MAD Again

Everyone who was waiting anxiously for my latest contribution to MAD magazine can relax. It's here! It's here! Issue #499. On sale now! Only sixteen bucks (Cheap!), or some such ridiculous cover price.

This is the second DORK SIDE comic to appear in MAD's Strip Club section. This issue also features contributions from current and former syndicated cartoonists John Kovaleski, Tony Murphy, and my former collaborator Todd Clark.

And before anyone asks, no I didn't draw that blow-up doll from life.

Blast From My Past

So I did this daily comic strip for a California newspaper a few years back, and I have about 15 months' worth of material and I looked at it again recently and I really quite liked it, even though it comes from a completely different place than EEK!, and I decided to see if UClick was interested and they were, so it's running 3 days a week on GoComics.

You'll see echoes of this strip in GO TEAM BOB and HIS & HERS. It was my first foray* into doing a daily strip and I enjoyed it thoroughly.

Give LITTLE OTTO a look, if you're interested in seeing some of my earlier work.

*I'll dig up samples of a strip I pitched in the early 90s called BOB & BOBO, about a very handy-capable guy in a wheelchair (Bob), his helper monkey (Bobo), and the trainer (Carol) whom Bob has a crush on. It's basically GARFIELD with a monkey (and a guy in a wheelchair).

The indirect inspiration for this little piece of comic strip gold was George Romero's "Monkey Shines," which I rented in 1991 or so.

I'm not sure if I received a personal note from Jay Kennedy about B & B. A hastily scrawled WTF? would've been quite appropriate.

Digest Any Good Cartoons Latey?

I opened a small envelope today which contained the March 2009 issue of Reader's Digest (thanks, Norm!) and my first sale to the famous magazine.

My 'toon appeared in a special spread about the crappy economy, so I guess you can say that the recession is actually helping my cartooning career.

I've included the printed cartoon along with the original. Looks like RD slightly stretched the image vertically. I kinda like it and think it's even an improvement.

Maybe I'll try this technique on future pieces.

Special Delivery

Coming to a
greeting card
store near you...

Name That Brain!

Hey, here's a fun idea.

It was suggested to me by cartoonist Brett Koth that the brain-in-a-jar that frequently appears in EEK! should have a name. I think that's a great idea, and I want to include all EEK! aficionados in the fun.

What should we name the brain?

Let the comments fly!

EEK! It's a book (finally)

Okay, so I missed Christmas, but you can start 2009 off right with the first collection of EEK! comics -- available now through my good friends at Lulu.com.

The pitch:It’s alive! ALIVE! The first collection of the popular syndicated comic strip EEK! -- created by cartoonist and part-time mad scientist, Scott Nickel -- features monsters, mutants, zombies, and other lovable creatures of the night, and is sure to tickle your funny bone and inflame your spleen.

The specs:Black & white with full-color cover; 96 pages, softcover, 9"x7".

The price:$9.98 printed book
$3.50 download

First Post of 2009!

I used this image on some New Year's cards I sent to various clients.

I usually send a card for Christmas, but thought I'd try something a bit different this year.

I noticed a significant drop in cards I received by mail. PLAYBOY sent out an e-card this year. A new trend?

Anyone else still send paper cards at the holidays -- either business or personal?

New Sale!

Just in time for Christmas, I received the good news that I made my first sale to READER'S DIGEST.

Not sure when the cartoon will appear -- maybe sometime after the February issue.

Here's a spolier-free sneak peek:

Great Minds...

Allen's Brain has inspired me of late. I can't stop doing brain-in-a-jar gags. Maybe there's a new feature here...?

Question: Why does the brain look different in every gag? Why can't I draw a consistent brain? It's obviously the same brain, but you wouldn't know from looking at these cartoons.

Which version does everyone like best? I admit I'm still trying to find the best way to draw a cartoon brain. Don't think I'm there yet.

p.s. My son (16) voted for the Thanksgiving brain.

One Tough Cookie

Here's a design for Christmas 2009.

The gag's been floating around for a couple of years; finally got purchased for a card.

Submit, submit, submit...the freelancer's mantra.