31 december 2011

That's it. Happy New Year's Eve, internet! A proper postscript is coming very soon in 2012.

30 december 2011

Tonight was my one chance during this project to draw Meryl Streep (as Marge Thatcher, no less!) and i didn't do it. Sigh.

This weekend is much like Christmas weekend in that nobody is visiting this site. Still, for the dudes in russia who keep spamming me, stay tuned for tomorrow night's big finale! у вас есть нечего делать!
and you, dear reader, if you miss it? eh--it'll still be here come january.

29 december 2011

28 december 2011

What began as an homage to color fields eventually devolved into a clutch of politicians. It happens sometimes. The A1 knows all about this tug of war, I imagine. Of course, I also imagine Ron Paul as some sort of weird, emaciated W. C. Fields impersonator, if that painting up there is to be believed.

27 december 2011

26 december 2011

I'm not a big reader/believer in horoscopes, but I'd like to quote mine from today's paper, in full: "Capricorn: You'll son achieve a certain milestone. Right now, you're so close you can almost taste the victory."

25 december 2011

I'm pretty sure that virtually nobody is looking at this site during this big winter holiday pandenominational clusterfuck, but still i'd like to wish everybody out there in the ether a happy holiday season. as for the mixed media daily family, we've set up a handsome little tree, and i made a nice christmas dinner for everybody here, and now i'm going to begin watching the walking dead season 2. so, um, happy zombie christmas to you all! i'll be back in a few hours to begin the first of the last six drawings for this project.

24 december 2011

23 december 2011

22 december 2011

I have some sort of news-item layer cake thing happening in today's drawing. And while we're on the topic of food, kudos to jonathan bartlett for providing the finely rendered all-spice canister tucked neatly into the bottom righthand corner of A1.

21 december 2011

20 december 2011

Ah, flag-based humor; it never gets old!

19 december 2011

The 2011 news cycle is, for lack of a better word, greedy. A year that already has massive global political upheaval under its belt has no business pulling down a pair of very notable obits right before it's about to turn the operation over to a nervous, unproven 2012 calendar year. But then again, who knows? Maybe the Mayan calendar will even things out.

And in the interests of putting any speculation to rest, here's what those weird, steampunk-y meters signify: how much room you were allotted on A1, how much you love communist dictatorships, and how much money you probably had your people spend on sunglasses at Macy's last year.

18 december 2011

We are deep into that time of the year when our attention is called to many, many things that aren't news. The front page largely gave in to this widespread seasonal ADD, choosing to feature smaller stories, ham, horses, and, uh, priests. Of course, in the middle of all this "fuck it, it's holiday time" sentiment is one of the biggest stories of the year--the end of the Iraq war. Now all that's left to do is take a good hard look at how that all went.

17 december 2011

16 december 2011

Well, I guess that's that, then.

15 december 2011

Initially i thought that the spadea would be the guiding idea behind this drawing, but, when it came time to execute, the incensed "it's all about jesus" lady took over the whole operation. so i guess kudos to her. you win this round, "it's all about jesus" lady!

14 december 2011

I'm sure this is old news to many, but since it appeared on today's front page it bears mentioning here: the LA Times has a new editor, Davan Maharaj. Make us proud, Davan! And bon voyage, Russ; and take comfort in the fact that your successor also sports a moustache. Which begs the question, is a moustache a must-have for the gruff, paternal newsroom editor figure? Is it a J. Jonah Jameson thing?

13 december 2011

12 december 2011

I was definitely feeling all of the circles, in both text and photos, arrayed across the front page. That's some nice layout, layout people. And let's be honest--if you're in the habit of drawing the front page, and the powers that be put a tuba on the front page, there's going to be a tuba in your drawing. prominently displayed. Of course, the gift wrapped in band aids was kind of intriguing and gross, but alas, there was no room for a cube in today's sketch.

11 december 2011

10 december 2011

It appears that our year is now officially bookended by unhinged gunmen.

9 december 2011

Congratulations to Tony Chavez of Huntington Beach, who made it to the top of the front page for the low low price of a couple of Angels jerseys. Sorry I had to transform your head into a bizarre cardinal/bill plaschke hybrid, but that's the price of fame, my friend.

8 december 2011

A pair of helicopters, Mitt Romney's big worried face, the phrase "panda poop"--this entry practically drew itself! I would like to point out that I was able to resist the urge to incorporate the phrase "panda poop" into the drawing. kudos to me. i did, however, manage to insert the unfortunate pairing of "contraceptive" and "pull out." i know, i know, that's completely juvenile. i accept that. and i also accept that you might want to give me a piece of your mind about this whole tawdry affair. so please, send all of your disapproval/disappointment/pictures of you offering me a high five to my mixed media daily email and i will respond in kind. thank you.

7 december 2011

6 december 2011

There is a whole lot of gravitational force displayed on the front page today. Between the the jockeying in the EU, the winds from hell, and the Dodgers' financial future ( I feel like I mostly know the Dodgers as a complex financial instrument these days), it feels like the pressure is on everywhere. Where is the checked-out dreamer to go for respite from the relentless math? How about Nek Chand Rock Garden? That's better, isn't it?

5 december 2011

4 december 2011

Hey, the LA Times celebrated its 130th anniversary today! I hope you all did something nice for your morning paper. I mean, she got all dolled up for you. She put on a ribbon and a bowtie and everything! And she was even nice enough to run a piece about your new "friend" siri, even though she sees how that bitch gets your undivided attention, all day everyday. But at the breakfast table each morning? You barely look at your paper. Geez. Happy anniversary, jerk.

3 december 2011

2 december 2011

1 december 2011

European credit chaos, strikes in Britain, and further revelations about corruption in the LA county prison system were no match for the advertising juggernaut that is the The Kardashian sisters (via wraparound ad--and I'd like to point out that all year I've been calling those half-page adverts "wraparound ads," although I have no idea if they are in reality called something else. If anyone out there knows the proper, no-doubt colorful industry jargon for these commercial pleas, leave me a comment or an email and I'll, um, do something nice for you someday.). To make things a little more interesting, I've paired one of them with Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and Woody Allen. And don't tell me you wouldn't watch that reality show. You totally would.

30 november 2011

29 november 2011

"We're very much aware of the guy in the tree." -Lt. Andy Neiman

28 november 2011

27 november 2011

26 november 2011

25 november 2011

24 november 2011

Happy Thanksgiving, folks. I hope you all remembered to save room for pie.

23 november 2011

22 november 2011

21 november 2011

20 november 2011

19 november 2011

18 november 2011

17 november 2011

16 november 2011

15 november 2011

14 november 2011

I had a pretty long day (what up Fullerton College!) so today's drawing is simple, 100% pure pencil.

13 november 2011

12 november 2011