All I want for Christmas is something to want!

This is an updated version of an old Christmas sketch. What do you get a Shark that has it all?

Also, it's Christmas. Hug a seal.

Someone said that seal looks like Chewbacca and hence it's a chewy cookie. I love that.

That's armour!

I suppose the first official strip of 2017 had to include some bragging about how awesome sharks are. Then again, these other annoying creatures don't let us bask in that glory.

Say "Shark"!

My sister had a baby recently - my first nephew! As you can see, baby talk isn't my strong suit. My mission is to make "Shark" baby Zachary's first word. While I'm at it, I should teach him "baby shark do-do-do-do". 

Superman vs Super Annoying Shark

The Shark loves to annoy Superman. The great thing about comics is that squirrels can appear out of no where and disappear when you tell them to go away.
Superman was super hard to draw! I salute those who spend a lifetime drawing him for the comics.
Superman is one of my favourite superheroes (and he's super cute too) - I suppose this is how I show my appreciation.

Not another cat one!

Just when you think sharks are growing in popularity, a cat comes along and ruins everything. That's just what cats do.
Okay, I must admit that some of their pictures are rather likeable. But sharks are awesomer.

Sharks have always been cool!

I know of a website that would love the idea of a hipster being smacked by a shark. 

Everyone was putting up "Shark Week" stuff and I wanted to join in even though Discovery Channel India isn't airing "Shark Week" here. The great thing about "Shark Week" is that you can celebrate it no matter where you live and regardless of whether Discovery Channel airs it or not.

I should do "Hipster loves sharks" t-shirts and put them up for sale soon.

Sharks - Extinction is NOT an option - CITES 2013

CITES (the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) is an international agreement between governments. Its aim is to ensure that international trade in specimens of wild animals and plants does not threaten their survival. Over the next couple of weeks in March 2013, parties will vote on a record number of proposals for controlling trade in a variety of threatened sharks and rays, including hammerheads and mantas.
Project Aware started this campaign #CITES4Sharks to raise awareness about the importance of this meeting. I didn't want to miss the opportunity to draw and comic and be a part of this.
Sharks and Rays need your love and awe and support.

Monster pet goldfish

This comic would work on its own - I thought it would be a nice follow up to the wanting a pet wolf one. I don't think I'd ever stick my finger into a fish bowl even if it contained just goldfish. I'm certain that they like finger food.

Facebook must be wrong. Everyone loves me!

Strangely enough (I'd drafted this comic several weeks ago), my post yesterday only got about half a dozen likes but Facebook claims that about 200 people viewed it. It must be because I posted a link instead of the full picture. No one seems to like moving from one page to another anymore. It's one of the more difficult chores of the new century. Lazy humans. 

My original comic didn't include the last panel. I wasn't sure about adding it but then I thought it would be fun to get a bit dramatic.

Stop complimenting me!

I don't think "Shark Face" qualifies as a compliment just yet. It will someday. 

ps - This is my 200th post!

Evolution of the species as observed by The Shark

This was originally going to be the Evolution poster by itself and then I thought the dialogue between the cockroach and shark would be a pretty funny addition. I seem to have missed out a few characters! I should probably do a stand-alone poster and include the rest of my characters.

If evolution is supposed to make a species better than it was, humans should see if they could become more shark-ish. Why aim to be like those awful monkeys?  (or is it the other way around?). That would be kind of cool - as long as the primitive (un-evolved) humans don't start chopping up our limbs for soup. 

"Thank you" to my 500 (and counting) fans!

I had actually drawn this out when I was 14 fans short of 400 and as usual I procrastinated. Who would've thought I'd reach 500 fans? I'm so thankful to everyone single one of you who like my Facebook page. This seemed like good post to mark the 500 milestone. Imagine how grateful I'd be if I had a thousand fans!
Notice how my sketches can't seem to decide what shade or pencil stroke to go with. It's terrible how I play around with them and post them whichever way they turn out, isn't it?  I'm trying to find a good pencil look (because I do miss the old fashioned ones) to stick with and also an inked+colour version but if I'm lucky enough to get a decent looking output, I stop before I ruin it completely.
Anyway, thanks again, you guys!

Sharks & Sarees: The new fad

This was done for a friend who owns this cool saree shop, The Silkworm Boutique. I promised to do a comic and then was stuck with wondering how on Earth I'd combine sharks and sarees. The answer is simple: just combine them. 

