Sketch O’The Week
March 13th, 2024 | Posted in Sketch O'The Week
Better late than never! “I just called… to say… I sketched you!” I’m taking an extended break from doing TV sitcoms cast sketches and doing some other subjects, so feel free to make some suggestions! Thanks to subscriber Stu Miller, who suggested I draw Stevie. I can’t believe I missed doing him back when I did my “Rock Icons” series. He’s easily one of the greatest musicians and songwriters in the history of pop music. An incredible talent. READ MORE
March 6th, 2024 | Posted in Sketch O'The Week
Click here if you are interested in this original sketch DYN-O-MITE! It’s yet another 70’s sitcom sketch with the cast of “Good Times”: Jimmie Walker, Ja’Net Du Bois, Bern Nadette Stanis, John Amos, Esther Rolle and Ralph Carter! “Good Times” is another Norman Lear show, spun off from “Maude” with was spun off from “All in the Family”… that’s a lot of spinning. Esther Rolle’s character Florida Evans was a housekeeper for Maude and was married to a NYC firefighter named Henry, but the characters and their family dynamic was changed considerably for the new show. They became poor and lived in a Chicago housing… READ MORE
February 28th, 2024 | Posted in Sketch O'The Week
We are taking a quick break from our 70’s sitcom series with this sketch of rock keyboard virtuosos Elton John and Billy Joel. We take a quick breather from our 70’s sitcom sketches to bring you caricatures of two of the greatest rock and roll keyboard virtuosos ever! The guitar is arguably the most prevalent instrument in rock music, but a handful of great rock/pop musicians built their careers around the piano. Elton John and Billy Joel are among the best of them. I did this sketch as a commission, but I thought I’d share it here. The Lovely Anna and I saw these two… READ MORE
February 14th, 2024 | Posted in Sketch O'The Week
It’s another episode of our 70’s sitcom show with our sketch of the original cast of “The Mary Tyler Moore Show” Ted Knight, Ed Asner, Gavin MacLeod, Betty White, Mary Tyler Moore and Georgia Engel. This show has a special significance around here, since it was set in Minneapolis. Minnesotans and especially Minneapolis area residents have always claimed the ground breaking title character Mary Richards, the single, independent, successful career woman played by Mary Tyler Moore, as “one of us.” My sister-in-law lives just a few blocks from the house whose exteriors were used for the show. I’ve been past in many times. Of course… READ MORE
January 31st, 2024 | Posted in Sketch O'The Week
Hang on, Bernice… it’s Wednesday again! Time for another “Sketch o’the Week!”. Back when I was doing a sketch series of fictional TV detectives I only deviated from “serious” characters once… drawing Abe Vigoda as Sargent Philip K. Fish from “Barney Miller”. That show was another great example of a 70’s sitcom set almost entirely in one small room/set that relied on the writing and character interaction to provide stories and laughs. “Barney Miller” was one of the best examples of making that format work incredibly well. It was one of my favorite shows to watch in syndication back in the 80’s. So, this week… READ MORE
January 25th, 2024 | Posted in Sketch O'The Week
We’re back to our usual “Sketch o’ the Week” insanity, and the continuation of our “classic TV sitcoms” theme. This week’s sketch is of the two main stars of “The Jeffersons”, Sherman Hemsley and Isabel Sanford! “The Jeffersons” was a spin-off of “All in the Family”, and actually ran for more seasons (11) than “All in the Family” (9). It was ground breaking for being based on a black family that was portrayed as successful and wealthy, and for being the first TV series to prominently feature a married interracial couple. Norman Lear claimed in his autobiography that he got the idea to move the… READ MORE
January 17th, 2024 | Posted in Sketch O'The Week
Considering more than a few of the classic 1970’s sitcoms I have been/will be drawing the casts of were created/produced by the man, I had to draw legendary television producer and screenwriter Norman Lear, who just recently passed away at age 101. It seemed like when you were watching a sitcom in the 1970’s, Norman Lear’s name was listed in the credits more often than not. The man was a true television legend, having produced, wrote, created, or developed over 100 TV shows, a number of which are considered among the greatest of their genre. “All in the Family”, “Sanford and Son”, “Maude”, “Good Times”, “The… READ MORE
December 13th, 2023 | Posted in Sketch O'The Week
Many of the most popular sitcoms in the 1970’s seemed to be dominated by large, ensemble casts in shows that were set in one room or environment. Our last few “Sketch o’the Week” caricatures were good examples of that trend. This week’s is another. “Taxi” is found on almost any list of the best sitcoms ever, and given it won 18 Emmys over its five season run that’s hardly unexpected. Its cast featured the early work of actors who would go on to become household names like Danny DeVito, Tony Danza, Andy Kaufman, Christopher Lloyd, Carol Kane, Marilu Henner and Judd Hirsch. Jeff Conaway was already a pretty well known… READ MORE
