Last week...

Busy busy busy... A lot of projects in the works at my studio. I'm finishing up my newest music video for Matt Jaffee, a brilliant young singer-songwriter, and his song is called "Wicked World".  It's being done in a very cool style, like a graphic novel.  Watch for him, he'll be the new Justin Bieber.  That video should be out next month some time.

Also, I'm doing some animation for Joan Gratz's compilation short, where animators talk about their earliest beginnings.  Mine is a story about how, as a kid, I recycled bloody butcher paper to draw on, to create a panorama of a World War II battle.  I don't know when that will come out.

And for all you fans of my early "Sex & Violence" series, I'm starting work on a new version called, appropriately enough, "Sex & Violence III".  It will have a bunch of way over-the-top offensive segments.  That should be out this Christmas, or so - perfect for the holiday season.

And of course, while I'm creating these short projects, I'm still happily drawing away on my upcoming feature, "Slide".  And I've got to tell you, this film will have some of the best animation I've ever drawn.  I'm so excited about "Slide", and that film should be finished in about 2 years.

Some of the events I've been attending are the ANNY (Animation Nights New York) screenings, hosted by Yvonne Grzenkowicz.  On Saturday, October 6, it took place in the lobby of a huge glass-enclosed skyscraper, just north of Wall Street here in NYC.  Yvonne organized a very special weekend gathering that involved anything related to animation - workshops on V.R., traditional, computer, festivals, the early years of animation, independents, studio animation and games.

The moment I entered this three-ring animated circus, I felt the excitement of young kids checking out the animation scene.  I also ran into a lot of my animation buddies - so be sure to check this event out next year!

Then the following Thursday night, SVA sponsored an exhibition of political art, called "Art as Witness".  What a gala event!  It had all the excitement of my early years in New York as a political cartoonist.  It was a who's who of great cartoonists and illustrators - let's see, where do I begin?  R.O. Blechman, Felipe Galindo, Andres Arroyo, Ed Sorel, Steven Brodner (one of the organizers), Steven Heller, Joe Ciardiello, Peter Kuper, Marshall Arisman, John Cuneo and the great Brad Holland. 

with Francis di Tommaso and Brad Holland at SVA's "Art as Witness" event

The exhibition was terrific - such a wide panorama of political statements on pollution, police brutality, women's rights and of course, lots of anti-Trump stuff.  They also had some beautiful pieces from the late David Levine and Robert Grossman.  It was a wonderful night.  I almost forgot, they played two of my "Trump Bites" animated shorts.

Now, on to something that I think is very exciting - for me, anyway - you may not think it's cool but I love it.  I've been making rough drawings of cartoon ideas for future gag books.  And now I have a nice collection of them, so I decided to preview all the gag cartoons here - so my plan is to premiere each cartoon, one per week, here on my Scribble Junkies site.  So, starting this week, my first gag cartoon in a series - this is called "The Trump Years".

Please let me know what you think!

Bill P.