This one I would love to animate just for the sound effects. I think every parent goes through this stage and what a joy it is. Kids’ full time job is pushing boundaries. Consistency is the key, but remaining calm while consistent is the challenge.
I’m fairly certain if you could hear what babies and dogs say to each other it would be similar to having a conversation with ChatGPT.
Oddly enough, I’ve never used ChatGPT to generate a conversation with Doug and Sophie. I might give it a whirl and see what it comes up with. So far, I mostly use ChatGPT for research and more mechanical behind the scenes stuff like SEO and generating marketing ideas. I’m not too worried about AI replacing cartoonists just yet. Maybe in another ten years.
Needless to say we had some storms over the weekend it looked like a herd of deer had stampeded through the house. This comic hit home. I also love when you’re mopping and you rdog follows behind making new tracks and wondering what in the heck you are doing.
Nothing better than lounging in the yard with the dogs in the shade.
I alway s love when Doug addresses his stuffed animals. Playing around with an idea for a chapter in the upcoming graphic novels to take this to another level.
In case you wondering what the difference will be between the comic strip and the upcoming graphic novels, think of it as an old school TV show versus a Marvel Movie. Not that I don’t like the comic strip, far from it. It’s just that the old newpaper format to limiting. The comic strip is a spring board for the graphic novels.
For example, take the foster dog strips. I loved writing them because they were funny and sad. With four panels you had to get to the point and strip away anything that was filler. Now, that’s not to say expanding into a graphic novel means you’re going to stuff the pages with superfulous gags and such. Far from it. I’m taking the streamlied essence of the strips, the heart of the story if you will, and exploring in a much larger world.
One of the themes of the foster dog strips is that every dog has a purpouse. I expanded on that theme in book one with an epic space adventure where the cats help the foster dog find a home by blasting him into space. All because Sophie didn’t specify which planet to find the home on. So I get to use the same theme excpet now, the foster dog gets to go on a longer journey to find that purpose. And I get to draw space ships and a cosmic muffin (wait and you’ll see).
Exactly why you don’t let the cats watch the dogs. Our cats have been conditioned to dogs to the point where they don’t stand up for themselves enough. It’s actually gone the other way where you do have watch the hyper dogs around the cats. Some dogs are convinved that if they keep at it, our cats will play with them. Never going to happen. They’ll hang out and nap with the dogs but it ends there.
Cats with clipboards always make me laugh. I also love looking at the world through my cats eyes. Now, if I’m being honest, I’m making all this up because I genuinely don’t want to know what my cats are thinking.
Oh ya, this was an issue. Thankfully I haven’t had aother kitchen towel shark. I mess up enough towels on my own, but then, every time Sophie would snag one, I’d have to replace them. I now have an entire drawer full of kitchen towels. They’re pretty much like tissues in my kitchen.
So true. It’s never easy when they leave. It’s also hard on our dogs. Gunnar gets depressed for a few days after a foster gets adopted. Thank goodness he has Weezy.
You know it’s true. Now some dogs can ham it up much more than others. Some could get oscars. My Gunnar thinks it’s enough to sit and stare at you. He doesn’t put in the work. Sophie, I’m fairly certain, was taking acting lessons in secret.
Silent comics are my favorite and also the hardest to write. Usually when you sit down to write a silent comic you fail. They usually happen by accident. A lot of times you're messing with dialog and punchlines forever until you realize the comic works without any words.
This one came about while watching a bunch of our foster dogs struggle up the porch steps. Unfortunately they didn’t have Sophie to help them.
My Gunnar is a complete coward. Doesnt like going out at night and only goes if Weezy goes with him. I’m pretty sure this is what’s playing in his mind when he’s standing in the door way.
It’s always a double edged sword with Foster Dogs. They do get sad, for a while, when they’re separated. Heck, even my dogs get sad when fosters leave. They key is focusing on the big picture and the main goal: Find as many dogs a good home as possible.
Ya, I said it. I love Michael Bay movies. Especially the Transformers series. I always thought it would be funny if I had different directors direct the strip. Obviously I’ve kind of done that with Tim Burton.
I think I’ll try to work this idea into the graphic novels. It’ll have to be in book three, as I’m wrapping up book two right now. Stay tuned, I’ll be sharing a lot more soon.
Needless to say, our cats had to adjust to a revolving door of dogs passing through the house. It was always interesting to watch how each dog reacted differently to cats. Some were terrified, some were a bit over enthusiastic, and others could’ve cafed less.
When you have foster dogs coming and going it’s amazin to watch how quickly some dogs assume leadership roles. Of course, not all of my dogs were leaders. Annie was 100% a tough mamma. And now Weezy is the watch dog. protector, and nurse all in one.
Fostering dogs is exhausting. Then, when you get those breaks with no extra dogs in the house, you’re amazed and how quickly you miss them. Of course, those breaks are few and short.
Love drawing these little guys.
