I’d like to welcome you all to the brand-new ADDANAC CITY website. I have toiled for weeks trying to fine-tune this baby and get her ready for her official unveiling.

It was a lot of hard work, brain-scratching, and creative use of expletives, but I think this new site is a vast improvement over the previous one (although I will miss ‘er, she was my first). This AC site has easier navigation and you can now leave comments for each particular comic strip.

I hope everyone will enjoy and appreciate this bold new look. I still have a couple of kinks to work out such as getting an RSS feed and reinstating my Fan Art page. If there’s anything else you see missing or would like for me to add on, just hit me up on email (or here) and I will try to accomodate you.

News Item: Tommorow marks the 200th ADDANAC CITY comic. It’s hard for me to believe that I’ve reached such a milestone, but here’s to hoping that I’ll see another 200! Thank you for making it all possible.

Now go leave me some comments.

I’ve done it. A lot of folks (reviewers and fans alike) didn’t think that ADDANAC CITY could make it past the tenth strip. One thing to note, however: I love doing this!

Being able to write and draw so that I can at least try to entertain others is a dream of mine. I’ve always wanted to be a cartoonist ever since I was old enough to hold a pencil.

And now that I have that opportunity, for richer or for poorer, I’m not going anywhere. It hasn’t been an easy road, but I’m travelling it anyway. Won’t you come along for the ride?

Let’s get the next two hunnerd.

(previously posted from my ADDANAC CITY comics and news blog)

For most webcomickers, getting reviewed is exciting. Somebody outside of your little, insulated world has taken notice of your humble creation and has decided to broadcast their opinion of it throughout all of the internet world! You are so filled with glee that you can barely contain yourself.

That is, if you’re getting a favorable review.

I’ve been creating ADDANAC CITY off and on, in one form or another, since 1992. The strip started in my local paper, then expanded to a comic book line that lasted for seven issues and sparked a line of t-shirts and other product tie-ins. However, ADDANAC CITY has only been on the internet since August 2008.

When I first began AC it was strictly a regional sensation. My readership extended from Virginia(my home state) to North Carolina and Maryland. I had a few readers from places like New York and Florida, but that was only because someone from VA informed them of ADDANAC CITY’s existence and sent them a copy or so of the comic books (most likely an autographed edition. I try to stay accessible to my faithful readers. I’m not a snobbish celebrity. Yet.)

Anyway, I yearned to expand the lil’ world of ADDANAC CITY and share it with the rest of the world. The interent seemed like the perfect avenue to do so. The sad part is, I’m not that internet-savvy. I don’t know html from a .php. All I know how to do is make cute little drawings and place them where I want them to be. I don’t have an art staff nor someone to erase my many pencil lines (yes, I still draw on paper. Remember paper?). I also do not have a web-support staff. Everything you see on my official ADDANAC CITY website has been laid out by yours truly. I know my archive section is somewhat difficult to navigate, but it can be done. That’s the only way I know how to do it at this stage. Rest assured, I’ll find a way to make my lil’ slice of web-heaven resemble everyone else’s but, for now, it is what it is. I hope that all of you who check out Hank and his gang of misfits don’t hold it against me too badly. I will improve it one day when I devise a suitable solution.

Now back to getting reviewed….

Since I’ve only been doing this internet thing for about six months, I was so hyped to hear that I was getting reviewed. Now somebody will spread the word that Addanac City is da bomb!!!! Yay!!!

I’ve gotten a couple of positive reviews (some more positive than others). Delos from Art Patient.com reviewed AC in November and had some constructive criticism for me. Overall, I think he appreciated what I was trying to achieve. To read his review of Addanac City, click here

Another review AC received came from Web Comic Herald. You can read what he had to say here

My most recent review came from Julie at Online Comics. The review was short, but I was pleased to be noticed. Catch Julie’s review here

Everything seemed to be going lovely for this cartoonist. I was finally getting recognized for my endeavors. I was on a roll here, folks. Yeah, I had to email most of these reviewers to even make them aware of Addanac City’s existence, but drawing the strip is only half the battle. Garnering reader support is the hardest part. Webcomic artists can easily spend more time promoting their comics than actually creating them. The key is not to let your creativity suffer in pursuit of readership. You can advertise all you want, but if what you’re pushin’ is crap, then you’re still floating up that infamous fecal creek. I really try to balance good comics with good promotion.

So, lest I really digress, I contacted one reviewer to give her a heads-up about my comic. Admittedly, I had forgotten that I had already written her and proceeded to send her another email that was practically identical to the previous one. Her response was that AC would be slated to get reviewed on her next upcoming posting. My heart was fluttering with excitement! “I’m gonna get another fan!” I screamed inside of my head. Yippee!

At least, that’s what I thought. When I clicked on her review, this is what I read
Check it out, then come back here.

Needless to say, I was flabbergasted like my gast has never been flabbered before….

I paced my tiny drawing area, spouting terms that would have career sailors looking for a book of colorful expletives. After an hour (or so), I calmed down and tried to analyze the review diplomatically. Then I started cussin’ again.

