My ADDANAC CITY comic strip and info blog have now been combined into my all-new ComicPress website!
Now you can read the entire comic history of AC as well as check out the current blog postings (and some older ones, too) in one centralized location.
Click the pic below to take a trip to ADDANAC CITY!
Twitter’s everywhere these days. It seems like anyone who’s anyone has a Twitter account and, boy, are they using it. You’ve got celebrities, newspeople, politicians, and even your average joe logging in on there.
Twitter is also the ideal chill-spot for bloggers and webcomic creators. Anyone worth their salt has made sure that they can relay their latest feelings, ponderings, and opinions instantaneously.
After sitting on the sidelines for quite a while, I decided to join the revolution and see what all the fuss was about. Last week, I signed up (it wasn’t as difficult or mind-blowing as I had feared). Then I went on a search to find all of my favorite people. I’m a newbie right now, but I’m slowly getting the hang of it. I like to let people know what I have upcoming for ADDANAC CITY, and whatever it is I happen to be doing at the given moment.
Twitter’s a great place if you like to be nosy and get up-to-the-minute information on your friends and/or fave celebs.
One thing I have noticed, though, is that Twitter can become very addictive. I find myself stopping what I’m doing just to find out what somebody else is doing. And nine times out of ten, something’s happening. It’s the Land of Instant Gratification; sorta like a ticker-tape of titillating trivia.
I can see how people get swept into it, especially while they’re at work. The ADDANAC CITY comic below depicts such a situation. I hope you enjoy it.
If you are a faithful Twitterer, you can follow the life and times of Hank Addanac and I by clicking here. If your days are as weird and/or interesting as Hank’s, I may end up returning the favor and following you.
Sometimes ya gotta take a break from saving the economy
My comic strip character, Hank of ADDANAC CITY, encounters a lot of people throughout his young life. He has an extremely bad habit of pulling pranks on the telephone. It’s a good thing that it appears he has friends in high places, because he’s gonna need ’em.
My fellow cartoonist, Bearman, inspired me to try my hand at creating an Obama cartoon. I don’t know if I did as well as he, but I tried. I don’t consider this to be a political cartoon even though it depicts a political figure.
This strip is, by no means, sanctioned by President Obama nor the United States government. I just wanted to have fun, and attempt drawing something different. I thought it would be kinda neat if Hank and Obama had some sort of interaction. Plus, who knows? Obama may visit ADDANAC CITY one day for one of his famous town hall Main Street stopovers.
Aw, man….the repercussions of that…. 🙂
I just wanted to take a second to say Thank You to all of my wonderful ADDANAC CITY readers. You’ve helped make March a record-setting month for the AC website.
I’ve only been creating the weirdo escapades of Hank, Christie, and Tim since August 2008, and the webcomic series hardly has the audience and notoriety of the more popular “big dog” comics like Penny Arcade and PVP, but it’s been growing steadily month by month.
Click here for more Addanac-City-Comics Graphics!
Well, my little unknown webcomic named Addanac City welcomed almost 9,000 visitors this past March with over 100,000 hits and page views. That may not sound like much, but I’m well-pleased. After all, the site received less than 2,000 monthly visitors during its initial release. I just hope that everyone who stops by each day will continue to enjoy reading Hank’s comedic situations.
Once again, thank you all very much for your support!
See? Drawing pictures of Hank enables you to pull all the chicks.
My webcomic ADDANAC CITY has been increasing in popularity lately. A few loyal fans, not to mention pretty decent artists, have sent me their own renditions of Hank, AC’s flagship character.
Response has been strong enough for me to establish a Fan Art Page on the website. So far, I have received drawings of various styles from people throughout the United States. Each picture looks different, but that’s what makes them unique. I love to see other artists’ interpretation of Hank Addanac.
I want to see your drawings of the ADDNAC CITY characters. You will have a chance to get your artwork posted on a comic strip website.
All you have to do is:
~Draw a picture of something Addanac City-related. You can draw Hank or any of the characters from the AC comic strip series. It can be in black-and-white or color. Do your own version of the characters in YOUR style. NO tracing or drawing a panel exactly as I have already done. I’m lookin’ to see YOUR style. I see mine too much every day. 🙂
~send the finished file in the form of a .jpg, .bmp, or .gif
Files should be no larger than 600 kilobytes (the smaller, the better. I’m workin’ wit’ a 56k modem, people).
~send your art file to addanaccity@gmail.com
Use FAN ART in the subject line.
I will pick my favorite entries and post them in a special section on the ADDANAC CITY website. I will be adding more artwork as I receive and approve them, so be sure to keep checking the site to see if yours (or your friend’s) has been selected.
Addanac City FAN ART is open to all ages. You aren’t being judged, so don’t worry about if you think you can’t draw as well as Joe Blow up the street. If I think it’s cool, it’s goin’ up on the site.
