Recent Absence Explained

I haven't done any cartooning lately, because I've been spending my time working on editing my old movies, and producing photographs.  I don't anticipate any new cartoons for awhile.

My ultimate goal is to produce a total of 100 strips to make into a book.

I'm sorry, I don't have the time to cartoon and do photography work together.  I advise checking in once a month to see if there have been any updates.

Here is a recent photo I just finished working on, called 'Atrium View: Weeping Cherry Blossoms'.

The Right To Be Billed

All the talk about rights and privileges is obscuring the essential issues of buying your health and life. Can you afford to be sick, can you afford to save yourself from an untimely death? According to most experts, health care costs will continue to escalate, no matter what we do.  It's enough to make somebody sick.

Buffalo Phil And The Mighty Jeep

I'm now in Colorado Springs, with my girlfriend, who is attending a business conference. So with my spare time, I signed on with a small group to go on a little day trip around the area.

Our driver and guide was 'Buffalo' Phil. You can tell the difference between a faux cowboy and a real one, not by the boots and the hat, nor the vest and jean jacket, but by the bandana. Evidently, nice guys wear bandanas.

'Buffalo' Phil said he shot President Reagan, then explained he had been a photo-journalist for a local paper. You see, humor is still much a part of the old west.

Our mighty Jeep was capable of roughly 50 mph maximum speed, so on the interstate going up to the Air Force Academy, we were passed on all sides by motorists enjoying our flapping side curtains, and our possible discomfort in the unexpected snow squall that had broken out suddenly. Or perhaps they were just enjoying Phil's spiffy bandana.

Good Tidings I Bring

Ah, with another religious holiday, Charlie appears: this time his earthly fondness for candy has gotten the better of him. Is this perhaps the work of the Devil? He would not likely think so.

His mixup of Christmas and Easter greetings, in this case, actually fits. In any case, have a Happy Easter.

I Love Spring

Looks like everyone wants to get into the act. Perhaps some people are cut out for poetry, and some are not. Anyway, Ivan has some nice thoughts, and what's wrong with that?

Tech Note: I used my newly purchased favorite 0.6 mm pen, which is impossible to buy without buying a set of four other sizes, which I don't need.

Haiku For Spring

Here's hoping that whatever season you are having, it is a nice one. Lucy's poem does not inspire confidence in the regeneration of life. Perhaps Ivan could think of a more positive poem ...

I just found out I have an eye allergy, and the new eye drops I've been prescribed have relieved the symptoms from which I've had for years. I didn't know I had an allergy. Better late than never, though.

USA Tax Day Approaches

Income taxes are due by Monday, April 18th this year. So to "celebrate", here is my first strip since returning home from my protracted vacation (in Hawaii). The next strip will be perhaps Wednesday of next week.

Ennis' head seems a little larger than it normally is, and it is normally larger than the other characters' heads. Getting the relative proportions correct is a bit of a pain, so sometimes I don't put as much effort in that area as I should. I'll try better.

Losing My Head Over You

For two days, I'm back at home, but now I'm off to Hawaii. (Life is tough). I apologize for not doing any strips for awhile, but I don't have the time now to do them, and still remain sane. When my life settles back down, I will resume the adventures at Hotel Rhooms.

Meanwhile, here is a photo I took at National Harbor, MD. It appears to be a robot lifting his head from his body, or perhaps placing it back on. It is actually one of those coin-operated public binocular machines, for looking across the Potomac River.

I welcome any captions that you might think of.  Just put them in the comments. Thanks.

Pre-Spring Break

I'm off to see my family in the Washington, DC area, so I won't be able to do any strips until the end of March. Maybe I can post some other things of interest in the meantime.

Zhu-Zhu Hampsters At Work

You can't say Randy RoboCat isn't thinking! Of course, we don't know exactly how he has tied the little critters to their Swiffer cloths, but then he has many built-in capabilities that are not readily apparent. One capability may be running a sweatshop.

Little Furry Pet

While researching little furry electronic pets, I came upon this selling point for used Furbies. And whose portrait might be on Ennis' wall, but of course Steve Wozniak, co-founder of Apple Computer, an early tinkerer, himself.

Tired Of Swimming

I know ... the joke is a pun, but hey, if they don't come out of my head, it will explode. Actually, I drew the fish first, then they spoke the first line (no pun intended), then came Mr. Rhoom's line, then it created itself.  Don't blame me. Actually, I drew a pig first, but it never made into the strip.

This is the first strip to have a gradient fill. I like their little hats.

Looking for Rooms

Someone is looking for a possible 'port in a storm', maybe political asylum. But, I don't think Mr. Rhooms will be amenable to this character.  He seems a bit over the top, not to mention his autocratic crimes. Colonel Qaddafi will need another hotel, at least. Qaddafi's left arm is a bit weird, but I had a self-imposed deadline, and would have had to do too much to fix it.

New iPad 2 Announced

Ivan's many thoughts forge ahead. Unfortunately some of his thoughts should just stay in his head. I think Ivan idolizes Steve Jobs. But personally, I see no connection.

The New Game

Something more important than sports is on TV and the Internet.  Here's hoping that more democratic rule occurs in the Middle East, and with it an appreciation for the differences of others.

My Name Is Not Dave

Further adventures with automated phone agents. Mr. Rhooms has to deal with HAL-9000, who seems to have a malfunction. According to Wikipedia, in June 2003, HAL-9000 was listed thirteenth on the American Film Institutes's 100 list of worst 100 movie villains. HAL-9000's response in the last panel is out of character, and used here for a (hopefully possible) laugh.

58 Minute Wait

Inspiration for this strip came from a twenty minute phone call to an (un-named) government office. After five minutes of speaking to 'the machine', giving it my personal information, an actual person was connected, and of course, she knew nothing of that previously laboriously given personal information.

For those who are not familiar with the HAL 9000, it is the infamous computer in the famous Stanley Kubrick film, "2001: A Space Odyssey".

George Washington's Ghost

Today, we celebrate the birthday of George Washington, who has since given his name to thousands of people and things in the old US of A. As a matter of fact, my father was named George.

Living In The Future

I believe it will be a long time before cash is eliminated from our daily lives.  Just think how long it's been since we've started trying to eliminate the penny. No, I'm afraid there will be just that many more options in our option-filled world. Life just keeps getting more interesting.

Lucy's Patriotic Poem

The more I discovered about this U.S.Supreme Court case (Citizens United v Federal Election Commission 130 S.Ct. 876 (2010)), the more insidious it revealed itself to be. This successful attempt to ultimately provide yet more political power to the power brokers of wealthy corporations (and ironically, labor unions) was presented under the guise of free speech and assembly. Unbelievable, but all too sadly true, this ruling opens the doors for more expensive and nastier political campaigns, further setting back attempts to reign-in already out-of-control spending, and influence peddling.