March 9, 201211:00 am
Comic strips will often have running themes or have a series of strips that are interconnected because of the subject matter. For instance, a newspaper comic strip may have a week’s worth of daily strips revolving around the same topic. Rather than just have the strip over in a day, it is a way to carry out an interesting topic for several days. For example, the classic Garry Trudeau strip Doonesbury is one of the best at doing this with a subject matter that can be lampooned for several days straight. Sometimes, a topic may be recurring and carried over for months or even years. It just depends on how much mileage can be plucked from the subject matter, or before audiences tire and say, “next please.” For instance, would a week long strip of characters talking about Joe the Plumber work as well today as it would have in 2008? Probably not! Today’s Jimmy O’Hair strip is a series of strips around a Loss Prevention manager entering the Bookrazy store to investigate how Jimmy, Brooke and Zeke are handling retail security issues. The man runs into some problems dealing with the employees at the Bookrazy, so it made for a good topic to explore over a series of strips rather than just in a single isolated strip. In a nutshell, get ready from time to time for these series of strips in Jimmy O’Hair!
March 2, 201210:08 am
This Jimmy O’Hair comic strip website has been a long time in coming, and I’m pleased after some initial delays and a revamping of the site that it is up and running. The comic strip was born in the late 90s, but it was dormant for a few years until deciding to revive it again over the Internet. The comic strip was first published on the web (Comic Strip Network LLC), but it ran only weekly, was one of several strips on the site and it was in black and white. Now the comic strip is published several times a week (the current rollout is three times a week and the plan is to increase that number), it is in color, and this whole website is devoted to Jimmy O’Hair. There have been many changes in the last decade with the explosion of social media and new technologies, and all of that is beneficial for comic strips to reach a wider audience. It is good to be doing the comic strip again, and I am looking forward to the progression of Jimmy O’Hair and the gang in the days to come. As the old saying goes, “the adventure’s just begun.”
February 24, 201211:17 am
The Academy Awards takes place this Sunday, and the eyes of the world will be on what happens at the Kodak Theater in Hollywood. Who is going to win this year’s Best Picture? Will it be Hugo? The Descendants? The Artist? The Help? Midnight in Paris? Or one of the other films rumored to be a darkhorse candidate? Whatever happens, it is sure to be good hype for the movie that wins – at least for a few days until the next blockbuster is released or Charlie Sheen is “winning” again. As for the Jimmy O’Hair cartoon strip, I thought it would be good to have some fun with the Oscar ceremony. Zeppa is a true cinephile, and adores the movies. Hey, dogs do get a lot of time at home to lounge around in front of the TV, computer, or tablet, don’t they? She also considers herself a film “auteur”, so this strip pokes fun at her being invited to the Oscars for a competition among dogs entered for an Academy award. Regardless of what happens with the Oscars on Sunday night, there will be more to come with Zeppa. And another year of movie-watching to stoke our interest for the Academy Awards in 2013. Never to early to start thinking ahead, is it?
February 20, 201211:47 am
Today is Presidents’ Day, that day we acknowledge George Washington, Abraham Lincoln and all the past presidents of the United States. Even so, I don’t see a lot of people touting Martin Van Buren and Herbert Hoover on this day. In reality, Presidents’ Day is a federal holiday strictly for Washington’s birthday, but we won’t let that bother us. It’s still a national holiday! Speaking of presidents, we are in a presidential election year and that means political cartoons are widespread. I have always enjoyed political cartoons, and the topical nature of the humor. And what better targets for humor exist than politicians? I commend all the great political cartoonists out there who are quick to make us laugh with their work. While Jimmy O’Hair is not a political cartoon, there will certainly be opportunities to have some fun with politics on occasion. In the meantime, enjoy this Presidents’ Day holiday and don’t be afraid to pick up a book and read more about Millard Fillmore.
February 14, 201212:17 pm
Today is Valentine’s Day, which is a holiday for expressing one’s love to another. For cartooning, it’s another opportunity for humor. When you’re in a relationship, that makes for good comic fodder. When you’re not in a relationship, that also makes for good comic fodder. So it’s good all around! It is fun to toy around with these different perspectives in a comic strip like Jimmy O’Hair. Holidays like Valentine’s Day present a way to show the cartoon characters in situations people can relate to, and hopefully connect with audiences on some level through the characters’ thoughts and observations. And for those who still haven’t made their table reservations or bought flowers or purchased candy for Valentine’s Day … you still have time! Just here to help.