Monday sketchbook: Founding Mothers

There were too many ways this could be misinterpreted, so I decided to leave it in the drawer.

O beautiful for spacious skies...

My apprentice, Ben, helped with the coloring.

With a boom

It's that time of year...fireworks sales are on!

Under the Sea

This came about from a Trivial Pursuit question: "How many hearts does an octopus have?"

Here's some cool video about our cephalopod friends.

And this was before I worked there...

Actually, I liked working as the PR guy for DMV. There was always something going on. But then again, I was on the right side of the counter. And come July 1, I think I'll be even more happy to be at ODOT HQ instead. That's when new ID requirements kick in, and a lot of folks don't realize that the laws apply to everyone. There may be a few unhappy campers.

Our friends at Exxon

I saw on the AP Newswire today that a judge lowered the settlement in the Exxon Valdez incident. I'm amazed that the case is still going on, but it gives me a chance to run this cartoon!

I'm Chip

There were a lot of people who told me that they liked this idea. Most of them were female.

Personally, I like the "Oh my heck!" You gotta speak the language.

Monday sketchbook: from Uncle Glen's funeral

It may seem a little odd to some to post cartoons from a funeral. But one characteristic that was mentioned repeatedly about Uncle Glen was his sense of humor.

The top and bottom cartoons were from Glen himself; the middle one was from my cousin Dennis when he was delivering his remarks.

I have to say that there were probably just as many -- if not more -- laughs that were shared than tears.

Girls Camp

Our girls came back from camp this weekend, and they shared their testimonies in Sacrament Meeting today. As usual, it was pretty awesome. And the leaders, as usual, looked exhausted but happy.

Dumping vegetables

We thought it might be a nice, relaxing Saturday...until we discovered that our fridge went on the fritz and quit the refrigeration business. We spent a good part of the morning dumping melted vegetables and other assorted thawed freezer bits. We just now finished wiping off raspberry juice and melted ice cream from the doors, and now we're discovering the wonders that have fallen between the cracks on the refrigerator side. At least all the meat was in the outside freezer. It could have been really nasty!

Chip shot

Yeah, it's kinda dumb. Maybe Tiger Woods can pop down to Utah Valley for his rehab.

Alien life

I've had to deal with a few college-age kids this past week. and sometimes adjusting to life away from home is a little bit difficult. I remember feeling like Rusty my freshman year. And my sophomore year...and junior year...and so on. In fact, on Monday I pulled in to the booth at the visitor parking lot on the BYU campus and the attendant took one look at me and said, "No way are you a student. Go ahead and park anywhere on the first four rows." So much for feeling like one of the Collective.

Hello, my name is...

It seems like Good Heavens has been getting a little ahead of itself. Yeah, we met Jack...but who is that other guy who's always telling him what to do? This strip clarifies all that. It's Gustav, Jack's personal guide to the hereafter.

It occurred to me that things could be just a little disorienting when one gets to the other side. It might take a little time to adjust and get one's bearings. I'm sure there are friends and family there who'll be happy to see you (see April 29), but they'll have their own stuff to deal with. And of course there's probably some paperwork involved, so why not have someone there to help you along?

This strip falls in at No. 5 in the series, right after Jack visits the Complaint Department (June 7). That should help clarify things from here on out.

Vacation plans?

I caught a little flak about this one for some odd reason. Seriously, did they think this was going to inspire some kid to steal a backhoe and ram it into his school?

On a side note, just coming back from Utah, I learned that my Dad's old school where he taught has been razed to make way for some new development. And the location was right next to I-215. I wonder?

Monday sketchbook: family time

I've spent a lot of time with family this weekend between Father's Day and Uncle Glen's funeral. My roots are mostly Scandanavian (there's a surprise with a name like Beckstrom!), but sometimes you've gotta wonder!

Just a note about the cartoon. I always hated it on shows like Star Trek when they gave planets names with numbers. And then the name that I come up with for this not only has a number, but it sounds like a variation of the fish head guy from Star Wars. I planned to change it when I did a final cartoon, but this one just somehow never rose to final cartoon status.

Happy Father's Day!

I'm a little surprised to find myself doing this, but this is a comic strip from a sister blog of mine, Zarahemla Times. It just seemed to be the perfect strip for Father's Day. I know that I've heard Daniel say the exact same thing to me. So, to all my boys: Happy Father's Day!

Flag Day

I've been in Scouting for a long time, Cubs and Boy Scouts, and if there's one thing I've learned it's that you have to speak their language. If you put the concepts in terms they can understand, then they get it. Plus you have to blow stuff up as often as possible.

