I don't know if anyone out there is getting a kick out of these Sesame Street characters of mine, but I'm certainly getting a kick out of drawing them. Here's the third installment featuring MY personal favorite: Cookie Monster!
Some of these guys, like Cookie for example, are so simple in their design and yet still so difficult for me to convey the personality that I'm wanting to convey. After a couple of takes, though, I came up with something I'm happy with. Cool story, huh?
The Kablama Slam continues! Last time, I talked about a certain cartoon cat that we all know and love. I thought I’d keep the theme going with another feline who might not have had the same impact as his orange tabby predecessor, but certainly left his mark on my childhood Saturday mornings.
The Premise: Eek is a kind and optimistic cat who never fails to put others’ needs before his own, despite the fact that doing so consistently causes disaster. He’s the pet of two bratty children and the constant victim of Sharky the Sharkdog, the neighbor’s… dog? Fish mutant? Seriously, what is that thing?!
Eek! the Cat, or Eek!Stravaganza as it was later retitled, was the product of Nelvana Animation, the Canadian company responsible for The Care Bear Movie!... as well as... well... many other properties that were NOT The Care Bear Movie. Overall, Eek! felt like a cruder version of Garfield. Not that that's a bad thing. Especially at the time, "cruder" cartoons pushed the envelope of "family friendly" animation in the same way the greats like Tex Avery and Chuck Jones did back in their day.
This show was a must-watch for my brothers and I every week and, while I might not be able to recall any specific plot line, I could list random elements from it all day! I remember Sharky, of course. I remember that Eek had a morbidly obese girlfriend who he never realized was fat because he only saw her personality… Sweet? I remember a Star Trek parody where Mr. Spock was a sock puppet named Mr. Sock, and I remember the Squishy Bears: crude knock-offs of... Oh! Look at that! The Care Bears!
I keep using the word 'crude,' but the show still had a sense of charm. Eek's cracked smile, frazzled whiskers, and overall strung out look are the product of his relentless optimism in the face of constant adversity. It's a trait that I personally strive to emulate and, while I probably wouldn't cite Eek! the Cat as a personal inspiration, you'd be remiss if you didn't find the little guy's attitude just a little inspirational.
After a couple of seasons, the show tacked on another cartoon than ran as a separate segment, the same way Garfield and Friends did with U.S. Acres. It was called The Terrible Thunderlizards and told the story of three mercenary dinosaurs named Doc, Kutter, and Squatt attempt to kill two inept cavemen and, in classic cartoon fashion, NEVER succeed.
Kablama Slam! Fun Fact: Eek! the Cat was originally titled "The Six and a Half Lives of Eek the Cat."
Last August, I posted my first attempt at putting a new spin on the characters from Andrew Lloyd Weber's Cats and, would you look at that? Exactly one year later, here I am rolling out the second batch!
As I mentioned, the theatrical version of Cats is greatly appreciated in our household. We have it on DVD and my daughter used to watch it literally every single day! She had the entire thing memorized to the point where any version that was performed even the slightest bit different would make her cringe. Lately, however, she's moved on to other interests. She still likes Cats, but it's no longer the obsession it once was. This is a good thing, of course, but I'd be lying if I said there weren't times where I wished I could go back to when that sweet kid was scream singing "Memory" in the back seat and, somehow, freeze that moment forever.
Sunrise, sunset, I guess.
Sorry. That's another musical entirely.
Here's the next installment of me satisfying my nostalgic urge to draw some classic Sesame Street. Years ago, Palisades Toys announced a line of Sesame Street action figures in the same vein as their beloved Muppet Show figures. Sadly, the company went bankrupt before the toys were ever produced. While this was good news for my bank account, it left a small void in that little muppety piece of my soul. I've attempted to fill this void by drawing these characters in the same waves as the action figures were released. It has absolutely zero collector's value, but it is much easier on said bank account.
