Harts Pass No. 394

WSDOT reports that the North Cascades Highway will open on Friday -- just in time for the 49er's Day Weekend here in Winthrop, WA. Always an important boon to the start of summer tourism, this open stretch of scenic highway through the heart of the north cascades is also a popular bike route -- especially in the week or so period of time when its just almost  done but not quite open to cars. The wolverines and other non-cycling members of the animal kingdom must also take a least a passing fancy to these pre-car days of open road. Enjoy! 

PS Headline news in the Seattle Times today: Breeding Wolverine Heralds Comeback in Washington's Cascades. A quick story about the first documented breeding female south of 1-90. Coming soon as a topic of interest to Harts Pass Comics :)

Harts Pass No. 393

May 2nd truly was #greatamericangrumpoutday - and it turns out that it was actually #takeababytolunchday #truffleday #tunaday #brotherandsisterday #scurvyawarenessday AND #playyourukeleleday as well. Who knew? #ukelele #wolverine #procreateapp #comics

Harts Pass No. 392

A haiku for spring -- and a public service announcement about the benefits of sunscreen to boot!

Harts Pass No. 391

Late to posting last week's comic... You can certainly appreciate this on the ground level as a fan of #collectivenouns — but it will resonate even a little more with a greater knowledge of #okanogan #okanogancountyhigh schools and #highschool #sportsObviously, I coach the #mountainlions :)

Harts Pass No. 390

Our little Kit is growing up. It’s totally great. And amazing, and fun, and presenting us with new and different parenting hurdles just like it should be... but I think she’ll stay forever read-a-story-in-your-lap-sized in the funny pages :)

Harts Pass No. 389

Spring is nice, but I feel like it IS a bit of a mixed bag. For those of us that love skiing, it's warm and sunny and thrilling in its own way when we can ski just a wee bit longer into the "shoulder season." At the same time however, it is spring after all, and the skiing can just as easily suck eggs. On the other side of the equation - for those winter haters that are desperate for sun and warm - spring is enticingly fickle. It feels warm and alluring... but it can just as equally suck eggs. And thusly, the "discontent." 

From the idea development department, "Now is the winter of our discontent" is the opening line from Shakespeare's Richard III (1592), and it actually translates with a little more context into something like: the time of unhappiness in past.  So I guess, but saying that spring is a season of discontent and dashed expectations, I'm probably using it incorrectly. Alas, so it goes. Interpret as you see fit!

Harts Pass No. 388

The first week of spring -- and the snow is slowly but surely starting to peel back from warmer patches of dirt and the occasional rock or bitter brush poking through. Still below freezing over night, so we'll hold on to a solid morning crust and a remaining 4-6 inches for at least another week or two!

Harts Pass No. 387

A beautiful sunrise here in the north cascades on Tuesday morning. It's still looking a LOT like winter, but time outside is getting warmer and a "shimmer" is starting to shine in that late afternoon sun. Onward and upward!

Harts Pass No. 386

As the comic says, a heartfelt 'thank you' to Congressman Newhouse for his endorsement of the Methow Headwater's Campaign and its tireless work to protect both the local and statewide watersheds. Official approval is now in the hands of the Department of the Interior and the Deparment of Agriculture, but the supportive letter from Newhouse and the ongoing work of many people has this effort headed in a good direction #toospecialtomine #protectthemethow #nomazamamine

Harts Pass No. 385

Click the comic to read the fine print, but amazingly enough the first experiments with photovoltaic energy conversion were taking place in 1839!!! Solar electricity and the wild west. Totally simpatico.

Harts Pass No. 384

Coaching track in north central Washington... we'll be really luck if we see our track by April 1st!

Harts Pass No. 383

A little early on the Harts Pass post this week, but happy winter olympic Valentine's Day!

Harts Pass No. 382

Groundhogs and marmots. Pretty much the same thing. And they probably taste very similar!

Hourly Comic Day 2018

Thursday, February 1st was my novice attempt at the annual Hourly Comic Day. Happy with the way I was headed... but also needed to throw in the towel after lunch :) Next year I'll clear out the schedule to accommodate a little extra drawing, but it was fun while it lasted!

On the drawing table...

In the final throws of two recent illustration projects - two board books for Little Bigfoot (Sasquatch) Books - and I'm excited to share just a peek at some of the art :)

IF I WERE A BEAR, and IF I WERE A BIRD both publish this fall. BEAR is pretty much done and BIRD will be next week. Then off and running on something new!

Harts Pass No. 381

It was super sunny when I drew this. And it was stunning. I promise!

