…Why an anthropomorphic bear in an aristocrat’s clothing from the Elizabethan era….? Because I love drawing ‘funny animals’ and wish that there were more comics like that done here as they are in Europe. Because I think that ‘cartoony’ work can be done for serious and hard-hitting stories as well as humor and comedy. Because the superhero genre practically dominates the comics industry except for a few bright shining pockets of variety from folks like ONI, SLAVE LABOR, IDW and a handful of others. Because the trend toward ‘photorealistic’ comics is a disturbing one to me that I hope doesn’t push out imaginative, playful, idiosyncratic and stylistic forms of comic book art. Because the more amazing European artists I discover, the more I wish that material was the norm here in the U.S. (don’t get me wrong– I love superheroes, too…. just not as the ONLY kinds of comics being done).

Mostly, though– because I can…. and it’s fun.

This is Entry 142.

Mike