The History Clique

Volume 5, Page 9

2009-08-08T10:18:00.001-07:00

(Click to enlarge) This page of cartoons was created yesterday. It closes Volume 5 with a round of simple, standard-length strips. "Lunchtime" features the new character from Volume 4, Wellington's butler Cecil. In "Staring Contest", Hornblower and Larry are fighting again, this time in the form of a staring contest. Hornblower loses, but later angrily discovers that squids are incapable of blinking. "Arch Rivals", the closing comic for the volume, revisits the age-old Napoleon/Wellington rivalry.

Volume 5, Page 8

2009-08-08T10:11:00.000-07:00

(Click to enlarge) Page 8 is the "Saga" for Volume 5, entitled "Wellie Vs. Nelly". In the cartoon, Wellington provokes a war with Nelson by painting a huge nose on a portrait of the latter. Both sides prepare for the ensuing battle. However, when the armies finally clash, a TV ad stops them in their tracks, leading to a hilarious and unexpected ending.

Volume 5, Page 7

2009-08-08T10:01:00.000-07:00

(Click to enlarge) "Yarrrr!" is about Nelson's sailors becoming pirates. However, something stops them - something that, to quote Nelson, "starts with a 'G'... ends with a 'rog'!" Marshal Poulet stars in "Twooting His Own Horn," a cartoon that makes fun of the social networking system Twitter. As always, the Marshal is blissful but completely clueless.

Volume 5, Page 6

2009-08-07T21:12:00.000-07:00

(Click to enlarge) After a two-month hiatus (page 5 was dated April 2009), I resumed work on Volume 5 in June. Page 6 starts out with an excellent Wellie comic, "Frieneral". The title is of course a pun on the words "friend" and "general", and is reflective of the cartoon's plot - General Wellington tries (and, naturally, fails) to make friends with his troopies. In "Bloody Beauty", Volume 5's Doctors cartoon, the pair see a gory horror movie. The Doctor's reaction to the film is not what you might expect.

Volume 5, Page 5

2009-08-06T10:19:00.000-07:00

(Click to enlarge) I owe my grandmother (who is an artist) thanks for helping me develop the arrogant young interviewee in "The Wunderkind". She helped me keep his appearance confident and beyond his years, without making him seem like an adult. "There Are Some Things Money Can't Buy..." is a spoof of a Mastercard ad. While I try to keep spoofs in my comics to a minimum (they are too contemporary, and are only funny if you know the source of the spoof) sometimes I just can't resist.

Volume 5, Page 4

2009-08-05T11:12:00.000-07:00

(Click to enlarge) Page 4 is the second and final set of "Quotes" for Volume 5. "Nappy Quote #10" shows how helpful cell phones can be in discovering extra-marital affairs. In "Wellie Quote #10", the world turns upside down - Napoleon is finally pranked by Wellington! Finally, in "Nelly Quote #10", Nelson discovers to his great dismay that he has no control over the weather.

Volume 5, Page 3

2009-08-03T09:34:00.000-07:00

(Click to enlarge) Page 3 was where the "Quotes" for Volume 5 started like normal. Here we have three fairly standard "Quotes", although I think that "Nappy Quote #9" is the funniest of the bunch. However, it is important when you read that comic that you understand what the words "slander" and "flatter" mean - I have showed it to people who've read it said, "What? I don't get it."

Volume 5, Page 2

2009-08-02T12:50:00.000-07:00

(Click to enlarge) "Martin-clique Vacation" was History Clique's 100th comic strip of all time. To celebrate the occasion, I made it my first ever cartoon to take up an entire page. The comic is about the members of the Clique taking a vacation to Martinique. Unfortunately, the vacation ends in disaster after a squabble over fruit juice. Everything I love about this cartoon is summed up in Wellington's shocked and outraged cry: "GUAVA?!"

Volume 5, Page 1

2009-08-01T21:59:00.001-07:00

(Click to enlarge) Volume 5 was the first ever History Clique volume not to start with a "Nappy Quote". There was a method to my madness; I wanted to set up for the History Clique 100th Comic. Knowing that the 100th comic had to be on Page 2, I couldn't place the standard two consecutive pages of Quotes on the first 2 pages like usual. Instead, Page 1 has three typical, normal-length, run-of-the-mill cartoons. My favorite on this page is probably "History Retold". But I do also like the sneaky Beatles reference in "Sub Par" (Wellington has a yellow submarine).

