Bad Luck?

Is bad luck real?

When bad things happen (a flat tire, the Keurig breaking, losing a job), is it because of some sort of karmic payback, or do we just notice these things more because something HAS gone wrong and now we're seeing other things go wrong?

I never thought I had good luck; just the opposite. But, as I look back on my life, I find that I've had some VERY GOOD luck — things that just seemed to miraculously work out for the best.  Time after time.

So, if there's good luck (and we all like to think there is), is there bad luck, too?

Are there forces out there controlling what happens to us — good and bad — and can we affect them?

Does karma really exist?

I used to think so, but I've seen too many "bad" people profit and benefit from their hurtful actions to  think that karmic payback is real.

Do I wish that karma existed?

Absolutely.

It's like believing in God: the deity may not exist, bit it might...so why take a chance?

It's easier to hedge your bets.

Now, can someone tell me how to get rid of all this bad luck? Prayers, incantations, charms — I'm open to anything.

MAD #515 --the big 2-0

My contribution to MAD #515 -- a solo Dork Side strip in the Strip Club section -- marks my twentieth appearance in the humor magazine *.

Who would've thunk it?

I still vividly remember reading MAD in the early 70s, poring over the work of giants like Mort Drucker, Jack Davis, Angelo Torres, Paul Coker, George Woodbridge, Al Jaffee, Sergio Aragones,  Don Martin, Bob Clarke, Dave Berg, Frank Jacobs, Arnie Kogen, Stan Hart, Larry Siegel, Dick De Bartolo, Lou Silverstone, Tom Koch -- MAD's Usual Gang of Idiots. I'd study each word, each figure and line, each article and parody, absorbing them like a sponge.

*I've actually had 29 pieces/articles/cartoons published.

Reader's Digest -- February 2012

My latest cartoon can be seen in this issue, on page 86, to be precise. Woot!

MAD #512

Got a couple of pieces in the latest MAD. Another barf-tastic installment of Projectile Vomit Baby and a gag cartoon with the ever-witty Kit Lively. Images to come soon....

MAD 511

MAD #511 is out and I have a cartoon in the Fundalini Pages. My frequent partner-in-comic-crime, Kit Lively, has not one, but TWO pieces in the mag, illustrated by Peter Bagge and Marc Hempel, respectively (but not respectably).

Movin' on Up(chuck)!

My queasy comic strip, Projectile Vomit Baby, first (dis)graced the pages of MAD in issue 500. There have been multiple installments of the barfy baby, and now he makes his messy mark on MAD's new blog -- The Idiotical -- as part of their regular Strip Club feature.

I'm so excited, I could just puke!

Breaking Old Ground

My sons are in a band -- two, actually (the other is Forever Flux).  

Breaking Old Ground opened for Nine Lashes on July 26, 2011 in Muncie. 

It was BOG's first professional gig and they kicked ass! Love the sound 

-- old school blues rock meets grunge!

.

Hunter Lee (just 16!) channels Jimmy Page on lead guitar; Bobby Nickel 

kills it on drums; Jacob Cooper (rhythm guitarist pinch-hitting on bass) 

provides a solid bottom, and front man David Von Awesome adds the 

final touch with gritty, hard-edged lyrics and vocals.

That's my boys! I'm one proud dad. 

Go to Facebook and like 'em!

MAD's loss is Reader's Digest's gain

MAD passed on a cartoon last month that was just accepted by Reader's Digest.

Cartooning. It's a wild ride.

MAD #510

Idiots of the world, rejoice! The latest issue of MAD is out, and I have a cartoon in the Fundalini section, along with fellow Facebookers J.C. Duffy and David DeGrand. (This is Dave's first time in MAD. Welcome to the UGOI!)

For more MAD madness, check out their new blog, The Idiotical.

Long Story Short

I just discovered a great cartoonist -- Daniel Beyer.

Mr. Beyer has had cartoons published in PLAYBOY, THE NEW YORKER, READER'S DIGEST, and other fine publications.

He's also got a feature on ComicsSherpa and is competing in The Cartoon Studio contest.

