Tom Racine: and Tall Tale Radio

Posted on September 14, 2012 by David Hurley

I’m truly excited to post a special and “extra” blog today , plus it is time sensitive. Tom Racine host of Tall Tale Radio has a fundraiser going on at Indiegogo. If you haven’t had the privilege of hearing Tall Tale Radio, it’s a fantastic podcast about comic strips, animation, movies, television, comics and cartoons with the best artists in print, on the web, and on screen! And this Saturday, September 15th from 8am to 8pm Pacific Time Tom will have a marathon with at least 32 quests (including yours truly). Featured Live on Justin TV, there will be prizes given away of Avengers DVD’s, copies of Tom’s book and other special incentives to help raise funds for Tall Tale Radio. Here are a few words from Tom about his career, his Indiegogo project and the future of Tall Tale Radio. 

David: Hello Tom, it is a great honor to have you featured at “Don’t Pick the Flowers”. First, let’s start with your show “Tall Tale Radio”. For anyone who isn’t familiar with your show, can you share what you and Tall Tale Radio is all about?

Tom: Happy to be here, David!  Tall Tale Radio started out in 2008 as the official podcast of “Tall Tale Features,” which was a comic collective started by Mike Witmer of the brilliant “Pinkerton.”  We had a bunch of great artists there, and Mike asked me to be their podcaster. I’d been doing “Comics Coast to Coast” with Brian Dunaway and Justin Thompson (which is still running and a great comic’s podcast!) and had a blast with them, but I wanted to do my own thing and really focus on long-form interviews.  I started off generally interviewing webcartoonists and print cartoonists, but have branched out to animators, musicians, actors…pretty much anyone who has a creative bent.  My focus and love is comics in general, and I get to have fun at San Diego Comic Con and New York Comic Con, where I do more video interviews and features. Sadly, like many wonderful web-groups, Tall Tale Features slowly dissolved over time due mostly to people just being way too busy to maintain it.  But Tall Tale Radio lives on.

David: There’s also an Indiegogo project you’ve started, what’s the insight on that?

Tom: Well, I’ve publicized and helped out on several Kickstarter and Indiegogo crowd-sourcing fundraisers, and I think they’re a very cool thing.  This fall, I’m heading to the Kenosha Festival of Cartooning in Kenosha, WI, as a panel moderator…in October, I’m heading to NYCC again…and probably biggest of all, I’m about to launch on Universal Syndicate’s GoComics site as the very first podcast they’re hosting.  So, all great things…but sadly, my MacBook Pro from 2006 is getting long in the tooth, slowing down, and just, well, plain old.  I’m a poor workin’ artist, so I can’t get one on my own, and then the idea of using Indiegogo as a fundraiser might be the answer.  I’m not very good at self-promotion, and it’s not easy for me to ask for help, but I knew if I could get some cool incentives from my print and web comic friends, I was pretty sure I could raise a modest amount of money to cover a new Mac and some recording equipment.  I was stunned at the response; frankly…it’s been so great. Very inspirational and motivating as well.

David: This Saturday, September 15th, you are having a fundraiser for Tall Tale Radio, what’s taking place and who’s on the show?

Tom: The idea to do a marathon podcast came to me when I was putting together the Indiegogo.  Most people who are doing a Kickstarter-type of thing need publicity to help get the word out, and of course, I was using Facebook and Twitter as best I could.  Then I realized I’m my OWN publicity machine…why not do a cool marathon podcast and have lots of people on to talk to.  Which then became a video podcast that I’d live-stream, and then it became 12 hours long…I hope I can pull it off!  Again, the response and support has been amazing.  I was afraid it’d be hours of me sitting around with no one listening as I read the phone book or something, but I pretty much have someone scheduled every 15 minutes!  I hope my work computer and Skype are up to the challenge!  People can watch it here:

www.justin.tv/talltaleradio

And I believe you’ll be on at 4:15pm, Pacific Time! Assuming I haven’t crashed and burned and taken 80% of the internet with me!

David: You are also a cartoonist, what are some you have worked on and what are your favorites?

