The 2013 Top Ten, Part I

It was a challenge to narrow down the Top Ten for this year! There were quite a few that didn't make the cut that I really liked! Anyway, without further ado, here are the first five of the Top Ten!

No. 10
This one proved surprisingly popular -- probably amongst parents who've taken their children to the coast!

No. 9
We can't make it through the Top Ten without at least one zombie gag!

No. 8
Getting released from a calling you like is hard. Getting released from a calling your kids like is even harder!

No. 7
Scriptures and story problems go together like rocks and hard places!

No. 6 
Sister missionaries and social media. It's gonna be big! Our mission is just starting the transition to an iPad mission. Can't wait to see the results -- especially since a lot of our missionaries wind up in my cartoons!

The Runners Up

Here are the Top Five (six, actually -- you'll see) Runners Up for the year. They all have stories that go along with them.

No. 5
My cousin had a friend ask if she knew me, and the friend was thrilled to find out that the answer was yes. So as a favor to my cousin, I did a cartoon that featured her friend. Convoluted? Perhaps. This garnered the most Google+ shares of any cartoon from this year.

No. 4
Don't you hate it when you draw a nice cartoon and then forget what the caption was supposed to be? That happened to me a couple of times this year. This was the winning caption, coming in from a reader in the Great White North.

No. 3
It's unusual for a gag that's already run several times to make a resurgence, but that's what happened with the No. 3 cartoon. I reached the milestone of 2,000 entries on my blog, so I ran this one to mark the event -- my first cartoon ever published. Despite being a decade or two (or so) old, it still holds up.

No. 2 (tie)
Missionaries are always popular here. This year we sent off one of our own. Only problem was, he packed his brother's suit instead of his own. Here's what happened on both sides.

No. 1
And speaking of missionaries, Sis. Kerry Jo got her mission call this year! It started out as a storyline in 121 and spun out of control. Sis. Kerry Jo has her own missionary blog and her own Pinterest following. Be afraid!

Tune in tomorrow for the first five of the Top Ten for 2013!

Year End Countdown: Top Five from the Sketchbook!

Yes, it's that time -- time for the year in review! We start today with the Top Five from the Sketchbook. Tomorrow we see the runners-up, followed by the Top Ten. Keep coming back...there's more!

No. 5
This one garnered the most complaints, mostly from those who love being in nursery... and who doesn't? They have snacks! There were also those who totally agree with the idea...

No. 4
There were a lot of people who agreed with this idea, too. Don't ask.

No. 3
One of the big movies from the first of the year was Les Miserables (yes, technically the movie was released in December 2012, but that's beside the point). The film and the music were popular in our home, especially when the songs were taken out of context.

No. 2
It's one thing to know what it feels like, it's another thing to listen...

No. 1
The Conference sketchbooks are always a favorite, both for me and for you. This one is from the Priesthood Session of April Conference. Do you remember the talks?

Another voice

Editor's Note: This is no way reflects on our ward choir whatsoever. Thank you.

Tune in tomorrow for the start of the year end countdown!

Vacation

Shopping

Boxing Day (Dec. 26) and Black Friday are the two biggest shopping days of the year. I came across a cartoon I drew last summer that seems appropriate to run today. 

The Nephite Christmas Story

The story of the birth of Christ according to the record in The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ

"And they knew it was the day that the Lord should be born, because of the sign which had been given."

(3 Nephi)

Merry Christmas!

The Nephite Christmas Story

The story of the birth of Christ according to the record in The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ

“And it had come to pass, yea, all things, every whit, according to the words of the prophets.

“And it came to pass also that a new star did appear, according to the word.”

The Nephite Christmas Story

he story of the birth of Christ according to the record in The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ

“And it came to pass that the words which came unto Nephi were fulfilled, according as they had been spoken; for behold, at the going down of the sun there was no darkness; and the people began to be astonished because there was no darkness when the night came.

"And there were many, who had not believed the words of the prophets, who fell to the earth and became as if they were dead, for they knew that the great plan of destruction which they had laid…had been frustrated; for the sign which had been given was already at hand.

“In fine, all the people upon the face of the whole earth from the west to the east, both in the land north and in the land south, were so exceedingly astonished that they fell to the earth."

The Nephite Christmas Story

The story of the birth of Christ according to the record in The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ

“And behold, the voice of the Lord came unto him, saying:

“Lift up your head and be of good cheer; for behold, the time is at hand, and on this night shall the sign be given, and on the morrow come I into the world."

The Nephite Christmas Story

The story of the birth of Christ according to the record in The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ

“Now it came to pass that when Nephi, the son of Nephi, saw this wickedness of his people, his heart was exceedingly sorrowful."

“And it came to pass that he went out and bowed himself down upon the earth, and cried mightily in behalf of his people, yea, those who were about to be destroyed because of their faith in the tradition of their fathers."

The Nephite Christmas Story

The story of the birth of Christ according to the record in The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ

“And it came to pass that in the commencement of the ninety and second year, behold, the prophecies of the prophets began to be fulfilled more fully.

“But there were some who began to say that the time was past for the words to be fulfilled which were spoken by Samuel, the Lamanite."

“Now it came to pass that there was a day set apart by the unbelievers, that all those who believed in those traditions should be put to death except the sign should come to pass, which had been given by Samuel the prophet."

The Nephite Christmas Story

The story of the birth of Christ according to the record in The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ

“And now it came to pass that Samuel, the Lamanite, did prophesy a great many things.

“And behold, he said unto them: Behold, for five years more cometh, and behold, then cometh the Son of God to redeem all those who shall believe on his name.
“And behold, there shall a new star arise, such an one as ye never have beheld.
“And behold, this is not all, there shall be many signs and wonders in heaven.”
(Helaman 14)

Noble? Spruce? One of them balsams?

One week left! Tomorrow I start the retelling of the Nephite version of the Nativity. Stay tuned!

I'm also poring over stats, analytics and feedback as I compile the annual top ten list. Have any favorites you've seen this year? Any you never want to see again? Leave a comment, drop an email or send a message telepathically (no guarantees on that last one), and let me know what you think. Thanks!

The blessings of being home taught

I feel completely justified in running this cartoon, because we just finished delivering treat plates to our home teaching families. Can't wait for my home teachers to come over!

Monday Sketchbook: Holiday Supplies

I think the ability to reverse its powers after two years could be a very popular feature.

A pair of thanks

Christmas packages from home are the ultimate gift for a missionary. It doesn't even matter, really, what's in them. Just the fact that you got a package is AWESOME.

It's not to late to send something to your local missionaries!

Christmas surprises not so much

I went back and forth about leaving this one in the sketchbook, but I kept coming back to it because I thought it was funny that he'd expect to get anything else!

Editor's note: D'ya think it's a little ironic that the countdown icon for today tuned out to be an angel?

The gift of tongues

I had at least one companion who might have tried this, but I'm not naming names!

Cold to serve

It seems like I have a lot of cartoons about snow, and a good chunk of those include missionaries in the snow. I thought it was high time, then, to put some sister missionaries out in the cold!

Santa's little helpers

This one's a carryover from last year. You may recognize the quote.