I am honored to be at the Charles Schulz Museum at 2301 Hardies Lane in
Santa Rosa, CA this coming Saturday September 11 from 1pm to 3pm as part of a wonderful celebration of the 60th Anniversary of Peanuts called the Cartoonist Sketch-A-Thon! If you are in the area, please stop by, there are going to be many artists there including Dan Piraro (creator of Bizarro) doing sketches and selling their art (not to mention the fact that the Schulz Museum is one of the coolest museums you will ever visit, and has a rotating collection of original Peanuts strips showing 100 at a time, with many from the 1950’s and 1960’s!).

Thank you to everyone who has been voting for “Clumsy Love” on “Top Web Comics,” I am hoping to get it into the top 100 some day!:

Thanks again, and see you Friday!

–Mike Gray
e-mail: mike@clumsylove.net
www.pencilforhire.com
pencilforhire.blogspot.com

It is true that a child needs a booster seat until they are at least 4′ 9″ tall…in hindsight, it was probably not a good idea suggest to my pregnant 4′ 11″ that we should make sure she hasn’t lost any height during the pregnancy (and therefore might need a Booster Seat for herself set up next to our Infant Carrier). That’s what I get for being a thoughtful husband and worrying about her safety in a car crash.

Thank you to everyone who has been voting for “Clumsy Love” on “Top Web Comics,” I am hoping to get it into the top 100 some day!:

Thanks again, and see you Wednesday!

–Mike Gray
e-mail: mike@clumsylove.net
www.pencilforhire.com
pencilforhire.blogspot.com

It’s the pregnancy that makes new mother’s act in ways they might normally not…such as threatening you with the wrath of the unborn baby herself. Do not, I repeat do not engage the pregnant women in conversation when she is in this state. Simply let the tirade run it’s course, and then ask only “what would the baby like to eat today?” And then get it…fast.

Thank you to everyone who has been voting for “Clumsy Love” on “Top Web Comics,” I am hoping to get it into the top 100 some day!:

Thanks again, and see you Monday!

–Mike Gray
e-mail: mike@clumsylove.net
www.pencilforhire.com
pencilforhire.blogspot.com

Melissa refuses to ride in the backseat despite the well-documented “Baby Book Law” that air bags can be a danger to pregnant women. This is because she doesn’t want it to look like she is being driven by a chauffeur…yet, she does not wish to actually drive. So I guess, as long as it doesn’t “look” like she’s being driven, it’s OK. I will be beaten for coming to this conclusion.

Thank you to everyone who has been voting for “Clumsy Love” on “Top Web Comics,” I am hoping to get it into the top 100 some day!:

Thanks again, and see you Friday!

–Mike Gray
e-mail: mike@clumsylove.net
www.pencilforhire.com
pencilforhire.blogspot.com

Melissa and I have been wondering what our baby girl will be like, and these are some of the versions we hope might end up in an alternate universe. I would love the version of our baby girl that sides with me all the time, but if that actually happens I will suffer mightily at the hands of Melissa for sure…

Finally, here is a link to my brother Doug’s interview from this months CAPS newsletter…it is fantastic (especially the new cover he made for the issue…who doesn’t want to buy that Instant Comic Book Kit right now?!?)!

Thank you to everyone who has been voting for “Clumsy Love” on “Top Web Comics,” I am hoping to get it into the top 100 some day!:

Thanks again, and see you Wednesday!

–Mike Gray
e-mail: mike@clumsylove.net
www.pencilforhire.com
pencilforhire.blogspot.com

The only problem with the design of the “Stinkin Thinkin” Throne Room is the fact that your legs will go to sleep after 15 - 20 minutes…it is a fatal flaw that I hope to address in the near future (perhaps gel mouse pads under each knee cap might buy 10 to 15 more precious minutes). Have a great weekend, and do not forget to set-up your very own Throne Room and start “Thinkin!”

PS: Again I must mention the monthly newsletter for CAPS (Comic Art Professional Society, of which I am a proud member) because this month’s Artist Spotlight/Interview was on my brother, Doug Gray (a superb cartoonist, animator and writer! I have not found a pdf version to share, it is a great interview including a fantastic cover Doug did just for the issue, so as soon as I find one I will psot it! Doug is also working on a new version of his classic comic series, “The Eye of Mongombo,: which I am anxiously awaiting!

