#342: 4th of July on the Jersey Shore, Substack Soiree Sketchbook & Picture This!
+ Chaz Hutton, Drone Fireworks, & Morris says "Hello!"
6th July, 2023
Jersey Shore, NJ
I’m currently bonking my tilted head with my palm, trying to get sand out of my ear.
In nine full years of living in New York, I’d never once been to the Jersey Shore— all I’d ever heard about it was there was something called a Snooki and that it had great scallops. And lots of house-sized flags. It was the perfect place to spend our first July 4th as US citizens.
“Sketch On The Beach”
It was quite an experience, plonking ourselves down in the sand with our American pals and celebrating the holiday as traditionally as we could, with sun, sand, and drinking lots of booze out of red solo cups.
I spent a lot of time drawing in my sketchbook (I’m very social) and capturing what I could of the people around me. My pal Tristan really liked the drawing I did of him while our pasty white skin baked in the breeze and an endless squadron of single-engine planes towing banner ads chugged overhead.
Ice Cream Guy!
Every so often a man would appear from behind the dunes and ring a loud bell, sending every child within earshot into a frenzy. They all know what the bell means: It means Ice Cream. Lots of ice cream. (Cash only.)
One Country Under God.
One Trip From the House.
Tristan’s old pal Morgan drove in from Missouri to join the fun. We had a lot of fun chats about his small business which is fast becoming a not-so-small business. He had crazy life stories, ageless wisdom, and a guitar that looked like it had been used as a weapon. (It still played flawlessly). He and his young family showed me how it’s done when lugging all of your stuff from the house to the beach in a single trip, Hobbit style. It’s quite a skill.
Running (for) Water
Like an idiot who thinks he’s in shape, I tried to go for a run on the first morning in the stinking 300-degree humidity. After mile three, I changed states from solid to liquid. If it weren’t for the kind stranger who left a cooler full of tiny water bottles on their lawn, I would have made the full transition into a gas.
Chillin’ With the Wee Sand Chickens
Tristan’s kids were endlessly entertaining: Phoenix would lean into my ear and quietly tell me about his nightmares of a monster named Siren-Head, and Fox would burn me alive with devastating roasts about my shirt out of nowhere. He has a bright future as a judge on Roast Battle. All was well when their mama brought out the watermelon.
July Fwoooar!
Thanks to a visit to my brilliant editor, Justine and her family’s place for dinner, we were full of so much food and patriotic glee by the time we boarded the bus back to New York.
We ambled on over to our friends’ place in Long Island City to watch the Macy’s Fireworks Display from their apartment window— the view was bonkers.
The NYC crowds ended up being treated to a mesmerizing drone swarm before the big banging noises. The Ooohs and Aaahs swelled as the show culminated in a rotating, pulsing scale model of the entire Statue of freakin’ Liberty…
See more from my July 4th Fireworks Experience here.
A longer version of this story with additional drawings and photos will be made available to Paid Subscribers next week. Sign up now to get it in your inbox!
Come and have a laugh this weekend!
I’m hosting + drawing at a comedy + cartooning show this weekend
This weekend I’ll be hosting and drawing at my favourite show in the world: Picture This! The show combines my only two employable skills: stand-up comedy and drawing quickly. Who knew?
We sell out quickly so book your tix early! See more detail on the show here.
Photos bt the wondrous @MikeBrykNYC
Sneaky NYC Substack Soiree Sketches
One muggy summer night last week, fellow New Yorker cartoonist Sofia Warren and I were commissioned bySubstackto live-draw their latest in-person soiree at one of the last iconic East Village dive bars still open: The Holiday Cocktail Lounge. Ink was spilled. Drinks were guzzled. Things got sweaty.
There’s more, but…
I’ve written up the whole event with photos and illustrations for paid subscribers only, which is going out next week.
I’m offering a Limited 20% Discount for anyone who would like to go paid between now and July 31st. This’ll give you a chance to see just how much more insanity you can expect to fall out of my brain over the next calendar year (and help me afford my drawing supplies.)
Thank you to those who ordered the new book! I spent the 4th of July long weekend in a beach house full of kids, watching the images in the book play out in real-time. It was wild!
I’m offering all subscribers a 15% discount if you use the special link below.
If you enjoy my work, there’s a hefty chance you might like the people I enjoy too. Each week I share a new person who tickles my fancy. This week’s someone is…
Chaz Hutton (@InstaChaaz)
Once in a while, you accidentally happen upon a big pile of dog poop on the sidewalk. You weren’t expecting it, you don’t know if it’s from a dog or a human, but now it’s stuck in the cracks of your sneakers.
Well, finding Chaz Hutton was just like that. Except instead of the sidewalk, it was Instagram. And instead of poop, I found really funny cartoons, insightful gags and graphics, and my favourite writing notebook cover of all time:
Is anyone else feeling very seen after seeing this one? Get one here.
He has a book, too, called Ideas of Note. you can get it here.
According to the rest of the internet, Chaz uses Post-it notes to draw relatable comics about adulthood. His work captures the awkward transition into adulthood that doesn't end until your fifties.
Anyhoo, Chaz is one of those fantastic comic minds that you feel very glad you found. Even if he is stuck in the gaps of your sneakers forever.
His Substack is a lot of fun, and you should sign up here:
Want the chance to win a free year?
As always, thank you for being a subscriber and reading my silly cartoons. If you like them, tell a friend, and win a paid subscription on the house!
Until next time,
Your pal,
Jason
Exhibit A: “Downward Morris!”
(Photo by his best friend, Uncle Paulie).
Leaving New York to do Comedy During the 2016 Trump Election.
In Studio: Clearing Physical Space to Make Way for Mental Creative Space.
Loved your account of the Jersey Shore. Now you have to WATCH Jersey Shore, which I highly recommend. I generally don't like TV but that was show was really bonkers!
Good stuff Jason keep it up. I’m afraid I will have to continue to be a free loader on your content. I already Pat two of your colleagues, they got in first. As a recently retired Project Manager and the horrible exchange rate. I need to save my money to pay for food and electricity.
You may recall one on Albos promises at the last election was to reduce our electricity bills, he lied they are rapidly increasing. We have all the gas, coal and uranium we are ever going to need but getting it our will cause the sky to fall. As a Project Manager I am a big believer in plan “B” I have a Honda generator, sitting patiently in my garage, for when it is inevitably needed.
Happy 4th July
Steve