I've been going through some my editorial cartoons recently, 2003 specifically, and was struck by how similar a lot of the topics were that year to those in 2018. It's mind boggling how little progress we make in this state and country. Below is a sampling from just the first six months of 2003... -MM
The addition of Violet Finch to my UP on the HiLL webcomic also means the return of The Old Man Diner which means The Old Man Diner stuff is back in my CafePress store. You can check it out here: www.cafepress.com/uponthehill -MM
NH state rep Violet Finch, formerly of my editorial comic strip Birch & Finch, will be returning to the comics! She'll be joining her cousin Gemma as an ongoing character in Up on the HiLL. -MM
Patreon is a membership platform that enables artists to get paid directly from their readers.
From Patreon: For creators, Patreon is a way to get paid for creating things (webcomics, videos, songs, whatevs). Fans pay as little as a few bucks per month for direct access to the creations. For patrons, Patreon is a way to join your favorite creator's community and pay them for making the stuff you love. This means the creator actually gets paid for their work and you become a bonafide, real-life patron of the arts. And imagine your favorite creators making a living doing what they do best… because of you. From my Patreon 'About" page... Thank you to all of you who have encouraged me to continue editorial cartooning this circus we call New Hampshire politics. And a big Thank You to those of you have become Patrons of Up on the HiLL! Having lost the opportunity to continue my editorial cartooning in the state's newspapers I have now moved my work entirely online and it is being funded by you, the readers. I Would greatly appreciate your contributions in support of this endeavor (and I'll give you free stuff!). Up on the Hill is the continuation of my New Hampshire editorial cartoon work. My opinions are now expressed through the characters of Harlan and Gemma Whetstone, a couple of wicked liberal, rural natives whose formative years were during the 60s and 70s. The Whetstones live up on a hill in Mapleville New Hampshire in an old New England farmhouse with their dog Pup and a cat named Mister. I produce at least three strips a week - one will be open-posted and the rest will be for Patreon members only starting at the $3 level. Members will receive the strips on Mondays as soon as I finish them - before they're posted anywhere else! I'll also be posting Patron-only extras as time permits. -MM
The changes just keep a'comin'.
As of this year I have been cartooning professionally in one form or another for 39 years. For the first time since 1978 I find myself without a newspaper editorial page to call home. After 38 years with the Littleton Courier, 29 years freelancing to the Concord Monitor and an eight-month run with InDepthNH.org I am now on my own. I am pursuing alternatives to fill my editorial cartoon void, but I do plan to continue churning them out occasionally. Above is the first editorial cartoon I've drawn since early August. It looks noticeably different than my previous work as I've drawn it with pencil rather than ink. Two reasons for this - - one, I can draw faster and looser with a pencil which I've always liked and two, the joys of late middle age - arthritis is making it increasingly difficult to draw. It has reduced my control when inking and has made lettering especially difficult. Readers have no doubt observed that I have been relying more and more on digital type for my lettering. And just to make it even more interesting I have benign essential tremor. Which means my hand shakes when I draw. It always has but up until recently I've been able to compensate. Meds help but not entirely and it, too is getting worse with age. Which also explains why I'm making my two webcomics The Beach and UP on the HiLL mostly on computer -- faster with less wear 'n' tear on the hand joints. That's it. Not complaining, just explaining. Things may change, but I will continue cartooning. :) -MM |
Mike MarlandCartoonist Archives
February 2021
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