Kitchen

Originally published: Feb 26, 2010

The final surface cartoon. This was Smudge when we replaced the vinyl floor with wood laminate. She'd come running in and then realise the friction from the floor she used to rely on to stop wasn't available to her any more, and slide into the wall.

There's a sound effect that should go with frame two. You know it, you've heard it get used in so many Hanna Barbera cartoons. It's the number one sound effect in this top ten...

Gravel

Originally published: Feb 24, 2010

The second in the series of cartoons about surfaces. If you've ever wondered what that series of symbols used in the last frame to express swearing is called, wonder no more. That's a grawlix. The lines around Smith's legs are called blurgits (or swalloops, if you prefer). All the words were coined by Mort Walker (Beetle Bailey) in his book The Lexicon of Comicana. He invented them with his tongue firmly in his cheek, but they've stuck and they're now semi-official words.

Surface tension

Originally published: Feb 15, 2010

My cartoon ideas tend to come in themes, and this is the first of a run that considers the different surfaces that cats have to contend with. Gizmo, who was a sort of rescue cat, had git into the habit of keeping his claws out all the time before he came to us. He never got used to the loop pile carpet in our house. You could hear when he was walking around because of the gentle rrrip sound he made whenever he raised a paw.