GUEST DRAWINGS

I felt this fan art went perfectly with today’s (Mar 9) strip.

This art comes from Gabriel Cervantes from Appleton, Wisconsin, who says: “Cows are common here in the Dairy State, as are Cheeseheads, so here’s my childlike Microsoft Paint drawing of an unusually spotted bovine that I may or may not have seen grazing about.”

In all the cow pastures in all the world, there must actually be a cow somewhere lucky enough to be sporting this marking.  And if there is, he can wear any hat he likes.

Well, not spring, but a-cleaning I was, and digging through some old boxes I found the odd treasures, such as the above handmade birthday card from my fellow cartoonist buddy Philip Street, who did the comic strip “Fisher”, which ran for many years in the Globe and Mail newspaper (it concluded its run a while back, but the strip archive can be found here).  Above is Philip’s titular Fisher offering a hand to Poncho… and Poncho’s obvious reaction, the hand being empty of treats.  Thanks, Philip, I did have a happy birthday that year, and a good run of them since.

I recently met a budding artist at the Kenosha Cartoon Festival.  This is Adam‘s Tiki version of Poncho, and possibly the most fearsome I’ve ever seen him rendered!

Great meeting you Adam and best of luck with your interest in art.

One of my fans, Shawn, recently sent me this panel which pretty much sums up the dynamic between these two characters – Chaz’s sixth sense/third eye/ESP of knowing when Poncho’s doing something bad; and Poncho’s blame-it-on-the-cats mantra.

Thanks Shawn!

Kim Clay sent in this image of Crochet Poncho that her daughter made for her birthday.  It’s great to see Poncho cast in different mediums, although his irascible nature remains unchanged (apparently he drank Kim’s coffee upon arrival at the table and was eyeing up her birthday cake when this photo was taken!).

Happy Birthday Kim and my compliments to your “crafty daughter”.

Today’s guest art comes from Eugene McCabe from Ireland.  Thanks, Eugene!

Today’s Pooch Guest Art comes via the medium of  kneaded eraser.

Today’s Guest Art is from Stephen McCranie, Poncho nose-to-nose with his own creation, Chad.

Stephen has a great strip on GoComics called Mal and Chad – check it out!

Hee hee, today’s Guest Art  of Boomer and B-ball Poncho comes from a young tyke named Arnold.   I think Boomer is open.

The above comes courtesy of Geraint Williams, in response to Pooch’s Daily Mirror drop.  Says Geraint:

“It’s shocking they dropped you so suddenly because the material they replaced you with is pretty insulting, it’s a like a newspaper comic from the 30′s .. or some era before true humor was invented. I miss reading the Poncho comics with all the world’s latest gossip.”

He also says “I swear drawing Poncho is one of the most fun things I’ve ever drawn in my life.”

It shows, Geraint, it shows.  You really captured his energy.  Much, much appreciation.  (Take that, Mirror honchos!)

PS Love the pinko kitty in the top corner!

If you happen to be driving along a quiet dead-end street in the sleepy town of Minden, Ontario, and spot this familiar shape smelling the roses in the front garden of a quaint country home, you will have spotted my father’s subtle way to get people to ask him questions that will lead to the revelation that his son is the culprit behind that weird dog comic strip that runs in the papers.  Apparently my uncle has seen it and ordered a double-sized version for his garden.  My dad might have a little side business going, I have a lot of relatives.

Here’s a piece of Poncho Guest Art from Ricky Combes, 8 yrs.  Looks like Poncho ran himself over with that steamroller.

Here’s a Poncho guest doodle that arrived on a postcard from our resident deliverer of mail, Bob “Mailman” Krohmer.  Points for anyone who can decipher the sentence stenciled across Poncho’s fare visage.  I like how the foot makes an exclamation point.

And speaking of Pooch uber-bloggers, one of our all-time favorites, Lulu (aka “Archie”), has finally decided to take a guest-drawing stab at the P-dog.  She has stated several times that she is amazed by how I draw the ears, but considering I’ve drawn them about 8800 times and she’s drawn them twice, I think she did a great job.  In fact, they have sort of flamey side-of-an-80′s van flavor to me.  I dig the tat, too.

Now this is sweet, combining my favorite creation with the childhood toy that stimulated my imagination to the point where creating that self-same creation was possible.  Or something.   I literally spent hundreds of hours with my giant box of legos, foregoing math and social skills in lieu of space-age adventures and giant robots.  Ah, those were the days. This Lego Poncho was designed with “Lego Digital Designer” by John Reiher.  Thanks for making my day, John!

Here’s another interesting guest drawing, this one by Sue Binsted of Calgary, Alberta, Canada, done by hand and then put into Photoshop.  Looks like one of those epsiodes where Poncho is pitched into a parallel negative universe.  All he needs is a goatee.

The latest guest drawing continues with the theme of creating Poncho outside the parameters of pen and ink. Carlos Mejia gives us: the dirty-window Poncho.  Appropriate, since dogs are so often responsible for window smears of their own.

This is strictly awesome, worthy of a modern art gallery in my opinion.  Poncho, captured in the medium of pipe cleaner, by Wendy Loreti.  Says Wendy:

“Last year, I attended a course on usability. At each place at the table were pipe cleaners and other things. The instructor explained that it’s been shown that when your hands are busy, you are able to focus your mind better. I created two things while there: One was little Poncho here, and the other was a brown pipe cleaner in the shape of a pipe, under which I wrote “This is not a pipe cleaner” in homage to the Rene Magritte painting.”

Eat your heart out, Magritte, this IS a dog. 

Just re-posting this 3.D Poncho so it appears in the pantheon of other guest drawings.  For the how-to, click here.

Guest drawing here by New Zealander Angela Wing of Poncho, or at least “his Maori cousin”   She says she “kiwi-fied him a little”.  I think its kiwrific! (ooh, stretch).  More guest drawings here.

Here’s a guest drawing by Steven Golem.  Looks like he’s simmering after another thwarted plan to dominate the world or mooch a piece of hamburger.  Very angsty, I love it!  (more guest drawings here).

Here’s a Poncho done by 7 year old Sydney.  I love it, it’s so warm and innocent, in stark contrast to the subject.  Of course the stool he’s atop of appears to be the sort one might find in a house, so we can assume he’s defacing an interior wall with graffiti.  Nicely captured, Sydney!

I’m flattered today to be trotting out an awesome guest drawing from fellow cartoonist Danny Burleson of Oy fame, a bangin’ web comic (check it here).  Thanks a mill for the rendition of my guys, Danny.  Love it!

Here’s a slick little representation sent in by Brian Cahill.  Nice!

Here’s a rather joyful Poncho submitted by Ann Giardino.  Good times!

Another new section: Guest drawings! Over the years some fans have sent me drawings of  Pooch characters, and it’s always fun to see other takes on the guys.  This here’s a Poncho gesture doodled by my little cousin that I went over with a magic marker.