If I pick your art, I’ll give you credit underneath your picture with your name (or first name and last initial if you crave anonymity), so be sure to tell me your name in your email entry. And the way you spell it is the way I’m gonna spell it, so be careful. Also, include your age so you can inspire your peers.
And to all you folks out there who create webcomics, feel free to throw something my way, too. I’d love to see your rendition of Hank and the gang. If I pick yours, I’ll be sure to throw you a link to your website underneath it. So, let me know what that is in your entry, too.
Well, I think that’s all. Oh, yeah! The place to be to read some of the funniest comic strips out there seven days a week is at Addanac City.
If you have any questions, just hit me back here or at the email address supplied above.
Thanks, and I look forward to seeing your creations!
Nothing comes between her and ADDANAC CITY...
Boy, it seems like Hank is everywhere. The little seven-year-old terror is wreaking havoc all over the internet. I love drawing the tiny tyke, but this is one kid that I would never wanna meet nor could I tolerate babysitting him.
Hank has done it all, from giving his teacher a live beehive to almost getting his father castrated for mistaken adultery. He’s also left his best friend hangin’ after breaking a neighbor’s window. Yeah, Hank’s a handful, and I’m so glad he’s just an imaginary character.
We can all have a ball laughing at his zany antics as we give thanks to above that we don’t have to deal with him in real life. If you know a kid who’s kinda similar to Hank, all I can say is: “Dag. I’m sorry.” 🙂
As an adult, I’m thoroughly enjoying the advancements in technology that are taking place in the world nowadays. I’m just thrilling myself silly texting and sending photos and emailing and doing all sorts of wondrous things with my computer and cell phone. I couldn’t imagine what it would be like to be a kid and have access to all that. I’d probably find some way to cheat in class (not that I condone any such malfeasance). Boys today don’t even have to ransack their parents’ room to find Dad’s old stack of Playboys anymore. It’s all right at their fingertips (get yer minds outta the gutter).
My kids trip out when I regale them with tales of days of yore about telephones that used to have cords on them and how you had to have your phone conversations wherever the phone was kept with whomever was in the room. And don’t let me get started with them on the blessing of owning an Atari 2600.
I know they roll their eyes at me like I did my grandparents when told of the days of walking to school. Times have changed, but I’m doing my darnedest to keep up with those cats and their hep ways.
Gah…I feel so old. Let me get back to watchin’ The Price is Right.
ADDANAC CITY is continuing to do well. I started AC with 3 updates per week: Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. After a few weeks of meeting those deadlines, I upped the ante to five days a week. That didn’t seem so difficult. I love creating my comic strip and I hope that it shows in the final results. I’m updating the popular comic strip series seven days a week now. A lot of folks are eagerly awaiting to see when the ol’ boy will burn out from such an intense schedule, but I don’t think it’s gonna happen (I hope).
I worked on countless ADDANAC CITY comic strips long before I ever designed the website. I didn’t want to be just another webcomic that fizzled out because the creator only had ten strip ideas and was overly-optimistic about the concepts pouring in. I wanted to make sure that when I opened “my doors” to the public, I’d be able to carry it through and give them something fresh that will last for a long time.
The reason I’m updating seven days a week is because most syndicated cartoonists do so. They create six daily strips plus one full-color Sunday edition. ADDANAC CITY is full-color all seven days. It’s a little more work, but I think it makes the strip look nicer. A few of you will agree with me.
Every webcomicker has desired to be syndicated at one point. We wanted to be the next “Peanuts”, “Calvin and Hobbes”, or “Bloom County”. We soon found out that it’s not that simple to break into an industry where there only two or three new hires out of over three thousand applicants per year.
However, we can publish our comics on the ‘net. And we can do it unedited and uncensored. We’re tha boss and what we say goes. That’s not always a good thing, though. I imagine you’ve encountered many webcomics that should have taken somebody’s advice on content or even concept. Hopefully, those comics will find their audience no matter how niched.
What I am doing with ADDANAC CITY is seeing if I’ve got the cojones to do like the syndicated cartoonists out there. I wanna see if I can run with the big dogs, so to speak. I may find out soon that seven days a week is too much. It does sorta limit one’s social life: “I can’t go to the movies tonight! I’ve gotta post the new strip!” For the time being, it works for me. I’m glad I enjoy what I’m doing, cuz I’m doin’ it all the time. I just like watching the little world of AC as it grows and improves over time. If I discover that I can’t swing seven days a week or that no one else cares for a daily dose of ADDANAC, then I’m man enough to admit it and drop down to a more reasonable schedule. We’ll just have to see what transpires.
NEWS ITEM: I’ve just opened up the official ADDANAC CITY STORE.
