Sheldon® Comic Strip: Daily webcomic by Dave Kellett

Hobbiton!

DaveKellett — Tue, 14 May 2013 10:55:59 -0700

A year ago, I brought in a full-time assistant, Jen Troy, to help out in the studio. She's been amazing: There are a bajillion tasks she's been helpful with, both in the production of the strips, shipping your Sheldon orders to you, keeping up the sites, and more. But she's mainly been my Jill-Of-All-Trades on the documentary film: If there was a task on the film that needed help, Jen was there to do it.

Anyway! When Jen took a vacation to New Zealand a while back, and mentioned she was going to the location where they filmed Hobbiton... I asked her to write up a travelogue for you guys! Because let's be honest: How many of us are going to get to go to Hobbiton? Knowing Jen as I do, her write-up is pretty awesome: She's genuinely geeking out. So without further ado, here's Jen....

===============

Welcome to... Hobbiton! I recently visited New Zealand and took the Hobbiton tour. It was really fun and I couldn't help but geek out! Here is the sign outside the Shire's Rest Cafe where I joined the tour.

The group boarded a vintage bus that drove us onto the farm and to the Hobbiton film set. Once off the bus, our guide brought us into the Shire. Guys, I was in the SHIRE. Here is a photo of just one of the many Hobbit holes I got to see. I think our guide said there was thirty-three holes in all, but don't quote me on that. The props and production design was amazing to look at.

We were given a chance to see them up close and farther away. It was so lovely to see the Hobbit holes tucked away into the greenery. Yeah, it was TOTALLY that green.

We made our way up the main hill towards... Bilbo and Frodo's home! Do you recognize that tree? Just below it is the door to the Baggins' home.

This is as close as I could get, but they left the front door open so we could see the paneling inside. I was told that this is the only Hobbit hole that has some interior walls.

Then we made our way down towards the rest of Hobbiton and the Green Dragon Inn. Here is the view from the top. I know... it's SO pretty.

We walked passed the Mill and over the bridge...

To the Green Dragon Inn! As of December 2012, it is now a fully functioning pub. With our tour, we each got a complimentary drink. The cider was delicious.

It's pretty dark inside. Check out the detail.

They even gave us our drinks in appropriate mugs! Apparently a potter in the area makes them, but he can only make twenty a day so please don't swipe them.

Here are a few Hobbit holes next to each other for your delight. Many homes had their laundry drying on the line.

Finally on our way out and back to the bus, I passed this sign. I didn't want to leave!

strip for May / 13 / 2013: The First to live to...

Mon, 13 May 2013 00:00:00 -0700

<a href="http://www.sheldoncomics.com/archive/130513.html"><img src="http://www.sheldoncomics.com/strips/sd130513.png" width="900" height="290" hspace="0" vspace="0" border="0" alt="strip for May / 13 / 2013"></a><br /> The First to live to...<style type="text/css">  </style> <p class="style1"> <a href="http://www.sheldoncomics.com/archive/random">Jump to a Random Strip in the Archives!</a> | <a href="http://www.sheldoncomics.com/store/books.html">Get Sheldon Books 'n Shirts </a> | <a href="http://www.sheldoncomics.com/store/item/originalart.html?strip=130513">Buy This Original Art</a> | <a href="http://www.sheldoncomics.com/forums/sheldontalk/">Forum Chat </a> | <a href="http://www.sheldoncomics.com/archive/archives.html">Archives</a> | <a href="http://www.sheldoncomics.com/store/books.html"> </a> <a href="mailto:dave@davekellett.com?subject=Sheldon">E-mail Dave</a>

Books 'n Scotsmen

DaveKellett — Wed, 08 May 2013 00:00:05 -0700

For whatever reason, those library "Read" posters always get me. I've done a few of these, before:

THIS ONE

AND THIS ONE

...and if you were in the mood for more loving jabs at the Scottish, there's always THIS ONE.

strip for May / 08 / 2013: Where is Sheldon and Arthur?