Since sarees have to be colourful, I had to colour it in. I picked a common combination - mustard & red. Obviously it's a good thing I didn't go into the saree designing business. After I coloured in the saree, everything else looked pale. 

ps - My intuos makes drawing so much easier except when it comes to the human. I really dislike drawing humans. 

pps - I usually spell it as "sari" but only when I searched for "saree" did I find some great reference images. 

Better with (than) you

Sometimes a thought comes to me during half-sleep and I jot it down on my phone and feel like I owe it to myself to put it into comic form. This is the pure snob hidden deep deep down in me talking through my subconscious, I think. hehe.  

Anyway, this reminded me of a passage from one of Ravi Zacharias' book which said something like people are all equal but ideas are not. Or there aren't superior people but there are superior ideas (something like that). It's something we all have to learn - to accept all people but to know which ideas to accept as good and which to reject as harmful (or stupid). 

I am a Masterpiece ... unlike those bottle inspirations!

See how cool my new panels look? And to think I'd made my earlier ugly ones the hard way. This strip idea cracked me up because of the feeding bottle dolphins. That's all they can take credit for. And jumping through hoops.
The car I tried to draw is supposed to be the Chevy Mako Shark model. That awesomely realistic looking shark sketch is my own - I figured it had been a while since I attempted some serious sketching.
Here's a close up of it, just so that you can enjoy that beautiful, streamlined work of art.

Happy Valentine's day to me!

I wanted to do a different one for Valentine's day but I don't have a scanner or tablet where I am. I know it's not Valentine's day but I'm so indifferent to that day that I actually wished someone happy birthday instead. It was also another friend's birthday but thankfully I didn't wish her happy v-day instead. 

Anyway, I got the idea for this from a post I'd done ages ago on my old blog. Yes, I inspire myself. It's interesting to read the emo tones on my old blog and see how wonderfully happy my new mask is.

Sharks - we transport prophets better!

My old Reader's Digest book on Sharks had this bit under chapters on history/myth and I remembered it all of a sudden. I have nothing against whales - they're quite nice, especially orcas. But they're not sharks ;) (And not just in the animal classification way).

I could say beep if I wanted to be on TV

I've discovered that it's usually people who are already famous who really have any chance at fame. Some celebrity could say the dumbest, most boring thing ever and it will be re-tweeted to infinity and beyond. 

I don't know if I like the show aka "beep my dad says" enough but the tweets were quite funny.  

Normal people would have just given you a card.

This is probably the longest and most complicated (character-wise) strip I have done. It's quite painful to draw so many creatures. But this was for my friend's birthday and it works out to be a pretty cheap gift (kidding!). For those who are wondering how/what/why this bizarre concept, allow me to de-confuse you. My friend has been very difficult to anthropomorphize (if that's a word). And she gives me a hard time about not doing any sketches with her in it! Then there happened a facebook discussion about the kind of animal she would be and some of the random suggestions were "fish" and then "An armadillo! No, a cockatoo! No, wait -- a slice. of cheese." Thus was conceptualized the Armacockafishadillo. Which I thought would be kind of interesting to attempt. Oh yes, there's the cockages bit which if I don't explain could sound a bit dirty. The above mentioned friend has these little fingers that made me laugh out loud so much when I first saw them. I was like "hahaha, they're like cocktail sausages... we could name them cockages for short (no pun intended)!"

 

 

Anyway, I was quite happy with the way it turned out and then had the nagging feeling that it looked very pokemonish. I hope it's not my subconscious awareness of a pokemon creature that surfaced! I don't really have a goldfish that I pretend is Igor while I create characters. I tried having an aquarium once but that fizzled, literally, when I thought my fish would like a warm water bath.

I was supposed to do a "An Armadillo and cockatoo cross with cheese in its mouth being attacked by a wolf-squirrel cross with wine in its glass" but I shall save that for later.

ps - The fish part of the armacockafishadillo is that it has scales. I didn't want to add fins or puffy lips. I also labeled the fish bit as "tuna" so as not to confuse it with the goldfish. I wish I could draw fish a bit better.

Well, if you insist...

I would have added the little stick with all its possessions wrapped up in a handkerchief but the shark isn't actually doing the leaving. It's just scooting about trying to make small talk about current issues, I suppose.

I do love those little scooters. I bought one back from the States a couple of years ago. It's hot pink and fabulous and hidden somewhere at home. Yes, I'm well aware of the fact that I wasn't a child even some years ago. I wish we were like Japan where people would ride around on little kick scooters and people wouldn't stare at you but applaud you for being so eco-friendly. I could try the eco-friendly option we have here and walk it out but unfortunately, the friendship is not such a mutual one.

ps - Just so we're clear, I do not check every five minutes to see if people are back from vacation because I miss them.