Monday, May 31, 2010
Monday sketchbook: Memorial Day
Memorial Day always reminds me of visiting relatives and hearing stories from our family history. I thought it would be interesting to transfer that concept to the folks over at Zarahemla Times.
Sunday, May 30, 2010
I think it's gonna be a long, long time
Saturday, May 29, 2010
It's just a click away
What? Is that a French flag in the background? It wasn't meant to be -- I was just thinking red, white and blue. And yes, that is an iMac (even though they didn't have those in WWII). The original poster that this was based on had a typewriter - and who knows what those are nowadays?
This was the first big pitch we did to use the Internet for DMV transactions. It was relatively new technology for state government way back then, so we minimized the risk by starting with downloadable forms and answers to questions (however, you'd be amazed at how many people clog up the lines at the DMV just trying to get those things!).
In the ensuing years, we wised up and got a much easier URL: www.OregonDMV.com.
This was the first big pitch we did to use the Internet for DMV transactions. It was relatively new technology for state government way back then, so we minimized the risk by starting with downloadable forms and answers to questions (however, you'd be amazed at how many people clog up the lines at the DMV just trying to get those things!).
In the ensuing years, we wised up and got a much easier URL: www.OregonDMV.com.
Friday, May 28, 2010
Thursday, May 27, 2010
Rosie the customer service agent
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Keeping you in suspension
Structural engineers have this thing called the bridge formula that they use to determine how much weight a bridge can bear*. Whenever I heard our engineers talk about the bridge formula, for some reason I always thought of a recipe -- you know, something along the lines of Julia Child doing a show dedicated to single span arches. The humor in this one is aimed at a certain demographic, so don't worry. If you're a bridge engineer with an affinity for French cooking, you'll be totally ROFL. Trust me.
*Calvin's dad totally lied on this one. They don't keep driving bigger and bigger trucks over a bridge until it collapses and then weigh the truck. That'd be silly!
*Calvin's dad totally lied on this one. They don't keep driving bigger and bigger trucks over a bridge until it collapses and then weigh the truck. That'd be silly!
Monday, May 24, 2010
Monday sketchbook: Traffic report
Maybe it's just me, but some of the stuff they say on the traffic report conjures up images in my mind that I don't think the radio announcers are trying to conjure. Here are just a few that I experience on almost a daily basis:
First is the thing that's in the way. There's one traffic reporter who refers to it as a "giant blockage on the freeway."
Next is the traffic tie-up. Maybe this comes from watching too much Dudley Do Right as a child, but this is what comes to my mind...
...and, of course, the all too familiar sideshow feature, the fender bender.
Any of those cliches get your goat?
First is the thing that's in the way. There's one traffic reporter who refers to it as a "giant blockage on the freeway."
Next is the traffic tie-up. Maybe this comes from watching too much Dudley Do Right as a child, but this is what comes to my mind...
...and, of course, the all too familiar sideshow feature, the fender bender.
Any of those cliches get your goat?
Sunday, May 23, 2010
Delivering the word
Saturday, May 22, 2010
Be careful out there!
Friday, May 21, 2010
Risky Business
Transportation Safety Month isn't just an excuse to unload all my old public information stuff. That's just part of it! I was asked to illustrate some concepts for risk management that promoted other types of safety for the agency, not just being safe on the road. This one could almost be a stand alone cartoon by itself.
Thursday, May 20, 2010
The payoff
So what was the point of these University Avenue ads? To show that we had fun and were very successful with a cartoon character as "spokesman" for the project. We measured success in a couple of ways: the project came in ahead of schedule, under budget and expanded an additional four blocks; only one business went under during construction (and they were on their way out before we even began) -- in fact, most businesses saw an upturn in sales during construction.
With that success in hand, we were faced with a similar project on Ogden's Washington Boulevard. We showed them samples of what we'd done in Provo with the University Avenue project.
Their reaction?
"We're not like Provo! We don't want a stupid cartoon character!"
With that feedback from the field, we went back to Salt Lake and drew up a communications plan with a different approach. We presented it to the same focus group a little while later, and they loved it. Here's a sample poster from that particular project:
Recognize it at all? You might. It's based on a World War II propaganda poster. From the other side.
And the folks in Ogden loved it!
With that success in hand, we were faced with a similar project on Ogden's Washington Boulevard. We showed them samples of what we'd done in Provo with the University Avenue project.
Their reaction?
"We're not like Provo! We don't want a stupid cartoon character!"
