Things could always be worse...

Here's the sketch:

A new planet for us to exploit

I don't know if you heard the news earlier this week, but European astronomers have found an "Earth-like" planet outside of our solar system, and relatively close, orbiting a red dwarf star every 13 days only 120 trillion miles away from Earth.

Dubbed Gilese 581 c, according to CNN, the new planet is about five times heavier than Earth, and gravity there would be 1.6 times as strong as ours. The research team believes the average temperature to be somewhere between 32 and 104 degrees and that set off celebrations among astronomers.

So pack your bags and get ready for a long ride, because with our existing technology, the journey would take roughly 87,509 years.

Scientists find most Earth-like planet yet
Major Discovery: New Planet Could Harbor Water and Life
Astronomers Find First Earth-like Planet in Habitable Zone

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McGreevey assures us he was always a GAY AMERICAN!

Ahhhh McGreevey, the gift that keeps on giving. Our former governor didn't take kindly to words from his estranged wife, Dina Matos McGreevey, where she claimed that he wasn't gay, but rather a "bisexual."

McGreevey responded to the allegation by calling Matos a "homophobe" in a tirade of homosexual anger.

"On the off hand she wasn't paying attention, I AM A GAY AMERICAN. She is in deep denial. Why would she question what I have made clear? To try and lessen my 'gayness' by making me bisexual is a clear form of homophobia."

On the web:

Wife paints her version of the end of McGreevey

McGay Bashing

Delaware Press Association

Sorry, I have nothing new to post today. Last night I attended the Delaware Press Association's annual awards dinner, so I'm a day behind with my cartoons.

To wet your appetite, here are a couple of sketches for cartoons I'll finish tonight. See if you can figure out what they're even about, and check back tomorrow to see the finished toons.

101 Dalmatians Color Keys by Walt Peregoy

Over on Cartoon Modern, Amid Amidi has posted a collection of color keys by Walt Peregoy from Disney’s 101 Dalmatians. They are amazing, and you should definitely check them out. And make sure you link to Cartoon Modern; it's a treasue trove of character designs and sketches from the best era of Disney cartoons.

Hat tip to Cartoon Brew.

McGreevey just won't go away...

James McGreevey, the disgraced former of Governor of New Jersey, has been hired as an "executive in residence" at Kean University. One of the classes he will teach - ETHICS!!!!

No need to elaborate further.

Here's the sketch:

Speedy Corzine

Here's the sketch:

Wilderness Society illustration

This is an illustration in today's Philadelphia Inquirer that was part of the commentary by Thomas Gilbert about the eastern U.S. losing forests to development. Gilbert is the director of eastern forest conservation with the Wilderness Society. If you'd like to read the commentary, click here.

Smoking Ban Celebrates First Birthday

Here's an illustration I did for today's Philadelphia Inquirer that accompanied a commentary by Fred Jacobs, about the passing of the first year of New Jersey's smoking ban. Jacobs is the commissioner of the New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services. I would post a link to the story, but apparently it isn't on the Inquirer's website.

Here's the sketch:

What will come of it all?

Sometimes, there is no ignoring a story. With everything going on with Virginia Tech, I knew it was only a matter of time before one of the newspapers I do cartoons for asked for one covering the event. I was afraid, because I didn't want to do Hokie Birds or Uncle Sam crying, no bulletholes in the chalkboard or blood-stained bookbags. But at the same time, I didn't want to exploit the events for a cheap joke. So this is what I came up with.

Great Moments in Presidential History

Tax time

It goes a LONG way down...

From the New York Times:
Senators Push for Answers on Pension in New Jersey
From the Asbury Park Press:
Creative accounting blamed in pension system fiasco

What if Chris Rock had said "Nappy-headed Ho's"?

Would he have been fired? Would he had even been booed?

Here's the sketch:

Get Well Soon Governor

Governor Corzine is in stable condition this morning as he rests in the intensive care unit at Cooper University Hospital following a car crash last night on the Garden State Parkway.

Corzine was leaving Atlantic City last night around 6 p.m., traveling with his aide back to Princeton to the Governor's mansion, where Don Imus met with the Rutgers basketball team.

Pictures of the accident and more information can be found at the Star-Ledger by clicking here.

Here's the sketch:

Heeeeeerrrrrrrreeeeeeee's Jaaaacccckkk!

Did this quick sketch of Jack Nicholson at work, and wanted to get it up, so here it is.

Enjoy!

Banks are sprouting like flowers

I have to admit, between having to do my taxes, getting ready to go to Washington this weekend, getting my artwork ready for my Delaware Art Museum exhibit, and everything else, life's been pretty hectic. I haven't had much time to get up my cartoons.

Here's one for NJBiz, about the sudden increase in the number of banks popping up everywhere. I guess they aren't hurting too badly from all the faulty sub-prime mortgages they lent out to borrowers with little to no credit.

I'll have more cartoons to post in the next couple of days, so stay tuned!

Here's the sketch:

Illustration in today's Philadelphia Inquirer

Here's an illustration I did to accompany a commentary in today's Philadelphia Inquirer by John Haigis, who serves on the Darby Borough Historical Commission and is the webmaster of The Darby History website.

The article is about the lessons we can learn about slavery from an archeological dig going on at the President's House in Philadelphia. It discusses one of Washington's slaves, named Hercules, who was considered a well-off slave. He was allowed to sell leftover food, earning about $200 a year. With that money he bought clothing, a watch, buckles for his shoes and even a cane.

If you're interested in reading the article, then go check it out here.

Here are some additional ideas I came up with before my editor went with the final one. Thought you might find them interesting:

Philadelphia Inquirer illustration

Here's an illustration of mine that's running alongside an editorial by Jonathan Meade, the executive director of the Highlands Coalition, in today's Philadelphia Inquirer.

If you're interesed in reading the article, then go check it out here.

Here's the sketch:

Finally, a Tax Rebate for NJ Homeowners