Let's Try This Again

     Last year, I gave my Penguin Suits line another revamp and was really excited about the new look I had come up with for these little guys. Not only that, but rather than just draw penguins cosplaying as characters from across pop culture, I had the fun idea of incorporating new original characters into the lineup as well! Everything was great when suddenly, my hard drive was damaged and I ended up losing EVERYTHING, which, needless to say, really let the wind out of my sails.

     But whatever. I rallied and here we are today with the next wave. I've tweaked the look ever so slightly and decided it was time I redesigned the logo as well! 

     Something else that I've tried to do is give these things a sort of purpose, if you will. Why am I drawing cartoon penguins dressed as Batman or whoever? In a way, the idea has always been that penguins all look the same so these penguins are using cosplay to better distinguish themselves from the crowd... to promote individuality! It's silly, sure, but hey! That's the name of the blog!

     And so I came up with the tagline, "Suit up. Stand out." Not only that but I also decided to include a little blurb with each penguin on how that character they're dressed as stands out. This might be tricky to keep up with down the line, but I'm gonna try it and see how it goes.

So without further adieu, here's the next wave of Penguin Suits!

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Marge stands out as a calm presence in a family of BIG personalities. It's her never-ending patience and compassion that make her who she is.
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Marcie carries herself with a quiet and quirky confidence, knowing that she doesn't have to be the loudest one in the room to make a difference.
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Barf is his own best friend. He's lovable, loyal, and unapologetically true to his own goofy self.
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Even when he's afraid or overwhelmed, Frodo keeps going, proving that you don't need to be the strongest to be brave.
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Tummi never fails to help himself when there's food in the room, nor does he fail to help others in their moments of need. His laid-back demeanor and abundant kindness are what make him stand out.
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Scrooge is "tougher than the toughies" and "smarter than the smarties" which basically means he works hard to be the best he can be.
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Dale's optimism knows no end! No matter the circumstance, his joyful nature and love of life always brings hope.
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Baloo makes the choice to forget about his worries and his strife, living in the moment and flying by the seat of his... pants?
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Dax is the perfect blend of wisdom and curiosity, clinging tight to past experiences while embracing new ones with an open mind.
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Like I said, I'm wanting to incorporate more original characters so each wave of Penguin Suits caps off with an original!

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Meet Glizzy! This penguin RELISHES every opportunity to make others smile! No matter the occasion, when it comes to bringing joy to those in her life, Glizzy is the TOP DOG!
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Blathering Blatherskite!

     I was feeling a little nostalgic for the DuckTales NES game, so I thought I'd revamp an old Gizmoduck drawing with his original moon look. I loved every level of that game, but I think I'm pretty well in the majority when I say that the Moon level was my favorite.

Brainteasers

 

Lights, Camera, Nephew!

     It's been far too long since I've tried drawing everyone's favorite triplets. The tricky thing with these guys is that all three have to look identical to one another. That's how triplets work. Fortunately I know my way around some Command+C. Here they are in all of their RGB glory: Huey, Dewey, and Louie!

     It should come as no surprise that I first fell in love with these guys while watching Ducktales on the Disney Afternoon. They appeared here as they always had before - three lovable, and sometimes mischievous kiddos, whose shared personality was always there to provide some Greek chorus-like commentary on Scrooge's many adventures.

     Some time later, the creative minds at Disney posed the question: What if the nephews had individual personalities? You know... like actual people do! Thus Quack Pack was born! Huey was the smooth-talker, Dewey was the wise-guy and Louie was the goofball! Okay... so their new personalities weren't that individual... but they at least looked and sounded slightly different.

     Then, in 2017, we got the Ducktales reboot which, in my opinion, is one of the greatest things ever accomplished by humanity! I'll save my multi-point speech on that subject for later, but the show excels at taking a past concept and making it better. Such is the case with Huey, Dewey, and Louie. This time around, the nephews are ACTUAL distinct individuals. Huey is the hard-working perfectionist, Dewey is the attention-seeking showboat, and Louie is the laid back schemer who sees all the angles.

     Whatever the iteration, whatever the personality, whatever the shirt color (I think Dewey was originally orange), there is one consistent truth that continues to echo across generations. These ducks are the best!

Oh and Webby. Webby's also pretty cool.

Just a Little Dizzy

     Sheltering in place stinks... but you know what makes it stink a little less? Sheltering in a place that has Disney+, or as I refer to it... The Disney Afternoon app!

Showers also help. Let's not abandon hygiene, people.

Happy St. Egmutt's Day!

Stegmutt

Here and There and Everywhere

     After working on the Disney Afternoon the last few years, I've just now finished the entire lineup of Gummi Bears with Gruffi and Cubbi... It's a big deal. Get excited.

Here they both are along with the rest of the gang, in case you missed them from earlier.

Gruffi Gummi

Cubbi Gummi

Sunni Gummi

Tummi Gummi

Grammi Gummi

Zummi Gummi

     And you know what? While I'm at it, I'll go ahead and add Gusto... even though, as I've said before, he's not exactly a favorite of mine.