I like that Flag Day and Father's Day are on consecutive days this year. One thing my Dad taught me was a love of the flag and my country. There's no better sound than that of the flag fluttering in the wind.

Fetch

As I drew this, I found myself feeling sorry for the poor little dog. Somedays doesn't it just seem that you're faced with tasks that may be just a little too big for your liking?

I also wonder where the dog's collar and license came from? Some Neanderthal County Clerk's Office?

Almost there...

Yeah, it's been one of those days.

Update: 6.17.08 I got a comment informing me that this 'toon is apparently a repeat, and wondering why. The reason is that I have an imperfect filing system, and I wasn't paying quite enough attention when I posted. The correct cartoon for the day should have been this one.

Different nuance to the commentary text, isn't it?

Sorry, and thanks for the catch!

You could look it up...

I'm sure there are even more references, but these are some of my favorites.

Safe at home

I got a text message from my cousin at 2:41 this morning to let me know that my uncle, Glen H. Walker, passed away.

There were a lot of labels that could be applied to Uncle Glen: he was a big time heart surgeon in Southern California, he twice served as president of the Los Angeles LDS Temple, he sang in the Southern California Mormon Choir. He was a counselor and confidant. He always had a story. He was funny, he was compassionate, and he was a kind man. He will be missed.

Of all the memories I have of my uncle, the most prominent is of the time he took me to my first Major League Baseball game. It was the Dodgers vs. the Cincinnati Reds, and Dodger Stadium was celebrating its tenth anniversary. It was a night game, and I was totally in awe because the real Johnny Bench was catching for the Reds. This wasn’t the “B” team. These were the authentic big league players!

As a souvenir of the game, Uncle Glen bought me a tenth anniversary banner, which hangs in my office to this day — surrounded by my sons’ Little League ball caps. The tip of the pennant shows a Dodger coming in home, sliding past the catcher. And somehow I just know that the catcher is Johnny Bench. I know it is.

When I thought of what would be appropriate to run in his memory, this Good Heavens cartoon immediately popped into mind.* It’s one I’m sure he would have appreciated, along with the follow up (tomorrow’s cartoon).

I’ll miss him.

Thank you, Uncle Glen.

*I’ve got to make special notice of the Old Dutch Salt and Vinegar Chips, an added bonus that gives a nod to his Canadian heritage.

All's quiet

I remember that every June 6, Charles Schulz would have some special strip to commemorate D-day. I don't have anything deep or poignant in my archives, but I did come across this. I like the look of the chicken. It looks so out of place...as compared with the ducks who look like they belong in the trenches!

A mess of blessings

This is another old one from The New Era. With all the changes and comings and goings we've gone through in the past several weeks, I saw this one and it reminded me that all the upheaval really is a blessing. I just wish we didn't have to clean up afterwards!

Complaints?

It's been a while since I ran a Good Heavens strip. I think this was the next one in the series.

Graduation

Daniel passed the graduation milestone last night, and I'm pretty certain that he, too, felt like he made it through the shaft to get there. Way to go, Mr. D!

Talkin' baseball

There are several reasons that this cartoon is good for today. It's baseball season, what can I say?

Tat Twam Asi

Today was the first day of classes for Zach and the last day of classes for Daniel. Which kind of makes me feel like the girl in this cartoon.

I lifted the "Tat Twam Asi" question straight from one of Spencer J. Palmer's tests in World Religions. I thought he would be upset, but because I only included the question and not the answer, I was still in his good graces.

All the amenities

After spending the weekend at BYU-Idaho, I got a good reminder of what dorm life is like*.

I suppose this cartoon could be updated by adding WiFi to the extra features...one apartment complex in Rexburg even included a special gaming package for new residents. I suppose back in the day they advertised indoor plumbing or hot and cold running water.

*But even the scariest dorm room I saw was way better than the motel I stayed in in Pocatello! I'm pretty sure they used it to film at least one episode of COPS.

Monday sketchbook: farm country

After spending a good portion of the past three days driving across Idaho and Oregon, I got to see a lot of farm country. A lot of farm country, with lots of different crops (not just potatoes!). I thought it was only apropos to throw in this sketch today.

Package from home

Here's another from The New Era that was drawn (sort of) from real life. My Mom, bless her heart, was very practical about the packages she sent to me in Korea while I was on my mission. It wasn't quite to the extent of including nothing but vegetables, but there wasn't a lot of candy or treats.

The package in the cartoon is addressed to Elder Facer, my greenie companion in Kwang Ju. It's only appropriate, since I'm near his old stomping grounds in southern Idaho this weekend, taking my son to BYU-Idaho. He was from Grace, making Elder Facer a Gracer. I never tried telling him that.