Joe's Heebie Jeebies

Joe's Heebie Jeebies 21: Never Say Diet

noreply@blogger.com (John Jenkins) — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 08:32:00 +0000

Speed
This week's strip took about 4 hours to do. Every time I do a new strip I get faster. The odds of my getting out the strip twice weekly have shortened. I've got some more ideas for change, too.
Working for George
I was pleasantly surprised on Tuesday when I stopped by Addanac City and saw the guest strip I'd done for George, AC's head honcho. I'd been snowed under an avalanche of meaningless paperwork in work and I'd forgotten all about it. It was a nice little oasis in an otherwise dry week. Naturally, I spent a little time looking at guest strips from other cartoonists, most of whom can be linked to over on the right hand side of this very page. Check them out. See what you think.

Joe's Heebie Jeebies 20: Icing with Death

noreply@blogger.com (John Jenkins) — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 09:02:00 +0000

And yet, life goes on.
I washed a white shirt in a bucket this morning for reasons I won't go into here. Later, I'm going to write as many strips as possible on a park bench in the shade. I'll probably have egg, beans and chips (fries - see last week's strip) for tea (dinner - ditto). And after spending more time on my strip, I'll read some more of my novel and go to bed around elevenish. Not living it up by a long shot, but living for sure. I will thank God for every second today.
Billy Connolly, probably the funniest man on the planet, on his 'Two Night Stand' tour, talked about telling a man he worked with that he had a terrible cough. The man replied, "The graveyard is full of people who would love to have this cough." (Billy Connolly's way of telling it was seriously funnier, obviously).
Farah Fawcett, Michael Jackson - RIP

Joe's Heebie Jeebies 19: Game, Set and Mash

noreply@blogger.com (John Jenkins) — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 15:46:00 +0000

UK Version (US Version below)

US Version

A tennis strip just before Wimbledon starts? It's a coincidence. Honest.
I've held a tennis racket less than ten times in my entire life, but I always enjoyed it when I did. I'd love to be able to play better (and to have the time and opportunity to improve). I'm not the 'sporty' type by any stretch of the imagination as Anonymous Dale will probably attest to in this week's comments. I spent 95% of 'Games' lessons while in school writing lines - 'I must do games. It is an important part of my education'.
Why this urge now I'm an adult, I don't know. I've got a feeling it has something to do with grass courts, being outdoors, that sort of thing. Anyway, for the time being at least I can give Joe and the Heebie Jeebies some tennis action - playing by their rules, of course. Enjoy.

Doubles Life

noreply@blogger.com (John Jenkins) — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 17:29:00 +0000

In Comedy, Timing is Everything
So that this can remain a webcomic site and not just another blogging site I had to get rid of the 'Queen Photo' from Wednesday. I would have just deleted the entire post were it not for the fact that my good friend George Ford from Addanac City kindly posted a comment here about my breaking my promise to update twice weekly from now on (click the 'Comments' link below if you don't believe me). Rather than lose George's comment, which I have inadvertently done before, I've just edited the post I put up on Wednesday. Which is why the date is wrong here. It is Saturday today, not Wednesday.
The Scary Bit - for me that is : )
It may have struck you while reading some of these strips that you wouldn't have done it the way I did. Or perhaps that you knew how to make some of them laugh-out-loud funny instead of just smile-bordering-on-a-chuckle funny. Well now's your chance to tell me so. I've changed the prompt question for the comments section.
I would really like to know what sucks about JHJ. Don't worry about sparing my feelings either. I can take whatever criticisms you need to get off your chest. I'm really interested in what it is about JHJ that falls short for you. And if you haven't any ideas for improvement, just let me know what it is you think I need to fix. And I'll ignore you. No, hang on. That's not it. Oh yes, sorry, I forgot - I'll try to fix it.
Improving a strip is no easy task, but I'm sure having super-critical friends will help no end.

