Rickart

March

2010-03-06T23:16:00.003-05:00

Startling Discovery

2010-03-02T00:56:00.002-05:00

Another Nearsighted Comic

2010-02-22T01:15:00.002-05:00

If you are getting the family newsletter, then these cartoons are old news. If not, then enjoy!

More Nearsighted Comics

2010-02-09T23:11:00.001-05:00

Werewolf By Night!

2010-02-02T00:44:00.002-05:00

In keeping with the monster theme, here's another IPhone/Sketchbook drawing.

Nooooooooooo!

2010-01-29T00:58:00.000-05:00

Click the title to get the link. For Dire situations only.

Zilla

2010-01-26T23:55:00.002-05:00

This was done on my IPhone with the Sketchbook app. Out of all the iterations of Godzilla out there, I think this one resembles the old Aurora model version... except that this one has atomic breath.

Another Nearsighted Comic

2010-01-23T14:14:00.000-05:00

Nearsighted Comics

2010-01-11T02:53:00.001-05:00

Game Jam Art

2010-01-07T23:44:00.002-05:00

This is the main character from the Game Jam game we made at work. Over a 24 hour period we made a working game. It turned out pretty well and it was fun to play. This is part of the character's Jump animation-- actually, this is the only part of the jump animation. I just made the wings and tail flutter a bit when he was in the air.

Nearsighted Comics

2010-01-05T00:13:00.002-05:00

Here is my homage (ripoff) of the Far Side... Nearsighted Comics. I've produced a few of these now and although I'm not very happy with the look I've established so far, I'm kinda happy with the gags I've been coming up with. ©2010 Rick Schmitz.

Star Trek Party Signs

2010-01-02T11:47:00.004-05:00

These are some plaques I made for a Sci Fi party New Years party we went to. All of these are authentic ST foods or drink names that we used to describe what we brought to share. The pie was a peanut butter pie, "White" was a strong beverage, the Bloodwine was Martinelli's Apple/cranberry juice and Tronya was what my wife calls "70's punch"... ginger ale or 7-Up, fruit juice and serbert.

Wood Dude

2009-12-31T01:24:00.001-05:00

Wood Dude, drawn on the bus.

Maybe I should post something here

2009-12-27T22:43:00.001-05:00

Perhaps I should start posting again... I have a lot of drawings to share I a make them riding the bus to and from work. I just don't know if anyone will ever see them if I post them here. I guess there's only one way to find out...

Cappy!

2008-12-21T11:40:00.001-05:00

Here's an old sketch... I really like this little guy... I like that he's a little tubby.

tryout

2008-12-01T16:13:00.001-05:00

This is something I whipped up as a drawing test for a concept artist job a ways back.

More Creeple!

2008-11-22T22:41:00.003-05:00

My scanner at home is working so I will be able to post more drawerings! Whoo Hoo! These are some random Creeple. If you don't know what Creeple are, have a look at the archives of this very blog to see a full Creeple story!

Creeple Character

2008-09-27T20:56:00.003-04:00

I have no idea where this guy came from or what he's all about, but he's an odd looking fellow, that's for sure.

He Groks Spock

2008-09-19T00:38:00.002-04:00

I've arrived!

2008-09-13T10:38:00.001-04:00

I have completed the long drive up to Seattle with 2 cats in tow. The cats held up well and I'm very glad to be together with my family again after 2 weeks being apart. I'll post more drawings when I get the chance.

The Train! The Train!

2008-09-10T15:59:00.002-04:00

The original sketch is over at the TAG blog (see the links on the sidebar).

Short Elvis

2008-09-07T19:24:00.002-04:00

I think the title says it all.

A Face

2008-09-03T00:54:00.002-04:00

Look familiar?

Wow, that was a long time in-between posts!

2008-08-31T22:49:00.003-04:00

It's been so long since I've posted that I got a new job and now I'm moving on to another! Yeesh!

I'm going to be working at PopCap Games as Art Director in Seattle! I may have some time over the next couple of weeks to get a few drawings posted, then I will be busy with a new job, new house, etc. Hopefully I will still find some time to get back here and post more Creeple or Tux stories.

Here's to wishing!

Strange dude

2007-03-07T21:15:00.000-05:00

I have no idea who this guy is... he just came out of my pencil and on to the paper.

19 Spings Into Action!

2007-03-03T20:10:00.000-05:00

Tux continued:
Although not capable of actual flight, #19 can make amazing leaps with the aid of his wings. #19 follows Jackmike's lead... when Maelstrom's skiffs get low enough, #19 springs at one, knocking the occupants off. The skiff comes to rest near Tux and she boards it and lends a hand to Jack. The other skiffs are quickly defeated and the crew return to the farmers to hand back their skiff and gun. At this point, Maelstrom communicates to the crew and the farmers that he is tired of this chase.... all must give themselves up or his ship's weapons will fire upon them.