The next day, I wrote the reviewer back (I didn’t flame. There’s no need for that. I requested what I got.) I simply thanked her for taking time out of her hectic schedule to give ADDANAC CITY a looksee. The day after THAT, I realized what she was basically trying to say and I went back to my site and began to make changes that would benefit me in the long run. If she felt the way she did, then perhaps others felt the same. I don’t want to alienate my readers nor distress them. So…I made a few changes. I haven’t heard whether people like them or not, but I kinda do. I hope the site looks better now.

Reviews are a two-edged sword. They’re magnificent when they’re positive, but they hurt like heck when they’re not. That’s par for the course, though, people. No matter what you do or how many hours you invest in crafting something, there’s always a chance(no matter how slight) that somebody somewhere will not like it. That shouldn’t cause you to give up. Criticism is necessary. Nothing is perfect no matter how much we wish it to be so. All we can do is listen to the opinion of others and take it for what is: an opinion. I don’t like every album or movie that comes out, but that doesn’t mean that it isn’t good. Somebody may like it. Hopefully, my opinion won’t turn them against it.

With that being said, I hope to get more reviews for my ADDANAC CITY comic. Reviews can make potential readers discover AC when they may otherwise not have done so. I want to share my creation with everyone. Some of you will hate it, and some of you will be indifferent to it. But, some of you will absolutely love it! And those are the folks whom I toil day in and day out, jotting down ideas and inking narrow lines, and learning html. I do it because I love ADDANAC CITY. I’m not getting rich off this. I’m doing it for the “love of the game”. I hope you’ll continue to ride along with me.

Whew! I’m glad I got all of this off my chest! Thanks for letting me share. My name is George, and I’m an alcoholic a cartoonist.

Most of you on the web know me best as “that guy who draws the ADDANAC CITY comic strip series“. Although I totally love Hank and his pre-adolescent gang of dysfunctional misfits, I’m an artist at heart and there are other things that I do in the visual realm.

A few years ago, I became involved with my local theater group, Halifax County Little Theatre. These nice people gave me an opportunity to act for the first time (I’ll have to blog about that on another occasion). I played Walter Lee Younger in Lorraine Hansberry’s “A Raisin In The Sun”. Anyway, being that I am a well-rounded artist, I enjoyed my time as a thespian (no, I don’t have a lisp). Also, being that I am a controlling megalomaniac, I had to design the playbill, too.

I began a wonderful relationship with the directors and producers of these plays and they started requesting my artistic skills to promote their performances. One recent project that I worked on was designing something eye-catching for “Escanaba In Da Moonlight”. This was a play originally written, produced, and directed by Jeff Daniels (yeah, that Jeff Daniels). “Escanaba” is a play about a man and his three sons who journey to their camp for the opening day of hunting season in the Upper Penninsula of Michigan. Strange things happen during their excursion. I came up with a pretty nifty design that they loved. This is it.

I stopped by the rehearsals with my trusty digital camera and took photographs of all the actors in the production. I wanted to create something that was true to HCLT’s unique performances, so I made each character resemble the respective actor. I think I did a competent job. Most of the organization’s play posters are printed in black and white, so I had sorta limited creative freedom. It was different without having all of the magnificent, vibrant colors that I get to play with while creating my ADDANAC CITY comics.

The local theatre group that I do a lot of graphic work for recently held a production of the 50′s-style musical Forever Plaid.

I attended a performance this past Sunday, and I’ve gotta say, the Halifax County Little Theatre did a bang-up job. I really enjoyed the music, and the acting was superb.

This is the playbill I designed for the production.

I’ll be posting some more samples of the work I do for them in the near future. I’ve completed three other posters for the organization, and hopefully, there will be another coming soon.

I’m thoroughly excited about this all-new comic story! It’s almost finished, just a few more pages to ink and color.

The comic book is all about two days in Hank’s life as he tries to make the most of his suspension. All of the major characters are in this story, along with a few cameos by supporting ones.

The story’s 32 pages long and will be in full-color! I’m in negotiations with a publisher but, more than likely, I’ll be self-publishing like I used to do with the previous AC comic books.

I hope you enjoy this 2-page preview. Let me know what’cha think!

Hey, Ma! Look! I'm in a BEARMAN CARTOON!

I was checking out my Twitter page, when I received a message from my good friend and fellow cartoonist, Bearman.

Bearman had created an amusing comic a few days ago that caused a bit of a fun-poking uproar in the comments section. Check out the comic here.

Most of us commentators had a few suggestions on how he could alter his cartoon. I was pleased to discover via Twitter that Bearman had revisited the comic and made a few hilarious changes.

This time, the cartoon featured an extra character: Hank Addanac!

Click here to see the new and (maybe) improved version of the comic! And be sure to check out the rest of Bearman’s side-splitting and poingnant political and editorial cartoons on his site. Thanks a million, Bearman!

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A lot of you have been asking about the other kinds of artwork that I create. Truth be known, I do just about anything.

