@Home

All Well

2008-04-18T14:24:00.000-07:00

All well, thanks for the prayers and words of encouragement. Sorry that this blog will be down for a while, but I appreciate all of you.

Prayer Request

2007-12-27T09:29:00.000-08:00

Here is a Health Update. A week after going back to work from my much needed bed rest, I was back in the hospital (the week before Christmas). Here is a picture of the PICC tube that they placed into my arm so I can wear an IV tube around for the next 14 day (only six now). Ever twenty four hours I have to flush one of the tubes with hepron and the other with saline solution (making sure not to inject myself with an air bubble and kill myself. Then I have to change out the IV bag and clip the blood side of the tubing so that the blood will not start flowing up it. They even provided me with a green clamp, just in case the unthinkable happens and I need to clamp off a tube to prevent bleeding to death. Sounds like fun, right?
Oh, the white thing around my arm is a cut off gym sock that I made to stick the loose tubing in. That way I can prevent having one of those bad boys nag onto a chair, or what not, and pulling anything loose. You feel me?
The doctors are doing their part and all I am asking is for prayer from the blogging community. I know what prayer can do and if you know like I know, than pray for me.
Thanks.

This Job Stinks

2007-12-14T08:59:00.000-08:00

The next few days of post are going to be random as hell. There will be different styles of drawing and stuff like that there, but I will be saying stuff with each post, so it’s all good.
This is a strip from the very short lived comic, Cop Out. It tells the story of rookie officers and their trainers. This is actually a more refined drawing of the original characters. Tomorrow I will post one of the original comic that I did for the Police News (you can compare the two then).
Anyway, being in training sucks on any job, but it especially sucks as a Police Officer. You find out just how boring a day in the life of a police officer can be at points. Trust me; it is nothing like what you see in the movies and on television. Of course, sometimes it is hell-a-exciting, especially if you go out there and actually work. But if you don’t, than it can be eight hours of pure tedium.

Look What I Found

2007-12-13T06:45:00.000-08:00

Looky, Looky, what I found. While I was keeping my little man I found the ending to my little comic strip skit regarding Quincy and the Birds and the Bees. I found it when I was looking for another damn book to read to my Nephew, while he was on the pot. I got so sick of reading the same book to him, over and over again (of course, he didn't seem to mine). Anyway, I also ran across variations of my cartoon, Cop Out. So, hold on to your horses, people. Because, although I have not found my motivation, I have found other comics to post for you viewing pleasure. See, my nephew is a God sent. Whew, the boy was wearing me out though.

A Joy To Be Around

2007-12-11T06:23:00.000-08:00

While I am on bed rest I get to keep my little, two year old, Nephew for a few days. I know….Bed rest and keeping a two year old seems like a complete contradiction in terms, but it hasn’t been half bad. Actually, it’s been great! My little man is a pleasure to be around. He is so well mannered and full of joy. Oh, and he is so smart. I only wish I had more time to nurture those smarts. I love to see him imprint.
Being around children is nothing new for me. I have a very fertile family. I was changing diapers before I was ten years olds and babysitting as well. I’ve gotten to witness the way my little brother and sister grew up. I played a big part in them learning to walk, read, talk, learn, all the normal kid things. And of course I got to witness the same with my other nieces, nephews and cousins, but little man is different. Part of his learning process is to mimic. It is very cute, because none of the other kids in my family ever did it. If a word is new to him he will repeat it aloud, like he is forcing his brain to digest it. It’s so cute.
I had planned to use my time off to clean my house and find my motivation, but I must say that I am thoroughly enjoying spending this quality time with my little nephew. It is time I rarely get to exercise, working nights and weekends like I do. So, although I know he loves me (I see it in face whenever I come around), our bond is not as strong as I would like it to be. He doesn’t normally want to go with me, now that he is old enough to voice an opinion. And I tell his mom I will never make he go with me if he doesn’t want to (even though I know he will be find once we are one on one). I just think it is important to respect a child’s feelings; they do have them. Heck, I think the only reason he is hear now is because I went and got him while he was a sleep on Sunday. LOL.
Having my little Nephew just makes me realize how much I would love to have a child of my own running around, but it also makes me realize just how horrible I would be if I did have one. Not that I don’t think I would make an excellent father, it just that they take up all of your damn time (and I need to watch television!) I don’t want my children or my nephew to grow up to be a television junky, like myself. He likes to play, and get to read to him while he is on the potty. (By the way, to all you mothers out there. My nephew is having an extreme problem with constipation. He has since he was born. Never a constant bowel movement. I was the first to notice it and bring it to his mother’s attention. She says that she has taken him to the doctors and they say that there is not a problem, but you tell me what child does not have a bowel movement everyday, let alone in three. Trust me, when he was in diapers, it was a pleasure not to have to change to poopy diapers, but I still knew it was not normal. Nor is it health for him to have all that fecal matter stored up inside of him for so long. Any helpful hints out there? Annie? Nitty?) We gonna go get us some prunes today to eat. Yuck!)
Anyway, yesterday we went to the mall, saw Santa Claus, but I did not tell him that is who he is because we are not going to perpetuate that fantasy with him (not my choice, but I have to respect it), went to toy stores out the but, went to the pet shop, ate at McDonalds, took a nap (thank God), went to the movies (were the only two people in the Bee Movie, which was fine with us), went to Denny’s, came home and finally took our butts to sleep at a little past 11pm (and he fought it all the way).
Today, we are probably going to take uncle’s care back to the shop so they can fix the scratches they put into it, then we are going up to the college to take some pictures, then we are gonna go by us a bigger winter coat, because uncle thinks he jacket is too little for him. Then we are gonna go to the library and then maybe have dinner with Uncle Neil (if he comes by). Oh, and we are gonna go to Wal-Mart to buy us some more underwear; because right not we are running around commando style (uncle does not like doing the laundry). LOL.
Still no comics for you, but you can blame that face up there for it. Oh, and don't even ask about that Solid Gold Dancer top he is wearing in that picture. He was in some type of bootleg fashion show this past Satuday. LOL

Ho, Ho, Mom

2007-12-08T22:46:00.000-08:00

Okay, People, since it is Christmas time I am going to share with you my very favorite Christmas joke. It is my favorite Christmas joke because I made it up myself. You are free to share it, just make sure you tell people where you got it from. This joke is copywrited, damnit!

It was the night before Christmas when Little Jimmy Thompson came bursting into his older brother Joe’s, bedroom.
“Joe! Joe!” Little Jimmy yells, out of breath. “I just saw mommy kissing Santa Claus under the mistletoe! Let’s go tell dad!
“Jimmy,” Joe says, “That’s not Santa. That is dad, dressed as Santa. You big dummy.”
“No, no,” Little Jimmy persist. “The guy mommy is kissing has a big white beard and mustache. Daddy doesn’t have a beard and mustache.”
“I know that, dummy.” Joe responds. “Of course daddy doesn’t have a white beard and mustache. That’s part of his costume, to make him look like Santa. Duh!”
Little Jimmy ponders this for a second and then says; “But, Joe, this guy was fat with a big fat belly, like a bowl full of jelly. Dad’s not fat.”
“I know dad’s not fat,” Joe says, obviously exasperated with is silly kid brother. “That’s just padding. Probably a pillow or something to make him look fat so he can look like Santa Claus. Now will you get out of here so I can finish playing my game?”
Satisfied with his big brother’s explanation of the events little Jimmy turns to leave his brother’s bedroom. As he is about to head out the door he turns and says; “But, Joe…Dad’s not white.”

HO. HO. HO. You know that’s funny. I love that joke and I made it up myself.

Medicated

2007-12-05T12:07:00.000-08:00

Okay, I went to the doctor today. He told me that I have some type of inflammation of something or other, underneath my sternum. I don't remember what he called it, but it was something medical. Anyway, he loaded me up with all kinds of medication, which I hate. I hate taking medication! I will say that it is a load off my chest, no pun intended, that I didn't have to be hospitalized, because that is what I was visioning. I am going on bed rest, while I give the medicine a chance to work it's magic. I told the doctor that I was gonna wait a week to see him to see if the pain would go away on its own. Yeah, he didn't think that was such a good idea either. I know it was foolish of me. Pain is the body's way of saying, "I'm hurting, fool. Do something about it!"

Nitty and Fuzzy, thank you very much for showing concern. Maybe during the week I am laying around at home I will find my motivation to create. Take care.

The Painnnnnnn!

