Skating on Toronto's Grenadier Pond - Now Prohibited

For 11 years in the 1960s-1970s, the Toronto Star, Canada's largest newspaper, commissioned Doug to paint the company's annual holiday cards.  Each celebrated some aspect of Toronto history; skating on Grenadier Pond - in the city's largest park (High Park) - was a favorite activity for young and old alike.  

However, according to editorials and commentaries recently in the National Post - this winter activity is now prohibited; signs at the pond announce, "No skating.  No Access."  Specifically, Chapter 608-21(b) of the Toronto Municipal Code stipulates that "no person shall access or skate on a natural ice surface in a park where it is posted to prohibit."

Good thing Doug captured the winter fun of skating on Grenadier Pond when he did; makes one wonder what else will be regulated by government.

(blog entries by Heidi Hutson)

Playboy Cartoon: August 2000, p. 125

You may find it interesting to see changes - especially in the top background - Doug made in preliminary pencil and color roughs as well as in the final art, which was published in the August 2000 issue of Playboy on p. 125.  It was also later reproduced in The Art of Doug Sneyd on the dust jacket back cover.

Caption:  "Talk is cheap - everything else is going to cost you."

The 248-page hardcover book, published by Dark Horse Books in July 2011, featured 270 of Doug's Playboy cartoons.

It was also a 2012 Eisner Award nominee in the Best Humor Publication category.

(blog entries by Heidi Hutson)

Pre-Convention Lunch With Terry and Robyn Moore

It's always GREAT to have lunch with Robyn and Terry Moore before the start of a busy convention schedule.  We ate at Arcadia, located in the San Jose Marriott, one of 2 hotels adjacent to the convention center.

(blog entries by Heidi Hutson)

Big Wow Comic Fest: San Jose Convention Center

Doug and I flew into San Jose, California a day early so we had time to check out the convention center before the 2-day convention - May 17-18, 2014.  

When we were there in May 2007 - it was Doug's first comics-cartoon convention - Steve Morger's Big Wow Art group held the convention in an annex adjacent to the main convention center.

(blog entries by Heidi Hutson)

Brunette in Red Bikini

Doug rendered this 10 x 14 loose-style original using Arches of France cold press watercolor paper and Dr. Ph. Martin's aniline dyes.

To see more of Doug's originals, visit the Doug Sneyd Premium Gallery at:

www.comicartfans.com

(blog entries by Heidi Hutson)

Food Price Increases: Single-Panel Cartoons, 1975-1977

USA Today recently reported CPI (Consumer Price Index) statistics for food price increases in 2014.  

meats, poultry, fish and eggs:  up 9.2%, the largest change from one December to another since 2003

dairy and related products:  up 5.3%

fruits and vegetables:  up 3.2%

Doug looked at the issue of higher food prices in a number of his single-panel news cartoons from 1975-1977.  The cartoons - distributed by the Toronto Star Syndicate - appeared daily in newspapers across North America for nearly 20 years, starting in the mid-1960s.

(blog entries by Heidi Hutson)

1984 SCOOPS Cartoon Strip: Football

After the 49th annual Super Bowl game next Sunday in Phoenix, wives can hopefully start communicating again with their husbands - a situation Doug focused on in this 1984 SCOOPS cartoon strip. 

Katy Perry will headline the Pepsi Super Bowl Halftime Show on Sunday, February 1st.

For nearly 20 years, starting in the mid-60s, SCOOPS news cartoons appeared daily in newspapers across North America.

(blog entries by Heidi Hutson)