Harts Pass No. 380

The normalization of incompetence and disfunction -- when working with relatively familiar and predictable materials in order to accomplish relatively standard and straight forward objectives. THAT is the nature of our current political leaders and process. It shouldn't be like this, and grown men and women who cannot figure out bipartisan and productive ways to operate should be given no further chances to represent the American people. And if they want to argue that power doesn't corrupt - and that those in power aren't being politically greedy when actually faced with an very evenly divided electorate - then they need to put up or shut up and try to get some productive and healthy moderate legislation accomplished. Stop swinging the needle so far to either the right or the left and try to keep the real American dream in some sort of perspective. As the comic says, "the world is watching, let's try not to screw this up!"

Harts Pass No. 379

Small drawings. Great ideas. This quote is just one small part of Dr. King's Letter from Birmingham Jail. In isolation, this sentiment is FAR less impactful than the whole -- but I was looking to boil down just one small and positive idea for the day.

Harts Pass No. 378

I wrote this comic on Monday and it's all set up to post on Thursday morning. That's a long ways off for accurate weather predictions, but they do have snow in the forecast. Winter thus far has certainly been adequate but more is definitely better :) As of Wednesday afternoon they are predicting 2-4 inches tonight and then another 6-10 on Thursday afternoon. This goes live on Thursday AM. Did the snow dancing help?

Harts Pass No. 377

Too. Many. Things... GRRR!

Harts Pass No. 376

While it's been hard for me to get excited about TOO much in the grand scheme of things this past year... I sill find relish and solace in a lot of little things a little closer to home. A fine line then regarding complacency and action but sometimes a little joy is necessary. Nearly a foot of snow in the last 24 hours is a good thing all around. At least in my book. Happy New Year!

Harts Pass No. 375 -- Happy Holidays!

So my family and I happily went to STAR WARS: THE LAST JEDI on Monday afternoon in Wenatchee. As per usual I also had a comic due on Tuesday. So... something about wolverine kids wielding candy canes like light sabers - a marmot that vaguely resembles a porg - and definitely some commentary on this whole malarky about one holiday wish being somehow better than another. I mean give me a break. Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, Felice Navidad, Hanukkah, Kwanza, Yalda... the list goes on. The idea is that you warmly greet another human being with some potential respect for their own particular cultural heritage and also some greater appreciation that we are NOT all necessarily Christian or required to live by a certain set of religious traditions. And so the Star Wars theme of a determined resistance against imperial forces has also somehow made its way into my Christmas comic for 2017. HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!!!

Harts Pass No. 374

It's true, I think, that the anticipation of a recipient opening their gift is one of my favorite parts of the holiday season. And for the most part with this comic, I just really wanted to figure out a way to use that drawing of the "too big" hat pulled down over Kit's head :) Merry week before Christmas!

Harts Pass No. 373

PS While this comic is not exactly based on real life events, thrifty dad types who rarely visit the doctor's office BEWARE!

PPS And given the way that our country is being run of late, "crystal clear vision, but zero depth perception" might also carry weight as a political subtext...

Bear Witness Comics No. 5

If my Polar Bear Post Card Project was about optimism for something good -- the now more than ever critical plea for President Obama to have protected ANWR from oil exploration -- then the point of these Bear Witness strips is definitely to shed further light on things that are not. 

Sometimes my opinions might be one side of a perfectly healthy debate or a varied take on political opinion, but in certain other cases flat out WRONG things are happening -- and we need to hold voters and (even more so) self-interested politicians accountable. 

I've set up a separate website for these comics, so feel free share this as much as you'd like or to check in at www.bearwitnessscomics.com, but even though I'm primarily a children's book illustrator I also plan to post them here on my illustration site. 

Surely the political bent here is a little beyond the average primary or secondary elementary school student, but my intention here if nothing else is to use my art to express an opinion and to stand up for things that I believe in. Even those of you with differing political options have to appreciate and respect the value of that discourse in our society. 

We can do better. We need to do better. Back room political deals and partisan tax reform packages that affect the ENTIRE country but only benefit the few? I don't care if that the way that things are done. That is not the way to do this. GRRR!

Harts Pass No. 372

There are a lot of people in the world that could benefit from a little contemplation and humility... but there is one person in particular who needs this most of all -- and he's certainly NOT a young wolverine reveling in the early days of winter. That being said, our President is absolutely tone deaf to the needs and concerns of real people with real struggles in real communities. And so it goes. I hope that there are still pieces to pick up when our country finally comes to its senses.

Harts Pass No. 371

Happy Thanksgiving!

