I had a fairly easy week the week before with only having to draw seven roughs. Granted, that was seven in one day to get to one cartoon for CNN, but I was able to pull three from them for my newspaper and news sites clients. It got back to being brutal this week with having to draw 16 roughs.

I tweeted yesterday that I drew 16 roughs and asked if anybody wanted one. Some people replied they did want one but they may have been joking. This batch is not a part of that one. You’ll see the collection of 16 next week. I’ve already used two of them.

I drew this on Biden’s mandate that all businesses with at least 100 employees require all their workers become vaccinated or undergo weekly tests. This rough is a play on the Norman Rockwell painting with the little boy pulling his pants down for a shot (probably a vaccine) in the doctor’s office while checking out the doc’s credentials on the diplomas on the wall. I’m not sure I captured it well here. I didn’t go with this idea.

I was going to draw this idea for my clients. I felt it was better to make a point on the 20th anniversary of 9/11 than just another Ramirez/Varvel like weeping Statue of Liberty. But then I went with an idea I thought was quicker and better suited for my newspapers. Now I think that was wrong and I wish I had gone with this one. The more I look at this rough, the more I think, “Damn. This was pretty good and better than what I went with.”

I messed up. If I remember this one next year, I may do it (( just told Alexa to remind me next year…I think). I’m not one of those jackass cartoonists who draws cartoons on the day of an anniversary/holiday…or the days after. That’s a pet peeve of mine.

I’m going to continue to beat myself up. I did this one a couple days before the election and the art came out like I wanted it took. I think this rough gives the idea the candidate was in an actual campaign bus while the official and completed cartoon gives the impression he was sitting at a table in a minivan. I wasn’t happy with it. Sometimes, you don’t see it until after it’s published.

This is funny to me because I held off on this cartoon for one of the Trump/Boxing ideas. I had shown this to my padawan, Alexandra, along with the boxing ideas but she loved this one. She was kinda demanding that I draw the “Confederate Furries.” That’s what I called it in a message and later when the cartoon was done, she made tweeted about the title of the cartoon. Alex loves drawing her own cute animals. And…she was right. This cartoon was a pretty big hit with readers and clients.

I did three of these ideas. And I liked all three. But I could only use one…unless CNN picked one, then I could go with two. CNN picked one, and in case you weren’t paying attention, that meant I could draw two.

This was my favorite of the three and my CNN editor liked it too, but he thought it was too wordy for the newsletter as the cartoons are kinda small. So he picked the one below this. I told my editor I was going to produce this for my clients but I’d wait until after the CNN Opinion newsletter was published. I didn’t mean to lie. I had second thoughts later thinking someone else would do a Trump/Boxing cartoon and dammit, I wanted to be first. Now, I don’t remember anyone else doing one. Also, the one CNN picked did better on social media. It got more likes, comments, and shares, for whatever that’s worth. I’m still trying to figure that stuff out.

This is the one my editor picked and readers loved it (probably more than the wordy boxing cartoon). He picked the right one. After he picked it, I did the lettering over in the rough so it would be clearer for final approval. You’ll see that in the video.

Gang, which of these are your favorites?

Signed prints: The signed prints are just $40.00 each. Every cartoon on this site is available. You can pay through PayPal. If you don’t like PayPal, you can snail mail it to Clay Jones, P.O. Box 9103, Fredericksburg, VA 22403. I can mail the prints directly to you or if you’re purchasing as a gift, directly to the person you’re gifting.

Notes on my book, Tales From The Trumpster Fire: There are FIVE copies of my book in stock, which go for $45.00 each, signed. Also, I have copies of my first book from 1997, Knee-Deep in Mississippi available for $20.00.

Tip Jar: if you want to support the cartoonist, please send a donation through PayPal to clayjonz@gmail.com. You can also snail it to P.O. Box 9103, Fredericksburg, VA 22403.

Watch me draw: