The Mighty Jungle

1994- ?

It's been 17 years since I started drawing and writing The Mighty Jungle. This sample was for a website I created in 1999 to promote my work.

I'd originally started the idea as a proposal for a daily newspaper comic strip. It's still not out of the question. Unfortunately, my notorious lack of motivation holds me back. All I'd have to do is submit it.... Maybe more PG rated, though . Sure. I've succeeded at getting my work published over the years. This one, however, I found myself drawing mostly for me and my friends.

I named my 3 main characters after Stephen Hawking, Albert Einstein, and Isaac Newton. Weirdly enough, my favorite ended up being Otto the Alligator. Originally a sideline, but maybe the one I associated with the most. Characters do develop and evolve, which I can attest to, because all of them started to take lives of their own. Otto is a superb example of that. I'd gone from writer to documenter in no time flat.

By today's standards they would be a cliche. A belching, swearing, offensive group indeed. Four animals living in the city with human relatives and human jobs (Otto is a computer programmer). They went to strip clubs, they were stalked by a psychotic.... stalker, and dug up a dead grand-dad for a "grandson/grandfather" photo contest. Which they won. I think it was for 500 dollars. Wouldn't YOU dig up your grand-dad for 500 bucks? Maybe not.

It's a comic strip, folks.