved, then vignettes and illustrations. Some of the cartoons were was shared in an earlier blog post, so I'll post two pieces, (including a "straight" illustration that accompanies an interview with recording artist, Roseanne Cash.)

The book has received some positive early reviews:

"Harry Max clearly lays out the steps that anyone can use to be more productive and effective. It's required reading for anyone wanting to be a better business leader."  

Marc Randolph, co-founder/CEO of Netflix

"A forceful, clear, and detailed method for strengthening prioritization." Kirkus Reviews

"Approachable, psychologically astute, and deeply practical book has the potential to change all that. Reading it is well worth your time." Oliver Burkeman, author of Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals

"Managing Priorities" is available from the publisher, and Amazon.

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Finally, (assuming you haven't dropped off by now) some pics from our Fall trip to the Summit Area. We unwound with some biking, mountain summit hiking, and horseback riding.

This is Lake Dillon, at 11:15 PM in October. The moon was so bright, that it somehow did not look like a night sky. This is looking toward the Continental Divide in the East. It was actually pitch black in the West - where the sun had set 3 hours before. (i.e., no sunlight in the sky.)

Biking along the river coming down from the Continental Divide, a few miles west of A-Basin.

My wife recently injured one of her hip flexors, 

so she was limited to hiking...Julia joined me for biking.

Stopping for refreshments at Keystone Lake

Looking west, from the end of the bike trail.

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The next three weeks are going to be a blitz of deadlines...then a family Holiday vacation near Chicago, visiting my Mom as well as my brother and his family. 

I love my work, and I can get lost in it sometimes. I've even been stupid enough to bring work with me, on vacation. (I finally realized my error).

Happy Holidays!