Volume 4, Page 9

2009-07-30T22:56:00.001-07:00

(Click to enlarge) "Double-O Wellie" is a Wellie fat joke with the twist of a James Bond spoof. "Psychology At Work" revisits the theme of Nelson's secret sissiness. This time, the Admiral turns to professional help to deal with his problem. In the end, it doesn't work out for him - after all, if it did, would the cartoon really be as funny? "In Reflection" is not, in my opinion, a terribly funny cartoon, despite the honor it has been given in closing Volume 4. However, it finishes the volume competently enough, and is a fine transition to the upcoming Volume 5.

Volume 4, Page 8

2009-07-30T22:46:00.000-07:00

(Click to enlarge) "Prank Calls" is inspired by one of my favorite gags from the TV show "The Simpsons": when Moe the bartender answers prank calls from Bart. In my cartoon of course, it's Wellie doing the answering, and I'm proud to say I did (as far as I know) make up all those fake names. "The Butler the Better" introduces Volume 4's new character, Cecil, who is a stereotypical English butler. "Mutiny" features Larry, who, for once, helps out his enemy Nelson. (For the reasons why, you'll have to read the cartoon!)

Volume 4, Page 7

2009-07-30T22:31:00.000-07:00

(Click to enlarge) Generally speaking, Volume 4's double-length cartoons were all relatively top-notch cartoons, and "Bilingual Blues" is no exception. It is funny throughout with many jokes and punchlines, including Wellington's quip: "Hallo Frenchies! I'm your new teacher, Mr. Wellington! But you can call me Mr. T!" The comic also has some references to my own life - specifically, the character of Monsieur Chase, who is inspired by a French teacher I myself had in middle school. "War Games Gone Awry", Volume 4's Poulet cartoon, shows what happens when our favorite hapless Marshal gains access to fireworks.

Volume 4, Page 6

2009-07-30T21:08:00.000-07:00

(Click to enlarge) Like the double-length comic "Noses Are Red, Violets Are Blue" (Volume 4, Page 3), "The New Recruits" is one of those rare History Clique cartoons that is funny throughout, with more than one punchline. Another one of my all-time favorites, it features a trio of dumb British soldiers as the Marines, the new (and, shortly, former) recruits on board HMS Victory. In "Done With Puns", Wellington suddenly loses his ability to pun. Luckily for the Duke however, such a tragedy is mercifully short-lived.

Volume 4, Page 5

2009-07-30T20:02:00.000-07:00

(Click to enlarge) Volume 4's three-part "Saga" was "Nappy Vs. England". In the comic, Napoleon invents a harebrained scheme to conquer his long-hated rival of England. While this "Saga" is not the funniest I've made (admittedly, I could have depicted the ending more clearly) it's still a positive contribution to Volume 4.

Volume 4, Page 4

2009-07-29T22:31:00.000-07:00

(Click to enlarge) "Animalia Historicus" is a set of puns that turn the names of History Clique characters into the names of animals. "Painkiller" is Volume 4's Doctors cartoon, featuring the same amputation-filled fun that has become essential for any History Clique volume. And as far as the Duke of Wellington is concerned, the good comic ideas never stop coming. This time, Wellington is trying to sell artichoke candy bars in "Wellie, Finance Genius".

Volume 4, Page 3

2009-07-29T21:40:00.000-07:00

(Click to enlarge) "1805, Going On 2008" was inspired by a real-life moment - I actually did once see someone check their cell phone for the time even when there was a clock nearby. This was something that really struck me, making me realize just how much modern technology has engulfed our lives. Naturally, I had to make a comic about it. "Noses Are Red, Violets Are Blue" is near the top of my list for all-time best History Clique cartoons. Rather than having only one punchline like most of my comics, it has at least three different jokes spread throughout. Both of Page 3's cartoons are marked with the gold label for History Clique's First Anniversary.

Volume 4, Page 2

2009-07-28T22:28:00.000-07:00

(Click to enlarge) Volume 4, Page 2's round of Quotes is, in my opinion, better than Page 1's. Aside from the unfortunate smudge in the second frame of "Nappy Quote #8", I think this was a fairly well-done set of cartoons. Again, my favorite strip on the page is the one starring Nelson, who bakes scones only to have them nabbed and eaten in a mere five minutes by a hungry Wellington. Also, notice the gold "1" badge at the end of "Nelly Quote #8", celebrating History Clique's first anniversary. This badge appeared on all comics made in April 2008, a year after the very first History Clique strips were drawn in April 2007.

