Roughs, Volume 237

These roughs were drawn last week in the La Quinta Inn (I’m poor) in Huntsville, Alabama. I’ve told the story before, but I’m gonna tell it again for those who missed it. I’ll try to keep it short.

I was traveling to Alabama last Thursday for a family event. I drew two cartoons the day before for my newspaper clients and was working on my next for them while traveling. This was going to put me ahead so I wouldn’t have to draw for them, and could put all my focus into CNN’s cartoon that Friday.

I take my work seriously and when I travel like this, I usually go a day early so I can spend all of Friday in a hotel drawing roughs and the final cartoon for CNN.

I had finished the cartoon in Atlanta where I had a two-hour layover. It was a good cartoon, too. I had about an hour before my next flight so I got a beer in some BBQ place in the terminal, and that’s when the news broke that the jury in the Trump hush money trial had a verdict. The ruling that he was found guilty on all 34 counts was announced before I left the bar. I was writing ideas on the plane and even had a couple in my head while boarding.

This was big, so even though I was ahead for my newspaper clients, they got another cartoon that night. In fact, I drew 11 roughs in my hotel that night, even before I could unwind or get something to eat. I drew six more ideas the next morning.

It was really late when I stopped, but thank God Whataburger is open for 24 hours.

Rich, my editor at CNN, liked this on Thursday night. I sent him ten ideas that night and kept one for my newspapers.

I thought this was pretty good and it was almost the one for my newspapers.

I thought this was kinda OK.

This too was kinda OK, but I wanted something a bit heavier and worthy of such a momentous occasion.

I wasn’t that crazy about this one.

I really liked this idea, and so did Bill Bramhall, who’s one of my favorites. My consolation with having a Yahtzee (when two or more cartoonists have the same idea) is that it was with Bramhall, who of course couldn’t have seen my cartoon before he drew his because mine wasn’t published yet. But anyway, that killed me from doing this cartoon. That doesn’t stop a lot of other cartoonists. Just saying.

I liked this one and what prevented it from being published is that I realized I had done it already (last year). Ugh. Bill Bramhall beats me to a cartoon…I beat myself to a cartoon…

I may be able to still use a few of these if Trump does go to prison. This one is pretty good. Someone remind me of it if Trump does go to prison.

I thought this might be the one.

I drew this one on Monday drawing on my lap in the lobby of the Huntsville Airport, in the terminal of that airport, on the flight, on the Metro from Dulles to DC, and finally finished it in my crappy hotel room on Rhode Island Avenue near the Hungarian embassy…and then a got a burger at Johnny Rockets and went drinking with Lalo in a dive bar in the Capital Hill neighborhood. We saw a rat in the bar.

This is the one I sent to my newspapers. It may have been too subtle as several people didn’t get that it’s a reference from the Shawshank Redemption. I guess some people thought I pulled Rita Hayworth out of my butt. Nevertheless, it was still a hit.

I liked this one too and I used Fifth Avenue yesterday, so this is probably dead.

I liked this one and made it a real cartoon on Sunday while still in Huntsville. I knew I was going to be sending my newspapers a few Trump verdict cartoons in a row, and this was a way to shift the subject instead of hammering the same thing.

And this is the one that became CNN’s cartoon. It wasn’t my favorite but I didn’t hate it either. I hate a lot of my ideas. I was fine with this being chosen and I was able to finish earlier than usual and have dinner with my family who I rarely see. It was only the third time I’d seen my sister Robin and niece, Rene, in the past 20 years.

I didn’t love this one.

I did not love this one either.

This was drawn after I met my CNN deadline. I think I drew it on Sunday but it got a self-rejection.

Which of these are your favorites?

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