Big Floyd & Beyond

Posted to my Instagram June 1st, 2020: 
I drew this yesterday as I ruminated over the unfolding events this past week, this past month really. Every time something like this happens I become livid, infuriated. All this senseless death, whether in the street or busting down the wrong door, it has to stop! I'm sick of it, and the people are sick of it too. I don't think it's enough to just implement a few changes, we have to dismantle the system itself. We tried marches, kneeling, voting, policing our own communities, incorporating new technology, but the violence against people hasn't ceased in the least. The whole system is rotten and does not serve who we're told it is meant to serve. We must think of a new way to peacefully and compassionately maintain the rule of law among citizens, but before we can begin we ALL must acknowledge that this doesn't work. It's ridiculous! There's no excuse, none. I stand for justice for George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and the countless others who have lost their lives senselessly to law enforcement officers and their vigilante counterparts. Black Lives Matter! Fight the Power! Dismantle the System! Rebuild for the Future!

And now, as I type this post, the first officer charged in the death of George Floyd has had his charge up'd to a more serious one, and the other 3 officers at that scene are being charged as accessories. All the protesting across this country (and others) is finally working in getting these officers charged for their crimes. But the work is not finished yet. Oh no. Far from it! Now it's time seek justice for all the others. And that justice lies not only with charging the guilty officers with their crimes, no. It will come once we bring down the racist system that has allowed all of these heinous crimes against American citizens to persist through the decades. The fight to dismantle the system has begun.

Never before has our society been inundated with so much evidence of police brutality, both before these protests with new stories coming to light, as well as during these protests as we all watch armor-clad, helmeted soldiers of the empire march onto the people "they're sworn to protect", cracking heads, macing faces, and popping off tear gas canisters. We're all watching in abject horror as our feeds get fed with video after video of such atrocities as a defenseless homeless person getting shot in the face, as a 75 year old man posing no real threat gets forced to the ground hitting his head, as an off duty cop rages at a little white girl showing her support for BLM with her homemade posters. It's becoming increasing clear that those charged to protect and serve our society have a predilection of antagonizing minorities while unquestionably protecting the rich and the property they hold. And this new widespread awakening of the American public makes me very hopeful for the future.

This type of thing has always been known by me and my peers, by my community and other adjacent communities. We've all known police are bastards and you just want to avoid them at all costs. We've all understood they are never really here to help you, and if given the opportunity just might hurt you, either physically or legally or both. 

That's right. My peers have all realized that the police can legally fuck up your life. Whether it's through a trumped up marijuana charge that ends up costing you months of your life and thousands of dollars, or if they roll up on you and think you're pulling out a gun with you paying the ultimate cost. It's real. It's been a reality for decades. And for all those decades we've been trying to tell our white peers that this is real but we kept getting met with groans and eye rolls, suggestions to not resist arrest, or you shouldn't do the crime or it's few bad apples etc. (although our poor white friends did understand being financially raped by the system).

Now the year is 2020, and with camera phones as ubiquitous as they are it is becoming abundantly clear to our white peers and others around the world that the U.S. has a serious systemic problem with the police. And as our feed gets fed with protest videos and images of protest signs the overall message of FUCK THE POLICE is coming out strong. 

As this thing has been unfolding, I've been reluctant to blatantly state FUCK THE POLICE, in this and other wording, in my feed because I have a friends and family that are police and I didn't want to alienate them. I did not want to come off as unsupportive of them specifically, even though I DO NOT LIKE POLICE. Well, I'm tired of pussyfooting around about posting the memes and mincing words. FUCK THE POLICE. DEFUND THEM. DISMANTLE THEM.

And to those police friends and family members who may be quick to tell me what a dangerous job they have or how they are one of the good ones and are fighting the good fight blah blah, just keep telling yourself what you need to believe to justify your career. In the end though, that's all it is, a career. I know you've worked tirelessly to get where you are, to earn your rank or whatever but it's just a job. 

Maybe you should quit. Stand down. Retire. Hand in your badge.

People quit their careers all the time, many of which have higher stakes than yours, both in danger and in pay. I mean, come on, are you really getting paid that much anyway? Is it really enough to justify "putting yourself on the line" everyday? Is the pay really enough to cushion you when you accidentally (or purposefully) shoot and kill a person? Is it worth all the paranoia you're putting you and your family through all day and night as you worry somebody will break in, shoot you, etc? Cuz, realistically, that doesn't really happen much, unless you're the police raiding the wrong crib. Is it worth being the hardened shell of person you've become, seeing and dealing with the things you deal with on a daily basis? Do you really feel a deep satisfying fulfillment in yourself when you come home at the end of shift, are you happy? If you've answered NO to any of those questions maybe it's time to consider a career in LITERALLY ANYTHING ELSE. 

Seriously, and don't give me that "I wanna help people" bullshit because there are plenty of careers that do WAY more to help people than the police. Do you feel like you're helping people when you or your coworkers prevent others from feeding the homeless at the park? 

