Make Mine Mike

Lois Lane told me about a cartooning opportunity. Mike Belkin, who has a daily strip called "Unfit", was looking for a new artist to depict his comic ideas.

I appreciated Lois thinking of me and informing me of this opportunity, but truth be told, I'm not that great an artist. I think my comics are amusing at times if the concept is good, and I somehow portray the idea well enough. Then again, maybe I'm selling myself short. I mean, look at Matt Groening. His "Life in Hell" cartoon is a buncha buck-toothed rabbits and expressionless guys in fezzes. And that led to "The Simpsons" and now he's richer than C. Montgomery Burns.

Besides, that kinda attitude is what makes me procrastinate and not do my "assignment" until the night it was due.

While I was watching "Flight 93" on cable Monday night, I did what Mike Belkin asked: I took one of his past strips and redrew it in my own style. Because I was rushed, I only did it in pencil -- didn't ink it -- leaving lots a sketchy jagged lines as I scanned it in.

Mike Belkin was extremely kind in his e-mails to me so I started feeling encouraged. He said he'd post all the entries (& I asked him to use my pseudonym from that short film I did). Maybe I had a chance at this gig.

But I knew even if I had worked on it for weeks, I didn't stand a chance, once I saw the fine drawings of other applicants -- let's face it, I'm Michael and by comparison they're Michelangelo.

The final decision will be posted on February 2nd. Cross your fingers, but I think it's gonna be a while before we can see "MMM: The Animated Series" on the Cartoon Network.