There is exciting news here at Mustard and Boloney’s cartoon diner! Alexandre Rouillard (Boloney) has just completed illustrating a brand new children’s book called: Lulupop, Pants! No Chance!
And, I have been privileged enough to receive an advance copy. I can honestly say that the story is strong and of course Alexandre’s artistry – as always – is impeccable. His style is a departure from our usual offerings here on our comedic diner but then it needs to be, as the book is designed for, well, why not let the author herself describe it? Take it away Susan Lanyi.
Pants! No Chance! is a picture book directed at preschool and primary school children. The story focuses on Lulupop, a girl who simply loves dresses and does not like wearing pants. Lulupop and her mother struggle daily but Lulupop is a feisty heroine with a mind of her own and she insists on wearing dresses no matter what the situation. Through her own personal experience Lulupop eventually understands in particular situations it is more sensible to wear pants.
The inspiration for the main character Lulupop and “Pants! No Chance!” was Susan Lanyi’s three year-old daughter Leah who always wanted to wear dresses. Susan believed that she was not the only one living this battle with her preschooler. Other parents must have had similar experiences. Thus the idea for Pants! No Chance! was born.
Thanks Susan for visiting our diner and bringing this book to our attention. And, Alexandre Rouillard’s stunning water-colors certainly have brought life and breath to Lulupop the “Girl Who Loves Dresses.”
Thanks Susan. I already know of one young person I will make sure gets a copy, and that’s my granddaughter Maisey. (who loves dresses as well).
To order your own copy of this great children’s’ book visit:
For their second record, French-Canadian folk guitar trio Harmonium expanded into a symphonic quintet, adding woodwinds and keyboards to flesh out
Source: Harmonium, ‘Si On Avait Besoin D’Une Cinquieme’ (1975) – 50 Greatest Prog Rock Albums of All Time
Bonjour, c’est moi Boloney.
Je n’ai pas publié directement sur ce blog depuis son lancement. Je préfère laisser cette partie à Mustard. Cependant, pour la fête nationale du Québec, je tenais à souligner la culture francophone, qui est toujours aussi vivante après 400 ans de présence en Amérique. Pour l’occasion, je vous présente Emmanuel Laflamme. Son travail est à la fois très différent de Mustard and Boloney tout en se rapprochant de son esprit. Ses qualités en font un invité parfait pour notre Cartoon Diner.
Emmanuel Laflamme consume avec humour l’imagerie populaire et crée des scènes fortes de sens qui mènent autant à rire qu’à réfléchir. À l’image des surréalistes, il conçoit des représentations dont l’impossibilité manifeste capte l’attention du spectateur. Il crée ses œuvres un peu comme un publicitaire qui n’aurait rien à vendre. Conjuguant les références culturelles, il détourne les mythes anciens et modernes pour nous servir son regard sur le monde, à la fois tendre et critique. L’absurde est son terrain de jeu, l’anachronisme est sa spécialité.
Emmanuel est né en 1984 à Montréal. Artiste autodidacte, il a travaillé comme designer en dessin animé et collaboré à des projets de publicité, cinéma et jeux vidéo.
Hello, it’s me Boloney.
I have not published directly on this blog since its launch. I prefer to leave that part to Mustard. However, for the National Day of Quebec, I wanted to highlight French culture, which is still alive after over 400 years of presence in North America. For the occasion, I wish to present Emmanuel Laflamme. His work is both very different from ours yet similar in that his wit approaches ones mind with humour; one presented and wrapped in an extraordinarily unique way. Emmanuel’s creative insights make him a perfect (first) guest here on our Cartoon Diner. We hope you enjoy his work as much as we do.
Emmanuel Laflamme consumes popular imagery with humour, creating scenes with strong meaning that lead us to laugh and think. Like the surrealists, he develops representations with an apparent impossibility that captures the viewer’s attention. He creates his works like a creative director who would have nothing to sell. Combining cultural references, he diverts ancient and modern myths to serve us his perspective on the world, at once tender and critical. The absurd is his playground, the anachronism his specialty.
Emmanuel was born in 1984 in Montreal, Quebec. A self-taught artist, he has worked as a designer on a popular animated series, and has been involved with the advertising, movie and gaming industries as well.