So quit. Nobody will think any less of you. In fact, it may be the opposite. I would actually be really proud of you if you handed in your badge. I would look at these crazy police brutality videos and at least sigh to myself that those certain family members and friends are no longer a part of such a violent, uncompassionate, and racist institution. Your mama and your grandma wouldn't watch the news with dread worried that somebody was gonna attack YOU at these protests. They would stop worrying about you in general. See? You'd be doing all of us a favor. GOOD COPS RESIGN.

And don't worry, you'll find another career, just pull yourself up by your bootstraps. 

And I as I finish writing this piece, I've just checked the news feed to find more police fatalities have taken place, one of which was a young 18 year old security guard on duty that was shot in the back. So don't tell me that you're one of the good ones. Unless you're exposing the corruption of "your brothers in arms" or you're on your way to arrest any of the countless officers who have gotten off scott-free after murdering a civilian, then you are not one of the good ones. GOOD COPS RESIGN.

And if you've considered all that I have written above, and seen all the insane footage of police beating up peaceful protesters, and you know full well that police officers have been getting away with heinous crimes (thereby UNDERMINING your beliefs in law and justice that you swear you uphold) and you still stand aside following orders, after all that you still feel the need to be an officer of the law then that's on you. It speaks volumes to your character and integrity as a human being. But from here on out I will proclaim FUCK THE POLICE and that includes you too.

BLACK LIVES MATTER! DEFUND and DISMANTLE THE POLICE!

One Trick is Never Enough

click and zoom in to read and see detail

Let's face it, ever since 45 took office our political and social landscape has become more a shit show than we ever anticipated. We knew shit would get bad, but this is ridiculous now. I log in to facebook to check notifications and what not and I get inundated with video after video of "threatened" citizens stepping out of bounds and harassing other citizens, wrongfully calling the cops on them and what not. And I'm tired of this. I'm tired of feeling powerless, like there's nothing I can do other than joining out in the streets protesting hoping somebody gets the message. And then I realized (cuz I totally forgot) that I draw comic strips, and if there's anything I can do it's sharing ideas through cartoons. Okay, it sounds stupid when I say it like that, but in actuality it's quite brilliant. And historically speaking comic strips and cartoons have always been the one the best ways to spread ideas and rally people behind causes. So, yeah I just realized all of this. And now here is my first comic strip with all that said and in mind.
45's ramping up and expansion of ICE has my community in a panic. Not only are the undocumented extra cautious now but even naturalized citizens who have paid their dues and went through all the legal channels are on the radar. The splitting up of children from parents entering this country just to stay alive is shamefully and embarrassingly reprehensible. People on my side shout to "Abolish ICE" and "Shut down ICE" but what can be done to do so? Well, I just so have an idea of how to shut down ICE - cut the agents payroll. That's it. It's a simple, nonviolent way to stop ICE, even if it's temporary. Think about it, are these agents really that dedicated to their job that they'll carry out orders without pay? Would you do your job (competently) without pay? And keep in mind, besides what they do for a living these are working stiffs just like you and me; they have mortgages, car notes, debts, medical bills. They have to live too. Send a virus (don't just wipe it out, it can be replaced easily) to shake up the system, cut pay to field agents but let the higher ups keep their pay. That just may breed a shade of distrust between employees and supervisors. We got any hackers up this task? What about Anonymous? Where are they when you need them?
But then again what do I know? I'm just a cartoonist and what I wrote here is purely a hypothetical situation. These are just cartoons, not to be taken seriously. *wink wink

Side note: wouldn't this comic be great blown up and wheat-pasted on a wall somewhere? Holla.

Masked Avengers

I did two new pieces for my boy Jerry, for a benefit show, the theme is Heroes. The first is a bit more personalized, but the second we started back from scratch and set out to make a more "All-Encompassing" approach not specific to a particular case.

 

As a more personalized theme, this lil' guy likes wrestling. Can you guess the wrestlers?

Here's the second, quite a funny take on a pop-icon-local-icon mashup.

 

This piece came together so well, and in such short notice for the show. Check out the Houston skyline (once again!) and right in the foreground those little, sterile, cereal box cottages that are popping up all over town. And of course, they're backed by those dorm looking apartments (also popping up) and a crane to build them all. The background sky is an actual water-colored panel. I really dig the effect. The billboard is a separate layer to be used to declare who's top-billing at the show.

Time to get ready for Comicpalooza. I'll have tons new original art, as well as hidden gems that I've uncovered shuffling, moving and organizing all my shit.

And Then What?