2007-12-03T17:58:00.000-08:00

And the hits just keep right on coming. I am in pain, people. Real pain. Right in the center of my sternum, pain. I hurts. It hurts bad. Bad enough that instead of resting up for work right now I am laying here typing up this post. I don’t want to go to the doctor, so I am hoping that it will go away on its own. If it doesn’t, I guess I’m gonna have to suck it up and go anyway. I wish I knew what it was. It’s not my heart, I know that much….Oh, my God how it hurts. This is the kind of pain that makes me feel old as hell. I’m gonna give it a week and then if it doesn’t go away I guess I’ll go to the doctor. Pray for me, please. Ow!

Motivationally Constipated

2007-11-29T18:59:00.000-08:00

I think it is so cute (and when I say cute, I means stupid) when people who have know me practically all my life ask me if I’m still drawing. I just wanna say, are you still breathing, because for me it is almost one of the same. Drawing is what I do. Okay, sure I have not actually drawn anything since I got back from New York. (Wow. Has it actually been that long?) I don’t know what my problem is to be honest with you. I wish I did. It’s not a lack of ideas, because I have those out the butt. No, literally out the butt. I mean just the other day I was at the Proctologist’s office and he was like; “What’s this?” And I was like, “Oh, that’s just a bunch of ideas I have.” And he was like, “Oh, well you might want to get to work on that.” And I was like, “Yeah, I know…” So, it’s not that I don’t have the ideas (hell, I even have a studio full of half finished works). And it’s not as if I don’t have the supplies. For some reason I am just missing the motivation. WHERE HAS MY MOTIVATION GONE?

Anyway, today we laid to rest my step-father’s mother, Mrs. Jessie. Everyone called her Mrs. Jessie. It was a term of endearment. Anyway, I was so off today, for some reason. Like I drove directly to the church because I actually forgot that the proper protocol is to meet at the house and ride in the funeral procession. Anyway, once I got there I sought out my mom and made sure I went down the isle with her so I could sit by her side. My mom is so cute. She started crying before the funeral even got started good. She reminds me of that lady on Good Times who would just started bawling every time a word was said during a funeral. And of course, this is the typical ghetto funeral for my family. How come the man in front of me, my aunt’s too young husband, wore a big ass Purple Suit? That crap was so freaking distracting. And then I look down and my cousin, who is wearing sandals, has press on nails on her toes. I didn’t even know they made press on nails for your toes. Oh, and they were orange to boot, which is okay, seeing as she was wearing an orange jump suit.
Then the thing that was really going to cause me to crack up (meaning laugh) was that they keep referring to the good pastor as; get this, Dr. Rev. “I won’t say the name”. No disrespect, but I still don’t remember when this man got his PHD. Heck, I didn’t even know he gotten past his undergraduate. Then, when we go to the burial ground, I make the fatal mistake of having my sister and her two daughter ride with me. My nieces are a mess. I love them to death. They talk about everyone, to the point that I have cracking up with laughter.
Anyway, I hate funeral. I don’t like to think about death. But I did tell my sister and nieces that when I die I want my tomb stone to read; “Bye-Bye, Bitches!” Is that inappropriate? I hope not, because my niece says that if nothing else she will make sure that she gets this done for me.
My family is a mess, but I love them unconditionally. And let me tell you, that ain’t the easiest thing in the world to do.

Thanks again for being patient with me. If I could find out what happened to my motivation I’d be all good. I know I don’t have writer’s block, if that’s what you guys are thinking. It’s just that I am motivationally constipated. I am going to make myself draw something, anything, because I do know if you don’t use your talent, God will take it away. I’ve seen it happen.

Nitty's Advise

2007-11-28T12:09:00.000-08:00

Nitty-Gritty suggested that until I posted more comic that I should, at the very least, speak about what is going on in my world. Let me assure you that it is not writer’s block…I have plenty of ideas. I honestly don’t know what it is. I am too lazy to get up off my butt to find and post old comics with different characters. Hey, maybe that is a sign that I shouldn’t be doing this for a living. Oh, no….I rebuke that spirit.

I think it might be the fact that my mind is else where. I want to do so much that I have decided to stop doing anything at all. I have even stopped the illustration of my little Children’s book, and that was going really good too.

On a more positive note, I donated a peace of art work to the Black Police Association (even though I am not a member). I found out last week that someone paid four hundred dollars for the bad boy. Pretty cool, huh. Maybe I need to start making limited prints of my work and putting them up for sale (because I don’t believe in selling my work).

I'm Sorry

2007-11-26T07:20:00.001-08:00

Okay, to all my faithful readers who keep coming to this site and not finding an update. To all of you who are thinking, “what’s up with this bastard. He lures us in, gets us interested in his character and then just pulls them away!” I am so very sorry. I have just been so swamped that I was not able to even look for some of my older comics to post. Please don’t give up on me. I promise that I will bring you new stuff as soon as possible. Love ya.

Pueblos

2007-11-01T03:50:00.000-07:00

Remember Pueblos? I remember learning about Pueblos way back in Elementary School. Ah, Elementary School. Such a simple time. Things were all so....well, elementary, back then.
That's it. I really don't have much to say. LOL

Little Know Facts

2007-10-31T07:34:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I am such a cynic. I honestly think some of the facts and stats that come from the people in the know are made up. People do research and write papers to fit their needs—sometimes anyway. I am constantly amazed how some things go from being bad for you one day to curing cancer the next. Honestly, you never know what to believe. Will taking an aspirin a day decrease your chances of having a heart attack or will it make you more susceptible to strokes? Are dark skin black people more violent than light skinned black people? Are their truly more black men in jail than white me and if so, how come you rarely see a brother in that show “Prison Break”? If you pull out, prior to ejaculation, will your cat really get pregnant? I don’t know what to believe anymore? So, I chose not to believe anything.

It just seems that if you have the word power and clout to get it put in print, you can spin anything into your favor. I take most of the so called facts I read with a grain of salt because you never know what is going on in the minds of the person pushing you their research. Is it for the greater good or is it just to sale books, make a name for themselves and keep the grant money rolling in? Of is it just plain and simple propaganda, use to promote racism, sexism and homophobia or hetrophobia (I think that exists too). What to believe. What to believe.

Case in point; did you know that nine out of ten readers of the @home blog tend to have a better, more satisfying, day? Six out of ten have better sex life (of course that number is increased, exponentially when the reader leaves a comment on the post). Hummmm….I might leave a comment my damn self.

I'm Back

2007-10-23T09:41:00.000-07:00

I'm back! Did you miss me? No? Well, I missed all of you, my brothers and sisters of the blog. I had a wonderful time in New York, but I truly did miss all of you. No internet, no nothing. A great vacation but very happy to be back home. I am still in vacation mode but I promise to try to get you some new comics very soon. Love you.

Meet the Artist

2007-10-17T16:52:00.000-07:00

You know how it is when you talk to someone on the phone and you develop an image of that person in your mind and you really wish you could put a face with the voice? No? Oh, well, anyway; I am off to New York for five days and will not be updating my blog during that time period. I am using today’s blog to formally introduce myself to you. This is me…Hope I don’t scare too many of you off.
I am also taking this time to thank all of you for checking me out, as well as commenting on my blog. As I have stated in the past, you good people keep me motivated to do this blog. It truly is my dream come true; to be able to enter into the home of strangers and make them smile. I may not have reached the hundreds of thousands that I wanted but I will take the cupful that I have. Below is the list of people who have been kind enough to leave comments thus letting me know that they have stopped by:
Whozhe, Brotha Buck, Fuzzy, Dayne Avery, Rodney, Opinionated Diva, Page Black, Ghost, Nitty-Gritty, Chameleon, M-Dubb, Soldier, Ann(ie), That Dude Right There, LoveMyselfFirst, Joe Chiappetta, Ming, Torrance Stephens bka All-Mi-T, William, Steve Schwartz, Son of a Bishop, So Fa Real, The Diva’s Thoughts, maddypappy1, Ailed Little Knight, lonely schnozz, dc speaks, Dusty McDust, Hallie Lama, Josh, and Josh Hoye. Thank you very much for your patronage.
If I have missed anyone I am truly sorry. I appreciate the silent as well as the vocal readers. Pray for me as I fly back and forth (because I have a mildly intense fear of flying and I don’t drink so I can’t take advantage of that courage in a bottle).

Ralph

2007-10-16T14:40:00.000-07:00

This is it folks. The last comics featuring Quincy and Trina. I think I am going to show you something else, when I return from New York. I have stopped working on the illustrations on the little children's book I wrote and I still have not updated the scenes from @home. My new position as a supervisor is taking a toll on me, not that I bring my work home with me, but sometimes I am just so dang tired. Don't worry though, I will keep up my blog because of my few loyal readers that keep me pumped.

