Saturday, March 7, 2009

Shell Games

Bizarro is brought to you by Perfect Match Internet Dating Services.

I'm not crazy about this cartoon, I just thought it was kind of cute and amusing so I went with it. I didn't expect much out of it, writing a new gag every day for almost 25 years is daunting so you get used to the idea that not every one is going to be a classic.

But the day after this appeared in papers, I got a smattering of emails about it from various folks who really loved it and wanted to buy a print or use it in their newsletter or post it at their work site, things like that. Just goes to show you can never predict what will resonate.

And likewise, I'm sure there are just as many readers out there who didn't care for it, and are ready to take to the streets, criticizing me for losing my edge. You can't please everyone.

As diligently as I go over these cartoons in the penciling, inking, and coloring stage, I often still miss things. In this case, I only just this second spotted that I missed the black line work that goes with the ground shadow between the turtle's face and the blueprint.

12 comments:

Anonymous said...

I laughed out loud and then made it my new desktop image.

Karl said...

I wondered whatever happened to the careers of the "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" after they left television and the movies.

Jezzka said...

i love it. i also like turtles. if i were an animal, i would most likely be compared to a turtle, tough on the outside, squishy on the inside, slow, steady and close to the ground. :)

what animal do you think best describes you d?

derekamalo said...

dan,


bizarro is not carried aongst my local newspapers ,i use to always be able to find you in the boston herald which is in our stores cause we are in a 75 mile range of boston..

anyways what i have been doing now is usually 12 am ill hop onto a site called theithicajournal its where i get my daily bizarro fix before bed ..i then howover hop to read hlarys strip .

anyways a comment on 3-07 ...when i first looked at your comic i actually didnt get it i read it three times but didnt understand ..today i do and its actually funny i didnt quite understand the references to the dog and squirrels right away but thats what makes the comic better ..


another comment i discovered on alumni webiste from high school that a female i once had a thing for is now in stillwater,oklahoma right next door to tulsa teaching at the university ..shes proud that you helped put tulsa on the map but i was surprised at your alumni list for high school however i did mention to you i knew the jazz muscician..

check to it the link to dans high school..look under famous alumni

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Booker_T._Washington_High_School_(Tulsa,_Oklahoma)

derekamalo said...

sorry guys heres the whole link

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Booker_T._Washington_High_School_(Tulsa,_Oklahoma)

Sir Mike said...

i thought this one was hilarious!

isee3dtoo said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
julie said...

I really like this one a lot, Dan. It's has a higher "cute" factor than usual for your cartoons - maybe that's why you didn't like it as much.

I like to think about the before and after of a cartoon, like what events may have led up to turtles adopting the procedure of putting their heads inside their shells in work areas, or what might happen when one doesn't follow the rule...

My husband used to work in a factory, and one day, work came grinding to a halt as some guy got his head crushed in a machine - the guy hung out of this machine, lifeless... and then the boss came along and said something to the effect of "this is why you have to follow the safety rules and wear your safety helmet!" and then told them to get back to work.

birdfeed said...

As my email said, I was quite fond of this one.

Anonymous said...

What a day for AWESOME meta-images!

Dan, the photo you chose to illustrate "cute" has to be the single worst object ever created by the hand of man. It's as fascinating as a zeppelin wreck. Where can I get one?

Julie, I'd love to see the "safety" posters at your husband's former factory.

Jeremy said...

KtM,

I have the shirt! Here is a link to it:

Adult Mutant Ninja Turtles

Karl said...

Jeremy,

Thanks for the link, that's pretty funny. It appears from the picture on the T-shirt that the Adult Mutant Ninja Turtles are now battling crime on Wall Street. Sadly they appear to have lost their will to fight; maybe too much fast food and pizza.