Tom: I’ve been a cartoonist and illustrator all my life, with four or five syndicate submissions that were roundly rejected under my belt.  I did an online comic called “BookSmarts” back in 2005-ish. It was on Comics Sherpa, and was basically “The Far Side” meets an English degree.  I did fairy tales, novels, Shakespeare, and jokes like that.  Purely and utterly un-syndicateable, but fun!  I don’t do it any more due mostly to time issues. I have two little girls, a day job, the podcast, and freelance.  But I do miss it. I enjoy doing guest strips for folks from time to time…in fact, I just did one for my good friend and webmistress, Irma Eriksson of “Imy” that you can see here:

www.imycomic.com/2012/09/11/guest-strip-by-tom-racine-2/

I miss doing a comic, honestly, and often get the bug.  I’m a fan of so many out there…hard to list.  “Pinkerton,” “Superfogeys,” “PC Weenies,” “Bug” to name a few. And a big fan of syndicated folks like “The Brilliant Mind of Edison Lee,” “Get Fuzzy,” “Pearls Before Swine,” “Sally Forth” and many more.  I’m just a fan of the art form in general.  Anyone who creates a comic gets a tip of the hat from me.

David: What can we expect from you and Tall Tale Radio in the future, and with that, what’s your favorite thing about hosting?

Tom: As mentioned before, I’m about to launch on GoComics, which should expand my reach exponentially.  I don’t have a start date, but it’ll be this fall for sure. That should extend my reach and just allow me more access to some of the great artists out there.  But what I really love is to just talk to artists about their work and their journeys. I want to talk to everyone from Pulitzer Prize winners to webcomic folks just starting out.  It’s just great to make contact with so many amazing artists and to call many of them friends.  Growing up in the Dark Ages of the Pre-Internet, there wasn’t a lot of support out there for young goofy nerd artists. Now, we’re everywhere and the community is so supportive and growing, and my greatest pleasure is being more and more a voice of support to them all.

David: Tom what a pleasure to have you featured and to hear your story and the exciting future of Tall Tale Radio. I wish you the best with all that lies ahead and look forward to watching and speaking with you this Saturday!

Okay folks now it’s your turn to find out about Tom Racine and Tall Tale Radio. Check out Tall Tale Radio, his Indiegogo project and links to keep in touch with Tom Racine:

Tall Tale Radio: www.talltaleradio.com

JustinTV Tall Tall Radio Live Broadcast (September 15th, 8am-8pm Pacific Time) www.justin.tv/talltaleradio

Indiegogo Fundraiser: www.indiegogo.com/talltaleradio

Tall Tale Radio on Facebook: www.facebook.com/TallTaleRadio

Twitter: twitter.com/talltaleradio

 

 

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Carlo Ostrout: And the “Life After Death” comic

Posted on September 12, 2012 by David Hurley

This week at “Don’t Pick the Flowers” I am thrilled to feature my friend Carlo Ostrout. Carlo is the creator of the fantastic web comic “Life…after Death”. Carlo and I discussed his work and characters that were created some years ago and how a couple of year’s back he decided to fulfill his dream by sharing his adventurous fantasy world with us. It’s a privilege to introduce to you, if you aren’t already familiar with his work, the inside world of “Life…after Death” and Carlo Ostrout.

David: Hello Carlo, it’s a pleasure to feature you and your work at “Don’t Pick the Flowers”. First, when did you become interested in becoming a cartoonist and who are some of your inspirations?

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Carlo: Thank you for having me, Sir. To the first part of the question, I imagine the allure for me to tell stories with art was to be able to write a story without having to be descriptive about scenery. To call myself a cartoonist would insult actual cartoonists. With that said, for as long as I can remember, I have had an attraction to all things associated with comics, whether it is strips, books or cartoon. The first print books I read growing up were Hot Stuff by Harvey Comics, Detective Comics and the Giant Sized Superman vs. Muhammad Ali. I grew up with the ideal that I would break into mainstream comics but when I joined the Military all things creative fell a bit to the wayside. I continuously tinkered with ideas and characters and a few times I was close to really coming proactive with my work but events would always unfold that led me away again. I had never strayed too far and after much complaining from myself, my wife convinced me to tell stories. And so we have my webcomic.

