I like pictures that look back somehow. Biggest influences: Gary Larson and Norman Rockwell. Both were masters at social commentary in different ways. The 'Far Side' made a huge impression on me early on; here was a guy who was pretty much fearless when using animals for satire. It made me appreciate their worlds (cows especially, of course!) from a unique p.o.v. When he retired I stopped caring to pick up the Sunday funnies altogether.
I've been doing this for a little while now, so maybe a little explanation is in order...tho' I like the cartoons (that's what they are to me anyway) to speak for themselves.
'Shoebox' got its name after the box so many of us kids buried our pets in. It has a nostalgic association that I liked even though it doesn't fit with any animal bigger than a guinea pig--it still covers the spirit of the idea so I kept it. Idea being that I wanted to approach animal activism from a whole new direction. Very subversively and with lots of 5th grade humor. My personal favorite is 'Gold Watch.' Nobody I know could get past the sick joke on the surface but to me that oogling monkey is the poster child for the entire collection.
'Soapbox' is more of the same but with people and politics. There's alot more of these but the animals are still my favorites and I work them in here as well whenever I can.
On offending people: get over it already. In all candor, we're a f**ked up species that's currently decimating all life on the planet, now at an exponential rate. Like anybody deserves more Hallmark sentimentality when it comes to the animal kingdom. Let's take it like we give it and suck the blood off our fingers with a grin. LOL!
Peace --MHH