Just Some Samples

2007-10-15T18:38:00.000-07:00

Just so you good people don't think I am all cartoons I thought I'd share a few of my oil paints. The first one is an incomplete picture titled, "We Are Killing Ourselves. I started it many years ago but it is still incomplete. It was my take on black responsibility. I love this painting because, in my mind, tells how although many blacks blame other people for their problems...we are the blame for our own down fall. (It's really more in debt than that, but.....)
The second is titled, African-American Gothic. My take on the famous American Gothic. I love this picture because it depicts my Mom and my deceased Step-father. His image is just how he looked the day before he died. Me and my step-father never got along and because of a comment he made about a pencil drawing I did of him when I was in the third grade I never drew another picture of him until this one.

Never Feed A Stray

2007-10-15T11:17:00.000-07:00

It's true. If you feed a stray animal it will keep coming back for more. That is also true in relationships. If you wanna let og of a relationship you can't keep giving up the cookies, if you know what I mean. LOL

People Are Weird

2007-10-14T15:00:00.000-07:00

Kids are so funny. Who gives about the five second rule? Kids will put just about anything in their mouth that appears edible. I actually know some grown ups with the same mentality, but that's a whole different subject.

The Expert

2007-10-12T08:44:00.000-07:00

Don't you love how everyone is an expert on something, or better yet...thinks they are an expert on everything. We all have them in our lives. You say something to them and they know everything there is to know about it. I can't be very annoying. Oh how wonderful it is to put those people in their place every once and a while.

I Tat I Taw A Puddy Dat

2007-10-11T10:54:00.000-07:00

More Quincy and Trina.

Remember the last post where I explained to you about all of the cartoon characters that live inside my head and the comic strips I’ve created with them? Well, I was looking for the one call Dillard, which was based on my life growing up, but low and behold I was not able to find it or any of the others. Don’t worry. I’m quite sure that they are around here somewhere; it’s just that I am cleaning my house-which means I won’t be able to find jack for a while.

Anyway, I bring to you the tell of the stray cat. I showed the first strip in this series in one of my previous intermission post. Enjoy.

Don't Tread On Us

2007-10-10T20:55:00.000-07:00

Okay, here are my Army Brats, again. You might remember them from one of my intermissions. The thing about this picture is that I can remember the exact day that I drew it. This is unusual for me because I have absolutely no concept of time and can never remember when I finished a painting or drawing. The reason why I remember this drawing in particular is because I drew it on the exact day of the 9-11 attacks. I thought it was cute and a show of defiance again the terrorist. Anyway, I never finished the bad boy off.

Intermission (Cop Out) Again

2007-10-09T10:14:00.000-07:00

Here are my main characters from my comic strip, Cop Out. When I originally came up with the concept of Cop Out, it was for our company newsletter, but I want rehash that. I enjoyed doing it so much that I improved the characters and decided that I would try to get it syndicated. Of course, like everything else I have done, it was rejected. I think my three rookies here, are cute. But what the hell do I know.

I went to a blog today titled, The People in My Head. I have so many people and characters in my head it is scary. I have Cop Out, @Home, Mom and Pop Inc, Totally SMU, Go Fish, Hero (who is the main character of the children's book I wrote and am currently trying to illustrate), Sibling Rivalry and Dillard. All of them are drawn different and the personalities of each character is unique to them. The only thing that all of the comics have in common, besides being created and drawn by me is that they have all be Friggin' rejected.

Okay, here is my dilemma. I had more comments on the comics that featured Quincy and Trina than any of the ones that I posted with the Family Jacobs. Now I don't know if I should post more of Quincy and Trina or Post some of my other comic and see what you think of them. Hummmm. @home is still on hold, until I find the time to upgrade those bad boys.

Thank you all for your readership. You uplift my spirit and that is from my heart. Thank you very much for reading. And thank you even more for voicing you comments. Even if you think something I do sucks, I would really like to hear it. I know they all can't be golden. (You can blame Opinionated Diva for the long winded posting. She's the one that said I had to write something with every posting,)

Chickening Out

2007-10-08T09:32:00.000-07:00

I needed to start a whole new fable about where babies come from with this one. The Sporting Goods Store sounded about as good a place as any for new babies to come from. Pick you sport and we have a baby to match.

Parents, they are so funny. They have to power to mold and influence the minds of their kids for the good or the bad and some just let the opportunity get away. Speaking of kids, I got to spend the time with my little recently potty trained nephew and one of his Aunt's, my sister. We were over her house, watching Akeelah and the Bee, with my 19 year old niece. Manny, the 2 year old is running all over the house, talking a mile of minute (will you please shut up, Manny). Anyway, he went to pot, which is sitting in the corner of the room. While on the pot he takes off his pants, completely. Then, while he is sitting there he puts them back on, like the big boy he is (I love how smart my little nephew is). Anyway, how smart I think he is not withstanding, he somehow manages to put both of his legs into one leg of his pants....It was the funniest and cutest thing in the world (Damn if my camera was not in my car, but my sister got a picture of it on her cell phone though). This has absolutely nothing to do with this posting, I just love my little nephew and wanted felt like sharing.

More Facts of Life

2007-10-07T09:15:00.000-07:00

If you think about it, how ludicrous does the truth about the birds in the bees sound? Eggs falling from tubes? Little tadpole like creatures that shoot out in the millions for the opportunity to enter and fertilize one such egg? That egg turning into a person that lives inside of the mother's belly for years, while surviving off nourishment it receives from a tube that connects it with it's mother, via the belly button? Wow. I'm glad my mom told me that babies came from the liquor store. Of course that might be why I'm a borderline alcoholic now.....Hummm........Nay, that's not it.

It's a Rule

2007-10-06T08:59:00.000-07:00

Women are always making up their own rules. Stop listening to Oprah, Damn it!

The Facts of Life.

2007-10-05T09:41:00.000-07:00

The next few comics were an after thought. When I originally thought of this story, where Quincy finds out that his mother is pregnant, the saga ended once his dad came home. In the process of making it I decided that that conclusion was to abrupt and that there should be a discussion between the parents on whether or not Quincy should be told the facts of life. (The next group of comics are kind of corny, but they bring the story to an end. Oh, and sorry, it will still be a while before we get back to the @home story line. Sorry.)

Fruit Of His Loom

2007-10-04T07:15:00.000-07:00

Daddy yells at son. Daddy wakes up mommy. Mommy waddles into the room. Friend declares her innocence. 'nuff said.

You Apply the Anesthetic

2007-10-03T05:42:00.000-07:00

You have to appreciate Quincy’s tenacity. He doesn’t miss a beat, once his dad comes barreling through the front door; thinking that his wife is in labor. He even knells down and picks up the mallet that Trina dropped and hands it over to his dad, in the hopes that he will be a more helpful assistant than Trina had been. Little boys…you gotta love ‘em.

She's Not Your Mom!

2007-10-02T06:53:00.000-07:00

As I post these strips it dawns on me that this was some of the best pieces of cartooning that I had ever done. I thought the story line was great, the drawing was on point and the expression on the faces of each character were priceless. When I sent these, along with a group of others, in for syndication and was still rejected it was the most disheartening thing that ever happened. These characters had been refined as much as they would ever be; objectively I thought the idea was both unique and funny and if the syndicates didn't except these than it was just not meant to be. I resolved myself to letting Quincy and the gang die. I mean, I started trying to get them syndicated when I was seventeen and here it is, ten decades later and still nothing. I decided to focus my attention on a new set of character; enter the cast of @home. Of course the same thing is going on with them, as it relates to syndication and I'm not getting any younger.
"What happens to a dream deferred?" Well, I can't speak about anyone else's, but I put my dream into a blog to hopefully share with a handful of readers. Hell, I always said that I loved cartooning so much that I would do it for free...Wow. that had nothing at all to do with this weeks posting.
In a nut shell....Isn't it amazing how the Calvary always manages to arrive right on time?

Boy Are You Stupid.

2007-10-01T12:24:00.000-07:00

Okay, let me just apologize for this one being posted out of order. I don't know how I over looked it. Posting it now kinda jacks of the sequence of things, but it is so funny that I couldn't let it go without posting.

This one was meant to be read just before "It Bounced". It gives you a great since of just how stubborn little boys can be when they think they are right. Thank goodness we grow out of that pretty quickly. Am I right? Am I right?

What It's All About

2007-09-30T16:04:00.000-07:00

I have been receiving a lot of positive feed back regarding the strips featuring Quincy and Trina, but just so ya'll good folks out there won't forget what this blog was created for; I thought I'd drop in an incomplete picture of the three main characters of @home. Solomon is the guy with the bald head (it's a long story). Anyway, I promise that @home is not gone, I just need time to update the old drawings. I don't think they are drawn very well. Besides, I know you wanna find out how what happens with Quincy, Trina and the Alien(?).