Volume 4, Page 1

2009-07-28T20:56:00.001-07:00

(Click to enlarge) For Volume 4, the appearance of The History Clique changed drastically. I upgraded my drawing materials to give the comic a fresh look. Colored pencil and standard 8.5" x 11" paper made way for Prismacolor art pens and acid-free 9" x 12" drawing paper. As a result, the cartoons are crisper and brighter than ever with vivid colors and neat, precise text. There were several other upgrades as well - in particular, notice the change in text style for the Quotes. It has been changed from the normal cursive (which I was told was hard to read) to a more legible basic script.

As for the first three cartoons of the volume, they are another round of Quotes as usual. "Nappy Quote #7" features Poulet leading an army totaling two soldiers - one soon-to-be-decapitated soldier and one pig. "Wellie Quote #7" is a real quote from a real situation (sort of). At the battle of Waterloo, Wellington's forces were attacked by the Imperial Guard. After the Guard was quickly but gloriously defeated, a British soldier commented: "The Guard came up very well", to which Wellington replied, "Yes, and they went down very well too!" However, my favorite cartoon from this page is "Nelly Quote #7". By the way, the hard-to-read sign on the French officer's back says "Kick Me".

Volume 3, Page 9

2009-07-27T17:26:00.001-07:00

(Click to enlarge) "Marshal Poulet vs. Technology" features Marshal Poulet for the second time in Volume 3. This time, Poulet shows his incompetency with not only firearms, but with currency as well. And Volume 3's closing comic, "History Clique Dance Party" is one of my favorite History Clique cartoons. Not only does it have a funny punchline (another Wellington fat joke), it also features adorable Hornblower in a backwards cap - "gangsta!"

Volume 3, Page 8

2009-07-27T17:10:00.000-07:00

(Click to enlarge) "The Amputationator 5000" is another quality Doctors cartoon. "The Artist, Formerly Known As Wellie" is a comic disliked by some - specifically my friend, who deemed it offensive to people who like rap music. It features Wellington aspiring to launch a musical career. Your opinion of this cartoon likely depends on your opinion of rap, but I think that fundamentally, the structure of the joke is solid.

Volume 3, Page 7

2009-07-27T08:17:00.000-07:00

(Click to enlarge) "How Rumors Spread" is one of my favorite Nelson cartoons. It establishes the sailors' continued obsession with grog, and shows exactly what can happen when messages are not clearly communicated. "Magic 8-Ball" is a testament to how annoying those little black balls can be - I just hope the extremely tiny and hard-to-read text in the cartoon isn't too annoying as well!

Volume 3, Page 6

2009-07-25T13:42:00.003-07:00

(Click to enlarge) The title of Volume 3's three-part saga, "Hornzilla", speaks for itself. Hornblower becomes a huge monster and goes on an eating rampage. Our intrepid hero, Wellington (in his alter-ego Super Wellie), has to save the world from the crazed hamster. While "Part One" and "Part Three" are simply the saga's introduction and ending, respectively, "Part Two" is where the humor lies, due to Napoleon's quip: "Wellie is saving the fitness center. The irony is almost unbearable."

Volume 3, Page 5

2009-07-24T16:43:00.000-07:00

(Click to enlarge) The new character for Volume 3, Marshal Poulet, appears for the first time in "That Is So 17th Century". Poulet, whose name means "chicken" in French, is an old-fashioned, self-assured, and cheerfully naive French Marshal. From this point on, Poulet would star in at least one cartoon per volume.

Volume 3, Page 4

2009-07-23T21:41:00.001-07:00

(Click to enlarge) The appeal of "Admiration" and "Lord Admiral Hornblower" both lie with Nelson's pet hamster, Hornblower, and the fact that he is simply adorable. This type of appeal is not necessarily a type that I like to use frequently - I would rather have my cartoons be enjoyable purely because they're funny. But as ideas that are genuinely funny are often hard to find, I can rest assured that Hornblower's cuteness alone will suffice to sustain a cartoon of average quality.

Volume 3, Page 3

2009-07-23T17:56:00.000-07:00

(Click to enlarge) "Waddle Like the Wind," starring Wellington mounted on a squat, chubby pony with tiny legs, was conceptualized on a bike ride - simply substitute the horses for bikes (and the cartoon characters for real people, of course) and you can see how I got the idea for this cartoon.

Volume 3, Page 2

2009-07-23T17:32:00.001-07:00

(Click to enlarge) The cartoons on page 2 are, in my opinion, some of the best "Quotes" I've made. Particularly, I like the simple yet funny one-frame comic "Wellie Quote #6", as well as "Nelly Quote #6". The latter is another cartoon about Nelson's secret sissiness. Luckily for the Admiral, however, the contents of his diary will remain hidden...for now...

