Bearman Cartoons

What is Your Porn Star Name?

Bearman — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 14:50:26 +0000

I’ve seen some things floating around the web describing the steps for people to figure out their Blues Singer name. We never played that game but we did ask people their Porn Star Name. Plus when else am I going to be able to fit a caricature of Adult Film star legend Ron Jeremy into a cartoon post. So fess up Bearmaniacs….what is yours?

Oh and someone pointed out that this might be security answers on websites and you may so your alternative is to tell us your Middle Name and the First Car you Drove.

UPDATE:

The guys at Obscure Gentlemen webcomic actually cared what I have to say. Go check out my interview with them. Aidan, George and Tony better go because I give you shout outs.

DC Comics – We Can Be Heroes

Bearman — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 15:20:31 +0000

DC Entertainment (aka DC Comics) has decided to step up for aid to Africa with their We Can Be Heroes Campaign. Essentially they are putting the Justice League Superheroes (Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, etc.) up front to drive awareness and raise money for famine relief in the Horn of Africa.

Better still they are matching funding dollar for dollar for the first $1 million.

And while this isn’t time for my typical charity drive, I am doing a special one off this week on Google Plus. For those on Google Plus who want to help, click here to see my post there, and then share it. For every share of that post I get this week, I’ll donate $1 up to $500 total.

Editorial Cartoon: Caricature Fail

Bearman — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 15:14:06 +0000

This cartoon was inspired by my attempts over the last 4 months to do more caricature work. If you get a caricature done by me or someone else there are several reactions you may have.

Wow that picture is great and it looks like me.
Wow that picture is great but I am not sure it looks like me.
That picture isn’t good/flattering but it does look like me
That picture sucks and it doesn’t look anything like me.

I have run the gamut of reactions to my own work, though I have only had one person actually tell me number four (yet more probably felt that way). I had my wife, and biggest critic, look over the work and she said “Yeah it looks like her, she just isn’t that attractive.” I find that women are way more sensitive to you pointing out prominent characteristics in caricature. I tend to go more realistic versus cartoony as I do with men.

A piece of advice I got from Jerry Dowling, former Cincinnati Enquirer editorial cartoonist and caricature artist, is that you should over emphasize the size of women’s eyes…they seem to like that. He may or may not have said something about boob size too, I can’t remember.

He related a story of live drawing a caricature of a woman as her husband was looking over his shoulder. Suddenly, her husband, who obviously thought the drawing wasn’t pretty enough, said “Don’t you know she is a former Beauty Queen.” To which Jerry handed him his pen and said “Great, so you finish up the drawing”

Bob Ross & Daryll Collins Mash Up

Bearman — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 13:53:15 +0000

My friend and former Cincinnati illustrator Daryll Collins has finally decided to start a blog at CartoonSuccotash.com. And he has started off strong by mixing the iconic landscapes of Bob Ross with his own cartoons. For those not familiar with Bob, he had a show on public television for years where he taught people how to oil paint landscapes in about 10 minutes. In fact I have one of his follower’s works hanging in my house (thanks mother in law).

If you get a chance go give Daryll some love and encouragement. We want more.

Editorial Cartoon: The Generosity of Warren Buffet

Bearman — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 19:58:37 +0000

Today’s editorial cartoon was inspired by a blog post from Jeff Jena that blasted Billionaire Warren Buffet for his pittance of a challenge to Republicans in Congress. Now on one hand, I agree with Buffet that certain tax shelters need to be right sized. CEOs who take little salary yet rake in stock options because Capital Gains are charged at a lower rate than income. In the late 80′s and 90′s that rate was closer to 30% and now it is somewhere around 15% so there is precedent for a higher rate. And we are familiar with the notion that Buffet paid less as a percent of income in taxes than his secretary. Maybe Warren should start paying her in stock instead.

A Republican pushed through the Buffet Rule Act that gives individuals an option on the tax form allowing them to give more to the IRS to lower the national debt. Buffet responded saying he would match any Congressional Republican’s donations to the debt dollar for dollar. While it can be looked at as a “put your money where your mouth is” bet, it is CHEAP CHEAP CHEAP on his part.