Press
Alexandre and I are extremely proud and excited to have sold an astounding amount of copies of our new book ‘Butt, Seriously’. I have to use all my toes and fingers plus some of Alexandre’s to count that high.
To all of you who bought we give a heartfelt thanks. And, to those that haven’t yet managed to snag a copy we say: Why not? Is a heartfelt thanks not enough? Do you require a kidney too?
Or, are you secretly waiting for the deal of the century?
Well, here it is! Out in the open. THE DEAL OF THE CENTURY!
For a limited time we’re prepared to offer this fabulous deal: Buy one book at the regular price
and get an additional copy for only 5 bucks more! You heard – or rather read – that right. You can now get two copies of this humorous tome for only $25. (shipping, handling and taxes included.)
I will also personally hand-sign each and every copy of this collectors item, which contains over 100 of our classic cartoons, and all in full eye-popping colour.
WOW! I say WOW again. Never before has such an offer been written by me and in this blog.
I repeat (especially after Chili night at our house) : Get two copies of our new book ‘Butt Seriously‘ for the unheard of price of only $25 dollars. Hey, I’ll even – as this cartoon suggests – throw in a cruise to further sweeten the deal, so long as you pay for the cruise/airfare and all the taxes yourself.
So, get you own copy of the book that Dan Piraro – creator of Bizarro – has been raving about RIGHT HERE by clicking with your mouse thingy. Butt seriously!
Fade In.
Movies have always been a passion of mine. From as far back as I can remember I’ve always enjoyed them. So much so in fact, that when I went to university I majored in Film studies. And, as luck would have it, I won their top award for screenwriting. (that script became the basis for the full-length feature film ‘The Night Watchman’ )
So, when I started cartooning, many films, their characters, settings and such naturally became fair game for me, and Alexandre’s extremely creative pen. Can you name the movie inspiration for the above cartoon? Even better, what year was it made and exactly who was in it? (Try not to use Google.)
I sent this interesting send-up of a popular franchise to fellow cartoonist Dan Piraro (Bizarro) for his opinion – and he loved it! No word yet from J.K. Rowling. (on whether or not she likes Bizarro’s stuff.)
Here’s an odd twist on a famous scene from the movie ‘Ben Hur’. (Charlton Heston would be proud. Bring on the chariot race!)
This 1959 film was helmed by one of my favourite directors. His name? William Wyler. Other notable works from him include: Dodsworth (1936), Mrs. Miniver (1942), The Heiress (1945), The Best Years Of Our Lives (1946), Roman Holiday (1953), The Collector (1965), and Funny Girl (1968).
(I actually have the original movie posters for Ben Hur from the cinema display windows – when they used to do that – framed, and hanging in my office at home.)
In keeping with the Roman times theme, I thought this was a nice twist on a classic line. Again, can you name the film? HInt: It stars Robert DeNiro. (well, duh.)
Actually early film stock was quite flammable so maybe that’s what started this disastrous fire. Apparently, Nero loved the cinema but didn’t believe in storing the negatives properly.
Personally, I just love black and white films. There are just so many layers to them. It’s too bad they colourize them now, because once done, it washes out the shadings and flattens the imagery. If they originated in colour, that’s okay, but to paint it in, no. Watch any film noir picture like ‘Scarlet Street’ (1945), ‘In A Lonely Place (1950) or ‘The Big heat’ (1953) and you’ll see a prime example of how a black and white film can and should look. To see these films uncut – in their original form – check out movie station TCM (Turner Classic Movies)
Interesting fact: To go to the movies – silent pictures – back in 1910 cost .07 cents. In 1955 – the year I was born – a film ticket would set you back .45 cents. Now, to see a film, have popcorn and a drink I need to take out a second mortgage. And if I want butter on that popcorn…….don’t even ask! Although I guess one could stay home and watch movies all day from Netflix for a reasonable price. But, that’s not the same thing as being with a crowd and seeing it up on the big screen with big sound, big effects, and even bigger than life movie stars.
Hey, soon we’ll be watching blockbusters shrunk down onto ones i-watch screen. I don’t know. I mean how many Avengers can you fit into that small a screen? Enough to save the universe I hope – or at the very least Apple.
Fade Out.