With that feedback from the field, we went back to Salt Lake and drew up a communications plan with a different approach. We presented it to the same focus group a little while later, and they loved it. Here's a sample poster from that particular project:
Recognize it at all? You might. It's based on a World War II propaganda poster. From the other side.
And the folks in Ogden loved it!
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Added upon
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
It ads up
The Safari Guy made his appearance in paid display ads as well. Here are a couple we had a little fun with.
We really worked closely with the city and the downtown business organization during the public information campaign. It was a lot of fun (for me, at least!) and was pretty successful.
I tell you this for a reason. You'll see.
We really worked closely with the city and the downtown business organization during the public information campaign. It was a lot of fun (for me, at least!) and was pretty successful.
I tell you this for a reason. You'll see.
Monday, May 17, 2010
Monday sketchbook: Camoflage!
Sunday, May 16, 2010
All wet
Hagoth, in case you missed it, was a builder of ships mentioned at the end of Alma in the Book of Mormon.
Saturday, May 15, 2010
My, what a big cartoon you have there!
Friday, May 14, 2010
Thursday, May 13, 2010
Explore Provo, explore the world
Besides the comic strip, we also did print ads for the "Explore Provo" public information campaign. This is one of the filler PSAs we supplied to the newspapers in Utah County.
On a side note, I did a "vanity Google" the other day, and found that one of my Conference Enhancement Tips cartoons was translated and posted in Portuguese! Cool!
Here's the original, if you're interested.
On a side note, I did a "vanity Google" the other day, and found that one of my Conference Enhancement Tips cartoons was translated and posted in Portuguese! Cool!
Here's the original, if you're interested.
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
On a clear day
Looking at a four-block long section of highway in the heart of downtown wasn't enough for some folks. They wanted to get down to ground level and do like we suggested, explore Provo - where we had excavated! That was especially true when we reached the intersection with Center Street, where the road crews uncovered some previously unknown train tracks.
For obvious safety (and liability) reasons, we couldn't allow people to blithely traipse through the work zone, so we offered up this gentle reminder.
Me, I had the orange vest and a camera, so I got to see everything up close and personal... and it was cool!
For obvious safety (and liability) reasons, we couldn't allow people to blithely traipse through the work zone, so we offered up this gentle reminder.
Me, I had the orange vest and a camera, so I got to see everything up close and personal... and it was cool!
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
I go pogo
What would Transportation Safety Month be without a visit to University Avenue in Provo and our old "Explore Provo" public information campaign?
Because the project went right through downtown, a lot of people got a front row ticket to see live road construction for the very first time. And let me tell you, it ain't like pouring a patio or putting in a sidewalk! They use all kinds of machines that most folks have never even heard of, let alone seen in action.
One of those machines is a compactor, which (as the name implies) compacts the subsurface of the road in preparation for the concrete. There's a lot of bouncing involved in operating one, which led me to this cartoon.
Because the project went right through downtown, a lot of people got a front row ticket to see live road construction for the very first time. And let me tell you, it ain't like pouring a patio or putting in a sidewalk! They use all kinds of machines that most folks have never even heard of, let alone seen in action.
One of those machines is a compactor, which (as the name implies) compacts the subsurface of the road in preparation for the concrete. There's a lot of bouncing involved in operating one, which led me to this cartoon.
Monday, May 10, 2010
Monday sketchbook: Fair warning
As Transportation Safety Month continues, let's take a look at some simple warning signs of dangerous drivers. Bumper stickers, like dents in the fenders, are often a dead giveaway. This idea came to me one morning while I drove to work, and the thought of it kind of scared me just a little! I certainly hope I don't see any stickers like these!
Sunday, May 9, 2010
Happy Mother's Day
Saturday, May 8, 2010
Curve correction
Friday, May 7, 2010
Environmental awareness
Thursday, May 6, 2010
Say AAAAH!
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
Waiting for it
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
Happy meal! Sort of.
Monday, May 3, 2010
Monday sketchbook: Too many left turns
Sunday, May 2, 2010
Saturday, May 1, 2010
Let's be safe out there
As you may know, May is National Transportation Safety Awareness Month, in the which we celebrate being aware of safety in the world of transportation. Being involved in the transportation industry and being a consumer of safety myself, I've decided yet again to celebrate the month by running some of my transportation-related cartoons.
Let's begin by journeying back through time (to some of my earlier work) to see where it all began.
I actually liked this one better before the stupid beer commercial with the caveman pole dance. But that's another story.
Let's begin by journeying back through time (to some of my earlier work) to see where it all began.
I actually liked this one better before the stupid beer commercial with the caveman pole dance. But that's another story.
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