So far, I’ve got a few t-shirt designs on there. I’ll be expanding the products in the near future. If there’s some Addanac City graphic that you would like on a shirt, just let me know and I’ll see if I can’t get ‘er done for you.
Click here for more Addanac-City-Comics Graphics!
If you’re reading this blog, then chances are you’re one of the many thousands ones who read ADDANAC CITY faithfully every posted update. AC is in the running for votes on the Top Web Comics website. The site has a ranking system for just about every comic strip on the web today. I don’t expect to hit the number one spot, but I do yearn to get somewhere in the top (or lower) hundreds.
So, if you could, dear reader, would you pleeeeez cast your vote for ADDANAC CITY? It only takes a second to vote. Plus, there’s no personal information for you to give nor is there anything to sign up for. All you have to do is type in 3 letters that denote the graphic you will see on the voting page. You may vote once every twenty-four hours if you wish, but all I’m askin’ for is just one lil’, ol’ vote from ya. Every vote counts.
You can vote for ADDANAC CITY by clicking here.
Thank you. I do appreciate it.
Now, on to some comics!
I’m always reminiscing about something (it’s a habit us old folks have). As a kid, I was a big newspaper comic strip reader. I read nearly all of the classics: Peanuts, Beetle Bailey, Family Circus, For Better Or For Worse, Hagar the Horrible, Hi and Lois, Cathy, Dennis the Menace, and even Ziggy (ugh…no offense, Mr. Tom Wilson).
I loved anything that would make me laugh. As I have stated in previous blog postings, I did not have access to newspapers often, so I had to make do with whatever comic pages I could procure. Most of the time, a relative saved the funny pages for me until I visited (it made going to see them a bit easier). Old folks smelled funny to me, but I could deal with ’em in exchange for a few minutes of uninterrupted comic euphoria. That’s why I loved the gag-a-day comic strips: I didn’t miss anything pertinent. If I didn’t see Tuesday’s paper, I could still get a joke when I resumed reading on Wednesday. Heck, weeks could go by, but when I returned, I could just plunge in where I left off and laugh myself silly at Charlie Brown trying to kick a football that Lucy held.
Sure, a lot of these comics(the majority, in fact) were formulaic. You knew Charlie Brown was gonna get played by Lucy. You knew Sarge was gonna wax ol’ Beetle’s @$$. You knew Mr. Wilson was not gonna appreciate Dennis’s antics. For me, that was okay. These comics were familiar to me, they were dependable. I could count on them every edition. So when I hear someone say that ADDANAC CITY isn’t doing anything that hasn’t been done before, I don’t fret. Sure, there have been other “bad boys” in the comics before, but nobody has ever done it quite like Hank.
Click here for more Addanac-City-Comics Graphics!
I adored those type of comics. Give me something to laugh at and I will be back. That’s what I try to accomplish with ADDANAC CITY. The joke may seem familiar, but I always try to execute it with a fresh approach. Plus, someone else may not have heard the set-up or punchline before. Think of it this way: We’ve all heard the joke “why did the chicken cross the road”, right? It’s a moldy-oldie. But, remember, there are people (kids, even) who have never heard that joke. Somebody has to school them of the classics. Somebody has to tell it to them so they can groan 20 years later at the staleness of it. Nostalgia always returns. We’ve all seen Scooby Doo, but they’re makin’ babies every second who’ll see Scoob as something brand-new to them.
One thing I didn’t like in the comic pages were the serials (or soap opera-style stories). I’m not saying anything was wrong with them, it’s just that I didn’t care about these characters or stories. Mary Worth could take a flying leap as far as I was concerned. Maybe if she had snappy patter or told a joke or two, I would have taken her more seriously (or sillier). I didn’t understand why the newspapers had such serious-type comics in their paper. I believe that, as a kid, I couldn’t truly appreciate what those cartoonists (storytellers?) were attempting to do.
So, I figure Hank wouldn’t understand it either. I thought this would be a good strip illustrating my point. I would read Doonesbury when I was younger, too, and not comprehend one iota of it. Loved the art, but considered Garry Trudeau’s creation to be somewhat over my head. It was only until I got older that the series started making sense to me. Doonesbury is freakin’ hilarious now in reflection, but it didn’t do diddly for me as a kid. The following AC comic is a tribute to those who felt like I did. Enjoy.
I created a guest-strip a few weeks ago for another cartoonist friend of mine, Matt Stout of Big Sandy Gilmore. BSG is an hilarious series that features some of the funniest animal characters to come along in a while. I was glad to be able to help Matt out during crunch time.
Here’s my guest-strip.
You can catch Big Sandy Gilmore every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, I believe. Tell Matt I said “hi”.