Yes, dear readers, that is I. Mustard. And yes, I am wearing a giant banana suit in my living room. Why, you ask? (So many have, from my neighbours all the way to the zoo monkey who wanted to ‘peel’ me.) To that question posed I say ‘why not!’
I mean it’s not like I look like this every day of the week. I wear it every second day of the week and all day on the weekends. Does this make me crazy? Possibly. Eccentric? Perhaps. A purveyor of potassium and electrolytes? Damn straight!
(Take notice that my cat Subira is at the bottom left corner checking me out.)
If you find this a little unusual here is a picture of my wife and I. She goes around dressed like Pancho Villa a good bit of the time now. And, 
she’s even studying Spanish! Oh, no!
So, half the time i don’t know what she’s saying anymore, and the other half of the time I’m asleep (as it is nighttime).
Actually, the real reason we look like this is that we were recently asked out to a costume party at a neighbour’s house. We dressed to the nines and I won first prize in the dance contest! I showed the judges all my moves (on paper first) before I let loose. All I can say is they were in awe. Their mouths hung open for what seemed like an eternity. I had them eating out of my hand! Then we all swung from the chandelier. Seriously!
One judge seemed aloof and studied me very carefully. Also, he kept looking down a lot of the time, apparently making plenty of notes. Actually, it was only later that I learned he was in fact drawing something. I managed to retrieve this picture from the garbage later that night when no one was looking.
I compared this picture with one I had received from someone else while attending another party in the previous month. Are they trying to suggest something? Are they intimating I need my head examined? Or, is their message something subliminal like I should eat more nuts for the protein – as I am a vegetarian – instead of injesting so many over-ripe bananas?
Notice that the 
artistry is unmistakably the same! Yet they were given to me by two different people. Am I crazy or is that even possible? Can two distinct people have the exact same drawing style?
I immediately phoned up Alexandre (Boloney) as he is the artistic genius behind Mustard and Boloney cartoons. I posed my dilemma. He said that can never happen – except maybe with twins – but that he himself often copies his own unique style to place into the next fresh cartoon we create. That’s what great artists do. But we never copy another person’s style. So both cartoons must be the work of just one individual.
“Interesting”, I said. “So it would seem that this cartoonist is a master of physical disguise but cannot mask his artistic tendencies. His style is like a genetic fingerprint.”
There was a lengthy silence on the phone.
Alexandre finally spoke up and added, “If you ate more bananas your vision would improve as they are a great source of Vitamin A. By doing that you would have clearly seen that these two cartoons could only be the work of the same person, and not that imaginary extra one in your head.”
An a-peeling thought. If he only knew.
Bon Appetit!
Good news fellow cartoon lovers. Mustard and Boloney’s humorous panels is being syndicated! That’s right!! We have just been picked up by Universal for on-line syndication.
Now, not only can you still enjoy our fresh, tasty entrees here at our cartoon diner, but now you will be able to order take-out from Universal.
Our official launch date is Monday May 25th.
You will be able to find us at: www.gocomics.com. To begin with we will be featured there every Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday.
We will be positioned alongside such classics as: Calvin and Hobbs; Doonesbury; Peanuts; Dilbert; Adam@Home, Herman, Pearls Before Swine and Pooch Café.
I do hope you will check out our brand of irreverent humour at the new site. And, don’t forget to
tell all of your friends too!
Again, that’s Monday May 25th at: www.gocomics.com.
As Dan Piraro (creator of Bizarro) states:
“The real art of cartooning is to create a compelling illustration that facilitates a compelling gag. Caulfield (Mustard) and Rouillard (Boloney) are the most shining example of this unique combination I have seen in some time.”
Thanks Dan. We love your stuff too.
Again, that’s Monday May 25th at: www.gocomics.com.
We look forward to tickling your funny bone not only here with our blog, but with cartoons on GoComics as well. And if you bring it (funny bone)
to our front door we’ll tickle it in person.
Bon appetit.
“The Devil made me do it!” became a national catch phrase in the 1970s thanks to Flip Wilson. This great stand-up comedian – whose television show I used to watch weekly – oftentimes dressed up as his alter ego ‘Geraldine’. And the above phrase along with one of his (her) other favourite lines, “The Devil made me buy this dress!” always proved hysterically funny when ‘Flip’ said them on his show. (In fact he won a Grammy award for his album ‘The Devil Made Me Buy This Dress.’)
