What I Drew Sunday, January 24th - Top 3

 During the inaugural session of “What Shall I Draw Today?” for 2021, I managed to produce eight little pieces of art from the nearly 40 suggestion submitted.

Here are the top 3 liked pieces from Sunday:

#1 - Christopher Robin as Andy, Tigger as Woody, and Pooh as Buzz Lightyear: suggestion by @akoymdf

The amount of “likes” received by this piece may have set a personal best for my Instagram channel.

On paper, it’s a simple Disney mashup: three Winnie the Pooh characters as Toy Story characters. It’s a boy playing with his toys. The boy is Christopher Robin as Andy complete with a red cowboy hat. Instead of a Triple-R Ranch logo tee-shirt, he wears something of a Space Rangers logo, so that he represents his dual interests of westerns and space adventures.

Were I left to make up the mashups, I would have swapped the roles to have Tigger as Buzz because he’s flashier and bouncier. Pooh would be Woody, the trusty and loyal one whose primacy as Andy’s favorite is challenged by the new comer.

With all the “likes,” I guess @akoymdf has better instincts on the casting.

If you’ve been following my IG enough to catch some of my past WSIDT sessions, the IG handle may be familiar.


#2 - Lucy Ricardo and Wanda & Chicken: suggestion by @oliviamn14 with Abigail R.

For future readers, this session happened the Sunday following the Disney Plus airing of the third episode of WandaVision. There were 5 suggestions involving Wanda or both Wanda and Vision. This is the one WandaVision related idea that I chose to draw on Sunday because the first episode draws inspiration from I Love Lucy as well as The Dick Van Dyke Show. It would be best to explore the cross-over idea now while the connection is still fresh. There also was a suggestion featuring a version of the comic book Scarlet Witch.

The chicken is from Abigail’s separate suggestion. The chicken became the trigger for the story.

Why is there a chicken?
Wanda magic-ed it up.
What does Lucy think about that?
Lucy is wondering where that chicken came from.
Why is a chicken surprising to Lucy?
A live chicken isn’t the chicken she was thinking of.
What’s out of place about a live chicken?
Lucy has a cook book, suggesting that she had a recipe requiring a store-bought chicken.

I could have rendered the piece as true-to-inspiration black & white, but people always respond to color more. Additionally, Lucy’s bright red hair and Wanda’s auburn hair make more comparisons between the two more obvious which was, in fact, an added point made in the full suggestion.

Both of their dresses are more neutral and cool in tone for added contrast to make their hair color stand out more.

The choice to depict them in a cartoony caricature, was initiated to allude to the animated opening titles of Bewitched. The style also made it easier and quicker to draw, which is important to me as I try to complete as many drawings in eight hours as I possibly can.


#3 - Redd the pirate and Captain Jack Sparrow: suggestion by @nikkistar5394

Redd, here, is the pirate in the Pirates of the Caribbean attraction. She has a different costume than Captain Redd who you once could meet at Disneyland and Magic Kingdom. I trust that you know of Captain Jack Sparrow.

The suggestion included the team-up back-to-back composition. Were this not the final drawing of the day, I might have drawn it on a larger card, and a large card might have allowed for a better caricature of Captain Jack.

The expressions and exchanges of gazes, I hope, suggests that they may be teaming up now, but either one could make a self-serving turn as any moment.

Pirates. Am I Right?


Here are the rest of the 8 drawn on Sunday:

Kamala Harris (Flora), Michelle Obama (Fauna), and Dr. Jill Biden (Merryweather)
suggestion by @motheroffreels

A bi-pedal Pumbaa in tux and tails
suggestion by @pumbaaguy

Pocahontas as a hula dancer
suggestion by @elijones94

Rey and Leia bonding over an afternoon tea
suggestion by @jesstothesmith

Wonder Woman (DC Future State) — Yara Flor
suggestion by @sdogg52

I am still saving all of my drawing for future sales at convention shows. Frustratingly, I can’t say when that will be.

The next WSIDT session is happening in February 21.

Thank you to everyone who pitched their fun drawing suggestions. Thank you for following my blog and/or Instagram (@Monstergram7) and/or Monster Enterprises Facebook page. Thank you for liking. 

All: Black ink and color pencil on Bristol Board.

“Pooh Story” and “Lucy and Wanda”: 17.78 cm  x 12.70 cm (7.00 in. x 5.00 in)
“Redd and Jack” 8.89 cm x 6.35 cm  (3.50 in. x 2.50 in.)

“Kamala, Michelle and Jill” on watercolor paper.

What Shall I Draw January 24th?