Another webcomic series that I’ve been reading for a few months comes from a guy who started on the internet around the same time as I. Tommy Pritchard’s comic Relative Truths features a family who lives together, loves together, and sometimes gets on each other’s nerves. Sounds like a real family, huh?
Tommy needed a break to devote more time to his lovely wife and children, so I pitched in for an inning. This is my Relative Truths guest-strip. Check out Tommy’s comic series every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.
I would like to say “thank you” again to all of the wonderful webcomic people who have allowed me to crossover my characters with theirs and make an attempt to continue the fun and zaniness that drew me to this medium in the first place. My hat’s off to you!
Click here for more Addanac-City-Comics Graphics!
When I was a kid, I absolutely loooved comic strips and comic books. Being an only child, I could never get enough of them. I cared immensely for those iconic characters that graced those sweet-smelling pages of newsprint. I didn’t know who the artists were and I couldn’t have cared less at the time. I just wanted my comic fix.
As I got older and started developing my love of art, I began to take notice of the varying cartoonists in the field. I had my favorites in the different formats: Steve Ditko, John Romita, Jr., Ron Frenz, Charles Schulz, Mort Walker, Dik Browne (now, that’s a moniker), and many others.
These artists, with all of their various styles, helped make these characters come alive for me. They created a world where I could escape and enjoy a few hours of relaxation. They didn’t draw alike. They had their own unique vision and style. I once heard that, when it comes to art, the definition of style is: “The mistakes that an artist makes”. I think that’s true. If everyone drew perfectly, all art would look alike, wouldn’t it? It’s our slight errors that make our artwork our own. I don’t draw like anyone else, and they don’t draw like me. However, I can appreciate all styles of art.
One thing I have always loved about comics is The Crossover. I enjoyed watching characters from other companies and universes teaming up or duking it out. A few years ago, Image Comics had a switcheroo month where the creative of teams of certain books took over other titles under the company banner. It was so captivating for me to see Erik Larsen tackle Spawn, or to see Jim Lee penciling Savage Dragon. I love the original creators’ styles on their own respective books, but it was like a trip to another planet being able to see them draw other characters. That’s one thing I adore about making webcomics.
We web-cartoonists get to traipse around in each other’s playground sometimes. There are many reasons why there are guest-strips. Sometimes a webcomic’s creator needs to take a sabbatical. Updating can grow daunting, and a creator sometimes needs room to breathe, reassess, and come back fresh. Sometimes, %$# happens: illness, job duties, family necessities, etc. Oftentimes, if a comic isn’t seeing regular updates, the readers will move along to something else, thus resulting in a drastic drop in viewership. No cartoonist wants to build up a loyal audience just to lose them altogether due to “life” occurring.
That’s why it’s good that we can hit up our peers/friends and get a guest-strip from ’em. These gracious guys are saving our necks and giving us an opportunity to supply our readers with fresh product.
I haven’t hit the point (yet, knock on wood) where life has thrown me a curve ball, and I can’t get my comic updated, but I do have a good relationship with some amazing web-cartoonists. One guy in particular, Bearman, sent me a guest-strip the other evening featuring my Addanac City characters, Hank and Christie. I enjoyed seeing him “playing with my toys”. I draw Hank and the gang all the time, so it’s fascinating to see how other cartoonists view them. This is Bearman’s Addanac City comic:
Bearman creates an hilarious and thought-provoking editorial cartoon blog at Bearman Cartoons. Check out the rest of his amazing, poignant stuff. Thanks for the strip, Bearman! I’ll have to do something nice for you real soon.
I’ve created a number of guest-strips for other cartoonists also. I contributed an unsolicited strip for Mike Freed’s Unemployed Dad comic. Michael’s innovative take on the trials, tribulations, and even celebration of unemployed life is refreshing and original, especially with today’s turbulent times. Every now and then we need to be able to laugh before we pick up the pieces. Read my Unemployed Dad meets Addanac City guest-strip and check out the rest of what Michael does with his amusing creation.
In December, I contributed to The Guest Strip Project. That project was intended to gather a lot of web-cartoonists together to create a storyline for these pre-existing characters from a police force. For each installment, one cartoonist would pick up where the last one left off. That meant that the story could meander anywhere. No need to worry about quality in story and art, though, because these guys gave it their all. Each cartoonist was credited with a link to their own sites plus a chance to help the Make-A-Wish foundation which is a worthy cause in my opinion.
This was my contribution:
Be sure to go thru the archives of the Guest Strip Project to read the entire story.
I have a few other guest-strips finshed and a couple more to complete. I’ll let you all know when they come out. If any of you cartoonists out there want to take on Hank and/or the other characters in Addanac City, just drop me a line and let me know. My door is always open (I gotta get that thing fixed). 🙂
ADDANAC CITY comics and news 