Volume 3, Page 1

2009-07-23T17:29:00.001-07:00

(Click to enlarge) Volume 3 opens with another average round of "Quotes". Nothing is particularly outstanding on this page, but one comic I like is "Nelly Quote #5" simply because I loved being able to draw Larry wrecking Nelson's ship.

Volume 2, Page 9

2009-07-21T22:21:00.000-07:00

(Click to enlarge) "The History Click" (a pun that Wellington himself would be proud of) is the first and only History Clique cartoon that is not 100% drawn by hand. "Much Amputation About Nothing" is a fine example of a typical Doctors cartoon. And "Moby Duke", featuring another Wellie fat joke, is in my opinion an excellent finish to Volume 2. It remains one of my all-time favorite History Clique cartoons.

Volume 2, Page 8

2009-07-21T22:15:00.001-07:00

(Click to enlarge) The three cartoons on Page 8 were all created while I was at camp at UC Berkeley in summer '07. "Funny Punnies" introduces Wellington's habit of making rhyming puns. "The Sole of Fashion" is in my opinion the funniest Josephine cartoon I've created. And "Hard-As-Nails Nelson" reveals for the first time that Nelson is secretly a sissy. Nelson's struggle to disguise his soft and vulnerable interior with a "hard-as-nails" exterior is a theme that would reappear many times in volumes to come.

Volume 2, Page 7

2009-07-21T22:00:00.000-07:00

(Click to enlarge) The insane Doctor and his somewhat more sensible assistant, the Surgeon (the twosome are collectively known as the Doctors), appear for the first time in the double-length comic "How Nelly Lost His Arm". The cartoon features a younger Nelson (notice the brown hair) and the grisly, gore-soaked humor that has characterized the Doctors and become an essential component in every volume to follow. Also, for those of you who truly are as dumb as the French soldier in "Dans La Ville", the well-known simile referenced to is "dumb as a post".

Volume 2, Page 6

2009-07-21T21:25:00.003-07:00

(Click to enlarge) "Super Wellie" stars Wellington as his alter-ego Super Wellie, caped with a British flag and clad in ridiculously high socks and Union Jack boxers. In case you didn't completely get the last frame, "Artie" is short for Arthur, the Duke's real-life first name.

Volume 2, Page 5

2009-07-21T09:03:00.000-07:00

(Click to enlarge) Volume 2's "Nelly vs. Larry" comics were the first History Clique cartoons to be made in another country - they were drawn in a flat in London, England (my family was vacationing there). "Part Three" features both cute pets, Larry and Hornblower, in another showdown (see Battle of the Pets, Volume 1, Page 2). This time, however, things end a little differently.

Volume 2, Page 4

2009-07-20T21:01:00.001-07:00

(Click to enlarge) Fittingly, I first thought of "The Ol' Ball Game" while in the car returning from a Giants baseball game. "The Origins of Larry" is the first comic I have ever seen (or likely will ever see) that makes a giant squid look cute.

Volume 2, Page 3

2009-07-19T11:49:00.000-07:00

(Click to enlarge) "Liar, Liar", a comic that has Wellington's nose growing like Pinocchio's, is, I think, one of the better cartoons of Volume 2. On the other hand, there's "Nappy of Horror" - the worst History Clique cartoon ever made. It is not only not funny - it doesn't even have a punchline. However, there was some good that came from "Nappy of Horror" - from then on, I realized that I would need to adhere to a higher standard for my cartoons in the future. Hopefully I did that; I guess you can judge for yourself.

Volume 2, Page 2

2009-07-19T11:44:00.000-07:00

(Click to enlarge) Page 2 is comprised of the second round of "Quotes" (and the final one) for this volume. And while I could have drawn a better Richard Nixon, I regard these three cartoons as good, but not great.

Volume 2, Page 1

2009-07-19T11:37:00.000-07:00

(Click to enlarge) Volume 2 started off with another round of "Quote" comics. As far as being funny goes, "Wellie Quote #3" is the king of this page. I feel that the other two cartoons here are simply filler.

