Inktober 2026 Day 9: Ram

 

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ink in sketchbook

Today's Inktober word prompt is Ram. Cutting it close.

Inktober 2026 Day 6: Ogre

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I've had computer problems since Monday afternoon, so I haven't been able to post much and I missed Day 6 of the Inktober challenge. That seems to be solved for now. So, the word prompt for that day was Ogre. And now you have it.

 

Inktober 2026 Day 4: Cactus

 

6x4 ink in sketchbook

Today's Inktober word prompt is: Cactus. 

Inktober 2026 Day 1: Apple

 

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So, another Inktober is upon us. As with the last few years, maybe longer, I haven't done one everyday. Believe it, or not, I'm kind busy and let's face it, the word prompts haven't exactly been inspiring. That's part of the challenge, I guess. Anyways, I'll be hit or miss with these this year, I'm sure.

Today's word prompt is Apple. Since it is October, I try to make these spooky to go with the season.

Blue Shark Sketch

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My buddy's kid is going to the University of Maine to become a marine biologist and he's been keeping me in the loop as to his doings and experiences. He just finished a weeklong course where they went out into the Atlantic and caught and tagged some sharks, mostly blues. So, a bit inspired, I did a quick blue shark sketch for #SundayFishSketch. It's been awhile since I've done one.

And he had some very cool pics. 

 

Entangled

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ink on bristol board

I started this drawing years ago and just now finished it. It really only had a little bit to go, I just needed to buckle down on the bottom part. So, I'm thinking that maybe my style evolved some, but not too sure. I think I would have handled the helmet a little different these days, but I think that my objective was met with this one, so I'm happy. 

This could have easily been titled Mislead Man In A Mangrove. 

 

A Tracery Of Loss

 Here is the second illustration that I did for Mary Stebbins Taitt's book of poetry titled When Time Stumbled. It's a simple image for some strong imagery. 

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Here is the poem by Mary:

A Tracery Of Loss

While spray painting a fern for a collage,

I left behind a tracery of the space

around the fern and an absence where the fern

had been, which reminded me of the shadows

of people left by the bomb,

which in turn reminded me of that giant you-shaped hole

in my heart now that you are gone.

  You can pick up a copy of When Time Stumbled here. 

Antlered Maul

 

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ink on bristol board

Over the weekend at the Cherry Capital Comic Con, I did this drawing of Darth Maul, with his horns forming something of a crown. Antlered, so to speak. The idea coming from pal and fellow artist Bryan Mazany. I wanted to do something focused on a new show or movie and the new Darth Maul series Maul: Shadow Lord recently dropped, so that's where I went. Disclaimer: He doesn't have a crown of horns in the series. 

The drawing was done at Friday night's Drink N Draw event and all the drawings done that night were auctioned off on Saturday night's after party. And wouldn't ya know it, Bryan bid on and won the drawing. 

Belleville Drink N Draw April 2026

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Last Wednesday was the April edition of the Belleville Drink N Draw at Egan's Pub. I had Bangers & Mash for dinner... Joy struck up a conversation with some motorcycle gang members, then one of them struck up a conversation with us... there was talk of tattoos... then Joy became Bangers & Mash. She was destined to become Bangers & Mash or Internally Vulgar... B&M looked better on the forearms. 

There's always good conversation on sketch night.

 

Chili & Chester

 

My latest Substack post involves some cartoon characters from some time ago. Here, they meet their untimely and somewhat stupid demise. Click here to find out why they died and where they went.

Into The Voices

 

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ink on bristol board

(click on image to bigify)

I had the honor of providing two drawings for Mary Stebbins Taitt's book of poetry called When Time Stumbled. The book is a tribute for her brother Tom, who passed away last October. For those of you who aren't familiar with Mary, who is an incredible artist as is, but she is a wonderful poet, as well. I can really connect with her imagery. 

The first of the two drawings that I did is for a poem called Into The Voices. Sometimes, well actually, a lot of times, I can be quite literal when adapting the written word, whether a poem, a short story or a song, in which I have done all three at times. And this one is kind of no different. But, I have no regrets with this piece. The poem has an o'possum in it and I just had to make that my central focus. The rest is more of the literal part. I was quite happy with my crazed and excited  'possum. I'll show the second drawing in another post.

Here is Mary's poem Into The Voices

An animal climbs into the bush outside my window, 

it's identity lost in darkness, a 'possum, perhaps,

or a raccoon. meanwhile, inside my room, the voices. start.

All of them.

Some rise above the din, other sink

and disappear in the babble. Strange voices whisper

suggestions, make proclamations, ask questions.

Rant and rave. People I don't know, have never met, holler.

Their words make no sense, confuse me.

Outside,

the animal crashes in the branches. "How do you say -- afraid?

a male voice asks, in a heavy Russian accent.

His face appears from the dark sea of faces, a stout,

middle-aged man with a worried look and dark bushy eyebrows. 

Another man, speaking German, writes algebraic equations

on a blackboard while an old white-haired woman explains

how to crochet.

A man with odd, glowing salmon skin

appears on a white stallion with a flowing mane.

