Category: Cartooning

On the eve of a new year

~ Patrick O'Grady ~ 8 Comments

Soon 2008 will be in our collective rear-view mirror, and good riddance, says I. Adios, motherfucker. For the first time since January 2000 the world can look forward to a United States that isn’t hagridden by a clique of junior-varsity fascists bent on making the world safe for their bidness buddies and a bloody nightmare for everyone who doesn’t know their Secret Handshake.

I don’t envy Barack Obama. Sure, he asked for the gig, but cleaning up after The Decider has to be the worst janitorial job since Heracles tackled the Augean Stables. We’re not talking a fresh coat of paint and some air freshener here — more like dump truck after dump truck full of stinking sludge and toxic waste.

So when you’re celebrating this evening, raise a glass to the president-elect. His new year is not likely to be a happy one.

And on a lighter note, for a look back at the year in cycling, pop on over to VeloNews.com. I’ve posted all my editorial cartoons from 2008.

iToons for iPhones?

~ Patrick O'Grady ~ 2 Comments
Coming from a magazine to a cell phone near you?
Coming from a magazine to a cell phone near you?

As newspapers circle the bowl, features syndicates circle the wagons and think about new delivery systems for the comic strip. Some strips are already archived online, with social networking add-ons and RSS feeds, but the next big thing is likely to be comics delivered straight to your phone, says Uclick CEO Douglas Edwards in a chat with The New York Times. Writes Leslie Berlin:

In the last two months, Uclick has placed several bets on the iPhone, which Mr. Edwards says is a good platform for comics because it has a relatively large screen that makes text easier to read. Uclick sells comics-themed wallpaper and animations for cellphones. In November, the company began selling graphic novels on iTunes.

Last week, Andrews McMeel Universal introduced a new version of its free GoComics Web site, optimized for the iPhone. GoComics has many of the same features as Comics.com, as well as a pay-to-post area for emerging cartoonists called Comics Sherpa. Mr. Edwards says GoComics is profitable but declines to give specific figures.

Should be interesting. The only cartoonist I follow regularly is Pat Oliphant, and his work is hard enough to decipher on a 22-inch Viewsonic monitor, especially the snide asides from Puck the penguin (who is Oliphant speaking for himself rather than on behalf of an editorial board). Edwards may be able to deliver Oliphant to my phone, but that’s no guarantee that I’ll be able to figure out what he’s on about.