The pics above showcase a few wine glasses that I was commisioned to paint to commemorate the musical play “Forever Plaid”. These glasses were presented as a gift to the play’s director, Chris Jones.

Each glass depicts a caricature of the actor who portrayed the role. I also attached a pic of the actual actor so you can see whether I captured them or not.

I painted these pieces in acrylic. I like that medium the best because it’s no-fuss, easy clean-up, and it’s quick. I’ve got a daily webcomic to do, f’r pete’s sake!

If any of you want to get something like this done for yourself or for someone you know and love (they make absolutely great gifts!), then just hit me up via email and we’ll work out a price. Capiche? Hope ya like the art.

There’s been a lot of talk in Addanac City about how hot Hank’s mom is. She’s quickly become a fan-favorite with her style, personality, and touchy-feely sweaters.

I had a chance to speak with her candidly for a moment while we were renegotiating her contract. For an increase in salary (too high, I say) and some after-market points on upcoming projects, she readily agreed to a bikini photo shoot. I tried to get her to take a lil’ more off, but we couldn’t settle on a fair price.

We did, however, have a fabulous time developing this poster. It’s 11×17 inches of pure pulchritude. Mrs. Addanac has never looked finer. I’ve got the poster hangin’ on my office wall, and Dear Addanac Afficionado, you can too!

The poster’s for sale in the official Addanac City Store for our introductory low, low price (I’ve always wanted to say that!). So, what are ya waiting for? Click here and check out this lovely lass in her full glory!

You ain’t never gonna catch Marge Simpson or Lois Griffin lookin’ this fly!

I just wanted to share something I painted back in 2006. I call it “Peering Through The Jungle“. I’m working on a few acrylic paintings these days when I’m not creating ADDANAC CITY (which is rare). It’s a good way for me to relax and break up the monotony. Let me know what you think of this piece.

By the time you read this, Dear Viewer, I should be sitting in fifth class on the Concord, sipping on a Tom Collins, and making my way across the country to sunny Southern California.

Yes, it’s true. I am relocating to the WestSiiiiide, so that I may join my lovely wife and children. They’ve been maintaining the fort for a few months while I’ve been goofin’ off finalizing situations on the East Coast.

Although I will be somewhat inaccessible today (and most likely tomorrow), there should be no life-altering changes on the AC site. I’ll pop in to read the comments and, hopefully, I’ll get a chance to reply to y’all. You know how I love a good conversation. You’ll still get a new strip every day as promised.

But, as for now, allow me to continue enjoying my $15 beverage whilst I hold the road map steady for my trusty pilot. He’s gonna graduate from Acme Flight School this July and I am so friggin’ proud of him for not letting blindness become an obstacle for him.

So kick back and enjoy this week’s strips. And remember, it’s business as usual here in ADDANAC CITY no matter what side of the country I’m on.

This is another acrylic painting that I created a couple of years ago. Yeah, I was on an animal kick for awhile. I’m just trying to up my skills a lil’.

Every once in awhile, a webcomic artist finds himself in a position where he needs a tad bit of help from his peers. As you all may have heard on your local news stations (and police scanners), I have relocated to the West Coast.

Everything’s been going fine (except for that instance where the stewardess mugged me in the lavatory. I thought joining the Mile High Club had nothing to do with unarmed robbery.) Anyway, I’m still getting acclimated to my surroundings. Skid Row is not as picturesque as I imagined and there are no surge protectors for me to hook my computer to.

Irregardless (yeah, it’s a word. Look it up.), I’m gonna need some Guest Strips very soon. For those of you who feel gracious enough to bless me with one, I will repay the favor when my homeless shelter gets its DSL hooked back up.

The only stipulations I have are:

~The strip must be funny (or at least funny to your significant other and/or pet).

~It must be no larger than 850 pixels wide if it’s in strip format or 500 pixels wide if it’s in a page format.

~The strip must be sent as a jpeg attachment.

~The strip must feature at least one (or more if ya feelin’ nasty) ADDANAC CITY character. You can include your character too if you so desire. I love a good crossover!

Email the strip to me at addanaccity@gmail.com subject: Guest Strip. I look forward to seeing something hilarious from you guys. More than likely, I will use these strips the week of June 21st until I run out of ‘em. I’m trying to buy a lil’ time until I get my setup…well, set up.

If you have any questions or anything, just email me and I’ll get right back to you. Oh yeah, the strips can be in black and white or color. I ain’t picky.

Thanks you guys. And also….take your time and hurry up. I’m waiting. Hahaha!

I designed this poster for the play “Lying In State” which held performances in February ’08. I like pen and ink cross-hatching and drawing on paper. Most of my clients who request art like this are surprised to find out that I also create a webcomic. I guess the joke’s on them, huh? I hope you like this design.

This is another design I created for the play version of the popular Frank Capra holiday classic film. I really dig working with the theatre. Maybe, one day soon, I’ll blog about my stint on stage.

See? Told ya I was versatile.