Top Turkeys of 2011

Not every year, but several, I have illustrated the Fort Worth Star Telegram's Top Turkey Awards feature. It's published on Thanksgiving day and lists the biggest numbskulls of the year. I was fortunate to get to draw it again this time around. Below are the three illo's I contributed. I don't do a ton of caricature, but I enjoy it, though I don't consider what I do caricature, more of cartoon likenesses ... which Webster's defines as caricature. Enjoy! 

 (As always, click the images if'n ya wants to see 'em bigger.)

 

In case you didn't know, the heat was kind of a huge jerk in Texas this year.

 Kim Kardashian and Kris Humphries earned a spot.

 

This guy was actually one last year, but only for getting messed up and trashing a hotel room ... or something like that. Sheen earned higher points for winning this year.

Helicopter Parenting : Editorial Piece

Backpack Safari

A newspaper (yes, they still exist) editorial illustration.

On the Delicious Custard River

pencil & digital

From a freelance assignment. Kids and cooking.

© 2011 Star-Telegram, CS Jennings.

Editorial Work : Brain Booster

graphite & digital

graphite & digital

What's the best way to get your brain powered up in 2011? Not a fancy head contraption, apparently. (Guess that's money I'm not getting back.) Boost your brain with these 10 steps. This is a notable illo. First time to draw skinny jeans.

(No. That's not Sarah Palin throwing stuff into that guy's head.)

© 2011 Fort Worth Star-Telegram, © 2011 CSJennings

Getting a Head

Pencil. Digital.

A spot illo from a series on vague symptoms of indeterminate sickness.

Killing All the Polar Bears, One Sheet of Paper at a Time

18x24. All this real estate and invariably I draw right in the middle.

Gorilla Editorial

The rough for client approval.

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In progress.
Pencil for the line. It's how I roll.

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The final cover illo.
(Note rotation of gorilla's bike for more visual interest, and also to make Triumph owners steamed at me for blowing it. Coulda drawn a Harley, guys.)

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The interior spot illo.

Produced for the Fort Worth Star Telegram.

© 2010 McClatchy Company

© 2010 C.S. Jennings

Illo Dump : Current Health

For Weekly Reader's Current Health 1 magazine. From letters sent in by kids and answered.

© 2010 Weekly Reader Magazine, CS Jennings

Illo Dump : Medicalness

These are from back in March. The deadline went so fast I COMPLETELY forgot about these drawings.

© 2010 CS Jennings, Forth Star Telegram.

Sports & Dry Brushes

[click image to enlarge]

i know. it's what all the cool kids are doing. working with Photoshop dry brushes.

for me it's a return to form, pastel being my primary media throughout college.

another Fort Worth Star Telegram piece.
(yes. i totally goofed up the Colts jersey. there is no No. 9 playing on their team.)

She's Got Obama Arms

Another Star Telegram piece. (Becoming a quasi-regular in their health section, with another one assigned this week.)

The article was fun, about an editor who decided to develop muscular Michelle Obama arms. It's a piece of advice I should follow myself.

Holiday Eating

The Fort Worth Star Telegram and I go way back. I was their sports editorial cartoonist for almost five years. (One of two newspaper weekly sports editorial cartoonists in the country, thank you very much.) Now they send me gigs from time to time. Here's one from November, right before the holidays. Sadly, with my eating this holiday, I was the guy in the gravy.

Weekly Reader : Nov 2009

Here are two illustrations from a regular gig I do. Current Health 1* is a Weekly Reader magazine. Kids write letters, and I accompany them with my drawings.

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Click for larger.

Sometimes it is a challenge to figure out how to draw "gross" topics in a kid magazine friendly way. Take for instance... "ralphing." It makes me queasy just thinking about it.

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Click for larger.
 
This one was easier... chapped lips.

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* The editorial staff is great fun to work with.
** These just came out, but we are working four months ahead on the deadline. These illustrations were finished in July.