Wonderful FReeptoon News!

October 4 | pcottraux

[pcottraux]

My aspiring career as a political cartoonist on FR seemed to be cut short last month when, inexplicably, my scanner quit on me. I had posted 3 toons altogether, but my fourth was not being scanned. Saddened, and confused, I seemed defeated. Just when I was getting responded to: my first two toons went completely unnoticed.

But now, joyously, my scanner is up and running again, and now my FReeptoons will be back in action. Look for my next this coming Friday, at about 6 PM.

In the meantime, here is the last toon I drew, in a follow-up of the story. This was a while ago, and I had planned on finishing the story (the Media Shark is being stalked by Cindy Sheehan, who is wondering why she's being ignored in favor of the hurricane). Rather, I'll just post this, and start things anew Friday, since this is just a little dated.

[pcottraux]

Enjoy.

[pcottraux]

ping.

[RegulatorCountry]

If that's Hillary in the hood, you're being far too charitable with your caricature.

[pcottraux]

At first, the drawing looked much scarier. Unfortunately, it looked nothing like her. So I had to draw another caricature on a separate sheet and cut it out to paste over the old one. I was able to doctor it up so it looked better.

[jla]

Good job, Coetrue, I've always admire folks who can draw.
Did you know Linda Eddy is a Freeper?

[pcottraux]

I had no idea. I've heard Ann Coulter say that she comes here and looks around. Maybe she's looked at my cartoons...and been impressed...I'm getting excited.

[jla]

IPWGOP

[pcottraux]

Cool. I feel like I'm drawing chicken scratch after seeing some of her stuff.

[Rca2000]

I may as well make this known. Most of the FReepers here know I have written some poems and songs and such, over the last year or so I have been on FR. Unlike Pcottraux, I do NOT have a talent for drawing, but have some talent for writing.So far, however, I have not been able to do anything with this talent, as most people belittle me, and try to convince me that I am "unfit" to be a writer, and do not "have what it takes".

Well, I am getting ready to enter the novel I have talked about here(the one that I wrote a couple of years ago) into a contest, that seeks out Christian-based scriptwriters. If I can win this prize, or at least, place high, perhaps someone will publish my novel, and maybe create a screenplay from it, as I had originally intended.

I know some FReepers think I am a freak, and have told me so, but I will NOT allow pessimism from others here, or anywhere else, prevent me from taking this chance, and, with God's blessings, FINALLY getting my writing talent off of the ground. I have at least 2 more ideas for novels or screenplays, and 1 for a short story.

[pcottraux]

More power to ya', buddy.

Unfortunately, the problem with fiction is that it's extraordinarily hard to get into. Let me give you some stats:

About 50,000 books are published each year. Of those, only 3,500 are novels. Of THOSE, one-third are cheap paperback romance (which pay poorly and are short-lived). Now get this: 125 of the novels published each year are first-time writers. And with rare exceptions, those first-timers will usually not make $10,000. It's not about talent, it's about name recognition.

I recommend non-fiction. Name recognition is unimportant, and most successful nf authors are ordinary people. That's why I gave you that link to the book, from Amazon.com, which tells you not only how to get into the writing world, and published, but how to do it right, and be successful.

Me personally, I'm working on a screenplay myself, but when I'm through, I've got plenty of nf ideas that I think could be marketable. It's something I've always wanted to do.

Still, good luck with the contest. I'll ping you Friday. I've gotten one cartoon panel done, and it's a pretty satisfying caricature of Al Franken. Guy has a hard to draw mouth.

[Keith in Iowa]

Check out fellow Freeper Jeff Head's work. Self-publish.

[Keith in Iowa]

Ping to fellow Freeper-writer in need of your expertise...

(not I, but Rca2000)

[Nowhere Man]

Dang, man! That picture of Hillary put the fear of God in me and chills down my spine. Wish ya all the luck in your drawings and art.