Sharing the Work Load

2007-09-30T15:57:00.000-07:00

Isn't just like a woman not to want to pull her share of the load? I hate to come across as a sexist, people but here Quincy is doing all of the grunt work and he ask Trina to complete one simple task. One task and she can't even do that. I mean, what up with that? C'mon now, Trina gurl...You gonna have to start pulling your weight or else we gonna have to drop you little tail for the roster.

The Best Laid Plans......

2007-09-29T12:13:00.000-07:00

Do I seriously need to comment on every comic I post? Seriously, I'm asking. Doesn't the comic speak for itself? Is there some rule, in the book of Blogs, that says that each blog entry has to have a commentary attached to it? Huh? Is there? Because, seriously folks. I'm just gonna say it. I'm not that deep. Sometimes these ideas just come to me because I'm a little bit touched in the head. I don't have much to say and I feel like ya'll are expecting me to comment on each and EVERY COMIC THAT I POST AND IT'S JUST TOO MUCH PRESSURE FOR ONE MAN TO TAKE. AHGGHHHHH!.

Whew...Now that I said that, how cute is Quincy. He really came into his own as far as a personality. His interaction with Trina is priceless.

(Seriously, people. With every post? Really?)

Aliens!

2007-09-28T10:10:00.000-07:00

Kids are so cute. Quincy is just a little bit of a drama queen. I think it’s great how he over-reacts to feeling the baby move in his mother’s stomach. It’s really his parent’s fault what happens next, for not bringing him up to speed about the pregnancy. Then there is Trina, who is one of those kids whose parents told them about the birds and the bees at a young age. She knows a baby bearing belly when she sees one. Because of this she doesn’t react to the obvious living being inside of Quincy’s mom and she’s not up for the Drama that he is bringing to the table. I’m just gonna say it…Isn’t it just like a woman to leave a man hanging in his time of need? (Escuse the underlined text. I have know idea what happened there.)

Panic Attack

2007-09-27T07:26:00.000-07:00

While feeling his mother's belly, to see how much air was in the basketball she swallowed, Quincy feels the baby movie. Thrown into a panic, because he is afraid that there is something alive in his mother's tummy Quincy calls his dad, at work, in a panic.

As you can image, there is nothing like getting histerical phone call, from you son regarding your pregnant wife. Good Job, Quincy.

It Bounced

2007-09-26T18:41:00.000-07:00

I really thought the whole concept of little 6 year old Quincy being so naive that he did not know where babies come from. Of course I didn't learn until I was in my twenties my damn self. As in life, for every dumb kid there is a smart kid to balancing them out.

Okay, that's not fair. Quincy is not dumb. Just ignorant and as we all know. Ignorance is bliss.

Stay tune. It only gets funnier and cutier. Trust me.

Told Ya So

2007-09-25T19:26:00.000-07:00

This is a comic that begins the tell of how Quincy learns that his parents are expecting a new addition to the family. I was in my early twenties when I came up with this little story. I thought it was cute. Still do. The syndicates didn't seem to care for it though, because they never picked up my poor babies. Check it out. I promise that I will bring them back.

Cast and Characters

2007-09-25T19:23:00.000-07:00

You have meet all of these kids before; Quincy, Trina, Jonathan, Jennifer. The only one who you should not know is Tina, Quincy's baby sister. We are gonna take a break from @home for a while and I am going to be featuring some strips from one of my other comics. Hope you enjoy.

Perception is Everything

2007-09-20T12:20:00.000-07:00

Just so you know I was not being lazy. The reason I did not do a post yesterday is because…well, I guess I was being lazy.
You see, although I have many, many comics to post, I don’t like the quality of some of them; thus I have to redraw them. Now, keep in mind that I work nights and am currently attempting to illustrate a children’s book that I wrote (in the hopes of getting it published). That being said, I still want to provide you, my loyal readers, with quality work.
Check it out, from here on out I will now post the before and after comics. You be the judge.

Weighing In

2007-09-18T18:41:00.001-07:00

The miracle of life is such a wondrous things. So, how come all I can think of is the fat jokes?

Solomon is a good man. Loving, caring and good natured; much like his creator. However, sometime he says some of the most inappropriate things. He doesn’t say them out of malicious, just because he sometimes speaks before he thinks. It is amazing that he has gotten so far in life, you know, having one foot in his mouth at all times. He is cute though. Maybe that is why he gets away with it. I gotta say, speaking without thinking is not the best character trait that a married man can have.

Meet Morgan Jacobs

2007-09-17T18:19:00.000-07:00

Morgan is the most stable individual in the comic, @home. Born Morgan King, Morgan was an Education Major in College, where she meets her beloved spouse, Solomon. All her live, Morgan has always been the stable one. When she meets Solomon, she knew immediately that he was the one. They dated throughout college and soon after Graduation, got married. Solomon got a relatively good job and Morgan chose to be a stay at home wife. Two years into their marriage, Morgan gets pregnant and thus the birth of a comic strip..

I think in previous post that I might have mentioned that @home was a short lived comic, titled “Triplets” that I wrote for my college Newspaper. What I did not tell you is that Morgan was named after a girl I use to study Art History with. I had never met anyone by the name of Morgan before and thought it was such a powerful name I knew I had to give it to my character. .
Although the carrier of the triplets, and the person you will see the most in all of the comics, Morgan has surprisingly few lines. She is the constant straight man to the antics of her husband, baby sister, and soon to be triplets. That is fine with her…It is her calling in life

Intermission (Jonathan and Jennifer)

2007-09-16T10:15:00.000-07:00

Today's Intermission Showcases Jonathan and Jennifer Frank. I made up the Frank twins when I was in the eight grade. This is not how they initially looked. When they were first conceived I based their entire body type off of a comic I believed was called crazy cat, and then later Heathcliff. As a matter of fact, in the beginning the majority of their antics were stolen completely from Heathcliff cartoons, with me just drawing them in his stead. It was by doing this that I learned how to come up with ideas of my very own.

The whole concept for Jonathan and Jennifer came from an article I read in an issue of Ebony magazine, about this woman who had given birth to twins (one black, one white). The whole idea was fascinating to me so I created the Frank Twins. They were my first shot at reject from the syndicates.

The thought process behind Jonathan and Jennifer were that they were the byproduct of an interracial marriage. Jonathan is black and Jennifer is white. Jonathan has his mother's jeri curl like hair and Jennifer is a natural read head like her dad (note the puff on the top of Jennifer's head. Before that became her little make shift pony tail, it was my idea of the perfect, fluffy cotton tail for a rabbit).

Jonathan and Jennifer have totally different personalities, as you can tell from this somewhat lame cartoon. Jonathan being the quiet intellectual and Jennifer the bossy bully. The dynamics of their relationship is really cute, once I learned to develop it. They were meant to be the first cousins of Quincy Taylor, Quincy came second.

The comic with Jonathan and Jennifer was initial called the Family Tree but I later changed it to Sibling Rivalry, believing that it was the title of the stripe that was turning off the syndicates (It wasn't). Oh, and just another side bar...Note the name Jonathan and Jennifer. My favorite show at the time was Heart to Heart so I named my twins after the main characters of that show.

No More Hugs

2007-09-15T11:57:00.000-07:00

For some reason I got a kick out of Solomon constantly being injured by Morgan's unborn children (no pun intended). As you can see I did many different takes on the matter. That is one of the great things about cartooning. You may come up with a concept that you can go several ways with. Most cartoonist pick one way and stay there, but not me. Dang it, I need to show all of the takes because in the end you just never know which one someone will find to be funny. I personally think they are all funny, but once again...I am bias.

Schoolhouse Rock - Three is a Magic Number

2007-09-15T11:56:00.001-07:00

This seemed appropriate for a comic about Triplets. Hope you like it.

Tossing and Turning All Night.

2007-09-14T10:20:00.000-07:00

Okay, first of all let me say, I don't know what happened to the "e" in FINE. I swear it was there when I scanned the damn thing in.

Like I said in a previous post, I have never had the misfortune or the pleasure to sleep with an expectant mother so all of this is speculation. Anyway, I thought it was cute that Morgan couldn't sleep because the babies were tossing and turning all night. I can imagine that this is true to life because I've had trouble sleeping after a big meal.

Poor Morgan, she looks so vulnerable in this comic. LOL

The King

2007-09-13T06:26:00.000-07:00

Okay, this comic depicts Solomon sitting outside on the stoop of his house talking to his best friend and co-worker, Maurice. During her pregnancy Morgan's patience with Solomon was very short and he often found himself sitting out on the stoop. I thought it was a cute concept at the time. Still do, actually.

As you can see, this comic is incomplete because I just could not get the bodies to sit on the steps right. Plus, I really jacked up Solomon's face. Look at it. I still don't know what I did but he looks like a totally different character.

