Doug Donates Playboy Gag Rough Reject for June 5th Fundraiser To Benefit the ToonSeum in Pittsburgh

It's not too late to attend the Friday, June 5, annual fundraiser, KA-BLAM!, to benefit Pittsburgh's ToonSeum.

The party is from 7-11 p.m. at Verno Studios on the Southside and features live music by The Whips, a performance by burlesque entertainer Paige Turner, and music and dancing with DJ Raw-Z.

Auction items include original art from Dan Piraro, Molly Crabapple, Mike Peters and Doug Sneyd, who donated a personalized B & W, 8 1/2 x 11, original Playboy gag rough reject.

To find out more about KA-BLAM!, visit MAD Magazine artist Tom Richmond's blog.

Tickets are $35.00 per person online at brownpapertickets.com

(blog entries by Heidi Hutson)

Costume Characters Draw Fans to Convention

Some fans come to conventions to get sketches, autographs or handshakes; some are eager to search through boxes of "floppies"; some want to have a photo taken with their favorite character - whether from the printed page, big screen or a video game.

There's something for everyone at comic-cartoon conventions like this past April's 7th annual Emerald City Comicon. You might meet up with Chewbacca or a Storm Trooper when waiting in a line. FYI: next year's convention has been moved up to March 13-14, 2010.

Comic-cartoon conventions are all about having fun - whether one's in costume or not! I couldn't resist getting a picture when this "fox" stopped by Doug's booth.

(blog entries by Heidi Hutson)

"Cake Lady" Gets Personalized Sketch

Lori, owner of the Clever Cake Studio, stopped by Doug's Emerald City Comicon booth late Sunday afternoon, April 5, and posed for a personalized sketch in Unpublished Sneyd.

Doug said, "Drawing her was a piece of cake!"

And before the convention closed, she came back to the booth with some of her scrumptous Lavender Cookies. Yummy and so thoughtful!!!

(blog entries by Heidi Hutson)

Fan Expo Canada '09 Announces Doug's Special Appearance

Three months from today - August 28th - Fan Expo Canada '09 opens its doors to fans, and it was recently announced that Doug would make a Special Appearance at this year's convention, scheduled for August 28-30 at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre.

Doug has been under contract with Playboy for 45 years; his first full-page color cartoon appeared in the September 1964 issue.

Show hours for Canada's largest comic book event, celebrating its 15th anniversary in 2009, are:

Friday, August 28, from 4-9 p.m.

Saturday, August 29, from 10 a.m.-7 p.m.

Sunday, August 30, from 11 a.m.-6 p.m.

Circle August 28-30 on your calendar and make plans to stop by Doug's booth at Fan Expo Canada '09 to say "hello."

(blog entries by Heidi Hutson)

Convention Fans Appreciate Doug's Personalized Sketches

Michele had Doug do a sketch of her daughter Kathleen from a photo.

Doug's finished sketch of Kathleen done at the April 4-5 Emerald City Comicon in Seattle; Doug was a Special Guest at the 7th annual convention.

Doug is frequently asked by fans of his work in Playboy to do personalized sketches, and after Doug finished a sketch of daughter Kathleen, her mother, Michele, asked Doug for an "original" Sneyd of herself.

Michelle seems pleased with Doug's sketch.

Doug's sketch of Michele. (blog entries by Heidi Hutson)

Doug Visits WACOM/Cintiq Booth

Steve Smith (far right), Sr. Field Sales Representative, Northwest for WACOM, shows Doug (center) and Steven Silver (far left) special features of the Cintiq.

(blog entries by Heidi Hutson)

Dinner With Good Friends - in Orange Beach and Seattle

We have wonderful fresh seafood along the Alabama Gulf Coast. (from left) Mack, George, Bonnie, Heidi, Doug and Dorothy enjoyed the special Mother's Day brunch at Geno's Fresh Catch Grill in Orange Beach.

It's great talking with fans one-on-one at conventions, like Seattle's Emerald City Comicon, but Doug and I also look forward to sharing good food and great humor with other artists attending the convention. At the close of the Saturday, April 4, convention day, a group of us met for dinner at Von's Cafe - a Seattle landmark since 1904 and since 1987 located at 6th and Pine, only a few blocks from the Washington State Convention Center. (from top right) Steven Silver, Shane Glines and wife Monica, Chartruz and husband Dan Brereton, Scott, Mike, Steve Wyatt (Super-Con organizer), Heidi, Doug, Andrew and Alberto Ruiz (Brandstudio Press).

(blog entries by Heidi Hutson)

Fan Brings October 1981 Playboy Issue to Convention for Doug's Signature

David (from Bellevue, Washington) was born October 7, 1981 and when he learned that Doug was a Special Guest at the April 4-5 Emerald City Comicon, he got a copy of the October 1981 Playboy and planned to attend the convention so Doug could sign the full-page color cartoon that appeared in the issue. He was surprised, and obviously pleased, to also see the original artwork from the October 1981 issue - "Tonight I'm looking for a good guy." - on display.