As for influences, I would just say everyone that came before me and the people I read now. There are far too many to name but for a highlight reel I would say, Calvin and Hobbes and The Far Side on the comic strip side are the biggest influences on my humor. Artistically, it would be Simonson, Byrne and maybe a bit of Lee and McFarlane.  The list would not be complete without recognizing Mark Stokes of Zombie Boy, Elizabeth Staley of Adrastus Comic, George Ford of Addanac City Comics and Frank Jordan of Company Man Comics for really being supportive when I first jumped into the foray of webcomics.

David: Can you tell everyone who may not know about your web comic “Life…after Death” about the story and characters?

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Carlo: Well the tagline for LAD is “Life after Death is about an out of work Grim Reaper navigating current events, new roommates and his new found mortality…” but the book has really evolved from that this past year. The bone of the initial idea is Roger, the main character and a grim reaper losses, his job and has to live among humans. The idea is completely alien to him and he really has a distain for society. The very first Roger strip, drawn 20 years ago, had Roger behind a woman in the 10 item or less checkout line at a supermarket dreaming up different ways to kill her if he still had abilities because she was writing a check for 11 items. Eleven items and a check in a cash only line? I would dream of such things myself. As the book progresses, we learn more about Roger and his foibles and things begin to unfold that really drives the need for the jaunt into long form story telling. Dave and Molly are his hapless roommates tied to Roger by destiny. The supporting cast is rounded out with an odd couple, Devil Egg and Corn Dog with a Beak who are former agents of the Paranormal Deterrent Division originating from Otherworld. They are five opposites that form a whole.

David: What is your routine like when putting a comic together and what tools do you use?

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Carlo: My routine varies a little bit depending on the circumstance due to the formats I have chosen to present LAD. I separate the book into chapters of traditional joke a day or short story bits to long form chapters. I don’t use a buffer, though that would be a grand idea. I tend to produce better with a deadline, much to the dismay of my body and mental well being. When it comes to the gag a day, I just usually think of something I want to draw and go for it or just play on something I have experienced recently. When it comes to the long form chapters, because I have had these characters bouncing around for 20 years so, most of the story is pretty well set, with liberty to make changes on the fly. I don’t script anything. I would say the best way to describe how I begin a long form chapter is I already know the start, middle and the end. I sketch out 5 pages that I would like to draw and work towards those pages and then I let the road take me where it leads me. That may sound ridiculous but in a way I tell stories that I want to read and I feel that process makes the storylines more organic.

The comic is complete done on and iPad, initially I was using an iPad2 and now I work on the new iPad. My weapon of choice is Autodesk Sketchbook Pro. I absolutely love that program. Though, I haven’t worked too extensively with other art programs, even though I have tested most of the drawing apps. I have been drawing with Sketchbook for two years daily and drawing with it feels like second nature. I do use various programs for effects, much to the dismay of readers possibly, like TiltShift and Negative me and for lettering I use ComicBook, ComicStrip or Comic Life.

David: What’s your favorite part of being a cartoonist and storyteller?

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Carlo: I think my favorite part of being a storyteller is connecting with people. Of course, no one’s going to say that, “My favorite part is that people pay attention to me and compliment me,” but that is a part of it as well. I think it’s a universal need for acceptance.  I’ll illustrate that with a quick story. I have a character I created a long time ago and he is the most absurd character.  I just crack up when I work with him. I debated for a long time before introducing him into LAD because I honestly thought that the traction I was gaining with the comic would be obliterated by introducing him. I went with my idea that, “My book, I can do want I want,” attitude and fortunately the character has worked out very well in the context of LAD. I think more people associate Corn Dog with a Beak to LAD than they do Roger! That’s something I connect with and the readers seem to enjoy.  That feeling is like a sense of community that we enjoy the same ridiculous concept that I was odd enough to share.

David: What future plans can we expect to see from you and your webcomic?

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Carlo: Well, unless I change my update schedule for LAD, you may not see much more from me! Seriously though, in terms of LAD, “The Wild” storyline is currently running which plays a major part in the final act of the narrative that has been running for the past year and a half. The plot, and various subplots, over the course of the comic have been building up to the “Order and Chaos” chapter, which will probably start in January. “Order and Chaos” with wrap up most of the subplots I have sprinkled throughout the comic and lead the book into a new direction.  When ”The Wild” winds down I want to get back into gag a day mode for a while to tell small stories throughout the holidays and pepper some election bits in before November as well.

