Tischtennis Cartoon Comic Sale

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What’s for Sale?

Answer: Three separate original artwork test cartoon pieces used in the development of Marek Zochowski’s comic strip, “Once upon a time in Giza…”. They were all drawn on 8 ½” x 11” sheets of typing paper. There are two separate colored in characters, one from Arizona and another from Texas. Marek outlined them with a black pen and colored them in with colored pencils.

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http://members.aol.com/jackietrudell...ong_Player.jpg

On the third test drawing it is black pen only drawing on one side of the paper and black pencil outline on the opposite side of the paper. I believe Marek uses the pencil outlines to transfer the images to another sheet of paper. This drawing was done on an 8½” x 11” which was later cut out. It looks like Marek cutout the paper and removed the area where there were captions. The size of this drawing takes up a full sheet of typing paper.

http://members.aol.com/jackietrudell...t_Director.jpg

http://members.aol.com/jackietrudell...l_Transfer.jpg

The dimensions of the scans that I did for the two colored in characters are 4.3” by 9” on the Tombstone character and about 8” by 7” on the Texas character. Both are on a full size sheet of typing paper. The height of the Texas man is approximately 5 inches.

All three drawings were folded three times to fit into a letter sized envelope, so there are creases in them. I think the locations of the creases are visible in the scans of the drawings shown on this page.

Here are some things Marek writes about his comic strip and the development process…
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28 November 2003 -- Marek writes:

Are you tired of my silly cartoons yet? I have been working on my first long comic strip for about a week now. It’s going to be about six to ten panels, what it means I’m going to make about 6-10 drawings size of this sheet of paper in horizontal position (not vertical). Right now I’m about to finish my second panel and start my third. I’m sending to you a sample of my second panel, it’s a part of the scene of my second one. I like to title my story “Once upon a time in Giza…”

It’s a story about two cowboys, one from Texas and another from Tombstone, Arizona who come to Egypt for table tennis competition. The guy from Texas is very happy guy and the guy from Tombstone looks mean, but he’s also good guy who’s trying to look tough, because he’s a biker besides being a cowboy. A whole story is funny just on each drawing out of context.

My first panel of the comic strip could be published without the other drawings as a “one of one”, or (which will be better) one of six if not ten. It’s going to be very good comic for the kids and also funny for the adults. This time my artwork will be very cartoonish. I’m going to fit in somewhere in my drawings Sphinx and the pyramids, but I didn’t figure out yet how I’m going to do that, because I want that also cartoonish and big as possible. The captions take a lot of space not leaving too much room for a view in the background.

I’m thinking about a title for my comic strip. Maybe you could try to do that on your computer, or send me some letters of your computer so I could pick a style of letters. I would like to use western style sin my story is about cowboys (see a note on the section from the magazine “Western Horseman”).

See my comic strip needs some kind of title id it’ll be published in more than on panels.

I’m sending to you a drawing of my Tombstone (Tumbstone) guy which is one to one (1:1), the caption is also (1:1). I would like you to do a test to see how much you can shrink the page down and be able to read the captions? I don’t like writing captions. I wonder if you have on your computer a style writing for the captions? I’ve no idea what’s the best way to do captions for the comic strip. Do you have any suggestions? Are my letters too big? I’m making them about 5-mm tall and 3-mm spacing between the lines. Do you have a suggestion about my spacing too? I just do not know what in the hell I’m doing and I want everything to be so perfect.

I like when you make comments about any of my artwork that helps me, because sometimes I’m so confused and I’ve a hard time to decide which way to go. Any comments from your son Daniel are also very helpful. He is going to like my new comic strip even though he can’t read yet.

I do not know yet if my comic strip will fit on one page or two after you’ll shrink them down? It’s something that we will have to figure out.

I signed the drawing with my Tombstone guy in a case that you would like to put on your WebPages and include a note: “A part from the comic strip which is under construction right now” (something like that or what ever). “Are you talking to me?” will be what Tombstone guy is saying. “Now you’re in a big trouble” it’s the part what guy from Texas is saying. Maybe you could print me one or two pages of that drawing. See if you can type the captions on your computer? Can you do better job with your computer then I can do with my pen? Would that be difficult and very time consuming?

After I’ll finish this comic strip then I might be working on the other comic strip (6 panels) “Once upon a time on the parking lot…”. I’ve also an idea for the third comic strip (about 10 panels) also table tennis story: “Once upon a time on the garbage dump” This is a story about three bums, funny story.

Like you see I need to learn how to do comic strips and I could use your help with making titles (and maybe retyping my captions if that is practical to do on the computer – time consuming wise).

(Green note card question)
What is the approximate distance in km. From (Sharm)E-Sheikh city by Red Sea (Egypt) to Giza (Egypt)? Could be desert between those cities?

30 November 2003 -- Marek writes:

I found a very neat samurai helmet that I want to use for the comic strip that I’m working right now: “Once upon a time in Giza…”. What is neat about that: samurai helmet is it has a little mask with two small horns.

It’s going to be a perfect helmet for my Tumbstone guy who’ll be wearing that to ride his motorcycle in my fourth panel of my comic strip. I’ve mot decided yet what type of bike he is going to ride. Harley or dirt bike. I guess it depends what kind of biker magazines I’ll borrow sometime next week (from my neighbors).

Yesterday (Saturday) I went to “Creative Writing” for about an hour. I was a little bored listening to the people read their poetry projects. After everybody read their poetry I went to the professor to show him my unfinished comic strip (2 panes) to check my language and grammar. He suggested that I’d use proper English instead of the cowboy talk – slang. In my first panel my Tumbstone guy says: “Somebody say Texas? Go ahead and make my day!” But professor suggested that I’d use the word “Did…” “Did somebody say Texas? Go ahead and make my day!”

My neighbors told me not to listen to the professor. They say – “that’s how cowboys talk and I don’t have to use a proper English in the comic strip.
So I nee your recommendation if I should use the word – “Did”?
Also I spelled “EEHA” with two E’s, however professor recommended to write: “EEE-HA”.

In my third panel I was going to use “C’EST LA VIE (French) SUCKERS!”. Seems like it’s hard to read when it’s spelled with “C” instead “S”. It might be difficult for the kids to understand. Could you check for me if it’s spelled correctly and give me your recommendation if I shouldn’t use that French part and find some thing more English?

(Like the Camel?)

Also during my work on the second panel I came to the conclusion that I’ll have to use smaller print for my captions. Just there is not enough room for a background if the captions are so big.


7 May 2004 -- Marek writes:

Today I finally finished my third drawing to my “cowboy” comic strip. Yesterday I made captions for it, but I had to redo it by correcting spellings and the grammar. I get plenty of help from the guys living around me. Sometimes I get too much help and too different ideas. But I don’t listen to everyone and I just use one guy who seems to be very good in playing “Scrabble” and he wins most of the times.

At first the guys didn’t seem to be too impressed with my first drawing of that comic strip, but now when I have a set of three drawings I’m getting more interest with that. I got many guys laughing who just have seen for the first time. The story of my comic is not completed, but it’s good already. I think it’s (or will be) much better than the comic strip you sent me the other day (the one about the cat playing Table Tennis against the monkeys). I have not decided yet when I’ll be sending that to you. I might send those drawings before I’ll finish it. The story might take about 8 drawings. Using tracing paper helped me a lot on this project and saves me a lot of time. I still have plenty of tracing paper to use for the special projects.

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If you’re interested in Marek’s original letters that describe the comic strip or copies of them, I’ll be willing to include them with this sale. I can scan them and email them to interested parties.

--Rob