Watched this documentary the other night, The End of Suburbia, and it confirmed the suspicions that I've already had about the sustainability of our American lifestyle. How this film took seven years to reach my consciousness is beyond me, but I've been thinking about the 'suburban' lifestyle for a while now. I was born and raised in Houston, TX, and here in this sprawling metropolis it is necessary to have a vehicular form of transportation. If you don't you probably won't have a social life. The public transit, Metro, is quite slow at delivering passengers to destinations across town, and that's even if the Metro runs in your area. There's so many places here in urban Texas that don't have public transportation. Not to mention the hours of operation don't extend deep into the night. So having a car here is a MUST.
It's funny when you hear about Houston, and Texas in general, people are so quick to say that the cost of living here is low, and how cheap it is to live here, blah blah blah. What isn't factored in, however, is your transportation, the cost of owning a vehicle that'll get you around town and to work. That's a big chunk being overlooked. We're talking a car note, car insurance, car maintenance (tires, filters,oil changes, brakes), fuel, and associated costs with repairs that are not regular maintenance (like if your transmission goes out). All these together can easily add up to $1000+ any given month. But, that's not the only cost to having a car.
Okay, you have your transportation paid for, now since you are driving a vehicle in public you are subject to the laws that apply. That means having proper registration, and a passing safety and emissions certificate. If your car is not up to par with the emissions standards, then you must shell out more dough for repairs (like an $800 catalytic converter). After you have all your stickers in order, it's time to hit the road. But don't rest easy just yet, there's still more.
Now, as a driver in public you are subject to the laws of the road. And there's plenty. Not only do you have to deal with other crazy drivers out there, but you also must deal with the abominable face of law enforcement - the police. Issues with the law tend to get pretty costly. Getting pulled over for going 2 miles over the limit is enough to get you a ticket, which can cost upwards of $150 or a weekend in defensive driving or both, and if ignored can turn to a one way ticket to jail, in the form of a warrant. I won't even get into the costs of drunk driving, even though it's frowned upon everywhere, it is a way of life here in the H. Shhhhhh! Nobody will talk about or admit to doing it, even though they probably have done it before. Any time you see a knocked over stop sign, a dented light post, or an abandoned front bumper on the corner, remember that somebody was just sober enough to put the car in reverse and flee the scene before anybody would even notice.
Don't get me wrong, I love cars. I embrace a few car cultures, like hot rods and lowriders. I love to cruise around on crisp spring nights in the full moon. It's just that having my own car in this city opened my eyes to all that I have mentioned above. I look around and everybody is in a car. Stacks and stacks of cars (and trucks, lots of trucks in Texas) with only ONE person line the freeways every morning and afternoon to and from work. You hop in your car, go to Mal-Wart, hop back in and go home, hop in your car, go to Timmy Chan's, hop back in and go home. And that's if there's no drive-thru to drive through. I look around, realizing this is the culture I've been raised in. A culture everybody here has been raised in. A culture embedded into the very fabric of America.
And everybody's cool with this?
I guess so. I mean, all ya gotta do now is go to church and wait out the rest of your life until you go to heaven. This is the promise of suburbia. This is what people strive for. And yet, did you all think this would last forever?
Of course you did. This whole lifestyle is brought to us courtesy of cheap, readily available fossil fuels. But now something is happening. The fossil fuels aren't readily available anymore, and hence, aren't cheap anymore. What's gonna happen when this whole lifestyle, this culture, this economic infrastructure becomes too expensive to keep going? There's no easy answer, or a fast way out of this. Too bad we didn't think of this 25 some odd years ago that way we can put into action a long term plan. But, wait a second, we did think of this way back when. Remember when Jimmy Carter put solar panels on the White House? Well, guess who took 'em down. It's funny because all over town people love to complain about gas prices going up. Somehow we've forgotten that owning a car is a luxury, but we've treated it like a necessity. I say let the gas prices go up. Let them go up and up and up. Only then will people actually realize what's happening and do something about it. Unless they just kill each over it, but it's something. It's like what George Carlin said, "What are ya gonna do? Play with your prick for the rest of your lives? You gonna eat at Wendy's and read People magazine until the end of time?"

Here's the trailer to the movie that sparked such a winded post. The whole thing is also available on YouTube, and a torrent for it is HERE.

Monday Heat

Here we go to round out the latest of my old Sunnyland strips. Meanwhile, here in Houston, the drought waxes on and the heat is coming to dog-pile all of us. Hopefully, you have an A/C unit or yer in a part of the world where the heat is not problem. I'm still fighting the urge to turn on my A/C unit. How long can I make it?

 

Yeah Yeah Yeah, I have a pink bluetooth headset, what, ya wanna fight about it?

Here's a strip darker in tone.

Ever watch the Wizard of Oz and on the lion's turn to sing his song do you notice how conveniently they pull the makeshift cape and crown when mentions being king? Or how there's a carpet conveniently there to roll out?

Okay, for this last strip, it's a doozy: four pages. Okay, but not only that but it touches on local politics. Okay, so I like dissecting some issues and politics, but I really had no intention of writing a political strip. Just an anecdote, no punch line. This really happened when I took my grandma to the doctor and took her car to get washed in the meantime.

Yeah, true story. I didn't know who he was until he flashed his badge. And he really spoke that way too, cussing and attitude and all. So, here’s to Officer Castillo, and hopefully next time i get pulled over in the ‘hood it’ll be by him, and hopefully he’ll remember who I am, which I’m not really counting on. For the sake of keeping Sunnyland fictional, I changed the sheriff mentioned's name to Davie Davis. In actuality he was talking about former Harris County sheriff Tommy Thomas being a 'no non-sense kinda guy'. He referred to the current HC sheriff Adrian Garcia as 'Mickey Mouse' in that arrogant, condescending way. Click the links and you decide.
That about wraps up the back strips in Sunnyland. Next time I post Sunnyland it'll be something ya never seen.