I drew these cartoon roughs shortly after the death of Ray Charles and the Film “Ray” had come out, starring Jamie Foxx.

The cartoon of the Police Lineup was done on a fluke. I wanted to see if I could draw three differing characters. I usually end up just drawing versions of myself in panels like this, but with a little focus and some creativity, I was able to sort out three fun styles and a little story to go along with it. Can you guess which one is me?

cartooning des moines iowa

click for larger image

It all started with the microphone, I am enamored with the “Old style” mics that Ray, Elvis and Aretha Franklin can be seen using in old black and white photos from the 50’s and 60’s. I like that they were perched like a star atop a magic wand for the singers to pivot around and dance with.

Now, of course, Ray Charles wasn’t a big dancer that I know of, but I do believe, after his death, he tried his hand at soft shoe and tap, and was quite elegant for a blind man.

Some of the finished , colored and inked versions of this cartoon set can be found in the Cartooning Gallery.

Some of my best cartoons, in my opinion.