Category Archives: surf cartoons

Apre’s Surf and Avant Anything Else; Captain Sketchee’s Sport Togs and Fashion Garb

Posted on by under Erwin Dence surf illustrations, old surfers, real surfers, realsurfers illustrations, surf cartoons, Uncategorized

“Avant,” Mr. Sketchee told me, evidently including me with the ‘Surf Fashion lemmings’ and ‘Thrift store dumpster divers,’ “is French, and thereby, mas’ sophisticato, for ‘before.'”

“Mas’ sophisticato?” I asked, knowing, that as another figment of my imagination, Captain Sketchee got his start in fashion at the Port Angeles Goodwill (just down Lincoln from the North by Northwest surf shop) when he found some faux (more French) Admiral’s nautical coat; unfortunately not in the proper size.

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“It’s creepy,” Trish said when I showed her this drawing; “Why would you want to draw… him?”

“T shirts,” I said. “I’m going to add some waves, some lettering… and, besides, he was Mr. Creepee, originally; but, um, he’s, uh, evolved. And, anyway, what about the drawing? Clean, tight; medium lines?”

“The drawing’s fine, but… nobody wants that on a t shirt. I mean, do you?”

I kind of do. I mean, with the lettering and… quality t shirt, and… in my size.

S HEART (READ IT AS ‘U’) MAN- RHONDA EXPOSITION

Posted on by under real surfers, surf cartoons, surf illustrations, surfing art, surfing drawings

SUPmanRhondabandw 001SUPmanRhondaColor 001SUPmanRhondabandw 001SUPmanRhondaColor 001

Maybe I’m going to have to go back and work on the earlier drawings. It’s all about telling a story, and a story is developing. This isn’t me telling it; this is me working it out. Rhonda is not happy with her life, pushing flabby desk jockeys, cubicle dogs, guys who suddenly discover they never really had an adolescence, guys with enough money to suddenly find they want to be exciting, too (also) into weak beachbreak, in sometimes-skanky water, in a city with often-brown skies- for money.

“We’re all whores,” SUPman will (eventually) say; “at least you’re making money doing something you love. And, no, you’re, really, a ‘pusher,’ ha, ha; and, um, wait… brainstorm… ‘the first wave’s free.’ Hey, Rhonda, that could be your tagline. A gift. Another gift. You know I’m hooked, right?”

“Something I did love,” Rhonda will think. “If he calls me a ‘hook hooker’ I’m just gonna …”

Stay tuned; workin’ on it. Oh, and hope you didn’t find the Beach Boys allusion cheesy.

S HEART (READ IT AS A ‘U’) P MAN- THE COMIC- , ISSUE ONE, PAGE ONE

Posted on by under Erwin Dence illustrations, learning to surf, real surfers, SUP surfing, surf cartoons, surf satire, surf-related comics

realsurfersSUPman 001SUPmanPageOneColor 001

SUPmanPageOneColor 001

I found out how to put images on the site in different sizes. The medium size probably looks better, and the large size does enable the viewer to pick out mistakes more easily. I am trying to adhere to what I perceive as current comic formatting, but, as always, I just can’t help going somewhere just beyond those lines. There’ll be more; I’m thinking, thinking, um, uh, what?

Oh, here’s the black and white version; just because I saved it.

SUPmanPageOne 001

So, if you’re keeping score: SUPman’s nose got too much in the top image, the tutor is not attractive enough, and she just came out as a smudge in the ‘paddling/mine’ image. And, um, and I’m going to stop looking. NEXT TIME…

S(HEART)P MAN- Origin Story

Posted on by under Erwin Dence illustrations, surf cartoons, surfing comics, surfing drawings

realsurfersSUPman 001

I am aware that I have a tendency to overwrite. I’ve been discussing doing a surf/centric comic book with Stephen Davis. Both of us went to art school, if I may (because I do) say that taking just about every art class at Palomar Junior College (and not quite one math class and one science short of enough of those sort of non-humanities classes to actually graduate). So, I’ve been thinking; in fact, while listening to a rerun of a “This American Life” show yesterday, the one on Comic Superheroes, I drove past my intended turn.

I googled “Secret Surfer,” caught an image of a Victoria’s Secret model holding an (unwaxed) surfboard. Okay, take another second to consider Victoria’s Secret models and waxing. So, can’t use that title. Googled “SUP Man,” saw some references that led me to believe it is really S’up, Man, or should be. So, S (heart, read it as ‘U’) P Man; that’s what I’m going with.

Here’s the overwriting part: I want SheartP Man to appear to be the hero; clean cut, no doubt rich, went to fancy surf school (no, private lessons by someone who learned from Laird Hamilton)… you can see I’m still fleshing this out.  Please stay tuned.

Yeah, yeah, ‘this is the origin of the story,’ the origin of the characters will follow.