Volume 1, Page 9

2009-07-17T09:57:00.001-07:00

(Click to enlarge) And so we end Volume 1. This is the last of nine pages that comprises the volume; all volumes to follow would also have nine pages. "Battle of the Brits", the start to a continuing subtle rivalry between Wellington and Nelson, is yet again a Wellie fat joke - and one of the more ineloquently stated ones at that. "Nelly Quote #2" is oddly placed near the end of the volume (usually, "Quotes" are the first cartoons in each volume). "The Amazing Cannonball Man", another comic I can't say I like, is unfortunately a weak way to end History Clique's first volume. To this I day I wish I had thought of a funnier punchline than "Well, that didn't work..."

Volume 1, Page 8

2009-07-17T09:48:00.000-07:00

(Click to enlarge) Page 8, it seems, is all about Wellington. "Wellie's Diet" is about both the British general's obesity and the content of modern-day fast food. "The Emperor's New Clothes", one of the more covertly stated Wellie fat jokes, has (at least for me) stood the test of time as a classic History Clique cartoon and is one of my all-time favorites.

Volume 1, Page 7

2009-07-17T09:40:00.000-07:00

(Click to enlarge) Josephine's hairstyle in "Marge Josephine" is a reference to the Simpsons character Marge Simpson (hence the title). Josephine was Volume 1's new character; there would be one new character introduced per volume, leading up to Volume 5. "Wellie in the Morning", on the other hand, is a comic I'm not proud of. Looking back it was just stupid and not funny at all.

Volume 1, Page 6

2009-07-16T21:11:00.000-07:00

(Click to enlarge) "Tall at Last", a cartoon about Napoleon's desire to be taller, is the second double-length (taking up 2/3 of a page instead of the normal 1/3) strip of Volume 1, one of several to come. Each volume henceforth would always include three double-length cartoons - one starring Napoleon, one starring Wellington, and one starring Nelson. Also on Page 6 is one of my all-time favorite strips, "The Need for Speed", which features Wellington quoting Schwartzenegger: "Hasta la vista, troopies!"

Volume 1, Page 5

2009-07-16T11:53:00.000-07:00

(Click to enlarge) In case you didn't catch it the first time you read, "Monsieur President", one of many of my comic strips that pokes fun at current events and popular culture, mocks (then current) President Bush. Meanwhile, "Scarred for Life" is the first of many, many cartoons making fun of Wellington's obesity (that's Wellington singing in the shower in the last frame). Although the real-life Wellington was actually thin, for some reason the Wellington of my comic strip developed over time into your classic stupid fat guy.

Volume 1, Page 4

2009-07-14T21:45:00.001-07:00

(Click to enlarge) With page 4, I introduced another type of comic strip that would reappear in subsequent volumes: the "Saga". "Sagas" are comprised of "episodes" - three strips all on the same page that together make one continuous story. One interesting fact about this particular saga is that I accidentally drew it with a felt-tip pen, and the lines, which are noticeably thicker than normal, serve as evidence of my mistake.

Volume 1, Page 3

2009-07-13T23:44:00.000-07:00

(Click to enlarge) Page 3 of Volume 1 was all about the seafaring world of Admiral Nelson and the British Navy. "Special Grog" remains one of my favorites because its plot was first invented as an orally communicated joke. I had no idea when I thought of this idea that it would eventually become a cartoon.

Volume 1, Page 2

2009-07-12T21:59:00.001-07:00

(Click to enlarge) On page 2, you can see a number of firsts for The History Clique - there's the first "Nelly Quote", as well as the first appearance of Napoleon's pet giant squid, Larry, and Nelson's pet hamster, Hornblower. Through these two characters, the comic has already shown a completely farcical, non-historical facet that would grow to become a prevailing force in future volumes.

Volume 1, Page 1

2009-07-12T16:36:00.000-07:00

(Click to enlarge) The very first History Clique cartoons of all time, dating way back to April 2007. These strips are also the first of a series of cartoons featuring actual quotes from Napoleon, Wellington or Nelson. As you can see, I started off drawing History Clique with colored pencil and thin black pen, a style I would continue for the first few volumes of my cartoons.

Welcome to The History Clique!

2009-07-11T23:02:00.000-07:00

Hello all! Thanks for checking out my blog. The History Clique is a cartoon strip set in the Napoleonic era that I wrote and illustrated, featuring cartoon versions of real people like Napoleon Bonaparte, the Duke of Wellington, and Admiral Nelson, as well as some fictional characters. However, note that these cartoons are far from historically accurate.

You can see each cartoon in a higher resolution simply by clicking on the image in the blog entry. For each entry, I may also add an interesting anecdote, smidgen of information, or personal take about that cartoon. Thanks and enjoy!

- JMN