Sunday, December 3, 2017

Preliminary Pencil Roughs: December 2009 Playboy Cartoon

caption:  "I'm just offering a little 'piece' on Earth."


The December 2009, p. 69 cartoon was also reproduced in The Art of Doug Sneyd, published by Dark Horse Books.

The 248-page hardcover book, featuring 270 of Doug's full-page color Playboy cartoons, is now also available in a softcover edition from:


detailed pencil rough


early pencil rough


approved gag rough




(blog entries by Heidi Hutson)

Playboy December 2013 Issue: Doug's Cartoon

December 2013 (p. 127) issue - caption:

"If by wassailing you mean looking to get laid, then yes, I'm wassailing."


Doug's approved loose-style gag rough


preliminary pencil rough sequence, all hand-drawn, on light tracing vellum



color rough (6 5/8 x 8 5/8), with overlays, on Arches of France cold press art board - notice changes Doug made when he went to final art (decorations on Christmas tree, placement of Sneyd signature, color of lady's gloves, etc.)



(blog entries by Heidi Hutson)

Playboy Christmas Gag Roughs - Enjoy!

Doug's submitted thousands of loose-style gag roughs to Playboy since the early 1960s; 250 of his favorites are featured in the 280-page hardcover book - Secret Sneyd:  The Unpublished Cartoons of Doug Sneyd, published by Dark Horse Books in April 2017.  

(If you have a copy of Secret Sneyd, be sure to check out the 18 Christmas gag roughs in Chapter 9 - Santa Baby.)

If you want to order a copy for a Christmas gift, check out:





To see available loose-style gag roughs as well as Playboy originals and preliminary pencil/color roughs, visit the Doug Sneyd Premium Gallery at:


(blog entries by Heidi Hutson)

Playboy's New Holiday Album (1975); Doug's Cartoon

Playboy Press reproduced Doug's April 1973, p. 179 full-page color cartoon in Playboy's New Holiday Album (1975). 


The cartoon was used for August in the 1976 cartoon datebook, starting on p. 101 of Playboy's New Holiday Album.





caption:  "Hi!  I'm the romance the travel agency promised when you signed up for this cruise. . . ."


The April 1973, p. 179 full-page color cartoon was also reproduced on p. 59 in The Art of Doug Sneyd, published by Dark Horse Books.


To see more of Doug's available Playboy cartoon originals as well as preliminary pencil/color roughs, visit the Doug Sneyd Premium Gallery at:


(blog entries by Heidi Hutson)

Doug Sketches Winning 1959 Grey Cup Play in The Star Weekly, Toronto

Doug's career as a freelance illustrator prospered in the 1950s with work from both book and magazine publishers in Canada; this 2-page spread in The Star Weekly, Toronto (December 26, 1959) detailed the Winnipeg Blue Bombers 21-7 win over the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.

The annual Grey Cup is Canada's largest single-day sporting event.



(blog entries by Heidi Hutson)

Color Roughs: Christmas - New Year's Eve Cartoons

For a color rough, Doug typically xeroxed a final pencil rough (8 1/2 x 11 on standard copy paper) and then applied aniline dyes to the copy.  However, these 2 color roughs were hand-drawn on Arches of France cold press art board, which Doug used to render all of his full-page color cartoons published in Playboy since the early 1960s.

caption (December 2012, p. 87):  "Every year I leave Cookie out for Santa."


caption: (January-February 2014, p. 135):  "All I remember about last night was blowing on a noisemaker.  At least I think it was a noisemaker."


board size for both color roughs on Arches of France cold press art board:  10 x 16, art size:  approximately 8 1/2 x 11

To see more available full-page color Playboy cartoons, preliminary pencil-color roughs and original art, visit the Doug Sneyd Premium Gallery at:


(blog entries by Heidi Hutson)

1979 SCOOPS Holiday Cartoons


For nearly 20 years, starting in the mid-1960s, Doug's news cartoons - SCOOPS and the single-panel Doug Sneyd - appeared daily in newspapers throughout North America.

(blog entries by Heidi Hutson)

Sunday, November 5, 2017

Happy Thanksgiving: Doug's Playboy Cartoon, November 2001 Issue

caption:  "We thank thee for this wondrous bounty, Lord - oh, and thanks for all the food."

