funny

BATBOY CAPTION CONTEST!

| M. R. Kessell

It’s official: I’ve run out of ideas!

That’s why I’m happy to announce the first ever (and possibly last) BATBOY CAPTION CONTEST!

TO ENTER: Come up with an amazing caption and/or some hilarious dialogue for Batboy or his squirrel-friend Merle, POST IT AS A COMMENT and then TAG A FRIEND who you think might appreciate your bizarre sense of humor.

The winner and their friend will each receive a signed copy of my latest book: BATBOY AND THE ART OF SELF-SABOTAGE

The contest will run for one week (starting…now) on Instagram, Twitter and this blog, after which a panel of funny judges will decide which is the most side-splitting, knee-slappingest entry of them all.

By entering the contest, you agree to have your winning caption published on social media and in a future printed Batboy collection (with credit given to you, of course, as the wittiest wordsmith in all the land.)

Good luck. Now get to writing!

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Batboy Gets Real

| M. R. Kessell

Experimenting with a little mashup of photography and illustration. It’s a fun way to get out of my cozy little rut. Now I need to keep my eyes peeled for more photo ops!

Cheesy Infomercials & Some New Art

| M. R. Kessell

So I needed to make a book trailer for my latest release Batboy & the Art of Self-Sabotage.

I decided on a cheesy approach in the style of all those goofy infomercials I grew up watching in the 80s and 90s.

Long story short, I had way too much fun making this parody infomercial. I hope it makes you guys laugh and you’ll consider checking out my book on Amazon.

“Don’tcha just luv the sunshine?”

In between my video editing and the continuing adventures of Batboy, I’ve tried keeping the creativity flowing with some quick pencil sketches on my Wacom Tablet. Above is some sort of woodland horror and below is some kind of friendly aquatic monstrosity.

Well, that’s all I’ve got for you at the moment, you can follow along with new Batboy comics every week on Instagram and Twitter.

And remember, don’t let those pesky vegetables bring you down!

Batboy and the Art of Self-Sabotage (A Book)

| M. R. Kessell

I’m excited to announce that I’ve published my second book!

Cover artwork for Batboy and the Art of Self-Sabotage
Batboy and the Art of Self-Sabotage

Available now on Amazon! Click Here!

This is a collection of the first fifty installments of the Batboy comic, which were originally published on social media from February to December 2021. You can see a previous post about Batboy here.

Batboy is my anxious alter ego and a vehicle for some of my random ridiculous thoughts.

I’m super excited to see Batboy in print, the full-color illustrations boldly leap off the page, even though Batboy himself is far from bold. You can see a small selection of Batboy for free on Instagram and Twitter. But if you want to make Batboy your own, please check him out on Amazon.

Enter Sadman

| M. R. Kessell
A sad batman turns his back on the bat signal because he feels they only call when they need something.

Ain’t that always the way?

We all know people like that, or we’ve done it ourselves. Make sure to check in with your friends and family just for the heck of it. It’s as simple as a text (although a phone call is good too.) Ask them how they’re doing.

BS with them a little bit.

They will appreciate it. And you’ll feel better too.

This is my message to you, internet. Now excuse me, I have some calls to make…

Why Aren’t You Drawing RN?

| M. R. Kessell

In an effort to show that I’m still alive and kicking (well maybe not kicking so much) I want to share a new introductory video from my YouTube channel.

It’s a short, somewhat motivational video intended to inspire the viewer through shame.

“What, are you watching too many YouTube videos?”

It’s my first attempt at a video other than a speed drawing, it’s a bit experimental, I hope you enjoy!

About A Thurl (Ravenscroft, that is)

| M. R. Kessell

Continuing in my efforts to be less Grinchy and more Holly Jolly this month, I wanted to talk to you briefly about Thurl Ravenscroft.

“What or who is Thurl Ravenscroft?” I can hear you saying, “He’s from Lord of the Rings, right? No wait, Game of Thrones! Is it Game of Thrones?”

Nope!

“Is it some sort of Nordic death metal band?”

Negative. Although…

You might be on to something there.



The Thurl Ravenscroft I’m referring to was a singer and a voice actor who might best be known(or maybe not) for singing the classic “You’re A Mean One, Mr. Grinch” from the 1966 TV special How the Grinch Stole Christmas!

This song really hit me, because I too have garlic in my soul. I should probably have that checked out.

After a recent viewing, I was shocked to learn that Thurl wasn’t credited in the animated special.

Did they expect us to believe that the narrator, Boris Karloff, provided the vocals?

Dr. Seuss himself felt terrible about the situation and later tried to remedy it with a letter-writing campaign to various influencers of the day, giving credit to Thurl.

I imagine it went something like this:

While doing my brief bit of research I’ve found that people have been asking Google this question: “Did James Earl Jones sing the Grinch?”

That’s a pretty good guess, I guess.

If only there was some way this confusion could have been avoided from the start.


One last thing before I set off on the sea of swirly-twirly gum drops...

In the spirit of the season, I want to share with you a special little animated gif that I created.

Please feel free to share!

Especially if you have ever been wrongly labeled a Grinch.