Joe's Heebie Jeebies 17: Reality Check

noreply@blogger.com (John Jenkins) — Sat, 06 Jun 2009 13:14:00 +0000

Strips with earlier versions of these characters here .
Spotted anything different this week? Yes, I've moved the copyright and URL outside of the strip itself.
No, seriously though. I know the change to black and white and the single tier are probably a bit of a let down, but there is a method behind my madness.
My ultimate goal is to be putting a strip up daily. Also, I've been putting so much effort into the drawing and the colouring I think the writing has suffered. So, to be able to give more attention to the writing, which you have to admit hasn't exactly had you rolling in the aisles, I've had to sacrifice the colour for the time being.
As for the shedding of a tier (sorry, couldn't resist), it's not quite as bad as it seems. Starting Wednesday, I'll be on a twice weekly schedule. So there'll still be two tiers a week, just not all at once. This is a ploy to get me to write funnier gags. So, no pressure there then.
Anyway, let me know what you think. I know it's a drastic change of tone in a way, but I thought it was better to go with my instincts on this one and take the plunge into full blown monochrome.
Maybe I'd better not tell you about the changes I've got planned for Joe's world yet. It'll be a nice surprise.
See you Wednesday.
R.I.P. David Carradine
My most vivid memories in the first year of Secondary School are of my friends Dale, Chris and I tumbling (in the best imitation of slow motion we could manage) down a grassy embankment that ran around the bottom of the grounds as we did our version of kung fu on each other. All of this was inspired by Friday night airings of that TV show along with some pretty cool Poster Magazines of Bruce Lee that we (well, Dale at least) picked up to fuel our obsession with the fighting style that the programme showcased.
And now, with the death of David Carradine, the show's star, we can only feel saddened. I know little of the man himself beyond his total involvement in the show and his role in 'Kill Bill' but I will always remember him for the part he played in my childhood as I negotiated my way into adolescence alongside my two best school friends. Whatever his personal beliefs and lifestyle choices, he helped us with that I'm sure, however inadvertently. So, thank you David wherever you are. In the words of Master Po -
Perfect wisdom is unplanned. Perfect living offers no guarantee to a peaceful death. Learn first, how to live. Learn second, how not to kill. Learn third, how to live with death. Learn fourth, how to die...To know love, be like the running brook, which deaf, yet sings its melody for others to hear. Feel the pain of too much tenderness. Wake at dawn with a winged heart and give thanks for yet another day of loving.

Joe's Heebie Jeebies Webcomic 15, 16: Pine Unit

noreply@blogger.com (John Jenkins) — Sat, 30 May 2009 10:51:00 +0000

For strips with earlier versions of these characters click here

Joe's Heebie Jeebies 13, 14: Solace

noreply@blogger.com (John Jenkins) — Sat, 23 May 2009 16:08:00 +0000

For all you healthy eating buffs, I'm just saying that comfort eating sometimes does the trick better.

On a more tangential note, this week's episode shares its title with this music:

I've been wondering what it is about Ragtime that's so inherently attractive to cartoonists. Well, I know Chris Ware liked it (and he might well still do) and Cat Garza (his Magic Inkwell link is over to the right of this page) said on his Facebook profile that he'd love to learn to play ragtime really well.

Not that I consider myself in the same league as these gentlemen, of course. It just occurs to me that some cartoonists have a particular set of preferences when it comes to favourite music; Chris Ware even plays the banjo.

Joe's Heebie Jeebies 11, 12: Mara

noreply@blogger.com (John Jenkins) — Sat, 16 May 2009 14:13:00 +0000

Go here for strips with earlier versions of these characters.

Joe's Heebie Jeebies 9, 10: Love is in the Air

noreply@blogger.com (John Jenkins) — Sat, 09 May 2009 12:23:00 +0000

The photo backgrounds are only place holders until I can do them properly at home.Go here for earlier attempts at these strips

Joe's Heebie Jeebies Webcomic 7, 8: Banjo

noreply@blogger.com (John Jenkins) — Sun, 03 May 2009 14:22:00 +0000

Go here for earlier attempts at these strips
*Click here to hear what Joe is hearing here.

Joe's Heebie Jeebies Webcomic 5, 6: Mort

noreply@blogger.com (John Jenkins) — Sat, 25 Apr 2009 10:14:00 +0000

Go here for earlier attempts at these strips

Joe's Heebie Jeebies Webcomic 3, 4: Stan

noreply@blogger.com (John Jenkins) — Sat, 18 Apr 2009 23:33:00 +0000

Go here for earlier attempts at these strips
Pencils and Inks for this instalment here

Joe's Heebie Jeebies Webcomic 1, 2: Hugo

noreply@blogger.com (John Jenkins) — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 14:56:00 +0000

Go here for earlier attempts at these strips

Title Page Draft

noreply@blogger.com (John Jenkins) — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 21:43:00 +0000