Michael Jantze's 'Knocked Out Loaded' graphic novel coming soon

A new chapter in Michael Jantze's 'The Norm' will be available soon as a graphic novel. 'Knocked Out Loaded' was originally published in 2007 to Jantze.com five days a week as a color daily strip. Written as a long-form story using short-form techniques, the story is 80% complete and will be fully completed soon thanks to a successful (and ongoing) Indegogo campaign set to end on August 1, 2013. Michael is a vocal and passionate advocate of storytelling and cartooning - please spread the word about this exciting endeavor to help the project reach its exciting stretch-goals. Cheers!

The Smurfs are 50!

Those little blue cartoon forest vermin turn 50 this year, and their birthday celebration officially kicked off today.

The Smurfs were created in October 1958 by late cartoonist Pierre Culliford (aka "Peyo"), who first introduced the creatures in the comic strip "Johan and Pirlouit". The characters became an animated cartoon in the US in 1981, and became hugely successful in both media and merchandising.

I could never figure out how there could be so many smurfs when they only had one female. She must be a busy little woman.