No Smoking, period!

2007-09-11T20:04:00.000-07:00

Having grown up around an aunt who was a chain smoker I have learned to be very tolerant of cigarette smokers. Cigarette smoke doesn't really bother me, but I also don't find myself hanging around many people who do smoke. I will admit that it I hate the lingering smell of cigarette smoke when I hug someone who has been smoking or around someone who smokes constantly. Then there is kissing someone who smokes; No matter how they try to cover it you can still taste it. And it really pisses me off when I go to hug my little two year old nephew and his hair and clothes are permeated with the smell of cigarette smokes, because I know that somewhere in his little lungs that smoke is doing its damage (God forbid).

Solomon, a normally passive man, is not so passive when this gentleman and sit beside his pregnant wife and decides to light up.

You go, Boy!

Taking a Tinkle

2007-09-10T11:23:00.000-07:00

Okay, this joke was sent to me by a friend of mine. I don't think he had my comic in mind at all when he sent it, but it is so very fitting. Fitting because of the fact that the mother in the joke gives birth to tow girls and a boy like Morgan. Other than that the whole joke, although funny, is totally inappropriate. But I couldn't help myself. LOL.
A woman pregnant with triplets was walking down the street when a masked robber ran out of a bank and shot her three times in the stomach. Luckily the babies were OK. The surgeon decided to leave the bullets in because It was too risky to operate. She gave birth to two healthy daughters and a healthy son. All was fine for 16 years, and then one daughter walked into the room in tears. "What's wrong?" asked the mother. "I was taking a tinkle and this bullet came out," replied the daughter.The mother told her it was okay and explained what happened 16 years ago. About a week later the second daughter walked into the room in tears "Mom, I was taking a tinkle and this bullet came out." Again the mother told her not to worry and explained what happened 16 years ago. A week later her son walked into the room in tears. "It's okay"said the Mom, "I know what happened You were taking a tinkle and a bullet came out." "No," said the boy, "I was playing with myself and I shot the dog." (I KNOW YOU SMILED)

Intermission (Cop Out)

2007-09-09T09:46:00.000-07:00

I have tried so many takes on comic strips, in my bid to become syndicated, that it is sad. So many characters live inside of me that I am afraid that they will die there. What a lost that would be.

This particular comic was developed for our Police Newsletter, when I was a mere rookie. It was titled "Cop Out" (I kind of like the title "A Side of Bacon" now) and it was a loose chronicle of my life as a rookie on the force. It was very short lived because the Command staff began to try to censor my creativity, because they didn't believe that the comic should poke fun at some of the more serious issues going on in the Department. Huh? Are you kidding me? That's the whole point of the damn strip to begin with. Anyway, I refined the strip and sent it off to a syndicated in an attempt for syndication. Once again, REJECTION CITY! Makes me wanna cry.

What does a brother gotta do to get syndicated? Create a blog and post his work on it in a feeble attempt to get some attention? How pathetic would that be?

Anyway, I sorted through my stash of rejects and found this comic and posted it in a loose response to a posting by a young man name Dayne, the author of a blog entitled, dayne online (http://dayneavery.blogspot.com/), who posed the question of would you ever hit a woman? Someone should ask that question to the good Bishop Weeks. (LOL. That was totally uncalled for.)

Fish Out of Water

2007-09-08T10:50:00.000-07:00

I would imagine that at some point during their pregnancy every mothers experiences some doubt about their parenting abilities. I would assume it would be only natural. I mean, how can you not? The moment that you give birth you become responsible for another beings life. That's a pretty hard pill to swallow. After all, good, bad or indifferent, you are playing a major part in molding that young person into who they will turn out to be. (Hell, I blame my mom for all my short comings on a daily basis. Why should I be held accountable?)

Now image that responsibility times three.

Of course at this point Morgan has no idea that she is pregnant with triplets. That was the whole hook of the comic, that somehow the doctor missed the other two triplets so when Morgan's gives birth it is a total shock to both her and Solomon, leaving them totally unprepared for the two extra arrivals. (Trust me. It's hilarious.)

A Sock in the Eye!

2007-09-07T10:47:00.000-07:00

Life is an amazing thing. Have you ever got the chance to touch a woman's stomach while the fetus is moving inside? Gross, right? Makes my flesh crawl, but maybe that's just me. LOL.

But seriously, it must truly be a glorious experience to be able to have life growing inside of you. It is an experience that only a woman will ever know. This comic however pokes fun at that moving entity inside of mother's belly. Let's face it, people. Fetuses can get violent and no one wants to get socked in the eye by their wife's belly. Who would believe them?

Under the Covers

2007-09-06T00:30:00.000-07:00

I have never slept in the bed with a expecting woman, but I can imagine that it could sometimes be a bit of a hassle. Imagine sleeping in the bed with someone with another life force growing inside them. That is how I come up with the concepts for my comics, by trying to put myself in the mind of the people I am portraying. Some people think it is easy to come up with comical ideas and sometimes it is, especially when you are drawing inspiration from things that you deal with on a daily basic. As a matter of fact, any good cartoonist will tell you that if you are going to creative a comic make sure you make it about something you know about.

However, image trying to come up with ideas about a subject matter that you have no personal experience with what so ever. I have never been married, have never slept in the bed with a pregnant woman, nor experienced the joy of raising a child, let alone three.

I said all of that to say this...Can a brother get some props for being able to come up with all of this great ideas about something I have no first hand knowledge about? DAMN!

Meet Kerri King

2007-09-05T21:09:00.000-07:00

Meet Kerri King. Kerri is the little sister of Morgan. Kerri is a first year freshman at College University. Aside from an infant, Kerri is one of the must free spirited individuals you will ever meet. Fun loving and carefree, Kerri changes her major like I change my underwear (no comments please).
I made Kerri flat chested because I feel that too many cartoonist glamorize the female physique by enhancing the breast. I gave Kerri her body type to show that a woman can still be sexy, whether she has big breast or not.
Before she went off to College Kerri had long, shoulder width hair (no, it was not a weave), but in true rebellious form she cut it off as soon after she found her place in college. Her mother knows nothing of this. You see, Kerri and Morgan's mom likes to micro-manage the life of her children. And she has the money and resources to do so.
Kerri is is a man magnet, oozing of sex appeal. She is natural thin and a bug up the bum of her brother in-law Solomon. I have not decided why it is that Solomon is annoyed by Kerri so much. She has never actually done anything to him, aside from always being over to the house.
The funny thing about Kerri is that she was originally meant to be Solomon's sister. Well, not actually this incarnation of Kerri. Let me explain. When I first came up with the concept of "Triplets" I had the concept of Morgan and Solomon sitting in the hospital room and a young lady, who was going to be the sister of Solomon saying; "You Go Boy!" That cartoon never came to be because I later decided that Solomon's character would be better off as an only child. Then I came up with the concept of Kerri and decided that she'd make a wonderful kid sister for Morgan. Once I drew her face and body her personality just sprung up out of nowhere. Seriously.
More on Kerri later.

The Banner

2007-09-05T13:37:00.000-07:00

I am still new to this concept of blogging. (is blogging even a verb?) Anyway, if you have been viewing my blog you might have noticed that I have added a banner to my blog page. I thought this would be a cool idea, once I realized that it could be done. So, last night I drew up this picture of the faces of Morgan, Solomon and Kerri, scanned them onto my computer and then uploaded it as a banner on my blog. The problem is that I didn't realized that the damn thing would turn out to be so gigantic. I kind of like the fact that when you first pull up my blog the first faces that you see are Morgan and Solomon; and it seems somewhat apropo that you would have to scroll over to see the face of third wheel Kerri. However, this is not how I expected the banner to show up. My intent was for the pictures to show up much smaller and be a lot less intrusive, but I have no idea how to fix the problem. I am hoping that it is not too off putting. Anyway, if you are reading thank you and keep it up. Who knows, if I get a big enough following, maybe I can find a way to do a little collections book. LOL

Membership Has Its Privileges

2007-09-05T09:38:00.000-07:00

Morgan gave up a lot when she married her college sweet-heart, Solomon Jacobs. The pair meet in college where Solomon was pursuing a degree in Computer Technology and Morgan one in Education.

As posted in a previous blog entry both Morgan and her kid sister Kerri (pictured here) come from a privileged upbringing. Once they completed their educations both Solomon and Morgan decided to wed and Morgan willingly gave up her dream of becoming an Educator in order to be a homemaker for the man she loves. (Pretty old school stuff going on there, huh? If you continue to watch and read you will also find out that Morgan's mother does not really approve of Solomon.)

