"Scandal" ("Mr. And Mrs. Smith")
Ink Smudges: During the beginning of filming of "Mr. And Mrs. Smith", tabloids ran rampant with tales of Brad and Angelina falling for each other, even though at the time Mr. Pitt was still married (happily) to Jennifer Aniston. Then, as the film wrapped and the new year came, Jennifer and Brad called it quits, causing the world of gossip to explode in an orgasm of information, rumors and half-truths not seen since the days of Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez. There was even a news report on CNN about the so-called "new couple" Brad and Angelina (CNN PEOPLE!!). Celebrity obsession has really gotten out of hand in this modern age.
So, when Jake submitted his illustration to me with a picture of Erik and Kari fighting over the last ice cream sandwich, I felt it was necessary to drastically alter his idea to comment on the hoopla surrounding the film (and not because his idea hit a little too close to home *nudge nudge*). Call it a commentary about that point in time.
All in all, I like the way this one turned out. Funny stuff. -Tony
Pencil Marks: As a counter-measure to avoid any hate mail, I also released a "public service announcement" (the kind you'd see at the end of many 80's cartoons like "He-Man and the Masters of the Universe" or "G.I. Joe") the same time we debuted this picture. In it, Erik explained to two punk kids why women should be treated with the utmost respect. As much as I was responsible for drawing Erik and Kari fighting in the first place, I also wanted to make sure everyone knew violence against women and children should never ever be tolerated. - Jake