Yes, I’m sure we all know the story of Lucifer, but what we don’t know is just how big a settlement he received – and, whom did he in fact receive it from? (I mean a fall like the one he undertook probably was worth plenty; more than an amount paid out for just slipping on sidewalk ice I would venture to say.)
Of course his lawyer(s) probably would have eaten away much – if not all – of that settlement amount for services rendered throughout the endless centuries, until there probably wasn’t even enough left for our ‘Prince of Darkness’ to buy clothes, food, suitable lodgings and an extra space heater for his office.
Does the Devil blame anyone in particular for his lot in life?
Possibly.
Does the Devil sit around and watch Fox news all day?
Maybe.
Does the Devil think of myriad ways to ‘upgrade’ his status in the world and get more ‘likes’ on his Facebook page?
Probably.
A great film called ‘The Exorcist‘ (1973) starred a very young actress named Linda Blair, who in the film was supposedly possessed by the Devil.
I remember watching that film and thinking, “Mnnnn. If the Devil likes it so hot all the time (at least my understanding) then why does he make her room so cold?” Could he have grossly miscalculated on his conversion to Celsius? (Maybe learning the metric system would make him a much happier Devil.) Or, does he have an undiagnosed thyroid problem? (In which case a few medications would be just the answer.)
And, as a much happier Devil his health might improve.
With improvement comes a better frame of mind, and possibly inner peace.
Who knows, the Devil then might just move to a city and open up a ‘yoga’ sanctuary. (maybe he already has because who really started this ‘bikram’ trend anyway?)
Odd, I was going to write a post about a completely unrelated matter but as I sat down to compose my fingers typed out this. Why? The Devil made me do it! (I’ve just gotta stop playing that record as well as take a moment to turn down the thermostat a wee bit, and then up with the air conditioning.)
As I get older I tend to look back on some of the choices I’ve made in the past and wonder ‘what was I thinking?’. (Did I really wear platform shoes and polyester suits with bell-bottomed pants? Yes. And actually dance to disco music? Yes again. Did I dare mix peanut butter and chocolate before Reeses was invented? So true)
Is having these thoughts of ‘what if the road I took was a different one would my life be markedly different’ the same for everyone as you age? Do we all have a white John Travolta-type suit hanging in our closets waiting to be worn during that next disco dance to stardom? Or will it simply stay in the closet protected by moth balls, never to be used again? Have I ‘evolved’ or simply gone along for the ride?
Someone once said to me that he was an expert in his chosen field because he had twenty years experience on the job (and with the same company for the entire time).
I was suitably impressed then sat and thought more about that statement a bit. (while I ate a few peanut butter cups in my now chocolate stained white suit.)
What was he really saying?
Was it, “I have twenty year’s experience on the job” or rather, “I have one year’s experience twenty times.”
Had he ‘evolved’ or just remained relatively the same?
Perhaps that is a question that can only be answered by a higher authority than I.(my wife)
Perhaps there is no ‘right’ answer; only ‘lefts’. (and sometimes the odd middle)
Perhaps every bone is connected, and it doesn’t matter what road you take so long as you don’t fall over a rock (or from platform shoes) and break any of them.
Maybe I need to make a list of things that had circumstances been different I might have done.
Maybe I need to actually ‘do’ some of those things on that list. Experience them fully without bumping into, well, you know, the boney guy in the dark robe. (Question: Did ‘Death’ ever have any ‘life’ choices? Just wondering.)
Maybe I need to ‘walk the walk’ and not’ talk the talk’.
Maybe I should check my thesaurus and find another word (s) to use instead of ‘maybe’ all the time.
Life is definitely full of multiple choices.
You say ‘tomehto; I say ‘tomahto’. You say ‘potehto’; I say ‘potahto’.
Everything is relative.
And, speaking of relatives, I wonder what this fish did evolve in to? (maybe me) But, it would have stayed the same had it not left the security of the pond.
So, is it time for a change? Are you ready to leave the warm waters of ‘same old, same old’?
If so, then I humbly suggest you take along some scuba gear. You may occasionally wish to return to your humble beginnings for a bit of familiarity from time-to-time, and to visit those whose road was not as dry and traveled as yours.
Remember, evolution waits for no one. And no one evolves waiting.