As for the future, I threw a line out in the waters this past spring about a creator collaborative project called “End of Times.”  Though to no one’s fault but my own there hasn’t been a lot of movement on the project yet due to time constraints. The framework is set and the book is planned as an anthology series, so once I get ample time I would like to roll it out. Details of that can be seen at endoftimes.thewebcomic.com  .  Ultimately, I would like to have the freedom to roll out the rest of the Universe that LAD exists in and I assure you that the place is expansive. After that….I would love a crack at Superman and Spiderman.

David: It sounds very exciting Carlo! I am really looking forward to what lies ahead as all your fans and new fans will be too. Good luck with everything that lies ahead, it’s a very exciting time for you!

Check out more of Carlo Ostrout and “Life…after Death”, you won’t be disappointed!

Life…after Death: lifead.thewebcomic.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/carlo.ostrout

Facebook: www.facebook.com/LifeafterDeathTheComic

Twitter: twitter.com/Caost

End of Times: endoftimes.thewebcomic.com

DeviantArt: caostrout.deviantart.com

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Keith Brown: And The Wages of Sin Comic

Posted on September 5, 2012 by David Hurley

I had the privilege of featuring my friend Keith Brown back in March of this past year at “Don’t Pick the Flowers”. I’ve been keeping up with his comic “The Wages of Sin” and hard work as he plugs away at developing his craft. You are in for a real treat if you aren’t familiar with his work. Keith is a down to earth and genuine guy who strives to make a fun and enjoyable comic.  If you aren’t familiar with Keith Brown and his work you are in for a real treat as I ask Keith some questions about the future plans of “The Wages of Sin”.

David: Hello Keith, what a pleasure to be featuring you at “Don’t Pick the Flowers”, again! You were featured this past March, what’s been going on since we lasted talked?

Keith: Hi David, once again it is my pleasure and I feel very fortunate to be featured along side all of the other awesome cartoonists that you have on this very cool site. I’ve just been pluggin’ away trying to become a better cartoonist.

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David: One of the things you’ve really worked on is the “Wages of Sin” comic. How do you feel the comic has strengthened?

Keith: At his point I’m only about 100 strips in but I am finally starting to feel the characters come into their own and it’s much easier to draw them a little faster with some continuity. The characters are the The Devil, his right hand demon Jinx, a talking snake, skull, spider and potentially toxic spill thus far. Whether or not the spill is toxic remains to be seen. I just introduced a lawyer who is basically just a shark fin. Yes, its hack lawyer jokes but they are kind of like comfort food.

When I started this I decided not to do any specific or pre-conceived character bios. They are what they are and I think folks get that and the readers are able to development their own personality and inner voice for the characters themselves.  Part of my entire concept was to have the ability to introduce any number of silly characters, bring them in and out of any number of scenarios and because of the setting there would be no need for any back story or continuity.

David: What are your present goals with “Wages of Sin” and what can we expect to see in the future?

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Keith: Well, like all of us I had dreams of syndication even considering the state of newspapers today. I think that will level out at some point but people still want to be entertained so folks like us will always be needed to provide content. Getting paid for it is another thing all together. That being said I am going to create my own stand alone website and offer signed prints and other goodies. I will follow the path of all the web toonists before me. I have had positive feedback from the syndicates but no one thinks anyone will buy it because of the subject matter. I thought we were past all that in 2012 but I was obviously mistaken. I am running in several publications, Cape Cod Funnies and the Santa Fe Good News online magazine and no one have burst into flames…..at least no yet.

At this point I am so invested in this concept that I have nothing else floating around in my head right now so I guess I’ll just keep dancing with the devil until something else comes along. Don’t tell him I said that though.

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David:  How did the idea for your comic come about?

Keith: I’m not really sure but I just seemed like it was the one thing nobody was doing as far as I could tell. Now I know why…lol.  Unfortunately in the eyes of the syndicate the one thing that makes it unique also seems to be working against me. Ahh…the cartoonists lament.

David: What is your favorite thing about being a cartoonist?

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Keith: The feedback from people who like your work is the greatest reward. I enjoy making folks chuckle. I have met so many wonderful and supportive cartoonists on Facebook, just like you David, and I appreciate them all.