 

 

On Sunday, January 24th I will be drawing other people’s suggestions for 8 hours. 

From now until 12noon Eastern Time on that day, you may pitch your drawing suggestions on any of these social media sites:
Instagram: @monstergram7 

Facebook: @Monster Enterprises
Blog: monotonae.blogspot.com (here in the comments)

Only suggestions posted during this window will be considered.

What Shall I Draw Today?

Sunday, January 24th, 2021

Eastern  time:  12pm noon - 8pm

Pacific time:  9am - 5pm

For As to your Qs, please click on the WSIDT tab above.

Tributes 2019-2020

During the year 2019, I made only 2 tribute sketches for the people who had passed. I don’t recall that I had made a decision to to fewer tribute sketches, nor was could I have been soured to doing them by any particular event.
Into 2020, I returned to making regular tribute sketch Instagram posts. 

  Performers 

Cameron Boyce
1900 - 2019
American actor
The actor did a marvelous job in the comedic role as Cruella De Vil’s son in Disney’s Descendants.

 

Ellis Marsalis, Jr.
1934 - 2020
American jazz pianist and educator
In my very small collection of music, I certainly was aware of the family of the Marsalis family of jazz musicians.

Terry Jones
1942 - 2020
Welsh actor, writer, comedian
In my mind the members of the Monty Python troupe will ever be inseparable. If my favorite Pythons film is Monty Python and the Holy Grail then it’s my favorite of Jones’ work.

Kirk Douglas
1916 - 2020
American actor, producer, director
He brought such deep intensity to his roles, none the more so than his portrayal of Dutch post-impressionist painter Vincent van Gogh in Lust for Life (1956).

Orson Bean
1928 - 2020
American actor, comedian, writer
Bean voiced Bilbo Baggins in the Rankin/Bass animated version of The Hobbit (1977). An indelible portrayal to me even against Martin Freeman’s take in Peter Jackson’s splashier three-part version.

Robert Conrad
1935 - 2020
American actor, singer, stuntman
Conrad’s James West in The Wild, Wild West television series (1965-69), was at the top alongside James T. Kirk as the epitome of the action hero.

Lyle Waggoner
1935 - 2020
American actor, presenter, model
Perhaps best well-known for playing Steve Trevor in the Wonder Woman television series (1975-79), his star shown a bit brighter as good-looking, funny guy on The Carol Burnett Show (1967-74).

Kenny Rogers
1938 - 2020
American singer, songwriter, actor
“You’ve got to know when to Hold ’em, know when to fold ’em, know when to walk away, (and) know when to run.” – words to live by.

Honor Blackman
1925 - 2020
English actress
In the role of Bond-girl, Pussy Galore (Goldfinger, 1964), her character’s name made young boys reflexively giggle, but by no mistake she was a formidable personality for Bond to spar.

Little Richard
1932 - 2020
American musician, singer, and songwriter
You know what? I don’t know what “Tutti Frutti” is, But it bounces and his performance is too spectacular for me to care about it.

Jerry Stiller
1927 - 2020
American actor, comedian and author
On Seinfeld (1989-98) as George Costanza’s father Frank introduced widely to the world “Festivus,” and alternative toe the commercialization of Christmas. I’m unsure whether that introduction was a gift for Stiller or the world.

Olivia de Havilland
1916 - 2020
British-American actress
She seemed to excel most at imbuing her film roles with the winning, essential quality of kindness - see Maid Marion The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938) and Melanie in Gone with the Wind (1939).

 Regis Philbin
1931 - 2020
American television presenter, talk show host, actor
He always seemed to me to be such a nice guy, which I don’t think the SNL caricatured impressions captured at the sake of a comedic bit.
 

Wilford Brimley
1934 - 2020
American actor and singer
When Wilford Brimley tells me to eat oatmeal, I sit up and listen.

Naya Rivera
1987 - 2020
American actress, singer and model
Favorite performance as Santana on Glee (2009-15): “ If I Die Young” cover of the song by The Band Perry.

Chadwick Boseman
1976 - 2020
American actor and playwright
Sometimes you’ve got to see actors in multiple roles before you get it. For me finding Boseman’s T’Challa/Black Panther a rather stiff, I had to watch his transformation into James Brown in Get on Up (2014). 

Sean Connery
1930 - 2020
Scottish actor
Sean Connery is James Bond. Roger Moore was also James Bond, but that doesn’t make the first statement less true.

Eddie Van Halen
1955 - 2020
American musician and songwriter
The world is better when Eddie Van Halen posses so much mastery of his guitar and yet brings as much joy to it - no effort.

