On Thanksgiving during non-pandemic times I do a large relish tray of fresh veggies, pickled and spicy fun stuff for the Greater Crawford Family here in San Diego. This year for safety things are abbreviated. The solution: takeaway trays! Next year? Biggest tray ever. Happy Thanksgiving. Stay safe!
0630 is not too early
New Bot Day! I love this guy but he’s regrettably anonymous. I picked him up in a booth at @designercon 2018. Paid cash, no receipt. Can’t remember the booth. “A&A CHINA” on the back of his helmet. I like him! He seems like a survivor.
“Rec pool”
Afternoon swum
Foggy passage
faces
Changing up my couch area to hang the poster of that exploitation movie me and my mom were in.
Sounds of the Trolley and morning warming
Staffer who took my temperature greeted me with “happy Friday” but then corrected herself: “happy Friday Junior.” Happy Friday Junior!
Queued
New Bot Day! I got a second Daggit to join my Battlestar Galáctica family. Acquired at @replaytoysboutique —support local businesses in this hideous mismanaged pandemic! Have hope! Wear your mask, be safe!
No idea.
New Bot Day! Cy-Kill (1984) is from the world of GoBots. Despite a red-white-and-blue color scheme, he’s a villain driven by jealousy of Leader-1. Cy-Kill leads the Renegades against the Guardians. I feel melancholy thinking about the GoBots. They are the lesser American transforming robot franchise based on toys in every way I can think of.
On Monday.
All The Ticks & Ben! #allTheTicks
New Bot Day! One of the first robot gifts I received. This is a green @hexbug Ant! A lovely design, well made, and it catches the light nicely.
I’ve had this hacky sack since 1990. It’s a “sipa sipa” but whatever it’s awesome.
Laps, I must say. But then again, laps?
New Bot Day! JOJO Neon Blue (BB-03NB) is an imposing robot gorilla who transformers down into a neon blue cube. Designed for TOPOP toys by @saibooku22, I picked up this fella at San Diego Comic Con in 2017. ROARRRR!
7’-0”/SanteeY
Laptime
New Bot Day! THE SUPER-ADAPTOID is a 1966 Lee-Colan-Kirby creation. The Adaptoid was made by AIM to mimic and defeat the Avengers. A powerful and destructive being, it was ultimately defeated by the forces of good.
My smile this morning as the results come in is as big and cheesy as Frank’s.
Dawn Patrol/Pool Edition. #COUNTTHEVOTES
Oh yes they call it the streak
PreLap
Lappy
We looked at ducks at Lake Murray. It was a lovely day. Prepare for a helluva week. Also: COUNT EVERY VOTE.
My grandmother told me in 1987 that this jack-o’-lantern design looks like “he doesn’t have good sense”—which is of course the point. Happy Halloween!
Trestles #webcomic #trestles #inktober2020 #inktober
“LOCALS ONLY”
Four-peat pooling.
New Bot Day! Arcee (“R-C”) debuted in Transformers: The Movie in 1986. She is the first of the feminine-appearing robots in the various Transformers iterations. Hallmark color pink hides fierce hand-to-hand combat skills and deep caring for fellow Autobots and human compatriots.
Triple-YMCA
New Bot Day! There’s a lot happening right now. An election. A pandemic. Call to fix policing after rampant terribleness. This Astro Boy is not my first but I like his attitude!
Two day lap trend
Sunset @ pool
LANE 3–YMCA
No cyborgs are allowed in my robot collection but this RoboCop bubble bath was pretty sweet. Photo from @billygalaxytoys in Portland last year.
New Bot Day! Welcome Dr. Kahl’s Robot. Cuphead (2017) is a game inspired by 1930s animation. Dr. Kahl is a mad scientist, of course. This giant robot is a major boss in the game. He shoots lasers and explosives in the hallmark rubber-hose animation style.
New Bot Day! Welcome to a Manhunter. The Manhunters are robots created by the Guardians of the Universe millions of years ago. Intended to fight evil, these robot police went bad, in the spirit of All Cops Are Bastards. The Green Lanterns superseded them and in the comics are a more effective force for good. The Manhunters still vow revenge on the Guardians and Green Lanterns in DC Comics.
#inktober #webcomic
New Bot Day! R.O.B. (Robotic Operating Buddy) is a toy robot accessory made by Nintendo for the NES in 1985. It was used for only 2 games. It’s now considered a “marketing trojan horse” – making people think the NES was especially sophisticated. Also you can play him in Smash Brothers!
It was foggy this morning at Mission Bay, too. Lifeguards asked folks to stay out of the water until the fog cleared. The water was nice.