Doug's full-page color cartoon was published in the November 2001 issue of Playboy on p. 81.


loose-style gag rough (size:  8 1/2 x 11) approved by Hef - change to caption in blue pencil and "OK full color HMH" and "need right away"


final preliminary pencil rough (size:  7 1/2 x 9 7/8 on heavy tracing vellum)


Doug typically xeroxes a final pencil rough and then applies aniline dyes for a color rough.  He can then decide if wants to make changes, such as the man's hair color and clothing worn by the girl on the right, before going to final art.


The full-page color cartoon was also reproduced on p. 209 in The Art of Doug Sneyd, published by Dark Horse Books in July 2011.  The 248-page hardcover book, now also available in a softcover edition, was a 2012 Eisner Award nominee in the Best Humor Publication category.

To see more of Doug's available Playboy cartoon originals, preliminary pencil and color roughs and loose-style gag rough originals, visit the Doug Sneyd Premium Gallery at:



(blog entries by Heidi Hutson)

SEX and Other Late-Night Laughs: Doug's Cartoons

In 1990 Playboy Press published SEX and Other Late-Night Laughs; Doug's full-page color cartoons were featured on the cover and throughout the 96-page publication.


(cover)  "Gee, Eldon, doesn't the moon make you feel romantic?"





(p. 3)  "What's the plural of penis?"



(p. 18)  "The motives of the guy I met last night were very transparent, but then, so was my blouse."



(p. 27)  "If you come up to my expectations, I may come down to yours."



(p. 50)  "Short, about six inches, pale-green complexion, hops, eats flies. . . ."



(p. 67)  You've seen the movie, now perform the act.



(p. 81)  "It's nice, but where's the love interest?"



(p. 84)  "I dress for success, but I still like to undress for pleasure."

To see more available original art, Playboy cartoons and pencil and color preliminary roughs, visit the Doug Sneyd Premium Gallery at:


(blog entries by Heidi Hutson)

Color Rough: September 2013 Playboy Cartoon

caption:  "If you're really looking for something interactive to play with, I get off at five."


For a color rough, Doug typically xeroxed (8 1/2 x 11 on standard copy paper) a final pencil rough and then applied aniline dyes.  However, this color rough was hand-drawn on Arches of France cold press art board - used to render all of Doug's full-page color cartoons published in Playboy since the September 1964 issue.

To see more available preliminary pencil and color roughs for Doug's Playboy cartoons, visit the Doug Sneyd Premium Gallery at:


(blog entries by Heidi Hutson)

Illustrations for Hockey Article in Canadian Weekly

Early in Doug's career as a freelance illustrator, he worked for a number of book and magazine publishers, including Canadian Weekly.

Hockey's considered Canada's national pastime so Doug was often hired to illustrate the sport, including this 2-page excerpt from Behind the Cheering (hardcover, 1962, McClelland and Stewart Ltd) by hockey great Frank Selke. 



(blog entries by Heidi Hutson)

1972 Cartoon Album 5: Doug's Cartoons

The 192-page Cartoon Album 5, published in 1972, featured 9 of Doug's full-page color Playboy cartoons:




•  caption:  "You'll like my parents - they're out of town most of the time."

p. 122:  published in the August 1969, p. 197, issue and reproduced on p. 160 in The Art of Doug Sneyd, published by Dark Horse Books in July 2011.  The 248-page hardcover book, now also available in a softcover edition, features 270 of Doug's full-page color Playboy cartoons.


• caption:  "My insomnia got me started.  I figured as long as I was lying there in bed awake all night anyway . . ."

p. 140:  published in the May 1969, p. 174, issue


p. 12 (published in the November 1969, p. 198, issue and reproduced on p. 175 in The Art of Doug Sneyd); p. 124 (published in the March 1968, p. 153, issue and reproduced on p. 180 in The Art of Doug Sneyd); p. 161 (published in the July 1968, p. 201, issue and reproduced on p. 74 in The Art of Doug Sneyd)

p. 33 (September 1967, p. 194 issue); p. 45 (March 1969, p. 213, issue); p. 55 (June 1969, p. 251, issue); p. 117 (September 1968, p. 233, issue)

To see more of Doug's available Playboy cartoon originals, preliminary pencil/color roughs and loose-style cartoon roughs, visit the Doug Sneyd Premium Gallery at:


(blog entries by Heidi Hutson)