Anyway, now that she is pregnant Morgan has become a member of a even more privileged group of people--The Preg-gos. Sorry guys, this group is for women only. As her membership in the society grows, so does her belly, making it increasingly more difficult for Morgan to accomplish a great many of the chores she use to complete around the house. One of which is ironing Solomon's clothes for work, much to the poor guys dismay. But at least Solomon's not bitter about it. HA!

Labor Pains.

2007-09-04T20:20:00.000-07:00

Okay, what I don't know about childbirth and pregnancy can fill a book and ironically a blog full of comics. Anyway, say what you want about television, a lot about what I know about pregnancy and the crap that women have to go through during it was learned from watch a multitude of television shows.

This comic shows Morgan and Solomon Jacobs at the doctor's office because Morgan is suffering from Branston Hicks Contractions. Now it is my understanding that this is the name of the false contractions that a woman might experience during pregnancy. If I am incorrect please feel free to correct me. I never claimed to be a doctor (see the disclaiming paragraph above).

It is a somewhat known fact that men sometime experience sympathy pains when their wives go through pregnancy....I wonder what these contractions are called. If they have not been given a name I would like to take this time to label them Jacobs' Jolts. How fitting that they be named about Solomon, after all, the doctor did say his pains were real.

Under My Umbrella-ella-ella....aye-aye-aye-aye

2007-09-03T07:03:00.000-07:00

Happy Labor Day, everyone. Why is it that women always feel that they are bigger in girth than they actually are? Talk about vanity. It seems that no matter how small a women is she believes that she is over-weight. I think it is only the very big girls that believe they are smaller than they actually are....at least that is what I am guessing from the ones I have seen in t-shirts and shorts way too small for them....but I digress.

I'm gonna let Morgan get away with her paranoia of being too big, I mean look at her. Her belly is huge. So much so that the umbrella will not prevent her belly from getting soaking wet. The poor thing...she is caring half a soccer team in that belly of hers. It hardly seems fair. But you know what they say; when it rains, it pours. HAHA!

Intermission (A Matter Of Taste)

2007-09-02T19:20:00.000-07:00

At this point I am not sure if anyone is even reading my poor little blog but just in case you are then you are probably wondering why the intermissions. Well, one reason is because at this point in time, @Home does not have a Sunday Comic so it gives me the opportunity to showcase some of my other comic hopefuls that have also been rejected by the big Syndicates. Here we have three of my characters from Army Brats. From left to right we have Buck, UB (Ubaldo) and Derek. Missing from the line up is Cherie, Buck's older sister and leader of the pack. The caption for this one, if I had put it in, would read: "I don't know why he sucks it...Taste horrible."

Anyway, I am afraid I am becoming a blog-aholic. I hate that crap. I'm not trying to be one of those people who are always look at other people's blogs. Especially since the only blog that matters is mine, dang-gone-it! Anyway, while browsing through various blogs I ran across this one by an artist named Belasco. Mr. Belasco's art work is so far removed from mine; one of the biggest differences being that his work depicts erect, cartoons of naked man of color. That being said, his artwork and style is amazing. I am amazed at the fluidity and whimsical of his lines. It was very much inspiring to look at his work and style. I love the way that he captures the facial features and body types of various body styles of my people. I also think it is wonderful that he is not afraid to show various body types (big and small) because cartoon artist tend to glamorize the human form, both with male and female. Looking at his work made me jealous that I didn't have more formal training so I would be better at capturing the movement of the human form. I realize that it is something that I struggle with on a daily basis.

I must say that artist such as Belasco and Wil Eisner really make me want to strive to be a better cartoon artist. I have always thought myself to be one of the best artist out there but when I look at work, by these artist, it makes me realize that maybe I'm not as good as I think I am.....

NAH! I still think I'm the SH*T! Shoot, not only have I developed a hell of a lot of comics, but each one of them are approached in a totally different way. I mean look at them. Every time I come up with an idea for a new comic I decide that each one needs to have a style of their own. Now that's talent, DAMNIT! Unappreciated talent but talent nonetheless. LOL

God Bless, people.

Watergate

2007-09-01T09:36:00.000-07:00

Okay, now although I have three sisters, all of which have seven kids between them, we have never spoken about their bodily functions during their pregnancy. However, I am told that due to the fetus pressing against the woman's bladder causes them to have to constantly go pee. Solomon thought it would be fun to poke fun at his expecting wife, as she exits the lady's run, because she is constantly telling him that she is retaining water when it appears to him that she is constantly expelling the fluid. I think this is one of my cuter comics, although it loses some of its appeal when it is explained so graphical. My bad.

It's a Family Affair

2007-08-31T10:27:00.001-07:00

Bowling Anyone?

2007-08-31T09:21:00.000-07:00

This one is for the ladies.

As you may have noticed, Morgan rarely has anything funny to say, if anything at all. Morgan is pretty much the straight man to both Solomon and her kid sister Kerri. That's just the way it worked out. Although every now and again she gets off a good one. This bowling ball joke is as good as it gets for Morgan, all other times she is stuck with being the grown up. On a whole 'other issue altogether, how bad is it for a pregnant woman to be caring a bowling bowl? And where did she get the damn thing in the first place? Nobody in their household bowls.

And Puppy Dog Tails

2007-08-30T05:49:00.000-07:00

Kerri is just full of surprises. So much so that sometimes she even throws her older sister for a loop. When she comes over to the house with a card board box full of puppies all Morgan can do is give her a look of total disdain. Solomon however is just dumb founded. There is a bit of foreshadowing in this comic as well. Notice that there are three puppies in the box and Morgan is pregnant with Triplets. Believe it or not I just realized that myself as I was adding this post. That's the funny thing about doing a cartoon. Some things truly just happen by accident, at least for me.

Now, a look at the art and characters. First of all you can see that I did not clean this comic before posting it, therefore you can see every line and mistake in the comics development. Also, I think the black over blue lines is kind of cool in general. The other thing I want you to notice with these post natal tells is the quality of the characters. You might notice that everything is more defined. The thing is that even though these are picture of the family prior to the birth of the triplets, I actually drew them after I drew the comic with the triplets already born. In my attempt to get my comic syndicated I was really struggling to be unique and offer the syndicates something different....A twist that would set my comic apart from all of the ones already out there. Of course you would think a strip featuring multi-births would be different enough. I haven't ever seen any, have you?

The Other Side

2007-08-28T22:53:00.000-07:00

Why is it that women believe that they are the only ones who go through their pregnancy. Sure they're the ones who gain the weight and get morning sickness, whose feet swell up, have tender, swollen breast, suffer the mood swings...Okay, so maybe I just answered my own question but still.

I say good for Solomon for being man enough to stand up and say what I'm willing to guess most men feel sometimes. Who cares if it gets him kicked to the couch? You women may have to experience all the above mentioned problems, but damn it...we men have to deal with you. Whose to say which is worth.

******

I am very, very excited to present to you the comics prior to the birth of young Job, Sarah and Ruth. If you look at the past comics you will see that I typed up the captions, cut them out and taped them to the bottom of the panels. These are all hand written, which sucks. I also found some even older comics, when the drawing were truly rudimentary (before I worked out a lot of the kinks in the characters). I'm still trying to decide if I should post those as is or if I should redraw them.

Marionette

2007-08-28T17:18:00.000-07:00

I love me some Solomon Jacobs, he is so very unique. If

necessity is the mother of invention than Solomon is the father of stupidity. Okay, Stupidity is a strong word, the man is hardly stupid, he is just inventive. What other parent would think to tie strings to strategic areas of his children's clothes in an attempt to teach them to walk? Not many is my guess. I suppose it is one of those ideas that seemed good at the time, but we'll never get a chance to see if it works. Morgan, natural mother that she is, shows up just in time to spoil Solomon's experiment; as well as his fun.

Hell, I thought it would work.

On an entirely different note, this is the last comic featuring the actual Trips. I started this blog off with the group of comics I sent off to the syndicates (ones which got rejected). Now I am going to go back to the actual pregnancy. In these comics you will get the chance to really get to know the characters. Kerri shows up more in these comics and I think you will truly fall in love with my flat chested beauty. You will also get a chance to meet the parents of Morgan and Kerri.

Intermission

2007-08-27T19:39:00.000-07:00

Your first creations are always the ones you love the most. I was so young when I created Quincy. I am going to go through my things and see if I can find some of his original incarnations, from way back in the eighties. This kid has evolved a many of time in my attempt to make him perfect. I finally got him to where I didn't believe that any further changes needed to be made but he was still never picked up for syndication. I still don't see why, look at him. The kid is as cute as hell. In this particular strip not much is said but you get a good since of the working relationship between Nita and Quincy. She thinks he's slow and she annoys the heck out of him. Now that's what I call "Friendship".