David: Thank you Keith for being featured again, I’m thrilled to feature you and “The Wages of Sin”. I continually wish you the best and look forward to all that you have in store for us in the future!

Go check out Keith Brown and his comic “The Wages of Sin” and give him a “like” on Facebook as he continues to make us laugh and as we see what he has in store for the future!

www.facebook.com/pages/The-Wages-of-Sin/146701925399846

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Mark Stokes: And the world of Zombie Boy

Posted on July 26, 2012 by David Hurley

Mark Stokes is the creative master mind behind “Zombie Boy” comics and he has created a world of compelling characters like Beatrice, Claustria, Gorr, and of course… Zombie Boy. The beautifully drawn and colorful art brings the viewer in and the story keeps bringing you back for more. I’m a huge fan of Mark’s work and I am absolutely thrilled to showcase him at “Don’t Pick the Flowers”. If you aren’t a fan already, I’m convinced you will be, read on as I talk with Mark Stokes about “Zombie Boy”. 

David: Hello Mark, thank you so much for being featured and
talking about your comic “Zombie Boy”. When did you become interested in becoming a cartoonist? 

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Mark: I remember copying Peanuts characters out of the Sunday comics when I was really little, probably around 6 or 7. My parents encouraged me as an artist, probably because no one else on either side of my family had that tendency. Even among my siblings (a brother and a sister), I’m the only one with the inclination to make art. Music runs in my family, but not drawing or painting, and certainly not cartooning.

David: Many people love the whole concept of Zombie stories, but how did
the idea for your comic come about and what is the history of your comic?

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Mark: The kind of zombies I prefer are the original style, the corpse reanimated
by some kind of arcane magic, controlled by the force of hoodoo. Over the
years I’ve researched the origin and mythology of voodoo lore, it’s a
fascinating subject. Zombies started out quite differently from the
shambling corpses with a taste for human brains that we are familiar with
now. The zombie stories I always loved were the ones from the Golden Age
of comic books and movies – the voodoo style reincarnated corpse, with the
blank eyes and bare feet, shuffling along under the influence of some
powerful dark magic. I’ve mentioned that I was fascinated by Jack Kirby’s
The Demon series from the mid-70s, and a character he created called
Klarion, the Witch Boy. Visually, he was a big inspiration. The name
“Zombie Boy” sort of started out as a joke, which percolated into
something more substantial over a period of time. I’ve had quite a few
years to develop him into what he is today.

David: Zombie Boy has been around for some time and you’ve
created your comic in different formats. Why the change?

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Mark: That’s one of the best parts about owning your own characters because you
can do whatever you want with them and nobody can say otherwise. I like to
change things up and try new things, especially with my own projects, so
it was a natural that ZB would evolve and mutate. There was a period of a
few years when I made him more of a young adult, with a darker, edgier
approach; I was inspired by the Manga and anime I was immersed in at the
time. Honestly, it was great fun playing with more adult type concepts,
but I always tried to keep the humor intact.

David: You had Jerry Bittle (Geech comic strip) as an art
instructor, what was that like and what wisdom from him have you kept with you?

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Mark: When I was in art school, they had the foresight to bring Jerry Bittle in
to teach a cartooning course. At the time, he was transitioning from
freelance illustration work to his own syndicated comic strip, Geech, and
he was just a few years into his run. Jerry was the kind of teacher you
always wanted, funny, intelligent and quirky, he had a way of instructing
that was very hands-off, but because you liked him so much you really
wanted to do your best work. I visited his studio, a room he had set up in
the middle of his home, his desk was loaded with piles of art supplies and
papers, with stuffed bookshelves and general organized chaos. Jerry was
such a wonderful guy with a very dry wit and an infectious sense of humor.
At the time, drawing comic strips was the absolute last thing on my mind,
but I really appreciated the hard work involved. I can’t say enough good
things about Jerry; he was truly an original artist and an inspiring
person.

David: What’s on the horizon with Zombie Boy? Can we expect to see any books or bigger comics?

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Mark: I’m going to do some longer storylines, try to focus on each of the
characters in mini-stories, and eventually attempt to corral it all
together in some sort of book form. Right now, though, I’m concentrating
on doing the best work I can and keep my posting schedule up!