Seagull tracks. When I got out of the water one of ‘em was climbing on my bag, curious! Little jerk thought the fog meant the rules didn’t apply anymore!
South Mission at the Jetty was so foggy the lifeguard tower warned a vessel that they were coming in on the wrong side of the jetty. Plenty of surfers out anyway.
New Bot Day! Leopardon (レオパルドン) is a giant robot driven by 1978’s Japanese Spider-Man. Why?! Because comics are weird, and comics multiplied by seventies Japanese tv is even weirder. Do yourself a favor and look it up!
Costume Ideas by Cube Cat #webcomic #cubecat #halloweencostumes #inktober
Posted because it’s flattering. Comics and toy robots coming this week!
Luckiest man in the world
Egress creep
“It is impossible for me to harm or by omission of action, allow to be harmed, a human being.” – New Bot Day welcomes Bishop from 1986’s “Aliens.” In the film, he’s played by actor Lance Henriksen. He prefers the term “artifical person” to “synthetic,” which is derogatory in the year 2122. In a tight spot, trust Bishop to get it done, whatever it takes!
I love it when Q, MODOK & I can watch a great Californian talk to an unctuous supervillain.
New Bot Day—a Pit Droid! A gaggle of these robots debuted in 1999’s Star Wars: The Phantom Menace working on podracers. They’re sort of comedic and hapless but I like how economical and simple they are. A charming bot for times which are full of trouble.
stop and smell the roses 🛑🌹 #webcomic #nailedit
Liberty Station Squirrel. A few weeks ago.
New Bot Day! On this hot day, welcome a second, larger H.E.R.B.I.E.! (Humanoid Experimental Robot, B-type, Integrated Electronics) from the 1978 Fantastic Four cartoon. Conceived as a replacement for the Human Torch and because cute robots are cute. Comics are indeed weird. Stay cool!
Anita doesn’t like her picture taken. #webcomic #robomerman #california #anitagaribaldi #garibaldifish
OB. This evening.
New Bot Day! Chibi-style Cylon Centurion from Battlestar Galactica (1978)! In March I added a vintage 1978 figure. This rendition was too cute to pass up. He’s pictured with a snippet of my freewriting. I’m making comics at a more regular pace which only happens because I’m writing, drawing, improvising words and pictures regularly. A “practice.” I make things I discard. Throwing interesting ideas in the trash is hard for me. But that editing process is core to completing every comic. Which makes me think of BSG: it was derided as a Star Wars ripoff at the time. Galactica sure wasn’t as amazing as Star Wars but it inspired me at the time. In this tire-fire of a world, where so many are struggling, I’m lucky to have time for creative endeavors. We are in a time of incredible injustice and governmental malfeasance. Keep working for good. Onward, everybody.
New Bot Day! EVE stands for Extraterrestrial Vegetation Evaluator and first appeared in 2008’s post-apocalyptic fable WALL·E. She is dutiful, graceful and heavily armed. Do not mess with EVE! She reminds me of the brilliant, tough & funny RBG, who died last week. EVE is pictured with artwork by Gillian Dreher & Rick Geary of Justice Ginsberg #rickgeary @theresgill
Experimental Sunday doodling.
Got a drive-in flu shot then stopped at the great Southern California Comics for a robot selfie. Take care!
New Bot Day! Lore is a sentient android robot from the tv show Star Trek: The Next Generation’s first season (1988). Lore was villainous, believing himself superior to organic creatures. Dr. Noonian Soong & Juliana Soong’s experiences with Lore caused them to build Data, a “younger brother” to Lore, without emotions. Lore made trouble throughout his existence and was deactivated in 2370.
New Bot Day! Getter Poseidon is from the Getter series of 1975-6. This is a sofubi (ソフビ) soft vinyl toys. It’s made by filling molds with melted vinyl. Based on my research this is an unlicensed bootleg toy. I paid a Japanese seller on March 22 on eBay. Yuichi, the seller, warned me by message “Due to the influence of COVID-19, the shipment of ‘International e-packet light’ SAL flights from Japan to overseas has been urgently canceled.” At the same time I had a purchase from Hong Kong that the seller cancelled even though I won it. Yuichi was very thorough in explaining the options for cancellation and refund. We messaged periodically throughout, and 94 days later the package arrived. Getter Poseidon means a lot to me. I realized 8 years ago that this bot is one that I’ve been drawing subconsciously since I was about 10 years old. Bot collecting has taught me a certain amount of patience. I thanked Yuichi profusely when it arrived in June. It’s a time of hardship for many, and patience and care means so much. Hang in there everybody.