Gusto Gummi

Goof of the Week

Max Goof

     I definitely prefer the Disney Afternoon Max over the Max from the Goofy movies. Why is movie Max so mean to his dad?! I mean, sure, Lester's Possum Park is pretty run down and sketchy, but recognize the effort, Maximillian! Put yourself in someone else's shoes for once! Concerts aren't that big of a deal, ESPECIALLY when they're broadcast! 

     ALSO, if you were more open with your loving father (who, by the way, is the only support you have in life) to begin with, maybe you wouldn't even be in this situation! Of course, then we wouldn't have the movie, and I don't want that either!! 

I like the Open Road song.

Mepps

Mepps

It's just Mepps.

Wildcat

     There's a bit on an episode of Talespin where Wildcat dances around in front of Dumptruck, dodging every single one of the pirate's punches. 

Baloo remarks, "That's some pretty fancy footwork, Wildcat!"

"Thank you," Wildcat replies. "I'm slipping on bean dip."

     I find it interesting how sometimes the lack of good TV writing... actually makes for good TV writing. Yeah... yeah that makes sense.

Wildcat

Every Day He's Chauffeurin'

Duckworth

     This one's sort of a twofer. I haven't talked enough (or maybe at all) about what a huge fan I am of the new Ducktales series on Disney XD! I love how well it takes the best parts of the comics and original series and uses it as a platform to jump off into wild new directions! Case in point: Ghost Butler Duckworth!

     I've been drawing characters from the Disney Afternoon, and I know that this doesn't technically count as such, but I just had to make my own ghost Duckworth variant. It's just such a fun concept!

Duckworth's Ghost

Good Times, Bat Times

Another random addition to my Disney Afternoon lineup of characters.

Foxglove

The Bear That Makes The Juice

I can't look at Grammi Gummi and not hear "swift kick in the patootie!" in that bellowing June Foray voice. 

Grammi Gummi

But seriously, what and where is a patootie?!

Shock Factor

Megavolt

The new Ducktales really pulled the rug out from under me with this guy!

Oh right!... The Disney Afternoon!!

     The blog posting always seems to die down a little during the summer months. I'm like the Brady Bunch, yo... The sunshine's calling my name!

     To fix this, I thought I'd do something slightly different. I've usually posted my Disney Afternoon work in small groupings, but this time to keep the party going longer (or to just drag things out), I'm hitting you with a large helping of characters, one post at a time!

     As of this exact second, I'm officially calling it The Summer Of The Afternoon! Nope! I'm not! Never mind that last bit. As for the rest of it... yes! Get excited!

Jitters A. Dog

Hey! Could you ask for a more widely beloved character to kick things off with than Jitters?!?

Seriously. I'm asking. Could you?

My FAVORITE Characters from The Disney Afternoon

     So last week, I was somewhat of a Negative Nelly and went on a small rant over which characters from The Disney Afternoon (a group of tv shows that I have the utmost admiration for) I liked the LEAST! Well now I'm counteracting those negative waves with some positivity. Here are my FAVORITE characters from The Disney Afternoon!

*everyone sighs from relief while simultaneously gasping with delight*

Monterey Jack

     I kicked the last list off with Rescue Rangers, so I'll go ahead and do the same here. First up, the cheese-chaser from down under who's always ready to throw a little shrimp on the fondue - Monterey Jack! 

     The reason I love Monty so much is basically because of the way he talks. Hearing Jim Cummings use an Australian accent to say things like, "Too-la-roo, boyo!" or "Bonzer move, Chipper me lad!" is just something that I apparently never grow tired of. 

     It's not only how he says things, but also the things he says! In practically every episode, Mr. Jack here will say something referencing one of his many past adventures. "This reminds me of the time I got shanghaied in Shanghai on a junk full of junk," or "This is better than the time I rode a walrus over Niagara Falls!" and not once do the other Rescue Rangers say, "That sounds fascinating, Monty! Please tell me more about the time you were bushwhacked by bush wrens!" Nope! They just ignore him and go on as if he didn't say anything at all. Well, it's their folly, if you ask me. They're only denying themselves of what I'm sure is a treasure trove of anecdotes that are, at the very least... delightful!

Launchpad McQuack

     As I've said before, my favorite show from The Disney Afternoon is DuckTales. This being the case, picking one character as a favorite isn't an easy thing to do... but it is something I have to do. So here he is! Duckburg's own breathing crash dummy, Launchpad McQuack! 

     Launchpad has an amazing amount of clarity with everything, including himself. He knows he's not a good pilot, and he never tries to hide this fact. But despite not being good at what he does, he loves doing it, nevertheless. Launchpad doesn't let something as trivial as expertise stand in the way of doing what makes him happy... and there's something admirable in that, I suppose. It'd probably be best, though, to do any admiring on the ground.

