You are not alone

When I started this cartoon I was thinking of holiday travel; when I finished it, I was thinking of shopping. It works either way!

Anybody want to buy a goat?

My dad was a teacher. When I was a kid, it was the highlight of my summer when I got to go into the teacher's lounge and see the inner workings of the school. They had a super cool vending machine that sold soft drinks in glass bottles. I must have been in third grade, and I thought that was the best thing ever.

Then in high school, my best friend's uncle stocked the vending machines in the school. If we happened to catch up with him at the right time, he would usually give us a couple of candy bars for free. That was the new best thing ever.

Now that Light the World has those awesome vending machines — excuse me, giving machines — I think those might be about the best thing ever. Even better than the soda machine in the teacher's lounge!

Parts is parts.

It's time to put the turkeys to rest... thanks to tryptophan!

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving, and remember to count your many blessings!

There, lurking in the shadows...

If you're a turkey, you should never watch cooking shows while you're home alone in the dark.

Just like grandma's

Sketchbook: Show us what you're made of!

I don't know about you, but personally I steer clear of things made out of tofu (or tubu in Korean). I had enough of it on my mission to last a lifetime!

Aspirational goals

Butterball. Or Tyson. Or Jenny-O. Foster Farms. Any of them will do!

A cold day

Light it up

I love Light the World. It's such an easy way to introduce people to the gospel and to help bring them unto Christ. Few people can object to dedicating a month to doing acts of service.

Of course, first you have to make it past Thanksgiving!

Brothers in arms. And legs. And wings. And wishbones.

"Which do you like better," my wife asked, "turkey cartoons or zombie cartoons?"

I was stumped. I couldn't give her an answer.

Don't worry. One more week and we'll be moving on to Christmas!

All in

I've been in some wards where they open up the church on Thanksgiving and have a potluck Thanksgiving dinner. Someone provides a turkey, and everyone else brings a side. It's great for those who don't have a place to go or just want to be with other people on the holiday.

Sketchbook: At the (Hallmark) movies

The more I think about this, the more I think that they should absolutely make a Hallmark movie that somehow features the missionaries. Wouldn't that be amazing?

WWI flying...turkey?

Whenever cartoonists include something from Peanuts in their work, they usually offer apologies to Charles Schulz or say that they are paying homage to him. He's my favorite cartoonist and one of my heroes.

Schulz had a huge influence on the world of cartooning. Even today, Peanuts is carried in more than 2,000 newspapers worldwide (who knew that there were still that many newspapers?!).

Jim Borgman and Jerry Scott, creators of Zits, say that they often put the zigzag pattern of Charlie Brown's shirt onto things in their strip: cereal bowls, lampshades, etc., to pay tribute to him. You may notice how often that motif appears in the work of other cartoonists as well. 

Their loss is our gain

Even though Lehi's family left their gold and their silver and their precious things back in Jerusalem, I imagine there was some disappointment — especially on the parts of Laman and Lemuel — that Laban stole all their stuff. Including the silverware.

This cartoon is based on an idea by Elder Lindstrom, our local district leader and frequent guest in our home. Thanks, Elder!

Changing thoughts

I haven't added to the Not Quite Zen series recently, and this one seemed to flow naturally from the one yesterday.  

A higher plate

I struggled with whether there should be one "nom" or two. The life of a cartoonist can be difficult sometimes!

Do we say aah or mmm?

I always get interesting cartoon ideas when I visit my dentist. Even without the nitrous oxide!

Speaking of good ideas, are you looking for a great gift idea for Thanksgiving? Look no further! A new collection, "Tastes Good with Giblets and Gravy Blues," is hot off the press! Order your copy today!

Sketchbook: Where you from?

I've had the privilege at work this past week of interviewing several veterans who now work for us. They have some great stories to share.

One recalled meeting their drill instructor immediately after getting off the bus as a new recruit. The drill instructor told them that they were all from Mars — that was to be their response whenever they were asked.

After three times of telling his instructor that he was from California, and being reminded in that gentle way that drill instructors have, he finally caught on that he was supposed to answer that he was from Mars! That's where this sketch came from: what if the new recruit really was from Mars?

To a person, each veteran said they were proud of their service, it was a great experience, and they learned about hard work, loyalty, diversity, and getting a job done with limited resources. Each came back with a sense of pride and patriotism. Many recommended the everyone should have a chance to serve.

Even if you're from Mars.

Thank you to all of our veterans, and those who currently serve!

Scattered sunshine

Those turkeys in the sunbelt need to be careful!

They're on the move!

A flock of turkeys would be interesting to see on border patrol!

Sweat it out

It's just a letter

Especially that "greet one another with a holy kiss" part.

We can work it out

Actually we're still working on our Halloween candy!

Sketchbook: Turkey in disguise

I found this hidden in my sketchbook from last November. Although it's a little more political than I usually get in my cartoons, it seems quite topical today.

I think it's going to be a long, long time

Sure. In theory we might get an extra hour of sleep for one night. But in the long-term, just how significant is that really?

Our legislature passed a law last year that would get Oregon out of changing back and forth to accommodate Daylight Saving Time. But it won't go into effect until next year, and only then if it's approved at the federal level.

Things could be a little confusing around here on Sunday!

Back to business

What do the monsters do after Halloween? There can't be a lot of call for their particular set of skills.