David: Who are some of your cartooning heroes and what
comics are your favorites?

Mark: I love Jack Cole, Dick Briefer, Jack Kirby, Basil Wolverton, Jeff
MacNelly, George Herriman, Boody Rogers, Ernie Bushmiller, Moebius and
Herge. Favorite comics include Hagar the Horrible, Krazy Kat, Tintin, and
Little Nemo – there are so many, I can’t list them all!

David: Mark it was a true pleasure to feature you and your comic Zombie Boy. I am a fan and can’t wait to see what’s next. I wish the best in all that you have planned!

And if you the reader aren’t already familiar with Zombie Boy Comic, do check it out, you won’t regret it! I believe you will become a fan of Mark Stokes and his creation “Zombie Boy”! Check the links below:

Zombie Boy Comic website: www.zombieboycomics.com

Twitter: twitter.com/krash_pow

 

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Drew Aquilina: Green Pieces

Posted on July 17, 2012 by David Hurley

Drew Aquilina is the creator of the humorous and environmentally friendly comic “Green Pieces”. Drew has won various awards for his work including: Comic/Graphic Novel of the Year (2011 London Book Festival), Wildcard Runner up (2011 New England Book Festival), USA Best Books (2011 Environment Book of the Year) and the list of Awards goes on! In his spare time he lectures at schools teaching children about cartoons and the environment. He also is a member of the Independent Book Publishers Association and the Arizona Authors Association. You can also find Drew and his characters from Green Pieces on The Morning Scramble at AZ-TV Morning Show hosted by Pat McMahon (Wallace and Ladmo). So with great pleasure it is an honor to feature Drew Aquilina and “Green Pieces” at Don’t Pick the Flowers.

David: Hello Drew, thank you for being featured at “Don’t Pick the Flowers”. You have a rich history with your comic “Green Pieces”. Can you share some of the back story of your comic strip and how it all came about?

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Drew: The cartoon idea started during my first year of college.  When writing letters to my friends, I would draw simple cartoons starring my pet turtle named Iggman.   I transferred to the University of Massachusetts Amherst for my second year of college and it was there I developed a daily strip called Iggman on Campus which was published in the student newspaper.  That strip ran for several semesters and finally ended when I graduated from UMass with a degree in Landscape Architecture.  I then found myself back in Connecticut developing a new cartoon strip, building on my previous work at college.  I wanted to keep most of the main characters from Iggman on Campus, Iggy the claustrophobic turtle, Cabby the techno-bullfrog and Radic the antagonistic dragonfly, but I thought it would be a natural progression if they lived at a pond.  I also wanted to expand the premise of the cartoon beyond the pond to include all of nature.  I always enjoyed watching nature documentaries because I would always see the humor in them.  It seemed appropriate to combine both ideas into one feature and call it Environmental Pieces.  That title seemed a bit stiff and scientific and soon after Green Pieces was born.  The strip ran in a weekly local college paper and the Newtown Bee for a few months until the local daily paper, The Danbury News-Times, announced a cartoon contest, the winner of such would get one of the two open slots on the cartoon page.   My feature was entered into the contest by the editor of the paper who was impressed with “a young kid’s fortitude and passion for cartooning.”  After the votes were counted, my strip finished second behind Brian Walker’s feature Hi and Lois.  Green Pieces ran daily for years until I moved to Arizona to develop my Landscape Architectural career.  Green Pieces has continued to be published in Arizona local papers and publications.  Currently, it is also flourishing and growing via the Internet at www.greenpiecescartoons.com and at www.gocomics.com/green-pieces.

David: You have a great love of nature, how has that inspired your work and has it influenced your “cartooning” routine?