Bigtime Beagle

     Okay. I lied. I have two favorite characters from Ducktales. In the original Uncle Scrooge comics, the Beagle Boys didn't really have individual names or personalities. Ducktales, on the other hand, is different! And the Beagle Boy with distinctest of the personalities, for my money, is Bigtime! The point man for most of the Beagle Boys' capers, this little guy is cunning, assertive, and probably best personifies the collective traits of the comic book Beagles - mean and clever. 

     There are a few times when other Beagles, like Bomber or Bankjob, take the lead but it's never quite as fun. To quote the man himself: "You can't have a good time without Bigtime."

Such eloquence.

Zummi Gummi

     And lastly, there's Gummi Glen's resident wizard, Zummi Gummi. Of all the Gummi bears, I think Zummi is the one I can relate to the most. He has before him a wealth of knowledge and expertise from those who came before him, and is perfectly content spending every one of his waking hours pouring over every last detail. Zummi wants desperately, and even attempts at times, to make his own mark on Gummi history, but I don't think it's ever really an obsession. More than anything, I think, Zummi is content just having so much to geek out over while remaining confident in his own abilities and accomplishments. 

     I'm talking, of course, about Gummi bear magic spells. You know? Being able to light a candle from across the room? Without a match? 

That's the dream.

My Least Favorite Characters from The Disney Afternoon

     As I've said time and time again, I'm a big fan of the shows of The Disney Afternoon! Now that I've made that absolutely clear, however, I must admit that I'm not a fan of every single aspect of them. There are few characters here and there that I just don't care for for one reason or another, and it's them that I've decided to devote this blog post to.

So here they are: my LEAST favorite characters of The Disney Afternoon!

Chip

     First up is the primary titular character of Chip 'n Dale Rescue Rangers,... Chip! Now, of course, we can't have Chip 'n Dale Rescue Rangers without Chip, but one thing we definitely can do is have him not be such a jerk! He's constantly berating Dale (hiiiiiis brother??) in front of the rest of the team! He bonks him on the head and calls him names! Sure, Dale's a big goof off, but he's the heart of the Rescue Rangers, man! AND he's proven himself valuable time and time again! Ease the heck off, Chipper!

Doofus Drake

     My favorite show from The Disney Afternoon is, without a doubt, Ducktales! There's one character in Ducktales, however, that even as a kid made me wince a little. I'm speaking, of course, about Doofus. I would always give a disappointed slump anytime I'd realize that a Doofus episode was coming on. Oh sure, I'd still watch it in its entirety (it's still Ducktales after all) I'd just watch it with a little less enthusiasm. I find him annoying. Plain and simple. Oh! And why is he called Doofus? Is everyone, even the adults, calling him an idiot to his face because bullying is such a firm staple of Duckburg life?!? Or is his name actually Doofus?! If so, then his parents are horrible people... I mean,... ducks.

Morgana Macawber

     Speaking of ducks, next up is the apple of Darkwing's masked eye, Morgana Macawber. I guess my main beef here is just that she bores me. I mean, I get it. They're both creatures of the night, so to speak. He's a masked vigilante and she's a mystical enchantress, or whatever, but that's pretty much it. A lot of the time, Morgana comes across as a bit of a doormat for Darkwing. I'd much rather see a love interest who acts as a foil to his super-sized ego.

Gusto Gummi

     And last, as well as least because thats what this is... a list of leasts, is Gusto Gummi. I dunno... Gusto's alright, I guess. It's just always bothered me that his name breaks form and doesn't end with an 'i'. I suppose you could say that it symbolizes his character's non-traditional nature and opposition to conformity... but screw that! I don't like things that are different!

     And there you have it, my least favorite characters of The Disney Afternoon! I bet you're all glad I cleared that up, huh? Of course, I must admit, while I don't particularly care for watching these guys on screen, they sure were a ton of fun to draw!

Happy Birthday, Donald!

Who's got the sweetest disposition?

One guess -- guess who!

Who never never starts an argument? 

Who never shows a bit of temperament?

Who's never wrong but always right? 

Who'd never dream of starting a fight? 

Who gets stuck with all the bad luck?

No one...  but Donald Duck! 

     I think that song's supposed to be funny because it's the opposite of what Donald's actually like. You know... irony? Whatever. My sense of humor's always been more of the poop variety, but I digress.

     On this day in 1934, the duck with all the bad luck made his debut in the short, The Little Wise Hen and the rest, as they say, is history. Donald has always been one of my favorite cartoon characters. Here's my take on him as seen in the single greatest television show of all time... Ducktales!

And THAT is definitely NOT me being ironic!

Donald Duck

Happy Mother's Day

     It's the day we pay tribute to dear ol' ma! Keeping with my Disney Afternoon theme, here's a few of the mothers from the afternoon lineup that I loved so much.

Rebecca Cunningham

M'Ma Crackshell

Peg Pete

Happy VILLAINtine's Day!

     It's Valentine's Day, and for my money, there's already plenty of sweet out there. How about a little of the not-so-sweet?

Here's some of my favorite baddies from The Disney Afternoon! ... and also Snout!

Snout

Colonel Spigot

Duke Igthorn

Magica De Spell