(blog entries by Heidi Hutson)

First-Time Convention Attendees Stop by Doug's Booth

Even though they live in the Seattle area, this was the first time Michelle (an ESL teacher), Dennis and sons Carson and Brian attended an Emerald City Comicon.

Wolf gets a personalized copy of Unpublished Sneyd on his first visit to Seattle's annual comic-cartoon convention.

(blog entries by Heidi Hutson)

Fans Have Doug Do Personalized Sketches

Doug is happy to do convention sketches -with or without bunny ears! David (from Cincinnati, Ohio) had Doug do a sketch in his sketchbook; some fans prefer to have him do one on a 9" x 12" Arches watercolor 100 % cotton sheet.

Even though Scott's wife Sally wasn't at the convention, Doug did a sketch of her from a photo.

Doug did a sketch of Christine for Donny (from Federal Way, Washington).

(blog entries by Heidi Hutson)

Watch, Listen & Read

watching a good movie - Doug and I keep dozens of films in our Netflix queue and have enjoyed some very interesting documentaries. "Wordplay," released in 2006, explores the "additive pastime" of doing New York Times crossword puzzles. The documentary interviews Will Shortz, New York Times crossword puzzle editor; several puzzle designers; and celebrity puzzle solvers, including Jon Stewart, Bill Clinton and Ken Burns. Contestants matching wits at the annual American Crossword Puzzle Tournament, founded by Shortz in 1978, are also featured in "Wordplay." The tournament was held in Stamford, Connecticut for 30 years but moved to Brooklyn in 2008 due to increasing popularity. Nearly 700 people competed in the 2009 tournament, and while Doug and I don't do crossword puzzles on a daily basis, we thought the documentary deserved 5 stars!

listening to good music - While reading the March 2009 issue of Vogue, featuring Michelle Obama on the cover, I read a feature on the first lady of France, Italian-born fashion model and singer Carla Bruni-Sarkozy. I had known for some time that she was a singer-songwriter and decided I should buy her third album, Comme Si de Rien N'Etait (As If Nothing Had Happened). A review in the February 2009 issue of Town & Country called it "intimate and breezy . . . delightful" - I agree and was also impressed that Bruni is donating the royalties from the CD to charity, through the Fondation de France. In fact, the first payout was 280,000 Euros to a school in Haiti that had been wiped out by a tide of mud.

reading a good book - once Doug and I got back from our trip to Seattle for the Emerald City Comicon, I decided to read A Lion Called Christian, which tells the story of 2 young men, visitors to London from Australia in 1969, who bought a lion cub in the pet department of Harrods. The book chronicles several months of living in a London apartment with their energetic, rapidly growing "pet" and why and how Christian eventually was flown to Kenya and placed under the care of George Adamson, called "the father of lions." In 1971 the 2 Australians returned to Kenya for an unforgettable reunion with a mature Christian. A clip from this 1971 meeting gained world-wide attention on YouTube in 2008, and a revised and updated 2009 edition of A Lion Called Christian has garnered a "new life" on national reading lists. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this extraordinary story.

(blog entries by Heidi Hutson)

Couples Stop by Doug's Booth

Several couples stopped by the booth to visit with Doug and get a personalized copy of Unpublished Sneyd.

Loren and Mackenzie, attending the convention for the first time.

Jenn and Travis.

Machelle and Matt. (blog entries by Heidi Hutson)

April 4th. Costume Contest Participants

The Costume Contest was one of the most popular events at the 7th. annual Emerald City Comicon; 2009 categories were Kid Costume (8 years of age or younger), Rising Star (9-14 years of age), Comic Book, Media and Best in Show. Spectators started getting seats well before the contest started at 5 p.m.; luckily I was able to get a few contest participants to pose early for blog pictures - enjoy!

(blog entries by Heidi Hutson)

Emerald City Comicon Artists, Exhibits, Programs and Contests

Fans had a great opportunity to meet artists one-on-one at the 7th. Annual Emerald City Comicon in Seattle. The program listed nearly 160 Special Guests, 7 Media Guests - Tahmoh Penikett, Jewel Staite, Noel Neill, Aaron Douglas, Ray Park and Wil Wheaton - and Bob Schreck (formerly of DC Comics, Oni Press and Dark Horse) reviewing portfolios. The April 4-5 convention also offered zombie-themed gaming, titled "Con of the Dead," and a costume contest on Saturday afternoon, April 4th.

(blog entries by Heidi Hutson)

Fans Purchase Unpublished Sneyd

Fans enjoyed meeting Doug and getting personalized copies of Unpublished Sneyd. (top) Paul, (middle) Matt and (bottom) Paolo.