Jackmike Moves into Action!

2007-02-26T22:31:00.000-05:00

Tux continued:
The shadow of Maelstrom's ship swallows up Tux's crew and the farmers alike. The farmers are so distracted by the sight that Jackmike cannot pass up the opportunity to take charge of the situation. He leaps aboard the farmer's skiff, nabs their gun and shoves them off all in one deft move. Other skiff's pour out of Maelstrom's ship and Tux encourages the crew to climb about the commandeered hovercraft and hightail it from the huge threat. Jackmike mutters under his breath that he's tired of running and moves the skiff to intercept Maelstrom's men.

The Herculoids: An Appreciation

2007-02-03T09:49:00.000-05:00

So over on the TAG blog there has been some discussion about old Saturday morning cartoons that are available for watching on YouTube. I have a personal favorite... the Herculoids. It was a Hanna Barbara cartoon set on a far-flung planet with a small nuclear family and monstrous friends/pets with super powers. They would fight of invaders to the planet as well as the hostile locals.

These cartoons were pretty short on story and long on action. Chuck Jones had once called TV cartoons "illustrated radio" because the characters would always say what they were doing rather than use complicated and costly animation to tell the story. However, by this point HB had gotten pretty good at making due with very limited resources. The quality of the drawing varies wildly from shot to shot, but they have fairly complex action “gags” that are easy to follow and fun to watch.

The Herculoids also benefit from having Alex Toth for a character designer and veterans like Homer Jonas working on the backgrounds. The inventive sound FX, voice acting and music round out the package.

Watching these as I did last night I noticed a few things. One is that this is a super team, just like the Fantastic Four and the X-Men. Because most of the characters are “animals” of a sort, they writers can by-pass all of the time consuming character development (such as it was and is in the TV cartoon world) and focus on the action. The human characters filled their stereotypes: Mother, Father, and Son. This also streamlined the story telling. There may be some sort of back story as to why these folks are on this planet living the way they do, but it doesn’t matter… it’s all about the action.

The other thing I noticed upon reflection is that my story Tux is clearly influenced by these cartoons that I watched during my formative years. As with the Herculoids, Tux is about a super team of a sort, with animal-ish characters fighting exotic enemies. I never made the connection until last night.

2007-01-25T23:09:00.000-05:00

Tux continued:
The vehicle arrives. Tux and her crew are soon met by members of the family who own the planet. Assuming that Tux is a poacher, they begin to question her about her reasons for their being on their planet. Tux explains that they are not there to steal crops but to begin and archeological dig. She also informs them that her crew would be happy to share what ever they find in the dig with the farming family. The 2 farmers don't seem to be swayed by the Tux's explanation for being there. The are about to load the whole crew on to their skiff to take them to their local base when Tux points out to them that they may want to take a look at what's coming from the sky behind them. They do, and don't care much for the sight...

2007-01-21T21:19:00.000-05:00

Tux continued:
Tux and her crew have made it safely to the surface but they still have a long walk to where the map indicates the Stirsman ship is located (and where the Toad crashed). As they trudge through the algae farm that covers the planet, they see a vehicle in the distance. At first it looks to be headed for the crater that the Toad made, but then abruptly turns... and heads straight for Tux and the ex-slaves!

Happy Landings?

2007-01-17T22:11:00.000-05:00

Tux Continued:
And then the Gossamer Toad Dies! And so too will it's crew if they don't get to the surface soon. The space packs on their backs are made for simple space navigation and not for landing from high altitudes. Jack, being the heaviest of the crew, runs out of fuel the quickest, but Ptol's pack has some to spare, so they all make it to the surface of the planet in one piece.

Guest Artist

2007-01-16T14:30:00.000-05:00

So my son Tommy has done a drawing for us... He says it's "to Mommy!"

If you can't stand the heat...

2007-01-14T16:20:00.000-05:00

With the asteroid shield gone, the Toad starts to superheat... but Tux's crew is prepared. The are already suited up and escape the ship as it heads toward the planet surface and it's final landing. Tux looks back and sheds a tear for the little ship that that was her home.

Readers Digest

2007-01-13T09:32:00.000-05:00

Because of overwhelming demand (both of the people who look at this site asked for it!), I am going to give little bits of the Tux story in a format that I can sort of keep up with. This won't be a daily thing, but just something that I will do as I have time and the inclination.

So, when we last saw our heroes, they had made a hole in an asteroid for a mysterious purpose. That purpose was to make an ablative shield for the Toad so that they could safely enter the planet's atmosphere. But as they enter the atmosphere, cracks form in the asteroid and it breaks apart!

Stay tuned for what happens next!

Terasaur?

