Good Intentions

Well, I had a good idea (at least I thought it was a good idea at the beginning of the year). To quote myself…

The Michael Hopkins Cartoons 365 Challenge Begins Tomorrow January 1st 2025

Must complete one drawing each day for 365 days, beginning January 1st, 2025. A continuation of a drawing from the previous day may be substituted for a completed drawing. This continuation may include inking or painting/coloring or additional drawing.

As it turned out, it wasn't such a great idea. 

First off, when one works 40 hours a week at a “regular job” (at The Daily Planet), it doesn't leave much time to complete one drawing each day for 365 days. As my mom would have said, I've bitten off more than I can chew (which i've literally done on a few occasions as well)

Secondly, when I forced myself to create a new drawing the first four days of the year, the quality of my drawings took a serious hit.

Whether it was a good idea or not, it achieved its objective of getting me off my ass and drawing again. Hell, I've even started some serious distance walking again as a first step towards getting me back into hiking. Who knew that doing something that I love (drawing) would lead to better health?? Apparently Sally Gunnell knew…

Passion Breeds Motivation

When you engage in activities you are passionate about, motivation flows naturally. Passion is like a wellspring of energy that propels you forward, enabling you to overcome challenges and persist in the face of adversity. Whether you're an artist, a scientist, an athlete, or any other professional, the intrinsic motivation that comes from doing what you love leads to higher productivity, creativity, and innovation.

Sally Gunnell

(check out her entire article here)

So anyways…life is pretty good right now and I’m back on the better health track. Not a bad way to start 2025.

By the way, below is my latest Aviation Caricature, The Super Guppy…

The Super Guppy. I easily could have spent three more days on this drawing. However, my mind keeps creating more ideas that need to be turned into reality or at least my version of reality. I love this, it's beautiful!

This drawing was created on 11"x 14" on Strathmore Bristol vellum surface drawing paper, with Faber-Castell Pitt Artist Pens

See you soon,

Michael

 

Happy Birthday Elvis

From my Instagram @iamscribbles

To say I'm a fan of Elvis Presley would be an understatement. Obsessed? Maybe...

I've drawn two Pen & Ink Caricatures of Elvis, both 70's Elvis (my favorite era of Elvis), I performed at my high school talent show as Elvis (I think my sister has a picture of that somewhere), I remember exactly where I was when I first heard about his passing, my youngest daughter was walked down the aisle to "Can't Help Falling in Love" (still gets me emotional) and my youngest son once told me I have a man crush on him...all true.

So, Happy Birthday Elvis, (yes, I'm sure he's still alive), although he's damn old 😆 but aren't we all??

Finito! As previously mentioned, this is my completed Tiny Tim, Pen & Ink Caricature. Although I completed this today, it's been an ongoing process for a while. Sometimes, to achieve what I perceive as perfection takes time and clear focus... which I've been missing for a while 

This drawing was created on 10" x 16" Canson artist board with pen & black India ink and a very slight wash. Do you remember Tiny Tim? I remember from The Tonight Show, Starring Johnny Carson.

Thanks to you soon,

Michael

Alrighty Then

 As one of my favorite comedians would say, “Alrighty then!”

These first four drawings were fun, but they were basically stretching exercises to get me back on track. My serious work (Pen & Ink Caricatures, Aviation Caricatures and dare I say my webcomics (“Missed Approach “ and "Cosmic Fowl") can take days to complete one drawing. As such, I won't be posting daily “completed” drawings. I'll still be drawing everyday and I’ll tease you daily with snippets of what I'm currently working on everyday, however you won't see the entire drawing until it's finite! 

Of course, now and then, you'll see the Event Caricatures (because I like to make people smile), occasional “one off” random scribbles ( like I've drawn the first four days of the year), the YouTube channel I'm working on and of course The Michael Hopkins Cartoons Blog, but my main focus will be (what I call) my serious work.

My Muse has taken flight back to California, but I want to thank her for the inspiration she left behind and her essence remains with me.

My current focus is a Pen & Ink drawing I started a while ago of Tiny Tim, the musical "genius" from the 60’s and 70’s. 