Sharing

2007-08-26T09:57:00.000-07:00

Kerri is so cute. She is like one big five year old. What kind of person ask if she can have her own Trip when she comes over to visit? The "Kerri" type, that's who. And she says it like its the most normal thing in the world to ask parents if she can have the custody of one of their kids when she comes to visit. One can only image what it must have been like for Morgan to have her as a baby sister. Of course, Morgan loves her baby sister unconditionally. Solomon....not so much.

You Can't Handle the Truth

2007-08-25T07:44:00.000-07:00

I hear it all the time; how horrible it is that the parents today let their kids be raised by the boob box (television). I don't think it's such a bad thing. I think television played a part in raising me and I came out pretty damn good.
Solomon doesn't believe it to be such a bad thing either, especially when he has three infants screaming in his ear. Now it is obvious that Morgan doesn't share the sentiment of her husband...or maybe she does and just doesn't appreciate it being verbalized.
Either way, sometimes I think it's inevitable that children be raised by the television. Look at it this was....The television is cheaper than a baby-sister. That's right, I said it!

All things being equal

2007-08-24T17:58:00.000-07:00

Solomon is all about equality, especially when it comes to changing messy diapers. He could careless that Morgan changes them all day long, nor could he care that she is trying to enjoy a nice long bubble bath. If the diaper is messy he will seek you out and let you know that it is not his turn to change it. He even made a chore wheel in order to keep track of whose turn it is to change messy diapers when he's home from work. Call it a phobia if you will, but Solomon avoids dirty diapers like the plague.

You can tell from the look on Morgan's face that she is

not amused by his phobia.

As for this comic itself, I am not pleased with it. I am not pleased with the lay out. I am not pleased with how I depicted her upper body, above the bubbles. Nor am I pleased with the way I drew her profile. She looks kind of manly, and I think I took several shoots at getting it right and still got it wrong. I think the concept is good, but the composition sucks.

It's all about being honest with yourself, right?

Bank Robbery

2007-08-22T17:38:00.000-07:00

The cost of raising kids is getting more and more expensive everyday. Solomon's no fool. If it takes breaking into his kid's piggy bank he's willing to do it. I'm right there with him. Sometimes a man's got to do what a man's got to do. Of course you never want to get caught doing it. That's never good. Morgan's none too happy with her husband's actions, but Solomon remains unscathed. Hell, have you ever bought diapers? Those bad boys are expensive enough for one kid, let alone three. I ain't mad at him. Solomon cracks me up.

Whose your daddy?

2007-08-21T20:09:00.000-07:00

Kerri is so cute. She thinks she can say anything she wants, without consequence. Her and Solomon have a type of love hate relationship and you can see why, judging from this comic. Unable to get the cranky trips to settle down Kerri posses the question that they might just be upset about having Solomon as a father. It's a joke, of course, but she says it with such a straight face that neither Solomon or Morgan can tell if she is joking or not. Those are the best jokes, in my opinion, the ones that leave the party involved wondering if the prankster is being serious or not.

Look for the Union Label

2007-08-21T04:26:00.000-07:00

Even the most loving and dedicated mother gets feed up sometimes. I'd be a very rich man if I could figure out the formula that would let you know when a women has reached her breaking point and is either about to shut down or blow up. In this case it is shut down. Poor Solomon, he barely knew how to cope with the triplets in the first place. The prospect of Morgan going on strike might very well send him over the brink. But come on ladies, especially you mothers, don't you sometime wish you could go on strike?

Planned Parenthood

2007-08-20T04:44:00.000-07:00

I'm not sure if it is still a big deal anymore but once upon a time there was a big push towards planned parenthood. This comic illustrates that might be able to plan the pregnancy, but parenthood is a crap shoot that can't be planned. Solomon had his whole life planned out, including the number of children he and Morgan would have. Sure, he planned on having three at some point, but not all at once. Three caught him completely off guard.

One on One Time

2007-08-19T11:49:00.000-07:00

Solomon really knows how to mess up a romantic moment. He has the same problem as me; sometimes he allows the thoughts in his head to spill out his mouth.

I love this picture. I love the angle of Morgan's body as she sits in Solomon's lap. Notice how her right foot is tucked under her and hooks out beneath her and between Solomon's legs. Moving on from that I hate how elementary the furniture is drawn. The end table is too boxy, with no true dimensions. and that baby monitor sitting on top of it...what the hell is up with that thing? Still, all and all it is a pretty cute comic.

Rubba-Dub-Dub

2007-08-18T20:31:00.000-07:00

Solomon can still remember those romantic days that he and his wife use to take baths together. Imagine how his world comes crumbling down when he finds out that those golden days are over. It's cute that he still wants to take baths with his wife, but now when Morgan ask if he wants company in the tub he knows what to expect.

Upon my Breast

2007-08-18T04:45:00.000-07:00

Poor Solomon, he's in shock. Luckily Morgan is there to hold him up and provide support for her man. It's a very loving scene to behold; a wife cradling her husband's head as it rest gently at her bosom.

Look at the dazed look on Solomon's face as his arms dangle limply. Then take a gander at Morgan; legs straddled just far enough apart to offer the support needed to hold him up as she speaks, over his head, to Kerri. Kerri is just puzzled. Diarrhea is no joke, but I took a stab at it.

Reading IsFundamental

2007-08-17T19:21:00.000-07:00

Anybody out there remember the RIF program? Reading Is Fundamental. Okay, I'm about to date myself but I can remember waiting for the Book Mobile to come around so we could check out books to read. I love to read and apparently so does Solomon Jacob. Of course that means nothing to Morgan. For some reason Solomon got it into his head that he could enjoy a good book since his Trip was fast asleep. Jokes on him. A father's work is never done, especially when he has triplets. You better use a baby wipe as a book mark mister, because it's gonna be a while before you get a chance to finish that bad boy.

2007-08-17T04:49:00.001-07:00

What Doesn't Kill Me...

2007-08-17T04:22:00.000-07:00

We've all, at some point or another, heard it said; "What doesn't kill me, makes me stronger." Morgan tried that little gem on Solomon when he was only willing to change the "pissy" diapers. Well, it looks like he finally had to suck it up and start pulling his end of dirty diaper duty. Poor thing. Oh well, nobody said that fatherhood was going to be easy.

Now, let examine this comic. I think Kerri looks okay, but look at Morgan. Not exactly the most lady-like way to sit, but that's okay...she is in the privacy of her own home. It is the way that I drew whatever triplet she is holding that bothers me. What kind of mutant child is that? Then there is Solomon, standing there with a Trip in one hand and a dirty diaper in the other. I put him in shorts. You might have noticed that there is no distinguishing line in the shorts to separate the pants legs. That is because I meant to make the shorts all black, thus eliminating the need to put the line there in the first place. Obviously I forgot to color them in. And what is up with his shoes? Clog dancing anyone? There should also probably me more clutter around the room. Sure, Morgan could be one hell of a house cleaner, but clutter is still funny in comics.

Dumb Question

2007-08-16T20:48:00.000-07:00

As you can image, it must be exhausting to take care of three new born babies. Heck, I took care of my little nephew for a couple of days when he was a baby and it wore me out. So, although most times Morgan handles it like a trooper, sometimes she is just plain tuckered out. Is it any wonder that when Solomon gets home from work he finds his beloved wife passed out over the back of the easy chair.

I like the idea of this comic but I don't believe that I did a very good job of capturing the fall of Morgan's body, over the back of the chair. It doesn't ring true. I think that if this had been something that was being syndicated and published in newspapers I might have redrawn it. However, although I am not happy with the picture itself, I think the idea is still cute as hell.

Looking on the Bright Side

2007-08-15T19:57:00.000-07:00

Say what you want about Morgan's little sister, Kerri, she can truly be a breath of fresh air. Although a tad bit self-centered and self- involved she hasn't lost that child-like innocence that allows her to see the brighter side to things. Take for instance this comic were she sits with the Jacobs Clan, as the triplets holler away, for whatever reason. If you look at the expressions on the faces of both Morgan and Solomon, as they turn their gaze unto her, you can tell that they are weary and haggard from the experience. Kerri, however, un-phased by the cries manages to see that one of the Trips might be destined to try out for American Idol one day. I thought this was both cute and funny.

Note: I realize that you have not been giving the opportunity to truly see what I mean when I speak about Kerri, but that is because the comics that really make up her character were done when I was showing Morgan's pregnancy. I will eventually show those comic on this blog as well, but I thought I'd start with the ones that I most recently sent off for syndication and were consequently rejected.

