Hold That Thought: Signed, Sealed, Delivered– It’s Yours!
I am belated, pleased and still proud to announce the publication of Hold That Thought (Less Words Press, 2023)!
I want to be up front about one thing: the subtitle promises a take on my (and eleven other cartoonists’) world of humor, which TBH is a bit of an over-promise. What you actually get is twelve of my cartoons, plus ten-twelve of each of theirs.
I was planning to deliver on the promise here, but now that I’m sitting down to do it– I actually don’t have a “world of humor.” I know there are cartoonists like Charles Addams and Sam Gross who are praised for the mind-bending worlds they’ve created. Not me. I just use the real world.
Here’s a little example from this morning: I didn’t have cartoons due at noon so I agreed to let my wife straighten my hair (before it gets cut tomorrow). Then I agreed to let her put make up on. After she dabbed some cover up under my eyes, she said, at super-close near-sighted range, “Oh no! You still have dark circles!” “Try spackle,” I replied. Not a big laugh, but it made us smile.
When I do school visits, I call this business of “finding humor in the real world” my superpower. When I sign cartoon contracts, it’s called “The Work.” It’s truly a gift, and I don’t mean a talent. I feel very lucky to go about the world this way, especially these days. You can too, if you want. Focus on what’s funny– and it doesn’t matter if you’re the only one on the planet who thinks so. Sometimes, the pickings are slim. I always carry a pair of self-stick googly eyes for back up.
I promise, the more you look, the more you see. (Don’t quote me on that, it sounds dumb.)
Copies of Hold That Thought are for sale in m’shop. Originals (of the anthologized cartoons) are also for sale. Self-stick googly eyes may be purchased here.