[pcottraux]

Hey, thanks a lot. Yeah, the original Hillary drawing was a lot scarier, but it wasn't real funny looking and looked nothing like her at all. Had to draw a new one, cut out, and tape it over the old one.

Tomorrow, 6 pm, I'll be posting the next one. I've already got it drawn. If you like the HIllary picture, wait till you see my Al Franken.

[pcottraux]

/Whoops, already said that about HIllary. Repeating myself...I feel like an old man. This threads a couple days old, ya know.

[Nowhere Man]

Well, I am getting ready to enter the novel I have talked about here(the one that I wrote a couple of years ago) into a contest, that seeks out Christian-based scriptwriters. If I can win this prize, or at least, place high, perhaps someone will publish my novel, and maybe create a screenplay from it, as I had originally intended.

I know some FReepers think I am a freak, and have told me so, but I will NOT allow pessimism from others here, or anywhere else, prevent me from taking this chance, and, with God's blessings, FINALLY getting my writing talent off of the ground. I have at least 2 more ideas for novels or screenplays, and 1 for a short story.

Hey, man, go for it! I know myself, there are a few ideas I could be kicking around myself if I ever get serious to put it down to paper.

Myself, I'm a junky for various things like Victorian Era fiction, general science fiction, and offshoots like "alternate history," "post apocalyptic/nuclear war," and "steampunk" stories.

My forte' is mostly into role playing games like "The Morrow Project" and "Twilight: 2000" where I have run games in the past. I admit it, I was a "teenaged Orc," now I'm (almost) a "middle-aged Orc." B-) I'm working on a Morrow Project campaign world set in Western PA as we speak and I am doing research on what we have here agriculture and fossil fuel wise. It is a lot of work when you have to set up, people and stock towns for your players to run about in as well as various scenarios. Basically my players and the NPC's (Non Player Characters) that I run are frozen and wake up 200 years from now to a Balkanized and somewhat depopulated United States and Canada after a nuclear war. The Project was devised to freeze people and they come out to help rebuild the US (at least to the best of their ability), help the survivors (originally, they were supposed to wake up 3 or 5 years after the catastrophe but things went wrong), and to survive and link up with other Project teams and assets.

Myself, I have a bit of a conundrum on the background of my war, one side of my wants more of an "alternate history" timeline where the USSR is still around in 2008-2012 which is around the type of my wardate and I would still like to keep 9-11 (or an alternate version of it) in the timeline. Another option is to keep things mostly as they are until 2005 when things start to develop from that. Originally, the game was set up with the war occuring in 1989, the game istelf was written in 1980. If I could give a plausible 22 or 23 year old version of myself as a good scientist and whip myself into a good candidate for the Project, I might gave that a whirl. B-)

Would be cool to have a Freeper writer's discussion to chat and knock ideas around.

You know what, I don't worry about being seen as a freak anymore, I've always felt different from the time I was a small child to today, instead of sports, I would reach for books, study space travel and crack open transistor radios. I can't help being what I am and I am quite happy with that and as I've said before, I just ask God to give my guidance in life. Any detractors, well, they can go "fly a kite," life is too short.



Morrow Project patch

[Nowhere Man]

BTW, if I had to cast a movie based on your cartoons, I would choose Ian McDarmid to play her, your drawing of her reminds me of the Emperor in Star Wars.

[pcottraux]

Yeah, the Hillary there is a take-off of the Emperor Palpatine, or Darth Sidious. I thought it would be funny to portray Hillary like that character...because she really is, if you think about it.

I've got one planned where she is giving her orders to the donkey, and says, "We must accelerate our plans to take all personal possessions from people and use them to support my regime."

Donkey: "Take all their personal possessions? Is that...legal?"

Hillary (Empress): "I will MAKE it legal!"

Only works if you've seen The Phantom Menace, though.

[The Foolkiller]

If Ann DOES come here...this is for her. You're beautiful, kid, but could you please eat a few more cheeseburgers? :-)