David Prowse
1935 - 2020
English bodybuilder, character actor
Star Wars’ Darth Vader is THE iconic character, brought to life in no small part to the man in the suit.

Dawn Wells
1938 - 2020
American actress
The mix of the seven different characters that comprise the cast-aways of Gilligan’s Island (1964-67) of different backgrounds, personalities and social castes, is, from a writing aspect, obvious fodder for conflict and story opportunities. Well’s Mary Ann easily becomes the glamorous Ginger’s ally and girl-team confidant and then when the script requires, she’s Ginger’s rival. Mary Ann provides the secret ingredient that softens other cast-aways’ more extreme personality aspects, because when Mary Ann is disappointed with Gilligan, then the audience knows that he’s REALLY messed thing up.




  Entertainment & Sports  

 

Kobe Bryant
1978 - 2020
American professional basketball player
Not following much in sports myself, I at least know that Bryant was a star in his field.

Grant Imahara
1970 - 2020
American electrical engineer, roboticist, television host
Imahara had one of the dream jobs as part of the Mythbusters’ build team for nine of 14 seasons: problem solve, build something (usually a robot) and blow things up.




  Artists & Writers   

 

Richard Williams
1938 - 2020
Canadian Director and animator
Masterfully put together the animation on the once-in-a-life time liveaction/animation Disney x Looney Tunes spectacular that is Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988).

Albert Uderzo
1927 - 2020
French comic book artist and scriptwriter
From 1959, Uderzo was the co-creator and illustrator of the long running Astérix comic until he sold the rights in 2009. I’ve great respect for that kind of longevity and the high level of artistic quality.

Mort Drucker
1929 - 2020
American caricaturist and comics artist
As a kid, I didn’t expend brain cells on distinguishing the different creators of MAD magazine, satisfied with funny drawings and words. I should have. There good stuff in there.

Gene Deitch
1924 - 2020
American-Czech illustrator, animator, comics artist
Deitch’s batch of 13 Tom and Jerry cartoons (1961-62) fall between Hanna-Barbera’s original MGM cartoon shorts (1940-58) and Chuck Jones’ short run (1963-67) and for apparent budgetary reasons, doesn’t match the production polish of either. Still, they’ve classic Tom and Jerry antics to enjoy.

Dennis O’Neil
1939 - 2020
American comic book writer and editor
In O’Neil’s legendary collaboration with artist Neal Adams on the DC Comics runs of Batman and Green Lantern/Green Arrow, I was drawn in by the top-notch art and stayed for the deep intricate storytelling.

Joe Sinnott
1926 - 2020
American comic book artist
Joe Sinnott may have been the first comic book inker that I became aware of by name, after first starting to track names like Jack Kirby and John Buscema. All because, the inker as collaborative artist DOES matter, and in Sinnott’s hands you knew that your were seeing something as close as possible to what the pencil artist had intended.



  Politics, Science  

 

John Lewis
1940 - 2020
American politician, statesman, civil rights activist
Unfortunately, you learn too late about people who had real impact on the world and one’s own life. Such as it was with John Lewis and my sparse knowledge of the civil rights movement.

Chuck Yeager
1923 - 2020
United States Air Force officer, flying ace and record-setting test pilot
Known as the first human to officially break the sound barrier when flying the experimental Bell X-1 in 1947. That’s an achievement to capture a young mind who understands higher, faster and farther if not the efforts and dangers to achieve them.

Tributes 2016-2018

With Instagram as an easier social media platform than say Facebook, with it’s simple take-a-picture-and-send feature, I would make quick sketch tribute to notable people who passed away. Here I cover some of the tribute in the years of 2016 through 2018.

  Performers 

 Gene Wilder
1933 - 2016
American actor, filmmaker, singer-songwriter
He probably made the more indelible mark on childhood film experiences in assuming the role of Willy Wonka, but his “Young Frankenstein” (star and co-writer) is tops with me.

 Florence Henderson
1934 - 2016
American actress, singer
I her role as Carole Brady, the matriarch of the blended family of “The Brady Bunch,” she was an important part of my 1970’s television watching life.

 

Carrie Fisher
1956 - 2016
American actress, writer
As the Galactic senator Princess Leia who faces the towering black robed Darth Vader in the first “Star Wars” film, she is every bit the leader and hero that her co-stars in the more active-written roles were.

 Debbie Reynolds
1932 - 2016
American actress, singer
“Singing in the Rain.” Watch it.

 Mary Tyler Moore
1936 - 2017
American actress, producer
Her Laurie Petrie in the “The Dick Van Dyke Show” stands out in that era’s of American television programming as being a unquestionable co-starring role. Eleven years later, “The Mary Tyler Moore Show” stands out as an enduring comedy series.