Now it’s time to get back to Tiny...

Stay tuned!

The Michael Hopkins Cartoons 365

The Michael Hopkins Cartoons 365 Challenge Begins Tomorrow January 1st, 2025

I must complete one drawing each day, for 365 days, beginning January 1st, 2025. A continuation of a drawing from the previous day may be substituted for a completed drawing. This continuation may include inking or painting/coloring or additional drawing.

My results will be posted daily on

The Michael Hopkins Cartoons Website

Instagram @iamscribbles

Want to have fun? Join me and tag me on Instagram @iamscribbles

Manifestations and Other Hippie Bullshit

Good morning! Michael here, at the ol' Reno Tahoe Airport. Today we're gonna talk about manifestations. After contemplating, researching and discussing manifestations with my *Muse…Let’s call her Madison (not her real name)

*Muse…  In Greek and Roman mythology each of the nine goddesses, the daughters of Zeus and Mnemosyne, presided over the arts and sciences.

or 

a person or personified force who is the source of inspiration for.

I think the second definition more accurately describes Madison. Although it wouldn't surprise me if she was a daughter of Zeus or a Goddess, for that matter

Every artist should have one (or is it, every successful artist has one?). It's amazing how much inspiration she provides. Or maybe she is not providing the inspiration she’s just opening my heart and mind to the creativeness that's within? Either way, she's special and I think I'll keep her around. Of course, that's up to her. Only a fool would try to cage a Muse. As a mere mortal, I can only provide her with some happiness, hoping that she'll want to stick around…

Her first inspired musings were of manifestations/intentioning or to be more specific, my ability to manifest things that I wanted to happen. Although I'm a firm believer in this ability, lately I've been more like a blind man trying to jump his motorcycle over the Snake River Canyon, rather than an artist in charge of his destiny. 

Manifesting or Intentioning is not some “hippy bullshit” (as someone so pleasantly put it to me ) as it's basically taking the steps and actions required to ensure the results you seek, Grasshopper (where's my hookah and love beads??).

 

As part of the process to achieve my results (and to give a big FUCK YOU to those Manifestation Strategy Books and similar self help hippie bullshit on the internet), I'm introducing The Michael Hopkins Cartoons 365 (subtitle) 365 drawings in 365 Days for Better Mental Health…and I’m going to post each one of them. Yikes! That'll mess up my head!!

Anywho…There's much more to this plan than the Michael Hopkins Cartoons 365 and this blog is already too long, so we’ll discuss it more as we move forward…

Stay tuned!

Michael

Exit Strategy

Hello blogosphere! Well, 2025 is almost upon us and I thought I'd share some random thoughts about my employment status, heading into the new year.

Unfortunately, The Daily Planet's just getting worse. Apparently there's no shortage of idiots out there with zero supervisory skills willing to take the position of Supervisor, without knowing the definition of the term. So as a public service, Michael Hopkins Cartoons would like to provide the definition of Supervisor, courtesy of our Director of Terms Analysis, former A.I. Sex Bot,  Desiree Benover. 

“A supervisor is a managerial role that involves overseeing employees' work to ensure quality and productivity.”

Desiree Benover

Thank you Desiree!

Interestingly,  nowhere in Desiree's definition do I see the terms, sleeping, pissy attitude, non-communication or training via osmosis. Oh well, it is what it is and it ain't what it ain't. However, I do have a suggestion for Management when it comes to future Supervisory candidates, Hire a relative of the late, Bobo the Gorilla (Seattle Institution).

At least he could engage in non verbal communication and at the very least, Bobo could roll his poop into little balls and throw it at those who are not paying attention. 

I guess it's time to quit bitching and plan my exit. I know, I know, I've been talking about this as long as I've been a “Reporter” at the Daily Planet. However, the time has come to make an action plan that includes a detailed strategy and specific target dates to achieve my goal…before I go insane (some may say, that I’m already there)

As such I'm going to develop a plan in the next week and publish it on December 31st. Starting in January I will start publishing the results of this plan throughout 2025 until my exit! And then, you’ll be reading the endless stream of madness, from a full time Cartoonist.

Stay Tuned!