Wed, 08 May 2013 00:00:00 -0700

<a href="http://www.sheldoncomics.com/archive/130508.html"><img src="http://www.sheldoncomics.com/strips/sd130508.png" width="900" height="289" hspace="0" vspace="0" border="0" alt="strip for May / 08 / 2013"></a><br /> Where is Sheldon and Arthur?<style type="text/css">  </style> <p class="style1"> <a href="http://www.sheldoncomics.com/archive/random">Jump to a Random Strip in the Archives!</a> | <a href="http://www.sheldoncomics.com/store/books.html">Get Sheldon Books 'n Shirts </a> | <a href="http://www.sheldoncomics.com/store/item/originalart.html?strip=130508">Buy This Original Art</a> | <a href="http://www.sheldoncomics.com/forums/sheldontalk/">Forum Chat </a> | <a href="http://www.sheldoncomics.com/archive/archives.html">Archives</a> | <a href="http://www.sheldoncomics.com/store/books.html"> </a> <a href="mailto:dave@davekellett.com?subject=Sheldon">E-mail Dave</a>

strip for May / 06 / 2013: What did Gramp read?

Mon, 06 May 2013 00:00:00 -0700

<a href="http://www.sheldoncomics.com/archive/130506.html"><img src="http://www.sheldoncomics.com/strips/sd130506.png" width="900" height="286" hspace="0" vspace="0" border="0" alt="strip for May / 06 / 2013"></a><br /> What did Gramp read?<style type="text/css">  </style> <p class="style1"> <a href="http://www.sheldoncomics.com/archive/random">Jump to a Random Strip in the Archives!</a> | <a href="http://www.sheldoncomics.com/store/books.html">Get Sheldon Books 'n Shirts </a> | <a href="http://www.sheldoncomics.com/store/item/originalart.html?strip=130506">Buy This Original Art</a> | <a href="http://www.sheldoncomics.com/forums/sheldontalk/">Forum Chat </a> | <a href="http://www.sheldoncomics.com/archive/archives.html">Archives</a> | <a href="http://www.sheldoncomics.com/store/books.html"> </a> <a href="mailto:dave@davekellett.com?subject=Sheldon">E-mail Dave</a>

strip for April / 26 / 2013: Here's what you do...

Fri, 26 Apr 2013 00:00:00 -0700

<a href="http://www.sheldoncomics.com/archive/130426.html"><img src="http://www.sheldoncomics.com/strips/sd130426.png" width="900" height="574" hspace="0" vspace="0" border="0" alt="strip for April / 26 / 2013"></a><br /> Here's what you do...<style type="text/css">  </style> <p class="style1"> <a href="http://www.sheldoncomics.com/archive/random">Jump to a Random Strip in the Archives!</a> | <a href="http://www.sheldoncomics.com/store/books.html">Get Sheldon Books 'n Shirts </a> | <a href="http://www.sheldoncomics.com/store/item/originalart.html?strip=130426">Buy This Original Art</a> | <a href="http://www.sheldoncomics.com/forums/sheldontalk/">Forum Chat </a> | <a href="http://www.sheldoncomics.com/archive/archives.html">Archives</a> | <a href="http://www.sheldoncomics.com/store/books.html"> </a> <a href="mailto:dave@davekellett.com?subject=Sheldon">E-mail Dave</a>

strip for April / 23 / 2013: That little hat wasn't...

Tue, 23 Apr 2013 00:00:00 -0700

<a href="http://www.sheldoncomics.com/archive/130423.html"><img src="http://www.sheldoncomics.com/strips/sd130423.png" width="900" height="581" hspace="0" vspace="0" border="0" alt="strip for April / 23 / 2013"></a><br /> That little hat wasn't...<style type="text/css">  </style> <p class="style1"> <a href="http://www.sheldoncomics.com/archive/random">Jump to a Random Strip in the Archives!</a> | <a href="http://www.sheldoncomics.com/store/books.html">Get Sheldon Books 'n Shirts </a> | <a href="http://www.sheldoncomics.com/store/item/originalart.html?strip=130423">Buy This Original Art</a> | <a href="http://www.sheldoncomics.com/forums/sheldontalk/">Forum Chat </a> | <a href="http://www.sheldoncomics.com/archive/archives.html">Archives</a> | <a href="http://www.sheldoncomics.com/store/books.html"> </a> <a href="mailto:dave@davekellett.com?subject=Sheldon">E-mail Dave</a>

strip for April / 22 / 2013: What are Flaco and Arthur playing?

