When I was a child, I loved the “comics” in any Sunday edition of any newspaper as they were always in color. As I got older I looked for my favorites such as Garfield, Dagwood, Hagar the Horrible, Calvin and Hobbs and Rick O’Shay in earlier years. Of course, I always liked to draw and maybe create my own comic strip. I tried that a number of years back and the “yuppies” in the ivory towers of the major syndicates pushed me aside as the “hillbilly” they assumed I was. I am so grateful for this publication and others that have given me the opportunity to stir up my brain and try to come up with “funnies” that I hope most of you enjoy and have enjoyed for over 26 years.

Truthfully, gentle readers, I never thought it would be available to me. Trust me, after some fourteen hundred cartoons in The Fence Post, I have done numerous illustrations for magazines, books, book covers and many of them with a humorous theme. That was one of my goals in life, (bucket list) as a young man in my 20s to be able to created illustrations for advertising or for posters, books etc. I done it! YEAH!

I hope you understand a cartoonist CANNOT always come up with a cartoon that EVERYONE is going to appreciate or think is funny or even cute anymore than a woman can expect to get her husband to do all that she thinks he needs to do at times, Hummmm? Here is where I am headed with these ramblings: My 2021 Hoots calendars have arrived and I have something new to offer you folks this time around. My calendars have to be mailed as packages due to their size, and postal rates this year are forcing me to go from 12 bucks to 15 bucks for a signed calendar with postage paid. WAIT, THERE’S MORE! If you purchase three calendars I will send you an 8 1/2 x 11 original pen and ink (my choosing) cartoon that is also signed. An original cartoon like that I have gotten from $50 to $250. For every three calendars you purchase you will receive an original cartoon (again, my choosing) and I would not dare send you a cartoon that I wasn’t happy with. I cannot guarantee that you will even like it, let alone turn back flips. That being said, we artists are our worst critics and yes, we have an ego to defend if necessary. Think now: An original cartoon from Mad Jack given as a Christmas gift that cost you next to nothing could be a good thing? There are some of you that order 20 or more calendars each and every year and I DO SO APPRECIATE your faithful business and especially taking your time to read not only my cartoons but my column as well. THANK YOU! I guarantee you, that you guys make me feel 10 feet tall at times and I’m for sure taller than “Jake from State Farm,” but not as tall and special as you can make me feel. My calendars will be in short supply this year (100 less than usual) so if you want to have one this year please don’t tarry too long and be disappointed in the end result. By the way, my friend Lee Pitts made the suggestion of including the original art. Thanks Lee.

The ONO is dry, dry and yes, DRY! It appears I will miss our usual monsoon wet season that usually comes this time of year. No horse, no cattle and no grass and that’s the way it appears I will head into winter. I have had 0.2 of an inch in three weeks, no good, no good at all.

I will not end on a sour note. I’m bobbin’ around here as if I was 40 again, well that’s after I manage to get up, make my bed, brush my teeth and have that third cup of “get up and go.”

Stay tuned, check yer cinch on occasion, “wear yer mask” you reprobate and lets hope all of this turmoil ends before we all come unstitched. I’ll c. y’all, all y’all. ❖