Though I don't know him, he feels familiar, a long ago lover,

perhaps. He holds out a hand, and I climb on behind.

We canter easily off.

Somewhere in the receding distance,

an animal climbs down out of a bush and walks away

into the locusts. Tonight, with this man, I ride ankle deep, 

thigh deep in a sea of voices.

We climb the side of a hill, 

above a valley where a green sun just rises,

half of it visible above the edge of the ridge.

The book will be available for purchase at the gallery opening reception, on May 9th at the color Ink Studio in Hazel Park, MI. The show will run through the end of May and will feature artwork from the book. My above piece will be in that show. 

Belleville Drink N Draw Feb 2026

 

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This past Wednesday was our February meet-up for the Belleville Drink N Draw at Egan's Pub. There was a decent turnout and we had a great time with some good conversations and sketchin.' There was a small blip when a patron (not one of ours) went down hard and luckily an off-duty Detroit paramedic was right there when he went down and the guy received immediate attention. He seemed ok, but they decided to take him to the hospital anyways for safe measure. At that point, I wasn't sure what I wanted to work on, so sketched the scene. The image is a little blurry on the side there because of the sketchbook spine, but you get the idea.

A Scratchboard Gentoo

 

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scratchboard/clayboard

Last week a group of us visited the Detroit Zoo for a penguin experience where we could feed and interact with them. There were gentoos, rockhoppers, macaronis and even a king came to visit. 

Then a few days later, I got together with art pals Mary and Jennifer and I worked on this scratchboard gentoo based on some sketches made up from my photos. The plan is to add some color on the beak. 

Scratchboard Bumblebee

 

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scratchboard/clayboard

This past week, I had an art day with my friend/teacher, Mary. We worked on our own scratchboard projects, with hers being very ambitious. She's been sending me updates on the progress and her piece looks great. Anyways, I did a bumblebee and had a great time doing it. Tomorrow, I will do up a Substack and show the process. 

Pillsbury Daliboy

 So, last night as I was falling asleep, I had this...vision, an image that became stuck in my head. I giggled at the absurdity of it and promised myself that I would sketch it up today. Then, I thought of that Seinfeld episode where he had that idea for a funny bit after watching a tv show. "Flaming piles of Magma" or some such thing. My image was of Salvador Dali as the Pillsbury Doughboy. Why? I have no friggin' idea. But, it made me chuckle. So, in the dark I sketched my idea, so I wouldn't forget.

It looks like a face with glasses. But no! Those 'glasses' are actually that Catalan mustache, with one side much bigger than the other. If fact, what looks to be the top of a head, is actually a swooping mustache. What appears to be a chin, is in fact, my loose, very loose interpretation of the doughboy's body. Wow. It's a good thing that I remembered, because if I had not, this sketch would not have helped me at all.

Here's more of what I had in mind. I replaced the chef's hat of the doughboy with the loaf of bread that Dali famously adorned for a photo op. 

Hilarious.

Dolly Varden Trout Sketch

 I had just about finished this sketch last night and would have posted it just before midnight. However, two things intervened at that late hour. A shooting at the end of our street ('murica) and then Tina's cousins had a refrigerator leak and needed some assistance. So, I'm a day late and you can call this a #Sunday/MondayFishSketch.

As with last week and in conjunction with #25DaysOfFishmas, the theme was framed as a quiz. My internet search was correct and was validated by the aquarists at the Belle Isle Aquarium. They enable me to cheat some. 

So, it's a Dolly Varden Trout.

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Christmas Cartoons

 

A collection of Christmas related cartoons that I've done over the years is now up on my latest Substack.

Texas Cichlid Sketch

 

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I haven't done a #SundayFishSketch in some time and in coordination with #25DaysOfFishmas, the theme this time was a quiz. there were four clues to try to figure out the fish in question. I was coming up with everything but the fish that I needed, so I cheated and consulted the aquarists at the Belle Isle Aquarium. They gave me the answer yesterday, but I found myself down at the aquarium today to do a little volunteer work and lo and behold, they have that fish, the Texas Cichlid on display. Well, a bunch of them, actually.

They were being very uncooperative and wouldn't stay still. This is probably the best pic that I could muster. Speedy, they are.

Happy Holloween! 2025

 

My latest Substack is up and has some Halloween related cartoons from years past. Most have never been seen, so maybe you'll be in for a treat. Or a trick, I don't know.

Click here to be spookified. 

Belleville Drink N Draw October, Part Two 2025

Last night was the Belleville Drink Night Draw at Egan's Pub. We had a pretty decent gathering with plenty of good conversations and sketching going on.

I chose to do a sketch of Pizza Rat, a character that cartoonist Clay Jones sneaked into his political cartoons. Pizza rat, or Peezy as he is affectionately is called has become quite popular among Clay's fans, including me. Recently, Mr. Jones suffered a stroke and people have been sending him their versions of Peezy as a show of support and encouragement with his healing. Below is the version that I sent to him. I think you can guess as tho where I was going with this one. He is putting up all Peezys on his Substack.

Get well soon, Clay Jones!