Just a Quick Intermission

2007-08-15T04:40:00.000-07:00

Meet Quincy and Nita, they are both from my comic strip titled; The Family Tree, Like @Home, The Family Tree is one of my comics that had been constantly rejected by the big syndicates out there. For a man who spends the majority of his life trying to avoid rejection I certain got a lot of them when I was trying to get syndication . I made up the character Quincy Taylor when I was in the tenth grade. Can you believe that crap? You'd never know it to look at him but when I first developed him he was modeled completely after Dennis the Menace. Quince was developed to be the older cousin of a pair of twins name Jennifer and Jonathan (I will show them in another intermission). I made up Jennifer and Jonathan when I was in the eight grade. Anyway, the young lady with him is named Nita. Nita came about many years later. She was actually meant to be just a one time character that I made up just for filler where I needed a group of kids. I liked the way she looked so much that I decided to make her a permanent member of the roster. Nita makes the perfect Nemesis for Quincy.

Beggars Can't be Choosers

2007-08-14T21:24:00.000-07:00

Kerri is the torn in Solomon's side. He loves his sister's baby sis, but she has a tendency to say just the right thing to get under his skin. She isn't exactly what you would call a freeloader, beggar if you will, because she gets a healthy allowance from her parents (while in college). However, she does spend a good amount of time over her sister's house. AND, since she is always over there she often finds herself sitting with them for whatever meal they might be partaking of at the time. This really isn't a problem for either Morgan or Solomon...the problem comes with the little comments that she makes while she there. Still, you gotta love yourself some Kerri, as long as she is not your sister in-law.

Hands full

2007-08-14T21:11:00.000-07:00

How hard must it be to handle three newborns at once? I mean just one is a handful, right? So, when Solomon ask Morgan how she manages it when he's a work it is more than a legitimate question. How does any woman do it? As Morgan stands there looking at her husband I bet she is wondering the same thing. How does she manage it when he's at work? Like most thing she does it because it is something that has to be done. If she had to think about it she probably couldn't do it. Heck, if she had to think about it she'd probably go crazy.

A Grandmother's Love

2007-08-14T20:58:00.000-07:00

I really enjoy this comic. Normally when children give their parents brand new grandchildren, you can count on them to want to spend every moment of everyday with their grandchild. So, of course, when Solomon and Morgan get all dolled up for a night out it seemed like a no-brainer that his mother would be willing to babysit the Trips, right? Wrong! Mrs. Jacobs is no fool and she was not having it. Solomon is an only child and thus she is only use to caring for one child and she sees no reason to to change things now.

A quick shout out

2007-08-14T04:56:00.001-07:00

You have heard it said that there are gold ships and there are silver ships, but there is no ship like friendship. Now I personally have never seen a gold or a silver ship, but I have been blessed with some truly wonderful friendships. Blessed with friends so true that they become family. Before I continue on with my comics, let me kick a shout out to my good friend Clifford, the big Red Dog. He says his name is just Cliff, but I like Clifford better. As you saw, in my last entry, my lap top shut down on me (THE PIECE OF SH...). Anyway, Cliff, technical whiz that he is, came over and attempted to fix the problem and save the date from my broken down compaq. Not being able to do that he provided me with the means to continue the up keep of my blog. Isn't that the most outstanding thing you've ever heard? This is a picture I took of him working on the piece of junk. Cliff is just one of the truly wonderful friends that I love and cherish dearly. So, thank you Cliff. You ladies and gents, who actually are reading this blog, can thank Cliffy too.

It's the thought that counts

2007-08-09T22:22:00.000-07:00

This is Kerri King. Kerri is a college freshman and the younger sister of Morgan. Both Kerri and Morgan come from money. There father is the famous Kerry King, inventor of the infamous "King for a day" Diet Plan (more on him later). Kerri goes to college in the same town where Morgan and Solomon live. Kerri is the sexy one of the two siblings. If ignorance is bliss then Kerri most always be in a constant state of euphoria. Being the baby of an overprotective mother and the "King" of fitness, Kerri lives the spoiled existence that Morgan has forgone in order to live a normal life with her husband Solomon. Morgan and Kerri are very close, although Kerri can sometimes test the patience of her big sister and is constantly grating on the nerves of Solomon. Beware women, because Kerri is one of those women who seems to be able to eat whatever she wants and never gain a pound, much to the chagrin of her older sister Morgan. Keep an eye out for Kerri, she and Solomon make up the meat of this comic.

Talk about your coincidences

2007-08-09T18:51:00.000-07:00

This is my nephew. He is two years old. Ain't he handsome? I decided not to use his name, because you can never be too careful. Anyway, the reason that I decided to post him is because this young man was conceived years after I came up with my triplets and yet when he was born he looked just like the cartoon images that I had drawn of the Jacobs Trips. Funny, huh?

Anyway, this picture is of him after he took first place in a ball. He showed off his little peanut butter butt during the whole affair, but when it came time for him to get his trophy and savings bond, he was all about it. The little ham. I love him though.

The cool thing about him is that I now have a model on how to make my triplets develop (Thank you little sister). Before him I had only my imagination to go on. Which isn't too bad. After all, I a child at heart.

Bragging rights

2007-08-09T04:24:00.000-07:00

Mrs. Jacobs, Solomon's mother. How lucky is she? Three grandchildren in one shot. Ever proud, Mrs. Jacobs is a lot like my mom. The sweetest, most kindhearted person in the world. She can't wait to get on the phone and tell her friends about her lovely grand babies. The funniest thing about Mrs. Jacobs is that, like most moms, she believes that every positive trait of the triplets come from her side of the family (including the fact that they are triplets to begin with). Of course it becomes Solomon's duty to politely correct his mom and make her aware that he is an only child. From the expression on his mother's face, she's not trying to hear it. Morgan and Mr. Jacobs, Solomon's dad, casually observe the scene, but both are too smart to get involved. Poor Mrs. Jacobs...she did such an excellent job of raising her son and yet she failed to instill in him the fact that grandmother's reserve the right to brag about anything, whether it is true or not......

Too Young for Drag

2007-08-08T04:03:00.000-07:00

This is the joke that started the whole triplet's concept rolling. Years ago, I means seriously, way back when I was twenty five, I came up this little one panel joke about a man who's wife dressed their new born triplets alike. No problem, right? Except for the fact that one of the triplets was a boy and she had dressed them all up in ruffled dresses. I thought the idea was cute and began to wonder about what other concepts I could come up with using the same subject matter. "Triplets" was soon born, the original title of this comic. It's funny though. Although I have always wanted to be a cartoonist, I initially did not think I could do the one panel cartoon shtick. I was use to drawing the more traditional four panel strips because it allowed you the opportunity to build up to the punch line; where as with the panel strip you have to get your whole message across in one shot. I didn't think I had it in me, but once I started doing it I found that I not only enjoyed the challenge but was also able to step up and meet the challenge head on. Well, in my mind I thought I was, but the syndicates don't seem to feel the same, because I am still unsyndicated. It makes me sad, because this is all I have ever really wanted to do with my life.

Anything that requires food counts!

2007-08-07T20:42:00.000-07:00

Solomon Jacobs is what one might call cheap, which is apparent in this scene where he confronts Morgan for bringing home a large house plant. I think it is hilarious that he considers a house plant as an extra mouth to feed. Well, you might call him cheap, but I call him frugal. He is a man after my own heart.

One is Enough

2007-08-06T17:55:00.000-07:00

Morgan looks on disapprovingly, as Solomon brings out one of the newborns for friends to see. Solomon, being the man that he is, decides that since they are triplets, it is easier to bring out one instead of disturbing all three of the kids. This, of course, is truly how a man's mind works. It is obvious how the mind of the men work in the expressions shown on even the faces of the visiting guest. Notice how the man tries to make the baby smile, obvious of the comment, while the other woman cuts her eyes at Solomon, giving him the same disapproving gaze as Morgan. I thought it was a cute idea.

LOVE -N- HAPPINESS

2007-08-06T17:23:00.002-07:00

This comic originated from my days at Southern Methodist University, when I did a comic called Triplets for the Daily Campus. I later left the paper, artistic differences don't you know. However, I thought the concept was so good it might merit syndication. I changed the name from Triplets to Love -n- Happiness when I submitted it for syndication. Sadly, it was rejected like a host of other comics that I have tried to have syndicated over the years. I just don't know what I'm doing wrong.

What you are looking at right now is the title and character page that I submitted with the comic itself when I sent it off for syndication. It shows the main characters. Solomon, Morgan and Kerri. Solomon and Morgan have triplets by the names of Ruth, Sarah and Job. Names straight from the Bible. I hope you enjoy my comic. The syndicates seem to think it sucks, but tell me what you think. I can take it. Oh, by the way. I have since changed the title from Love -n- Happiness, to @Home...hence the title of the Blog.