I must be on a some sort of 80’s television buzz. Here’s some doodles from M*A*S*H (only one of the greatest television shows ever). They need some tweaking but I’m getting sleepy, so I’m just positing ’em and hitting the sack.

I’ve been cooped up the entire Labor Day weekend trying to meet a deadline. Fortunately, TV Land is showing a 72-hour Michael Landon marathon (an uplifting contrast to Hurricane Katrina). So tonight I thought I’d unwind with a sketch Charles Ingalls.

Call me a sap, but I’ve always enjoyed Little House on the Prairie. Sure it’s a little hokey by today’s standards. But it also has a lot of heart. As a kid I had a crush on Melissa Gilbert and I wanted to grow up to be Michael Landon. Little House was fantasy, but it was uplifting fantasy. The Ingalls’ were a healthy, functional Christian family and the townsfolk always pitched in to help each other. What a contrast to the current TV landscape that seems to glorify selfishness and dysfunction.

I can’t help but reflect on the hardships faced by America’s pioneers as well as the current crisis in New Orleans. Both groups struggle to survive hardships without “necessities” like electricity or indoor plumbing, while I lose my cool if the cable goes out! How much I have to be thankful for and yet how often I take it all for granted.

(Cartoon by Clay Jones)

Here’s an artistic challenge: Create a cartoon about the hurricane tragedy in New Orleans. That’s the assignment if you make your living as an editorial cartoonist. Yet many have risen to the challenge. Daryle Cagle’s Professional Cartoonist Index is probably the largest collection of editorial cartoons on the internet. You can view today’s cartoons, or past cartoons arranged by topic (i.e. Hurricane Katrina), or a daily archive of your favorite artist. Every once in a while I visit this site and I always marvel at the variety of creative ways these cartoonists address the serious issues of the day (even if I strongly disagree with their point of view). So take a gander.

And then, if you are so moved, please give a few bucks to the Salvation Army relief effort for the victims of hurricane Katrina.

As I mentioned in an earlier post, I had the honor of inking two issues for the re-release of Opposite Forces, a series created by former Disney lead animator and VeggieTales director Tom Bancroft (Aladdin, Lion King, Mulan, Larryboy). His work is fantastic and he’s about the nicest guy around.

Opposite Forces is a funny and original super-hero tale for all ages. Originally released in black-and-white sketch format (like Mike Kunkel’s acclaimed Herobear and the Kid), Opposite Forces has now been inked, colored (by Josh Ray), and reprinted with brand new covers. Issue #1 just hit the comic book shops, and issue #2 is set for release September 7. I had the privilege of inking the interiors for two issues and the covers for three issues (including the one pictured above).

Opposite Forces is being released through Alias publishing, so it should be in most comic book stores. Check it out!

Last night my fiance and I rented The Hudsucker Proxy. It was a pretty good flick, quirky, fun, and clean (except for one sensual scene. Call me a prude, but why can’t Hollywood make an enjoyable film where everyone stays fully clothed?) Anyway, from a purely visual standpoint this was one of the most fascinating movies I’ve seen in a while. The art direction, set design, costumes and lighting were all exceptional!

These days “visually stunning” usually means lots of expensive special effects. Maybe that’s why I found Hudsucker so intriguing. Low on special effects, it hearkens back to the black-and-white films of the 40’s. Those were the days before computers, before green screens, even before color. Back then the only way a filmmaker could make things visually interesting was by mastering the principles of light, value, contrast, and composition. Their weapons were few, but they wielded them masterfully.

The Hudsucker Proxy calls back to that era with it’s masterful art direction and production design. The entire thing could be watched in black and white and it would still be just as stunning. I only hope I can find time to do some composition and value studies from the film. I know I would learn a great deal.

A few stills from The Hudsucker Proxy: