Sunday, December 31, 2017

2017 Countdown: The Top Ten, part I

Once again, here are my top cartoons from the past year as determined by a precise adjudicating system that leaves a lot of room for judgment.

No. 10
This cartoon from January foreshadowed the third hour curriculum change that goes into effect next year. After all, cartoons from the New Era and Conference talks are practically the same thing, right?



No. 9
Zombies and missionaries seem to be featured in a lot of my cartoons for some odd reason. Here’s what happens when you combine the two!



No. 8
One thing that I learned quickly as a missionary: never mess with the sisters.



No. 7
Who knew that turkeys and Shakespeare would go together so well? This Thanksgiving series was appreciated by a lot of folks.



No. 6
This was ripped from the headlines and resonated with a lot of readers. We had a long, hot, dry summer in the Pacific Northwest. That led to a lot of wildfires across the region, and a lot of smoke. There was a lot of rejoicing when the first drops of rain finally fell!



Tomorrow — the rest of the Top Ten! Be safe out there.

Saturday, December 30, 2017

2017 Countdown: The Runners-Up

One of my favorite things about this time of year is looking back at the cartoons I’ve shared on here. Some make me cringe, others make me smile, and occasionally laugh out loud. I’m thankful for those. And I’m thankful for your feedback, questions and comments that make it all worthwhile.

With that, allow me to present the top cartoons for 2017. They’ve been selected through a complex formula (which even I don’t understand) which involves views, clicks, shares, appearances in other publications, comments, and a few other weird factors that are thrown into the mix.

Here, then, are the runners-up: those that didn’t quite make the Top Ten.

No. 5
This one’s a little more cerebral than most of my cartoons. Yes, Enoch (and his city) were known for their translation — but not that kind of translation!


No. 4 (tie)
This one kind of squeaked in there during the college football season. At the beginning of the year it looked like BYU had a lot of potential, but then a lot of things happened — many of them not pretty. Still, faithful fans held out hope.


No. 4 (tie)
Yeah. The dabbing thing. Once trendy, now ironic. We’re about done with that, aren’t we?


No. 3
The plaques, the maps, the pictures. What do they all mean?


No. 2
How can I be expected to store cans of wheat when I can’t even hold onto a bag of fun size Snickers?


No. 1
I love that not long after this cartoon was published, the Church modified future General Conferences to no longer have the Women's Session separate, but have it annually each October and the Priesthood Session in April. Time Out for Men can’t be far behind!

Tune in tomorrow for the first half of the 2017 Top Ten!

Friday, December 29, 2017

2017 Countdown: The Sketchbook

The Sketchbook is for those ideas that don't quite rise to the level of making it to a full-fledged cartoon — for whatever reason. Sometimes they graduate to the next level... but usually not!

Here are the tops from last year.

First, in the permanent top spot are my General Conference sketchnotes. This one is from October, in which Elder Zwick (my former boss) quoted one of my favorite movies (The Lion King).


Normally I run the Top Five but we had a tie, so here are the top six.

No. 6 is also related to General Conference.


I wasn't the only one who had a good time with the Shakespearean turkeys.

 Faith in every footstep, right?
This one may just graduate to toonhood.
And No. 1: I think we've all felt this way!


Stay tuned tomorrow for the runners up to the 2017 Top Ten!

Thursday, December 28, 2017

2017 Countdown: The Others

As you may know, I have three other cartoon blogs that I run, although they've been a little less active this year due to a variety of reasons. I'm hopeful that will pick up in the coming year.

Sis. Kerry Jo's Mission Blog
Sis. Kerry Jo has been home for a while now, but she's been catching up on stories that she couldn't, or didn't have time to tell. Here are three of the more popular strips from Kerry Jo:



...and ripped from the headlines:


Many of Zarahemla Times' storylines from this year also reflected today's headlines. 




I like Good Heavens because it marches to its own drummer; I can do things in it that I can't do in my other strips. 



And this one was actually one of the top cartoons overall. It ran in the summer after the hurricanes and other disasters, followed by the news that Tom Petty had died. It was a lot for us to collectively handle!



Wednesday, December 27, 2017

2017 Countdown: It's meme time!

As a prelude to the official yearly countdown, once again we look at the popular memes from this past year. We had some good ones!

In fourth place, the return of the Hobbit:

In third place, the Halloween safety messages:


Number two was the work zone safety Star Wars messages:


And No. 1 — from the event of a lifetime: the Eclipse!


Tuesday, December 26, 2017

Sketchbook: Post #LightTheWorld

OK, I know it's a Tuesday, but I'm about due for one from the Sketchbook! Hope your Christmas was amazing, and your Boxing Day is wonderful as well!

How was your experience with #LightTheWorld?


Monday, December 25, 2017

Let your light so shine...

Merry Christmas! Thank you for helping me Light the World. Have a wonderful holiday, and remember to keep celebrating the Light of the World throughout the year!


Sunday, December 24, 2017

Saturday, December 23, 2017

I was in prison and ye came unto me

Some prisons are physical, others include mental or physical limitations, and addictions. Reach out to those who are feeling trapped and let them know they are not alone.


Friday, December 22, 2017

That which ye have seen me do

One way the Light the World is to simply open your mouth. It doesn't even have to be a missionary message. Sometimes just a kind word or a simple hello can be all someone needs to hear. Share your light.


Thursday, December 21, 2017

For I was an hungered and ye gave me meat

It's amazing how much hope you can give someone by simply giving them a meal or something good to eat. Whether someone is sick, homeless or alone, the simple act of providing a meal can make a huge difference.


Wednesday, December 20, 2017

Tuesday, December 19, 2017

Rejoice and be exceeding glad

Suggestions for today include sending a package to someone to show that you care, count your blessings, reach out to someone who has been a positive influence to you, and celebrate the accomplishments of others.

Be glad for the joy and happiness of those around you; it will come back to you.


Monday, December 18, 2017

Forgive men their trespasses

Forgiveness is something that many of us struggle with. It's difficult to let go of anger, pain and sorrow caused by someone else. Yet we seek forgiveness all the time.

Healing comes when we forgive, and when we are forgiven. Bring peace to your life. Forgive someone their trespasses, and forgive yourself.


Sunday, December 17, 2017

Ye shall meet together oft

It's good to meet together oft, but it's even better if there's an agenda and a purpose for the meeting!



Saturday, December 16, 2017

I was naked and ye clothed me

I've heard it said that if you can give only one thing to a homeless person, give them a pair of socks. As Dumbledore said, "One can never have enough socks."