As usual, the last strip is the latest in the story. It’s one of the great joys of producing a continuing cartoon strip that the storylines - or story arcs, as people like to say today - can go on for as long as one can hold a pen.
And talking of holding a pen, that has become difficult of this last week or so. More on that below..
Gonzo Journalism
Anyone know the term? It’s said to have been coined to describe a type of reportage created by Hunter S. Thompson, an American journalist who started, in 1970, to insert himself into the pieces he wrote for a magazine known as Scanlan’s Monthly. His great idea was to write the piece from his own standpoint, rather than as a dispassionate reporter of events. This meant that facts, the absolute ‘raison d’être’ of professional journalism, became of secondary importance to his own experience of his subject. And it was fun.
Gonzo Cartooning
So today, I would like to proclaim myself the first cartoonist to engage in Gonzo Cartooning, using my own experiences as the central theme of my cartoons.
For example, I recently did some decorating work here in France. Not my usual style, being inept in every way. It’s well-known among my friends and family that I have great trouble even painting a wall with a roller, for some reason.
So, I thought I’d just take on a simple task that even an imbecile would be able to complete without disaster striking.
Washing down a wall to prepare for the decorator.
As you can imagine, it wasn’t quite a perfect execution..
Honestly…
Then, for a few days, it simply rained…
Now, I know that this looks like heartless taunting on my part but the opposite is true. There’s a cat that patrols our garden. It’s a very cute little creature and we call her Atlas, as her tortoiseshell markings look like the various continents of the earth, to me at least.
Atlas is a mighty handy sentinel for us, as her fell presence in the garden deters mice and also prevents the rest of the local stray moggies from turning our garden into a midden, as they did before she took up her post.
But we are resolute in our wish not to have any animals to look after. It’s been this way for years and it means that we can go as we please, take long trips away if we wish and not have to beg favours from friends or neighbours.
All this means that we do not put food out for Atlas and neither do we invite her into our home. Much as it would be nice to pet and stroke the wee creature, in the cartoon above, I’m simply offering sympathy.
It really was lashing down, too, as if being fired out of a cannon.
This, then, is my light, intentionally non-serious concept of Gonzo Cartooning. I’m “in shot” most of the time and so it’s a kind of commentary on my life here in south-west France.
This Gonzo work exludes Merrie England, of course. I don’t yet have any plans to turn up in 14th century England to involve myself in any mediaeval shenanigans.
Or should I? What do you think? This is one of the great pleasures of writing this way and distributing through Substack. Do you think I should have a go at using a time machine to go and join my own characters? The ultimate in Gonzo cartooning, perhaps?
Vote here and we’ll see what happens..
While I’m pondering this, maybe you would like to be a cast member yourself? If you do, you’ll have to let me have your name and a picture but the rest will be my choice. You don’t get to insist on being a ‘goody’ or a ‘baddie’, though. I retain all rights over that but if I do introduce you, I won’t make you do anything that wouldn’t suit a family-friendly cartoon strip.
Let me know in the Comments if you’re game and we can go from there. (I also don’t have to make you look heroic or pretty, by the way!)
Well, that’s enough for now. I don’t like to overstay my welcome and eat into your precious liesure time.
As usual, here’s a link to one of my YouTube videos, so that you can learn about cartoon drawing if you wish.
See you next time!