Mon, 22 Apr 2013 00:00:00 -0700

<a href="http://www.sheldoncomics.com/archive/130422.html"><img src="http://www.sheldoncomics.com/strips/sd130422.png" width="900" height="595" hspace="0" vspace="0" border="0" alt="strip for April / 22 / 2013"></a><br /> What are Flaco and Arthur playing?<style type="text/css">  </style> <p class="style1"> <a href="http://www.sheldoncomics.com/archive/random">Jump to a Random Strip in the Archives!</a> | <a href="http://www.sheldoncomics.com/store/books.html">Get Sheldon Books 'n Shirts </a> | <a href="http://www.sheldoncomics.com/store/item/originalart.html?strip=130422">Buy This Original Art</a> | <a href="http://www.sheldoncomics.com/forums/sheldontalk/">Forum Chat </a> | <a href="http://www.sheldoncomics.com/archive/archives.html">Archives</a> | <a href="http://www.sheldoncomics.com/store/books.html"> </a> <a href="mailto:dave@davekellett.com?subject=Sheldon">E-mail Dave</a>

Color Strips

DaveKellett — Fri, 19 Apr 2013 10:01:52 -0700

As production on my film winds down, over the next month or two, I'll be slowly ramping back up to a full schedule for Sheldon, again. Alongside that, I'm going to try to incorporate more and more color strips into the mix. I can't guarantee it all the time, but it's something I'd like to do more of. There's a vibrancy in color that black-and-white just can't match....and I'd like to see more of it.

Schedule For This Week And Next

DaveKellett — Wed, 03 Apr 2013 16:39:32 -0700

For those that don't follow me on The Twitters, you may have missed this little announcement: For this week, and possibly next, Sheldon is going to update sporadically...if at all.

After 13-14 years, I need to break the ol' update schedule to power out illustration work for my film, "Stripped". Basically, there are animators waiting for me to finish up some illustrations, so that they can animate them for the film. And since I'm the logjam in the work getting down, the strip will have to cool its heels for a few days

It's a bummer, I know...but it's only for a short bit! In the meantime, hit the "Random" or "Five Years Ago Today" buttons: Let the old be new again! :)

New, Larger Strips!

DaveKellett — Mon, 01 Apr 2013 12:18:47 -0700

In the 9 months since the new Sheldon site launched, we went through and replaced each strip with larger, brigher, more confident, 900-pixel version of itself. That doesn't sound like it took much doing, but Lordy did it: Even though a majority of the strips are the same size, and could be modified by a batch-action in Photoshop, a good third of them had to be done by hand.

So! Along those lines: Please let me know if you see any weird cropping, off colors, odd sizing, or anything unusual with the larger strips.

Note: We already know these 18 strips, so feel free to ignore these 'uns:

060326
070506
070527
090113
100614
101020
110517
110518
110531
110721
110722
111115
111209
111212
111213
111214
111215
111216

Thanks so much and enjoy the archive!!

My Documentary Film

DaveKellett — Wed, 06 Mar 2013 00:34:12 -0800

Guys, I want to talk to you about STRIPPED.

Stripped is a feature-length documentary on comic strips that I've been co-directing for the last three years. It sits down with dozens of the world's best cartoonists to talk about the art form they love, and what happens to it as newspapers die. Everyone from Jim Davis (Garfield) to Bill Watterson (Calvin & Hobbes) are interviewed, and it's turning out to be a really special film. Without exagerration, I think it'll be one of the greatest things I do in my life. Here, have a look at the trailer:

But we hit a wall, in editing the film. We realized we couldn't talk about the death of newspapers without showing how culturally massive they once were, and how famous cartoonists themselves were. And that means using footage we don’t own, like: Charles Schulz' TV specials, interview clips from Carson, 1930's newsreels and more. It’s footage that improves the film so much...but it's expensive. In recent months I've paid out tens of thousands from my own savings to cover as much as I can, but I need help for the last mile.

So I'm turning back to Kickstarter -- that amazing, distributed-fundraising platform that lets a bunch of people chip in a few dollars to make great art happen. If you're someone just now hearing about the film, or someone willing to treat yourself to a copy of the film, it would mean the world to me. More importantly, you'd be helping a really special film come into the world.

Please check out more sneak-peek clips from the film, here, and if it seems like a film you'd like to support...know you'd be making one cartoonist's dream art project come true.

Thank you!