 John Hurt
1940 - 2017
British actor
What a death scene! Ridley Scott’s “Alien.”

 Bill Paxton
1955 - 2017
American actor, film director, producer
He excelled at being the on-screen rascal - the guy who’s a little too load and brash, but you enjoy having him around.

 Chuck Berry
1926 - 2017
American singer, songwriter, guitarist
The “father of rock and roll.” Enough said.

 Roger Moore
1927 - 2017
English actor
Having been more exposed to Roger Moore’s James Bond in my youth, I quite enjoyed his portrayal of the British spy a bit over his predecessor Sean Connery. “Moonraker” - “spies in space” - was that too much? No, if anything it wasn’t enough.

 Adam West
1928 - 2017
American actor
Adam West’s Batman is 100% entertainment, and I love it for that.

 Martin Landau
1928 - 2017
American actor, acting coach, producer
As a science-fiction hungry boy, seeing the leader of “Space 1999’s” Moonbase Alpha was also “that guy” from the excellent “Mission: Impossible” series - yes. It wasn’t his fault that there were no Vulcans, Klingons or a pesky Dr. Smith.

 Jerry Lewis
1926 - 2017
American comedian, actor, singer
I’ll highlight “The Ladies Man” in which he plays the handyman/servant in a boarding house for women which plays on opportunities for misunderstandings, high jinx, short skits and physical comedy. Then for the right -side of your brain, dig that practical, built-in-a-sound-stage mansion interior set.

 Tom Petty
1950 - 2017
American singer, songwriter, musician
“American Girl” is a work commute favorite.

 Margot Kidder
1948 - 2018
Canadian-American actress, director
The Lois Lane of the 1970’s, is, I think, a believable, if reckless news reporter.

 Aretha Franklin
1942 - 2018
American singer, songwriter, actress
While soul music wasn’t a big part of my radio playlists, the “Queen of Soul’s” hits were undeniable.

 Burt Reynolds
1936 - 2018
American actor, director and producer
I fondly remember him from “Smokey and the Bandit” the precursor to “The Dukes of Hazzard.”

  Entertainment  

 Jack Lindquist
1927 - 2016
President of Disneyland, CA 1990-1993
A long-time Disney employee starting in the first year of the famed theme park’s operation. I wish I had a Jack Lindquist story from my own 13 years of overlapping service at Disneyland.

 Robert Osborne
1932 - 2017
American actor, film historian, television presenter
As the long-time host on Turner Classic Movies network, the joy and ease of his guests as they recalled stories surrounding classic films informed the audience that Osborne himself perhaps has stories to tell himself.

 Marty Sklar
1934 - 2017
Walt Disney Imagineer, scriptwriter, construction developer
I envision Sklar to have a pixie on his shoulder as I do most of the Imagineers of the1950’s and 60’s who interacted directly Walt Disney. He brought a touch of magic to the Disneyland experience that isn’t just something a computer did.



  Artists & Writers  

 Darwyn Cooke
1962 - 2016
Canadian comics artist, writer, cartoonist and animator
His “DC: The New Frontier” limited series, lured me in with a straight-forward art style and grabbed my DC-loving heart with its honest story-telling.

 Len Wein
1948 - 2017
American comic book writer and editor
I mostly knew him as one of the names in the credits box. I’m forever grateful to him for co-creating Nightcrawler of Marvel’s X-Men.

 Steve Ditko
1927 - 2018
American comics artist and writer
The co-creator of Spider-Man - a great character with a great costume.


  Politics, Science 

 John Glenn
1921 - 2017
United States Marine Corps aviator, engineer, astronaut
One of the “Mercury Seven,” the seven pilots selected to fly spacecraft for Nasa’s Project Mercury, he embodies a mythic air of daring and heroics.

 Gene Cernan
1934 - 2017
American astronaut, Naval Aviator, Electrical engineer
One of the Apollo astronauts and know as the last to have walked on the moon. Which purrs in my mind the wonders of what that was like.

 Stephen Hawking
1942 - 2018
English theoretical physicist, cosmologist, author
Cheekily I call him a famous smart guy, who also said that we shouldn’t try to contact extra-terrestrial intelligence. He might have had a point.

 John McCain III
1936 - 2018
American statesman and United States Navy officer
I draw cartoons. He was a man who survived, endured and lead with moral certainty.

 President George H. W. Bush
1924 - 2018
American politician, diplomat, 41st President of the United States
Even if the presidency of Richard Nixon confused my young mind, I felt that President Bush took his leadership position seriously.