Odds and ends

A few sites and links I’ve been visiting lately:

Mark Anderson’s excellent blog has a nice article about how gag cartoonists are considered the red-headed stepchildren of cartooning compared to the syndicated kind. I have a great deal of respect for gag cartoonists, but I understand where he’s coming from.

Last year’s National Cartoonist Society’s winner of the Reuben for “Cartoonist of the Year” was Pulitzer prize winning editorial cartoonist Mike Luckovich, one of the most talented cartoonists working today. Mike has his first new book out in over a decade, and you can read a brief interview with him from the cartoon and art blog Drawn! here.

Mark Evanier celebrated National Gorilla Suit Day in style by sending a man in a gorilla suit to deliver a singing telegram to the staff of MAD Magazine. I can tell you from personal experience that he did not interrupt the productivity of the staff, because they often spend the day entertaining slow, dim witted ape-like beings… they are called freelancers, and they usually show up around lunchtime.

Read a review of the latest issue of MAD at MadMumblings.com, where idiots of the first degree discuss MAD ad nauseum… and actually admit to reading it. There are lot’s of other topics and discussions that occasionally even make sense.

Finally, check out the newly opened ComicSpace.com… a self styled MySpace site for comic books geeks… uh… I mean fans. I’m allowed to say that because I am a self-professed geek. Interesting concept.