#401: Japan-bound, My Road Kit & 30 Years of Mutts

+ Morris as a puppy & The Chess Pigeon of Washington Square Park

Sep 06, 2024

Welcome to Issue #401 of New York Cartoons!

I’m packing my road kit for a month-long trip to Japan for my 40th birthday. I’ve never been, but have wanted to go forever. I studied Japanese in High school; learned to read it, speak it, write it… then never got to use it!

I had a trip planned to Tokyo in 2020 but had to cancel and just never got around to re-booking it. So this year, I thought, “What the hell? Just book the thing for your birthday! You never know when Monkeypox might ruin nice things.”

If you’ve been to Japan and have any recommendations of things I should see/do, put them in the comments! I’ll be in Toko, Osaka and Kyoto.

No, New York Cartoons won’t be on hold. Yes, I’ll be writing about Japan and not New York (hope that’s ok) but I have some great adventures lined up, and one particularly awesome artist tour guide named Yoshi-san who I’m really excited to meet (Thanks to Jeannie Schulz!)

Celebrating 30 Years of Mutts!

Last night, a bunch of fellow cartoonists headed up to the top of Hearst Tower to join our good pal Patrick McDonnell in celebrating the 30th anniversary of his legendary comic strip, Mutts. He and his wife, Karen, have built an amazing empire helping animals through art, and Patrick’s new book “The Guard Dog Story” is one of his best. It got me right in the feels. Twice.

Charlie Kochman and his incredible team at Abrams Comic Arts turned this thing around in record time. I think this is book #42 for Patrick. And book #49234 for Charlie.

The Dream Team at Abrams Comic Arts, in front of William Randolph Hearst, courtesy the folks at King Features

It was good to see my favourite New Yorkers, Arnie & Caroline Roth, in good form, cheering Patrick on. He thanked so many people in his speech; he finished by saying, “I’ll stop before I start thanking Hannibal Lecter,” Patrick has wanted to be a cartoonist since he was five years old, and has now been the only cartoonist I know of who has collaborated directly with Jane Goodall, Eckhart Tolle, and the Dalai Lama! Wild.

As I’m leaving New York for a minute…

…I wanted to share my favourite view of the city. This entry ramp, with my favourite building framed in the middle, might be the perfect photo. The contrast of the severe steel beams and slippy road signs against the ridiculously elegant design of the Chrystler hits me in the guts every time. I hate leaving, but I love coming back to it.

You may recognise this building from such productions as:
My logo.

This week, you’re getting a peek inside my Road Kit!
Since I’ll be on the road for a month, I thought I’d share my ride-or-die drawing tools for when I’m out of the studio. Anyone who hasn’t subscribed to Process Junkie yet, you can do so here.

If it doesn’t interest you— Keeeeeep scrollin’!