In the life of this little company, today was a pretty momentous day. We signed the lease to a new office space. Yep, this ranks right up there in the pantheon of scary decisions with Kim quitting her safe, dependable, benefits-laden job. And when I wrote this post over FIVE years ago, I had NO idea that it would take so long to move the business into a "real" office. It's not that I don't enjoy working out of my home, but the Big Closet is about to stage a revolt and I barely remember what it's like to have a bedroom just for sleeping. …
Jason's Random Musings
The Best Seven Years Ever
Yesterday, Kim and I celebrated our seventh wedding anniversary. As some may know, we have taken up the tradition of doing something childlike to commemorate each anniversary. I'm happy to say that the tradition is still going strong. On Saturday night, Kim took it upon herself to surprise me with the events of the evening. First, we ate dessert, naturally. The Door County Cherry Crumb pie at LMNO'Pies made my mouth dance with joy. After killing time at Target (at which I got myself a sweet new superhero t-shirt featuring Spiderman, The Hulk, Wolverine, AND Captain America), we tried out a …
Go Red, Girlfriend
Yesterday Kim and I had the opportunity to attend a Go Red for Women luncheon in Madison. It was a fundraiser for support the American Heart Association. We had a chance to see our friend Eliz in action, and were reminded of some very sobering statistics... Heart disease is the No. 1 single killer of women over age 25. It claims more lives than the next four most common causes of death combined. One in 2.6 female deaths are from heart disease, compared with one in 30 from breast cancer. Only 13 percent of women view heart disease as a health threat. One of the things Kim and I …
The Secret to a Good Night’s Sleep?
Is anytime of the day a good time to watch the news? I don't know about you, but whenever I watch the news, I end up feeling angry, or sad, or frustrated, or disappointed, or overwhelmed, or hopeless, or some combination of the above. Most news telecasts are very early in the morning, or very late at night. Do I really want to start my day with an order of doom and a side of gloom? Or, for that matter, why would I want to finish off my day with big dollop of cynicism on top? In our latest podcast, Kim and I spoke with Jen Robinson on the topic of children's books. Jen mentioned that …
What Cartoonists Get to Autograph
I meant to post this photo from a speaking engagement in Champaign, IL weeks ago, but then February happened. I was reminded of it when Kim and I were in Tampa last week. Our hotel was a few blocks away from the New York Yankees spring training facility; yes, baseball season is almost here. Baseball players get to autograph baseballs. Rock stars get to sign bare, um... chestal regions. And cartoonists get to sign... pink shoes. …
The Rose Bowl Parade in Black and White
My passion lies in helping people go seek their hidden childlike spirit. I believe, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that the world would be unimaginably better if everyone was just 10% more childlike (not sure how one would even measure that, so don't ask.) I do fear, however, that my plea comes across as an idealistic, free spirit, give peace a chance echo from the sixties. I assure you, I may be a dreamer, but I am no hippie. (I worshiped Alex P. Keaton, for crying out loud.) However, when we let our childlike spirit slowly slip away, life does get worse. We become more stressed, anxious, and …
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5 Things You Didn’t Know About Me
I must be in the minority, but I never was a big fan of tag. Or rather, I was never a big fan of being "it." Being "it" was alright as long as you weren't "it" for too long. Once you exceeded a certain amount of time as "it," you very quickly approach a harrowing state of shame and humiliation. Maybe that was just me. Well, I've been tagged. Tagged by a fellow blogger, Mr. Make it Great, Phil Gerbyshak. Now that I'm "it," this particular game requires me to share 5 things that other people don't know about me. I like this game a little better, because I have some control over how long I …
A Charlie Brown Christmas
I have a dream that someday there will be an animated Kim & Jason Christmas special. It will be a fun compilation of the best Christmas story lines I've done over the years, including an appearance by the Mall Santa, of course. Maybe Pixar could whip something up. Until then, I offer up this holiday classic in it's uncut, commercial-free entirety for your viewing pleasure. Because that's what Christmas is all about, Charlie Brown. …
Hard Wired
Although some people may not want to admit it, every single one of us, at one point in our lives, was a child. Yep, it's true. And sometimes the effects of that long lost childhood shine through in some peculiar ways. Sara Cantor is The Curious Shopper, and she recently made the observation that although Barnes & Noble has a plethora of perfectly plush seating available, it's not uncommon to spot many browsers sitting...on the floor. She offers a few reasons why she thinks this phenomenon occurs, and they all harken back to the hard wiring of childhood. …
Meeting Joey
I had the honor and pleasure of meeting one of Kim & Jason's biggest little fans this past weekend while in Virginia. Joey is four-and-a-half, and has been reading Kim & Jason since he was three. (You may remember Joey; he has appeared previously on this blog here and here.) His mom invited us over for dinner when she learned that we'd be in the area. During dinner, Joey's dad admitted to having read the annuals to his son at least five times each. The books themselves are, shall we say, very well-loved. I had the chance to draw a few pictures for Joey, and included a cartoon …