Blast from the Past: Othello and Company

The cover of a comic book I made in 1988. It featured my dog character, Othello. Also on the cover is Cat, Jerky Turkey, and Sol Weatherton. This issue contained a Christmas story that I gave to my family and friends at the time. Othello and Sol would later be part of a comic strip I sent to the syndicates years later. Of all the characters on this particular cover, I probably have drawn and used Jerky the most.

Jerky Turkey and Friends

  A placemat sketch I scribbled at lunch today featuring Jerky, Othello, Grandma Bev, and Arlo Wazzo.

Jerky Turkey and Othello

  Two of my old characters appear to be discussing something. As usual, Jerky seems agitated.

Blast from the Past: Sol and Radcliff (1997)

My favorite Othello comic strip doesn't even feature Othello. Instead, Sol Weatherton and his nephew, Radcliff, are the stars.

Blast from the Past: Othello (1997)

In 1997, I submitted a comic strip to the syndicates. It was called Othello. Here’s how I described the strip in my cover letter:

“Othello centers around a man named Sol Weatherton, his young nephew, Radcliff, and their “animal companion”, Othello. These three characters try to live in peace under the same roof, but that’s not an easy task. Sol’s orderly manner constantly clashes with Othello’s impulsive and chaotic nature. Sol struggles to raise his nephew right, but Othello’s influence on Radcliff is strong. This never-ending battle for Radcliff’s “soul” will play out in the suburban burg of Waffleville, a town where anything can happen and usually does.”

Of course, nobody snatched it up and I was rewarded with my first batch of rejection letters. More would soon follow.

This was one of the better strips.

Blast from the Past: Othello (1988)

In the summer of 1988, I did a comic strip for the Ball State Daily News. Entitled Othello, the strip starred a dog named Othello and his pet robot, R-7. I created Othello earlier in high school and I was determined to make him a star during my college years! Unfortunately, that didn’t happen during my brief tenure at the Daily News. The strip only ran during the summer quarter. I was never asked to come back for the new school year and I don’t think I was even paid for any of my strips thus establishing a precedent that continues to this day.