Antique shopping to me is casserole pans and MODOKs.
Underpass.
Last week I was thinking about how lucky I was to be a teenager in San Diego. I attended San Diego Comic Con in the Summer and didn’t realize what a luxury that was. I learned all I could about comics, comic art, newspaper strips, publishing, copyright, comics history, animation history. I submitted one comic to the New Yorker in 1988, got a rejection letter and thought that meant being a cartoonist was impossible. I’m amazed to see these 7 comics I’ve made since January printed out. No plan. I like making comics. That’s enough.
New Bot Day! Diana A (ダイアナンA) was piloted by Sayaka Yumi, who also piloted Aphrodite A. Both are mecha of peace, but include oppai chest missiles . Diana A is named for the Roman goddess of the hunt. She’s from the Great Mazinger franchise in the mid 1970s. This Diana is a gashapon (ガシャポン), a toy that can be sold from a vending machine. She’s seen with other gashapons from my collection.
New Bot Day! Preston is a robotic dog — “Cyberdog” — he appeared in the short “A Close Shave (1995).” Fred Ramsbottom built him to help in his wool factory and after the scientist dies Wendolene Ramsbottom inherits the factory and Preston. But Preston turns bad and shenanigans ensue, resolved by Wallace & Gromit of course!
Expedited Shipping #webcomic #nailedit
Gwen and the fiery sunset.
On such a Winter’s Day with Kelly in 2017 at Griffith.
In February I got a snapshot of me printed into the top of a Guinness beer at @supply_and_demand_lbc / @ink_and_drink_lb oh boy I love goofy fun stuff like this at great events across Southern California. I miss it. #savelongbeachbusinesses
New Bot Day! Getter Dragon joins others in the Getter family. Truthfully, I’ve had Getter Dragon (ゲッタードラゴン) several years but never introduced it. The mid-1970s were wonderful for giant robots.
“Everyone Needs An Answer” with Hippolyta & Surly. #webcomic #cubecatextendedunuverse
10 minutes to sunset (unfiltered)
The waves were just ok therefore shots of my feet. Too cold and underwhelming but I am the luckiest person in the world.
New Bot Day! Roberto first appeared in 2001 on “Futurama” in the episode “Insane in the Mainframe.” Roberto is in the Asylum for Criminally Insane Robots because his comic impulses are to stab and rob banks.
This documentary about Rubén Salazar: Man in the Middle streaming free now is amazing. @univision34 — it’s amazing history about a man straddling cultures and I immediately identify with him.
Scene from a Saturday in.
It was a bit overcast today.
Black Lives Matter. Black Lives Matter. Black Lives Matter. If you think saying this is worse than black people being killed by police you are in a moral abyss. Iron Giant is an animated film but manages to be about moral rightness. We can overcome a violent nature. We can change violent systems. We can refuse to be a gun. New Bot Day is an #SDCC 2020 Cosmo Burger Edition Iron Giant @collectdst exclusive. Behind him are Riso prints from @burn_all_books. Take a knee. Black Lives Matter. Defund The Police. #riso #blacklivesmatter #irongiant
And where there was just one set of footprints that was just me, social distancing.
Was that there before? #morningcomic
Behind the scenes at ArtLung Bot Manor.
New Bot Day! Postler (ポストーラー) is a beautiful die cast toy from Japan in 1981. He’s a functional robot – he is a functional Japan Post mailbox and he has functional skates. His torso is marked with slots for Tokyo on the right, and other prefectures on the left. He originates with related to Ganbare!!Robocon. I’ve given him some mail to carry. He reminds me that we keep the mail safe and secure! @japanposthd_official @uspostalservice #savethepostoffice
Following beach with cocktails. Kelly suggested adding fried chicken to it but sticking with hot carrots and olives and celery. Next time I’ll season the rim.
A bit of watermanning. Dog Beach.
Dan, Carrie & Martha.
New Bot Day! Gamerot (ガメロット) aka Gamelot, is a villainous robot from Ultraman Leo, a series from 1975. Gamerot, like a turtle, can pull his limbs into his body. He is a rebellious giant robot from the planet Sarlin. Be safe out there!
It’s so good to have friends. Thanks for asking questions @chrisgreazel. #cubecat #webcomic
The other morning the sky was pretty.
New Bot Day! C-3PO is well known to all as a translator and protocol droid since 1977’s Star Wars. I got this guy at Frank & Son’s up in L.A. a few months ago. Threepio is always a bit put upon and worried and seldom far away from his friend R2-D2. Here’s to being wrong that the odds are not against us! “Thank the maker!”
T-Deb says “Hiya!” #cube-cat-extended-universe