Bear Witness Comics No. 4

The transparency of decision making in this administration is horrifically astounding... #bearwitnesscomics #politicalcartoons#fossilfuelfree #elephant #polarbear#climateaction #politics #savetheelephants #savethearctic

Harts Pass No. 370

Definitely inspired by TOO much waiting around for things to happen. I try not to get bogged down in waiting, or reading the news, or overthinking things that are quite a bit beyond my control... but it seems to be a pretty natural thing to which we all fall victim. I do feel much better for sure when I just keep moving -- or "acting" -- or creating and don't metaphorically stare at the "buffering" for too long. Onward and upward!

Bear Witness Comics No. 3

The so called "uncertainty" is insane.

Bear Witness Comics No. 2

I'm admittedly new to the political cartooning, but "bear" with me if you will. I hope to do at least one or two of these a week, and there seems to be plenty to talk about. A rapid-fire morning here as I add things to my blog that have already landed on Instagram and Facebook. Enjoy!

Bear Witness Comics No. 1

A new series of comics for me - and this time with an intentionally political bent. It's not much really, but in some fashion similar to the Polar Bear Post Card Project, these Bear Witness strips will be a way for me to process the news of the day and to participate in the conversation.

And hopefully, somewhere in these words and pictures will be a reminder to think -- to have a respect for our fellow citizens (and bears even!) - and to take things like science, and common sense, and decency into account before making crucial decisions that effect our communities, country, and world. 

Full disclosure - after strongly considering Bear Witness comics -- as in certify, attest - provide evidence for the truth of something; or to declare - to state emphatically and authoritatively - I decided to make a title change starting with my 4th installment :) The original title, Bear in Mind comics just wasn't quite as sturdy. 

Harts Pass No. 369

The "falling back" is a little weird I'll admit -- but it definitely bothers some people on a whole different level. Bring on the dark. Bring on the snow. Winter baby! Ready to go!

Harts Pass No. 368

Posting this one a little early... and also a little late! Fun to be drawing a Halloween costumed family of wolverine super heroes (and villain) on the actual day, but it shows up in the paper today and usually online on Thursday. Alas, so it goes. Hope all the kiddos had fun trick-or-treating!

Harts Pass No. 367

The return of "Dear Melanie!" It's been years since she answered any reader mail and the time has come to get back to work. GRRR!

Harts Pass No. 366

This one pretty much speaks for itself...

Harts Pass No. 365

I'm a bit of a broken record when it comes to fall. My second favorite season of the year for sure!

Harts Pass No. 364

High school math has entered our den -- where three variable terms form one most excellent trinomial expression! Mr. Foley, feel free to correct or elaborate upon my understanding and/or use of mathematical lingo!

Harts Pass No. 363

I'm getting over my first cold of the fall -- and an early one at that (to be blamed in my mind on too late summer forest fire smoke). Anyway, nothing that a little fall color can't cure for sure. Cheers!

Harts Pass No. 362

Always very glad for a quick onset of winter weather. Sure, we'll get another little wave of heat, but fall is here to stay and the best days of the year are yet to come!

Harts Pass No. 361

I love my daughter, but I have to admit that packing sack lunches is one of my least favorite things about the new school year. I mean, it was kind of fun to mix it up with little a bit during those first 5-6 years... but at this point one less thing to do on summer mornings is kind of nice :)

Harts Pass No. 360

Last week was the official start of the XC running/coaching season, and in all of the excitement I pretty much TOTALLY forgot about making a comic for the paper. Back again this week, but unfortunately so is the smoke from area fires. Most of eastern WA has been in the "unhealthy" to "hazardous" air quality rating over the past several days -- and it makes it hard to coach and outdoor sport for sure. On some small level, what with air-conditioned spaces and a change of pace, I can even imagine that kids actually might be enjoying the first week of school. Fingers crossed!

Harts Pass No. 359

An end of summer haiku -- for you!

Harts Pass No. 358

When we left for vacation the air in the Methow Valley was some of the worst in the state. Its better now, but you know that the smoke is blowing somewhere... Back on track with a new comic for 8.23!

Harts Pass No. 357

GRRRaaaaaaahhhmaaa! Just in case you can't read the hand lettering above :) Part and parcel of many high stress situations... and a passing phase as usual.

Harts Pass No. 356

Last week's Harts Pass. A few friends have 9th grade kids off to school away from home next year... THAT would be pretty rough, but great of course if the kids are excited about it!

Harts Pass No. 355

A few fires in the south valley last week... which were amazingly and quickly under control. And a new one this weekend to the north and west. Summer in the wild west indeed!

Harts Pass No. 354

People (and marmots) get excited about things in vastly different ways. I mean sure, there are some common instances of general excitability... but then there are those finer lines or variations on a theme. Hope that you're enjoying summer -- whether it it shows or not :)

Hart Pass No. 353

Happy 4th of July week :)