I think his work is brilliant, and I'm not just saying that so he'll share some of his magazine contacts with me.

Read Long Story Short and vote for Daniel!

Bieber Fever!

Just got my subscription copy of MAD #508. The best thing about the issue? The awesome Bieber Chia Pet (I want one!!) and the amazing MAD MEN parody. The worst? The five pieces I have in the issue (six if you count my MAD cover on the subscription card). This is obviously more Nickel than should be allowed by law! ACK!

I'll post my contributions when the issue goes off-sale, but here's what you'll find:

TWITTER (sung to the tune of Michael Jackson's "Thriller")
My first text piece (woot!) illustrated by the always astounding Herman Mejia

ZOMBIE love is... (three cartoons)

PROJECTILE VOMIT BABY in The Strip Club

Hopefully next issue will feature more collabs with my partner-in-comic-crime, Kit Lively. We have a few things in the hopper.

Bono Saturnalia!

It's that magical time of year again...

Happy Holidays!

MAD #507

 The new MAD is out and, while I haven't seen it yet, apparently the latest issue features another contribution by the decidedly disturbed team of Lively & Nickel.

We have a DORK SIDE strip in the Strip Club section. Thankfully we aren't in the MAD 20 as one of the 20 dumbest events or people of 2010 (although I think we're in the top 100!) I'll post our strip once the issue goes off sale.

Added 12/25: Got my contributor's copies. The issue looks awesome!

MAD #506 -- updated

The new issue of MAD (#507) ships December 22, so I think I'm safe posting my contribution to issue 506, which ran in the Fundalini pages.

Enjoy!

MAD #506

The latest issue off MAD is out, sporting a fun GLEE cover by the ever-excellent Mark Fredrickson and a great GLEE parody inside by Tom Richmond and Old School UGOI Arnie Kogen.

I have a cartoon in the Fundalini pages (which I'll post after the issue goes off sale).

This issue also features art from several legendary MAD men: Mort Drucker, Angelo Torres, Paul Coker, and Sam Viviano. More from these giants, I say! Unless of course, it means less of my stuff in MAD -- in which case, forget these guys! They had their time in the sun!


(NOTE: edited 10/22/10 to add Mark's name as cover artist )

MAD About Mort

Here's an awesome photo of my all-time favorite MAD artist, Mort Drucker, signing a copy of MAD #504 featuring my cover idea! The only thing that could make this any cooler is if Jack Davis (also my all-time favorite MAD artist) signed it as well!

Thanks to Kit Lively for alerting me to this amazing pic and to Ryan Flanders for posting it!




THIS JUST IN! Here's another, even MORE amazing photo!

LITTLE OTTO -- first new strips in 18 years!

I've been running my old (like really old -- created in 1991-1992) strip on GoComics.

Rather than recycling the strip indefinitely, I decided to do a couple of new LITTLE OTTO strips each week.

New episodes started on 9-20, but I particularly liked bringing Otto, Madison and Karen into the 21st century with this Lady Gaga joke on 9-28.

Commets, we get comments...

My blog gets a lot of comments. The majority or which, alas, are spam.

I usually just delete them, but this particular comment caught my eye and struck my funny bone, especially the first line:

"sex with donkeys cool .. took almost all)) cool .. took almost all)) Yeah, sure, that there still might say. The site just super, I will recommend to friends! share: but we have to work all pouvolnyali, and what to do now? Thanks to author a blog for the information provided. You can still search in Google .. You read this and think .... A salary of between 5% per day."

In fact, the entire thing reads like some sort of odd, stream-of-consciousness poetry. Or something from a recent stroke victim.

p.s. For everyone's safety, I deactivated the link to sex with donkeys. You're welcome.

MAD #505 - Dork Side

MAD #505 has been out for a few weeks, so I think it's safe to post the cartoon Kit Lively and I did for the issue.

Hopefully seeing this toon will compel those who haven't yet picked up the issue to move heaven and earth to get a copy. Or at least drive down to their local supermarket or Wal-Mart.