Based on recent data, Buffet’s net worth is somewhere around $50 billion and the entirety of Congress is around $2 Billions (well overpaid but still 25x less than Buffet). Let’s put that in perspective you and I could understand. It would be the same as someone earning $100,000 a year (Person A) saying he would match dollar for dollar in donations that someone earning just $4,000 (Person B) did. Let’s say they each donate $1000. That is only 1% of Person A’s income while it is 25% of Person B’s. $1000 to Person A is nothing so even if all the Republican’s in Congress donated 100% of their yearly income, it wouldn’t even put the slightest dent in Warren’s pocketbook.

Editorial Cartoon: Welfare Drug Test

Bearman — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 14:51:05 +0000

Today’s editorial cartoon is inspired by the noise coming out around some states and even the federal government trying to put laws in place that would require anyone requesting government assistance first pass a drug test. (source). I don’t believe those who don’t pass shouldn’t get benefits but rather have 90 days to enroll in a drug treatment program and then pass the test at completion and be subject to additional screenings. Yet, people are up in arms saying it violates the Fourth Amendment against unnecessary search and seizure. The ACLU has been successful in halting Florida’s program using this same argument. Personally I think the war on drugs is a complete failure, however much like my cartoon implies if I wanted to be hired by the government or a business I would have to be subjected to random drug testing. In face, just yesterday I heard about a hospital that no longer will hire anyone that smokes or has even been using a smoking cessation treatment in the last 90 days. And they plan to do hair tests. Why are my rights as an employee somehow less than someone seeking government assistance? In response to the judge’s ruling in Florida the ACLU put out a statement saying in part: “Last month in federal court in Orlando, the Governor’s attorneys pushed the startling proposition that some Floridians – namely poor families asking for temporary government assistance – were not protected by the Fourth Amendment of the Constitution. Judge Scriven rightfully tossed out that notion and the arguments made to support it. “Governor Scott is sadly confused about conservative principles. No true conservative would defend a program that allows government to conduct intrusive, privacy-violating searches on people who are not suspected of any wrongdoing, but who are simply applicants for government services.

If we put up TSA intrusive searches when flying in the name of safety, why aren’t we OK with someone having to pee in a cup to get some money?

Best of 2011 Recap

Bearman — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 05:15:44 +0000

If are new to Bearman Cartoons, you can save yourself time digging through the archives by reviewing the best of 2011. If you aren’t new, take a trip down memory lane with me.

Caricature Creation Process

Bearman — Sun, 08 Jan 2012 16:39:21 +0000

Been busy this week with getting back to work and doing promised guest cartoons for George Ford and Aidan Casserly. Also had some paying commission work as well. Claude Rieth contacted me via Google Plus and was gracious enough to let me share my work with you.

Here was his original picture he sent.

I thought look at that hair, look at the expression. This one is going to be easy. Ok I was wrong. I have never done that expression so getting it to look like someone was twisting their face on purpose is actually very hard to do. So many attempts. When I do commission work I tend to send a draft to the client so they can either approve or not. If they feel I didn’t capture what they want in that draft I have no problem with them walking away and me not going any further. As I have said, there are some people who I can’t capture a likeness.

So this is what I sent to Claude.

Given his expression I was hoping he would be OK with the more cartoony look but wanted to give him options. Thankfully he was in agreement and with a little tweaking, you can see the final result. Thanks Claude for being a great subject that challenged me and a better client.

End of an Era: Jaws Ride Closes

Bearman — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 14:51:27 +0000

Interesting as I was reading a post at Lisleman’s A Few Clowns Short, he asked have you done something or been somewhere that doesn’t exist anymore. Lo and behold, further down in my reading, I learned that the iconic Jaws Ride at Universal Studios Orlanda is closing.

Based off the 1970′s Jaws Movie, the ride has been a part of Universal Studios since it opened in 1990. They had a link to a video in the linked article but it was long so for the interested, here is a shorter video of the ride only.

So go ahead an answer Lisleman’s question. What place from your past is no longer around?

And before you ask, yes that is me in the top picture. The shark damage is the reason I don’t show my face.

Occupy 2012

Bearman — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 13:38:30 +0000

Happy New Year to all. Hope you have a healthy 2012 so we can all be here for 2013 to do it all over again.