And I will have a table at the upcoming Sac-Anime convention
in Sacramento on Sept 3rd, 4th, and 5th, and will be giving my talk on “How to Successfully Pitch an Animated Cartoon”
on Saturday the 4th at 2pm…I hope to see you there!

Thank you to everyone who has been voting for “Clumsy Love” on “Top Web Comics,” I am hoping to get it into the top 100 some day!:

Thanks again, and see you Monday!

–Mike Gray
e-mail: mike@clumsylove.net
www.pencilforhire.com
pencilforhire.blogspot.com

Is it possible to build your endurance for seeing a live birth by multiple video viewings? So far Melissa and I have only seen some tastefully edited versions in our prenatal classes, but somehow I think no matter what I watch nothing will prepare me (Melissa will be opting for no mirror, a smart move on her part I believe) for the sheer horror, I mean blessed wonder, of my own child’s birth. Somehow I picture our little girl crawling out under her own power using her freakishly strong hands (inherited from her mother) to simply pull herself out and scream “I…LIVE!!!” Wouldn’t that be cool.

PS: I just found out that I will have a table at the upcoming Sac-Anime convention in Sacramento on Sept 3rd, 4th, and 5th, and will be giving my talk on “How to Successfully Pitch an Animated Cartoon” on Saturday the 4th at 2pm…I hope to see you there!

Thank you to everyone who has been voting for “Clumsy Love” on “Top Web Comics,” I am hoping to get it into the top 100 some day!:

Thanks again, and see you Friday!

–Mike Gray
e-mail: mike@clumsylove.net
www.pencilforhire.com
pencilforhire.blogspot.com

“Urine” is a funny word. Use it today!

This weekend was great because I got the monthly newsletter for CAPS (Comic Art Professional Society, of which I am a proud member) and this month’s Artist Spotlight/Interview was on my brother, Doug Gray (a superb cartoonist, animator and writer…and no I am not just saying that because he is my brother, but if you don’t agree I will stomp on your foot the next time I see you). I am trying to see if I can get a link to a pdf version to share this week, it is a great interview including a fantastic cover Doug did just for the issue! He is also working on a new version of his classic comic series, “The Eye of Mongombo,: which I am anxiously awaiting (and of course, Book Snob will expect it to be immediately included in your library as well upon publication)!

Thank you to everyone who has been voting for “Clumsy Love” on “Top Web Comics,” I am hoping to get it into the top 100 some day!:

Thanks again, and see you Wednesday!

–Mike Gray
e-mail: mike@clumsylove.net
www.pencilforhire.com
pencilforhire.blogspot.com

What’s better for a Happy Friday morning than a “downer” strip about planning your funeral? I am actually torn between Plan A and Plan C, with the Taxidermy having the slight edge in that it would be harder to lose me than if I were in a ring. Although, I would love to think of the ring showing up years later in some shop or yard sale with people trying to figure out just what the heck it was. Maybe I’ll haunt them too…if I’m not still lazy as a ghost. Thanks for tuning in this week and have a great weekend!

Thank you to everyone who has been voting for “Clumsy Love” on “Top Web Comics,” I am hoping to get it into the top 100 some day!:

Thanks again, and see you Monday!

–Mike Gray
e-mail: mike@clumsylove.net
www.pencilforhire.com
pencilforhire.blogspot.com

Actually, I think Kiki hates children and babies more than Mariah, she actually makes a low, inner growling sound like a rabid dog when my niece Vivian gets too close to her…it’s pretty creepy. Mariah is more jealous, though she is jealous of anything you do that causes you to not look at her. Whether it is a child or a just a good comic book, it pretty much doesn’t matter…she will soon be competing with it, or sitting on it, to get your attention directed at her.

Thank you to everyone who has been voting for “Clumsy Love” on “Top Web Comics,” I am hoping to get it into the top 100 some day!:

Thanks again, and see you Friday!

–Mike Gray
e-mail: mike@clumsylove.net
www.pencilforhire.com
pencilforhire.blogspot.com