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Drew: I do have a great love and curiosity of nature.  It all started when I was growing up in rural Connecticut where I spent the majority of my time outside.  Remember, back then the only television was via an antenna.  There were no computers or the Internet.  All we had to entertain ourselves was creating and inventing activities outdoors.  The first moment that put me on the path to Green Pieces occurred when I was about seven years old.  I remember sprinting home one late summer day for dinner.  I stopped on our front steps to catch my breath.  Exhausted and hot, I threw myself down on the steps and looked up find myself face to face with a rather large squirrel with a large acorn in his mouth.  He was only several inches away from my face but surprisingly that fact didn’t seem to bother him.  He stood up on his hind legs and put the acorn under one arm and looked at me.  We just stared at each other for what seem like an eternity.  All of a sudden, I heard this voice say “Where am I going to bury this?”  I shook my head in disbelief and all of a sudden, that squirrel put the acorn back in his mouth and it bounded off to the center of the yard.  While I sat there trying to convince myself that I just didn’t hear what I thought I heard, the voice chimed again and said “How about over there on the other side of the tree?”  Sure enough, that squirrel took off to the other side of a big oak tree in my front yard.  To this day I don’t know if it was the pure exhaustion or the heat, but for that moment it felt like I understood what the world was like from that squirrel’s perspective.  Since then every time I see an animal or any part of nature, I immediately see the world from their point of view.   The cartoons just flow and run 24/7 in my head.  It just happens and I can’t stop it so I have embraced it.  I am just lucky that the world we live in, from Nature’s perspective anyway can be very funny.

David: Congratulations for being a finalist in the 2012 IBPA Benjamin Franklin Awards! What surprises can we expect to see from Iggy and the gang in the future?

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Drew: “Did You Know That a Small Turtle Could Save the World?”, that story is coming up this Fall.  We have many surprises in store at the Pond, especially when you have an intelligent and almost omnipotent frog like Cabby and a rogue dumpster diving raccoon like Roc.  Life at the pond almost parallels what is happening in our world.  New issues and events that shape our lives also filters back to nature and, of course, back to the pond.  Our readers can look forward to the mayhem that can be wrought when Cabby’s inventions and experiments are let loose on the pond.  They will enjoy following Roc as he moves between the reality of his life at the Pond and his secret life living off of humanity.  (He is currently licking his wounds as his older brother Rollo – yes, Roc and Rollo – just beat Roc in an Iron Can Throw Down competition.  The storyline left Rollo crowned the newest Iron Can Chef and left Roc crowned, well, the readers will have to read the strip to find out.)  We will also be following the day to day antics between Iggy Turtle and that self proclaimed best friend of his, Radic Dragonfly.  Additionally, our readers have always enjoyed how Green Pieces takes them all over the world to discover other ecosystems and the characters that live in them.  Whether it’s exploring the life deep in the oceans, catching a glimpse of life on the great African plains or seeing what is happening at the pond, Green Pieces will be there to open a window into the natural world.  With any luck, that window will reflect enlightenment, discovery and best of all, a few laughs.

David: What is your favorite thing about being a cartoonist and writing your own stories?

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Drew: I enjoy creating the humorous premises that turn into cartoons.  There’s also a lot of enjoyment being a writer and director when you have a good cast of characters with which to work.  I am here to state that laughing IS all that it’s cracked up to be.  I enjoy laughing at a funny phrase that a character might say or imagining how one of them would react in any given situation.  Hands down, my favorite thing about being a cartoonist has been sharing the creative process with my wife Lisa.  This has given me a fresh perspective on the feature.  Writing and drawing a cartoon can be solitary work, but being able to share the humor and the joy of creating it with someone definitely makes it a lot more fun.  Sometimes, she even thinks I’m funny.

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David: What is the greatest legacy you want to leave behind with “Green Pieces”?

Drew: To foster an appreciation and awareness of nature and the environment using humor.  Laughter is a very powerful tool in getting a person’s attention about an idea.  Too often people can get overwhelmed by technology and their daily routines and lose sight of the world that’s right outside their door.   If we can get someone to laugh and think about Nature in the process, then we have accomplished something.  Oh, yeah, and to impart the fact that claustrophobic turtles are people, too!

David: Thank you Drew, I appreciate you sharing “Green Pieces” and your desire to educate young and old about the environment with humor. I wish you continued success in all the endeavors you are involved with.

And now it is time for you to find out more about Drew and Green Pieces if you aren’t already familiar with this fun and educational comic:

www.greenpiecescartoons.com     

www.greenpiecesbooks.com

www.facebook.com/pages/Green-piecesc-Cartoons-by-Drew-Aquilina/109993349029310

www.facebook.com/pages/Iggy-Turtle/328584460506748

twitter.com/greenpiecesbook

twitter.com/IggmanTurtle

 

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