Cartoon Service Process

If you should want me to draw something for you, this would be how the process would unfold. Take the sketches above, for example. This is an actual drawing for my friend, August. He gave me a detailed description of what he wanted. This isn’t a direct quote, but he said something like, “Draw, like, a cherry bomb character on wheels. Kind of like those stickers that were around when we were kids, called Hot Rods, I think it was.” So, once I get your description and a down payment of $10.00, I will do some doodles, then you let me know what you like and what you don’t like. Let’s find out if we both have the same idea in mind. In this case, August liked sketch number 3, and he told me the character should be a female.

Next, I sent him another drawing with a female face (and a tire) after he sent me another $10.00 installment. He approved them but also told me to make all of the tires the same size, and to put the phrase, “Cherry Bomb” in there somewhere. So, I made the changes and sent him another drawing with color.

He liked it as it was and sent me the remaining $30.00. But now, let’s say he wants the design on a mug. No problem. I just place it on a mug in my Redbubble store, then send the link to where he can view and/or buy it.

Through Redbubble, we can put your custom-made design on a myriad of products. Like mousepads, coasters, posters, T-shirts, calendars, shower curtains, and much more! Let me make your dream design or product a reality. Email Bob at oddboxcomics@att.net and say, “Hey Bob…can you draw me a cat riding on the back of a bat and then put it on a bathmat?” You betcha I can! (Click on the picture above to go to my Redbubble store.)

Passing the Rorschach Test

When I meditate, I see these two colors (black and violet?) constantly morphing into various abstract shapes. I thought, “Hey. Why don’t I make something like that out here in the real world?” I made some scribbles and stared at them for a while. I saw a face in there, so I made an outline of what I saw. To me, it looks like a man in a parka peering around some rocks or bushes at nighttime on a hillside with a pine tree in the background. What could it mean? Nothing weird, I hope.

This is the same image in a lighter hue to better illuminate the outlines. This is what it looks like when viewed through ultrasonic binoculars. My one regret? I didn’t save an image of the colors before adding the outlines. If I had, I could’ve gotten your interpretation. But I didn’t know I was going to see a picture within the colors! Well…maybe next time.

Christmas in September

This is a caricature portrait of my brother Joey, his wife Jennifer, and their granddaughter, Everlee. This was a Christmas gift from Everlee’s mom, Autumn, to Joe and Jennifer.

I got back to basics when drawing these caricatures. Although my drawing tablet has its advantages, using just a primitive pencil and eraser on paper is much more enjoyable. I drew the faces with pencil, scanned them into Photoshop, and then created the rest of the portrait using the drawing tablet.

Would you like to give a caricature portrait to one of your loved ones this Christmas? Let me know what you want and I’ll quote you a price, then you will say, “yes or no”, then we dicker and haggle maybe, and then you say, “yes”. Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night!

Contact Bob at oddboxcomics@att.net

I think, therefore I am, I think

I have taken the next step in evolution by creating my first “talky”. I have animated my comic strip! The plan is to produce one per month. Enjoy the existential hijinks! At this time, only my followers here at Oddbox Comics get to see this. I have a little bit more work to do on this before I make it public on YouTube. I’m going to make a new thumbnail that parodies YouTube thumbnails. You know, a lot of sensationalistic bullcrap with plenty of arrows and red circles. Also, I plan to attach my animated ScribblePad ad.

I hope you enjoy this Exclusive Showing!

Summer 2023 Version

I have created new packaging for the ScribblePad. I think it makes the product look more complete. If necessity is the mother of invention, then this is the baby. I’m not quite sure what I mean by that. It was born more out of economic necessity rather than aesthetical necessity. I wanted to move on to blister packaging for the next batch of Scribbles but was running short on money, so, I thought, “Perhaps I should figure out a way to do my own packaging on this go around”, so I did. Ta-Daaaa! It is basically the same as the last packaging, (same size, same bag) except the display cardstock goes inside the bag and extends all the way to the bottom of the bag. I call this, “The Poor Man’s Blister Packaging”. Not only does it look better than my former packaging, in my opinion, but it is sturdier, stronger. Also, like blister packaging, I have more space to add other pertinent information on the back (directions, instructions, ingredients and so on).

Not only does the ScribblePad packaging have an exciting new look, but the pad designs themselves have been altered in subtle and not so subtle ways. For instance, one just disappeared. (But that means there is a new one!)

Adobe Illustrator

This is what I did on my first foray into Illustrator. You may be asking, as well you should, “Why a buck-toothed fish, Bob?” From what I can glean, so far, Illustrator appears to be all about shapes. So I made a shape and I looked at it and said to myself, “I can make a fish out of that.” Why buck teeth, you ask. Well, that mouth just looked like it was begging for buck teeth. Also, I bring your attention to the eyes. I don’t know what I did but they just appeared to the right of the “fish”. I thought they looked like eyes, so I gave the fish the eyes that destiny deemed I should.

Owen Morgan (Telltale)

Sometimes, when I draw a caricature of somebody, I get this slight twinge of guilt telling me that I am mocking or making fun of my subject. I have to remind myself that I am actually honoring the subject. As I am drawing, I am admiring certain physical characteristics unique to my subject that I find fascinating enough to take the time to draw.

This is a caricature of Owen Morgan. He has a YouTube program that I watch quite frequently. He exposes the hypocrisy of some televangelists, evangelists, religious figures, and, of course, politicians who pretend to be religious. Nowadays, it is very difficult to discern whether someone is a politician or an evangelist. The line between them has gotten very, very thin.