Thursday, July 24, 2008

Bubble Court

Bizarro is brought to you today by Where The Hell? Industries. "Answering the question, 'Where the Hell did THAT come from?' since 1985."

In all modesty, let me say that I love this gag. I have no idea where it came from or why, it just fell out of my head when I leaned over my drawing table to write gags one morning , and I giggled.

It features one of my favorite cartoon tricks, to draw a picture that at first glance looks like something familiar, and at closer inspection is something entirely different. I didn't invent this trick, of course, I've just always loved it.

Below is perhaps my favorite example of it of my entire career. Tonto points at smoke signals in the distance. Or does he?












Click on the image to biggerize it and get the full effect.

I included this cartoon in the retrospective-of-my-career-so-far book, Bizarro and Other Strange Manifestations of the Art of Dan Piraro. If you like me or my work, it's a must-have book. I'm not saying that just because I want to sell the books (without decent sales numbers, you can't keep publshing), but because it honestly is a great book for people who like my work. Lots of unpublished paintings, sketches, photos, as well as my favorite cartoons from over the years, a humorous autobiography (that I wrote myself!), stories from my comedy show tours, controversial opinions about everything from tofu to our ravaged nation, you name it.

Order a case or two here. You and your descendants will thank me.

12 comments:

Anonymous said...

i loved this panel, i too hate cauliflower; its disgusting, it crumbles in your mouth like chalk, who in god's name invented such a vile plant. i like many green veggie things, but cauliflower is not even green, its a poser and deserves to be tossed in gorges all across america! kudos on a great panel, i continue to laugh inappropriately loud as i sit here in my horrible cubicle. ok, lunch is over, back to grinding, i mean the grind.

Mel2 said...

I have nothing against cauliflower; I think it's a fairly innocuous vegetable and never did anything to hurt me. Unlike cucumbers. (Which are technically fruit, I know, yaddayadda.)

I like this cartoon because it addresses what I like to call illustrators' shorthand--white fluffy outlines in the background are meant to be taken for clouds, even though most clouds don't look like that. We as readers accept it as the norm, so it's refreshing when a heads-up artist calls that out.

Props, dude.

HollyBerry said...

oh hilarious.. i made my boyfriend come read.. just think of tonto as a three year-old and it's even funnier. i'm glad you're getting back on the ball. i always look forward to your blog, and unfortunately we do not carry your comic here in dayton, ohio so your blog is all i have. but family junk is never fun and i can empathize... i too get the occasional family junk... had a large helping of it the other night and it filled my up to last me a while. but anyhoo, glad your spirits are up and glad to see your humor has not dropped into an abyss somewhere...

Anonymous said...

I liked the witness in the Jacuzzi better than Tonto throwing cauliflower, but I guess that's just me. Thanks for the snort of laughter.

Piraro said...

I'm not a fan of cauliflower, either, but in its defense, it has more vitamin C than oranges. Pretty impressive feat for such a tasteless, weird glob.

Jason Fisher said...

In all modesty, let me say that I love this gag. I have no idea where it came from or why, it just fell out of my head when I leaned over my drawing table to write gags one morning , and I giggled.

That’s a great one — especially à propos for me, since I just got a call to jury duty. For the second time in six months. And the last time, I actually served. I guess they liked me. I hope they turn on the bubbles. :)

Jeremy said...

You have been using that trick for a while. I was recently reading Too Bizarro and page 69 has a funny example of this gag.

Too Bizarre!

Anonymous said...

You love one of your own comics. SHHH-OCKING.

Anonymous said...

I just got your book in the mail. I'm so looking forward to be reading it.

B.A.D. said...

Cauliflower is always the underdog.

The bubble court cartoon is another one of my favorites. And your book is patiently awaiting its turn on my birthday wish list.

munchy365 said...

What's that thing in the very bottom right corner of the Tonto panel? Is it a MUDKIP?!

Anonymous said...

One of my favorite cartoons in the "looks like something else at first" genre was one I saw about 20 years ago. I think it might have been in National Lampoon.

It was set in a doctors office as typically depicted in cartoons with a desk and hastily sketched diplomas on the wall.

The doctor is being led away in handcuffs as two detectives discuss the crime scene. One is leaning in taking a closer look at the diplomas. He says "You're right. They are ant farms!"

I wish I could remember who did it because I'd love to get a framed copy.