It’s been a long time since we had a Comic Interlude, so let’s interrupt regular broadcasting to bring you a few cartoons from our resident cartoonist…
1.
Therapy – Created by Don Cheke
Having just gone through some online therapy, I was reminded about the axiom of “you get what you pay for.” That is not to say that I did not benefit from the therapy course, but rather that I could have received what they offered by simply reading a good book about recovering from anxiety and depression. Because I have been on a journey of recovery for decades, the online course reminded me of many of the things I already knew/know. The single email a week from the online therapist did not fill the “human” component that I always experienced in live face-to-face therapy. Over the last weeks beyond the therapy course, I am continuing to be in good spirits, and able to manage my anxiety and depression quite well. In fact, I have felt very little of either. I don’t know if the course was the sole influencer, or if it was just a reminder, as I said, or if it was due to the fact that spring and summer arrived, which is enlivening all on its own for me. Whatever the case, I have benefited well.
For the cartoon above, I decided to illustrate another axiom, the one about a monkey being able to do the job, or another one that states given a long enough stretch of time, even a monkey can clack out a novel on an old typewriter. At $1.99 per hour for counseling, one can probably expect to find a monkey in the therapist’s chair. To add to the humor, I thought a bit of Freud might be warranted – after all – sometimes, a banana is just a banana. 👍😊 Don’t you just love the monkey’s glasses – it adds to the wizened look.
2.
Evolution – Created by Don Cheke
This cartoon is based on the famous evolution poster that shows man evolving from a generalized ape onward to homo-erectus (👍😊), neanderthal and then homo sapien.
For fun, I decided that we would look at the evolution of our favorite cartoon character, Loaf Dubronovich. Note the food and hair themes! 😊
Baby Loaf does not know about food, per se, but he knows that he wants something in his mouth. As he grows, he will eventually find some nice edibles, but for now it is the breast or the pacifier (which, the latter, he just doesn’t understand). That said, he will always have fond memories of the breast, and how the pacifier was no substitute for those warm soft globes. 😊
Crawling Loaf has found that if he can make it to the cupboards, he will find snacks. At this point he is particularly fond of sweets. Crawling Loaf has already decided that it is better to be a human, as opposed to a pet, as he can forage for his own munchies, while a pet is reliant on its owner. Crawling Loaf has already found out too, that he has much freedom to roam at night when his parents are asleep.
Youthful Loaf has already learned the value of packing his own school lunch. Due to his education, Youthful Loaf has learned that when he gets his driver’s license, he will be able to binge eat, visiting one drive-through restaurant after another. Youthful Loaf wonders if he can sneak out with the car at age 10, while ma and pa are asleep.
Young Adult Loaf has found through vast experimentation that there is nothing better than a large T-bone steak. In fact, two are even better! Young Adult Loaf has long learned to forget filler-food, like salad and vegetables. In addition to the food realizations, Young Adult Loaf has seen that like his father and grandfather before him, keeping a full head of hair will be a challenge. Hot Chocolate offers much comfort when faced with thoughts of the hair loss.
Adult Loaf, simply called Loaf at this point – is all grown up now – and is a fully participating person in society. He has a job, a home and family, and is respected by all who know him. Speaking of work, Loaf’s favorite parts of the workday are coffee breaks and the lunch break. Loaf looks forward to the daily multi-course meal he packs for himself and brings along for his personal dining pleasure. Yum!
Old Man Loaf, still known simply as Loaf, still loves his food, but now has other issues that “weigh” heavy on his mind. This includes his old age aches and pains and his pharmaceutical regiment of pills that are required to keep his old body ticking. Loaf worries that he will continue to gain weight and become so large that he can’t get through his front door. He also worries daily about heart attacks and strokes, which may or may not be the best final cure. Thinking about this sparked the next cartoon.
3.
Obesity Governor – Created by Don Cheke
Fatties often think that Mother Nature really screwed up when designing the human body. Who in their right mind designs a body that can grow so large that it beggars belief!? People like Loaf believe wholeheartedly that there should be safeguards in place to forestall such growth. According to Google AI, the heaviest weight ever recorded for a human belongs to American Jon Brower Minnoch, who weighed an estimated 1,400 lbs (635 kg) in 1978. Truth be told, Loaf hope that he dies long before that kind of weight is achieved – long before!
Loaf being the designer he is, has come up with a new device to help forestall continual weight gain. He calls it an Obesity Governor. Note how Loaf, like most men, wants the device to have a masculine mechanical nomenclature. Loafetta, on the other hand, just calls a spade a spade – or in this case – a girdle.
I heard Denise chuckle when she saw this cartoon, so I knew I had stumbled onto something good. 👍😊
4.
Holiday Flight – Created by Don Cheke
Loaf, like all fatties, likes to eat what comforts or pleases him, so he takes his favorite foods along wherever he goes. In the above cartoon, we see that Loaf has his portable fridge and requires a plugin for the appliance. Do you think the airline will comply? Will he have to buy two seats as well?
5.
Moon Weight – Created by Don Cheke
Moon Weight was conceived at 5:00 this morning while thinking about new cartoons for this blog post.
While visiting a science museum one day, Loaf and Little Loaf came across a weight scale that showed what one weighs on Earth and, comparatively, on the Moon. Loaf decided then and there that all people-scales should use, and show only, the Moon weight readout. Who’s going to argue with that? Certainly not Little Loaf!
For the fact lovers out there, note that the Moon’s surface gravity is much weaker than Earth’s, exerting only about 16.5% (or roughly 1/6th) of Earth’s gravitational pull.
I had a blast creating the new cartoons, and I hope that you enjoyed the fat-guy humor too!
We now return to regularly scheduled programming….
Donald B. Cheke – Saskatoon, SK