2007-01-12T22:11:00.000-05:00

I'm not sure what this is, but it's kinda fun.

A Head

2007-01-11T09:24:00.000-05:00

Nothin' special... just a sketch.

I'm back!

2007-01-08T22:31:00.000-05:00

Crunch is done, the holidays are done and I'm back here to post things... I just don't know what I'm going to post. I do know that I have no hope of posting on a daily basis, and that I don't think I have the energy reserves to produce an on-going strip.

Instead, I'm going to just post drawings that come to mind... at least for the time being. Today's post is the invitation I made for my Daughter's sleep over party.

No posts in a really long time

2006-09-28T19:36:00.001-04:00

And it's not likely to get any better any time soon. We are in the homestretch at work, so I don't expect to have a lot of time to make posts on here any time soon. However, I would like to point out that LOTRO will be out soon, so go buy it! That's Lord of the Rings Online!

Now for Something Completly Different

2006-08-19T16:23:00.000-04:00

Well, not completely different... this image has nothing to do with this or any other story line in my head. I just thought it would be cool to have Tux in the clutches of some unholy, alien monster.

Step One Complete

2006-08-17T21:15:00.000-04:00

Page 65.

TMI

2006-08-16T22:00:00.000-04:00

Page 64.

Pets Gone Wild

2006-08-15T21:35:00.000-04:00

Page 63. So, I bet you weren't expecting THAT.

It's What's Inside That Counts

2006-08-14T22:41:00.000-04:00

Page 62. I had to go through the whole strip to confirm if I spelled Ptol's name right only to discover that I had never got around to revealing his name! Duh! Anyway, now you know... and the "P" is silent.

Making a good impression...

2006-08-13T10:43:00.000-04:00

Page 61... finally!

2006-08-12T20:07:00.000-04:00

I'm back from vacation! I have some more strips that are nearly ready to go, but they aren't quite ready, so I've loaded this space suit guy in the meantime. It's taken me a lot of time to catch up at work, so this has been my first opportunity to post.

At any rate, more to come very soon! Yeeeah!

Kicking Asteroids

2006-07-06T22:38:00.000-04:00

Page 60.

Rock On

2006-07-05T06:00:00.000-04:00

Page 59.

The Ring of Truth

2006-07-04T07:30:00.000-04:00

Page 58.

Brainstorming

2006-07-03T21:38:00.000-04:00

Page 57.

Status Report

2006-07-02T21:34:00.000-04:00

Woo hoo! Finally, as promised! More strips! Yeeeah!

Still here!

2006-06-28T20:54:00.000-04:00

I have not dropped off the end of the Earth, I've just been really busy with end of the School year high jinx (great report cards from both daughters and 2 school awards for the 6th Grade grad) and making preparations for the summer.

I have made a promise elsewhere, and I will make it here, too: You will see a new strip here on Sunday! And if I’ve done one strip, that means I've finished a page, which means 5 strips will be ready to post in the following days! Come back Sunday and see what happens next!

Postponed

2006-06-08T08:22:00.000-04:00

Page 55.

The Easy Way?

2006-06-07T06:45:00.000-04:00

Page 54.

A Snake in the Grass

2006-06-05T22:11:00.000-04:00

Page 53.

Meanwhile, half way across known space...

2006-06-05T22:09:00.000-04:00

Page 51. Whoops... I published page 53 before page 52. What you see before you is the correct order of pages.

What goes up...

2006-06-04T07:27:00.000-04:00

Page 51.

If you want something done right...

2006-06-01T22:12:00.000-04:00

Page 50! I've done 50 of these little strips! I'm just beside myself! I'm pretty pleased that I've kept up with it so long... and I show no signs of stopping. Work is calming down a little bit, so I feel like I have a little more mental energy to devote to the strip.

I hope that there are folks out there who are reading and enjoying the strip. It's fun to do and I'll keep on doing it anyway, but I'd love hear any feedback that anyone might have.

Thanks for coming and keep on coming back!

Drifting Apart

2006-05-31T20:06:00.000-04:00

Page 49.

A Fold-Jump Runs Through It.

2006-05-30T06:21:00.000-04:00

Page 48.

Is there a plan B?

2006-05-29T06:39:00.000-04:00

Page 47.

The Trick!

2006-05-28T08:23:00.000-04:00

Page 46. As usual, getting a lot done on the strip during the week is not a realistic goal. I'm just too busy. My responsibities at work have recently increased, so I have less time to devote to the strip. However, I am devoted to the strip, so keep coming back, because I will be updating on a semi-regular basis as I have been.

Born Free?

2006-05-23T23:00:00.000-04:00

Page 45.

Making a Point

2006-05-22T22:40:00.000-04:00

Page 44.

Review of Options

2006-05-22T05:49:00.000-04:00

Page 43.