(blog entries by Heidi Hutson)

Being Tourists in Seattle with Lillian

Doug and I met Lillian (from San Antonio, Texas) at The Grand Hyatt. She was staying there on business, and we decided it would be fun to spend a morning exploring Seattle together. Naturally the Pike Place Market topped our list of "things to do" - Lillian was the most adventurous when it came time to grab a halibut.

Lillian and I couldn't pass up a photo with Rachel, the mascot of the Pike Place Market. Visitors can find Rachel beneath the main "Public Market Center" sign. She weighs nearly 600 lbs. and is a working piggybank; funds collected from Rachel are used by the Market Foundation for various social services.

Our morning of sightseeing at the Pike Place Market and Seattle Art Museum ended with lunch at TASTE Restaurant at the Seattle Art Museum. Two exhibits - Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness: American Art from the Yale University Art Gallery and George de Forst Brush: the Indian Paintings - were of special interest to Lillian, Doug and me. Artwork on loan from Yale University featured works by Paul Revere, Thomas Eakins and Winslow Homer.

(blog entries by Heidi Hutson)

Costumes Make Seattle Convention Fun

(blog entries by Heidi Hutson)

Fans Keep Doug Busy with Personalized Sketches in Unpublished Sneyd

Ray (from Seattle) purchased Unpublished Sneyd, featuring the "best of the undiscovered Sneyd" cartoon rough humor.

Lauren asked Doug to personalize Unpublished Sneyd for "Chris."

This was April's second year attending Emerald City Comicon.

(blog entries by Heidi Hutson)

Fans Buy Sketches, Books and Limited Edition Prints at Emerald City Comicon

Andrew, a math major at the University of Washington, had Doug do a personalized sketch.

Donnie, who lives about an hour north of Seattle, purchased Unpublished Sneyd, which Doug personalized with a sketch of a lovely girl-next-door wearing bunny ears.

Dan purchased a limited edition print, which Doug drew exclusively for the April 4-5 Emerald City Comicon; it appeared in the convention's 2009 artbook Monsters & Dames. The original was also donated to the convention's charity auction; part of the proceeds from artbook sales and auction will benefit the Seattle Children's Hospital.

(blog entries by Heidi Hutson)

Fans Purchase Unpublished Sneyd

Tony (from Sand Point, Idaho) purchased Unpublished Sneyd, Doug's 52-page book featuring 100 of his favorite unpublished cartoon rough rejects submitted to Playboy since 1964, when his first cartoon appeared - September 1964, page 205.

Doug personalized Unpublished Sneyd to "Memo."

Jessa and Tom from the Seattle area purchased a copy of Doug's 52-page book Unpublished Sneyd.

(blog entries by Heidi Hutson)

Flora-Bama Sponsors Mullet Toss and the Gulf Coast's Greatest Beach Party

Soon after returning to the Alabama Gulf Coast from exhibiting at the Emerald City Comicon and sightseeing in Victoria and Vancouver, Doug decided that he'd drive over to the Flora-Bama Lounge, which is only a few miles from our "winter home" in Orange Beach, Alabama. Although Hurricane Ivan in September 2004 partially destroyed the legendary Flora-Bama, it's back in business and once again sponsoring annual community fundraising events like the Polar Bear Dip, Super Bowl Chili Cook-Off and Mullet Toss as well as the Gulf Coast's Greatest Beach Party! The beautiful white-sand beaches are perfect for a game of beach volleyball!

The crowds gathered early Saturday, April 25, for the 25th annual Mullet Toss competition at the famed Flora-Bama Lounge at the Alabama-Florida state line. Playboy called the Flora-Bama one of the top roadhouses in the U.S. and Jimmy Buffett immortalized it in "Bama Breeze."

Organizers anticipated the event could easily draw thousands of spectators and participants this year, especially if the weather cooperated - it did! In addition to the Mullet Toss, the weekend was billed as the Gulf Coast's Greatest Beach Party, and what's a party without dancing!!!

Even though registrants were heaving lifeless fish in the name of charity, the toss, like any competition, required lots of pre-planning: announcers, P.A. systems, judges, prizes, etc.

Mullet tossing madness started at 9 a.m. on Saturday, April 25. The one-pound lifeless mullets were tossed (see top center) and distances measured by the judges before contestants retrieved their mullet and recycled it back into water buckets for more throws.

It was a great weekend for the 25th. annual Mullet Toss, sponsored by the Flora-Bama Lounge. If participants tired of playing beach volleyball, watching girls in bikinis, or throwing mullets for charity, they were only a few yards from the beautiful Gulf Coast beach for a quick dip to cool off.

(blog entries by Heidi Hutson)

Fans of Doug's Playboy Work Visit Booth

Although James and Erik live in the Seattle area, this was their first visit to an Emerald City Comicon.

Christina, a long-time fan of Doug's work in Playboy, lives in Federal Way, Washington.

Caroline, a former New Orleans resident, now lives in Seattle.

(blog entries by Heidi Hutson)