Reunion

2006-05-21T07:36:00.000-04:00

Page 42. I can't say I'm happy about the way that Blogger seems to be handling images suddenly. I may need to tinker with the way I set up my strips a bit so that they work with the new system better.

You maybe asking yourself "what happened to the action in this strip?" Rest assured, it's just around the corner.

The Storm Arrives!

2006-05-20T20:48:00.000-04:00

Page 41.

Stuff on the way

2006-05-19T06:21:00.000-04:00

So, my flight was stuck in Pensacola on Sunday which has thrown the rest of my week off. I hope to have some time tonight to get the next batch of posts ready.

My siblings and I surprized my Mom for Mothers Day and we had a great time! Wish you were there and all that.

The little guy IS useful

2006-05-11T22:19:00.000-04:00

Page 40. I will be out of town for a couple of days. My plane trip will afford me a little time to catch up on Tux, so with a little luck I will come home with a few weeks worth of strips! Be sure to tell your Mom "Happy Mothers day!"

Toad Hunt

2006-05-10T22:18:00.000-04:00

Page 39.

Great Expectations

2006-05-09T21:13:00.000-04:00

Page 38.

An approaching storm

2006-05-08T23:12:00.000-04:00

Page 37.

We make money the old fashioned way

2006-05-07T07:16:00.000-04:00

Page 36! Yes it's been a long wait. Life sort of gets in the way sometimes. Hopefully I'll have a little more time to devote to the strip for a while. As I've said before, I draw 5 strips at a time, so I've got 4 more days after this one to show before I run out again. By then I should have 5 more.

Stay tuned! There are more fascinating revelations to come!

And now for something completly different

2006-04-30T12:11:00.000-04:00

I did this for Countfunkula's Cartoon Carnival, but his email refuses to receive my messages, so I'm just going to post this here.

They say it's your birthday!

2006-04-28T12:54:00.000-04:00

It's my son's 4th birthday, so no strip today. Cake and Nachos! Woo Hoo!

See you tomorrow!

A Modest Proposal

2006-04-27T21:47:00.000-04:00

Page 35.

Mythconceptions

2006-04-26T19:16:00.000-04:00

Page 34.

Brass Tacks Time

2006-04-25T22:40:00.000-04:00

Page 33.

Locked and Loaded?

2006-04-24T22:24:00.000-04:00

Page 32.

A gift.

2006-04-23T07:41:00.000-04:00

Page 31. The beginning of Chapter 2!

I'm going to try giving each page a title for a while. Let me know if it adds anything to the experience.

2006-04-21T01:56:00.000-04:00

Page 30. Today's strip signifies the end of Chapter 1 of the story of Tux. Chapter 1 introduced the main protagonists of the story... Chapter 2 will introduce the main story and develop the characters further as well as have a lot of action, wild chases and other fun stuff. There are some interesting revelations and new mysteries introduced as well.

I hope that you have enjoyed reading Tux, because I'm having a blast making it! Stay tuned!

2006-04-19T20:37:00.000-04:00

Page 29.

2006-04-18T23:08:00.000-04:00

Page 28.

2006-04-17T20:07:00.000-04:00

Page 27.

2006-04-16T22:31:00.000-04:00

Page 26.

2006-04-11T20:32:00.000-04:00

Page 25.

2006-04-10T20:01:00.000-04:00

Page 24.

2006-04-09T07:30:00.000-04:00

Page 23.

2006-04-08T14:02:00.000-04:00

Page 22.

2006-04-07T23:53:00.000-04:00

Page 21.

Crazy Week

2006-04-06T15:52:00.000-04:00

It's been a pretty nutty week both at home and at the office, so I've had no time for update. I'm right in the middle of the next set of strips (I work on a 5 strip page and I don't scan it until the whole page is done), so I'm hoping to have new strips soon. Thanks for stopping by and see you soon!

2006-04-02T15:59:00.000-04:00

Page 20.

2006-04-01T07:19:00.000-05:00

Page 19.

2006-03-31T23:57:00.000-05:00

Page 18.

2006-03-29T22:56:00.000-05:00

Page 17.

2006-03-28T21:00:00.000-05:00

Page 16!

2006-03-24T23:10:00.000-05:00

Page 15... finally!

Away for a couple of days

2006-03-20T21:53:00.000-05:00

There won't be any new strips until Thursday, at the earliest. My computer will be down for a couple of days doing demos in my daughters' classrooms.

I have a few more strips that are just about ready to go, but I don't want to rush them. Please come back soon and have a look... I have lot's of ideas on what this merry little band will be up to.

Thanks for being here and having a look!

2006-03-18T21:40:00.000-05:00

Page 14.

2006-03-17T06:57:00.000-05:00

page 13.

2006-03-15T22:02:00.000-05:00

Page 12.