I was looking forward to a quiet weekend drawing with the girls, trying some new ink in a Noodler’s flex pen and maybe writing some new cartoons.
Feeling good about getting the A/C charged in the van, we got home from the mechanic, sat on the couch and thought hey, it’s warm in here.
The house A/C is out but not to worry! Today’s high is only 106.
It’s a cool 89 in my room already.
We often find an ending to be the start of a new beginning.
And so it is with blogging!
I’ve decided to bring back the blog so I can share my interests and experiences.
I realized that there are people out there interested in what I’m doing with cartooning and in card grading.
I keep a daily sketchbook but I haven’t shared them online. I will start sharing pages from the books here on the blog.
I will also be sharing other experiences in magazine cartooning, reviews of my art supplies and fountain pens and the goings-on of the baseball card world and travel to card shows.
In short, this is a blog about me. Pretty boring stuff, really.
Where do cartoon ideas come from? If I told you, I would have to kill you.
This is a closely guarded secret passed down to new cartoonists. I think George Cruiksh
ank started it. Wait, I’ve said too much.
But I can tell you where ideas go. For me they usually go into either my phone or a notebook depending on where I am when I receive the precious new idea.
From there they may be morphed into another idea, they may sit for years in a notebook or get scrapped into the trash.
If it is a good idea or a polished idea, it will move to my “active idea” list. This high-tech sounding device is a piece of typing paper taped to my main drawing table. It is generally the last place an idea or caption goes before becoming a cartoon. Keep in mind, the “scrapping” can still happen at this point. I’ve tossed ideas that just would not work on paper. (a little pun)
This cartoon here is in the in-between stage. I can tell you exactly where this idea came from, American Airlines. Actually it came to me while flying on an American Airlines plane. They really didn’t have anything to do with the idea.
Instead of being jotted down as an idea or caption, it went directly into the sketchbook as a rough cartoon while in-flight. I have a drawing kit and sketchbook just for flying since I fly so much.
Quick tip: Rapidographs are a BAD idea inside of a pressurized aircraft. Trust me on this one. You would think I would have learned after 2 pairs of pants.
New Yorker cartoonist Leo Cullum was a commercial airline pilot. He once said in an interview that he drew during layovers but never in the cockpit. Obviously for good reason. When India ink spills, it goes EVERYWHERE!
Oh, and there’s probably some FAA thing about doing it, too.
With any luck, this rough cartoon will become a finished cartoon tonight. Or it will be scrapped, one of the two will happen.
It was a nice quiet day for cartooning. The studio was calm with everyone out.
While cleaning, I went through more than a dozen notebooks filled with ideas, scribbles and scripts. Narrowed those down to a handful of salable ideas and it’s now off to the drawing board!
Currently have 3 cartoons on hold with Reader’s Digest.
After an unev
entful flight to Baltimore, We arrived at BWI just after noon.
The Baltimore Convention Center is massive. Why is this year the first time the National has been held in Baltimore?
The parking isn’t the best around the center but it could be worse.
The show officially opened at 4pm today and ran until 8pm.
Today was a very busy first day and because of that, we ran until midnight.
Ah yes, those long days and late nights of grading on-site at the National.
After seeing the number of cards submitted on this short first day, I think it will be a great show and Stephen Strasburg will be getting a Christmas car
d this year.
Today’s crowd was encouraging and if it is any indication, this should be a huge show!
I did find one traveling rarity when I got to my hotel room. This hotel actually charges for internet. Who does that anymore? The gas station has free wi-fi.
Not only do they charge, but they charge more than the internet on my flight here! It was cheaper to log in at 32,000 feet than here on the second floor.
Oh well.
The big announcement today was the introduction of Beckett Baseball grading and encapsulation.
This isn’t a ball cube with a sticker, we have a unique holder that is ultra sonically welded just like our cards! Photos of the new holder and labeling to follow…
Day 2 starts in only a few hours….
Now on the plane, ready to takeoff for Baltimore.
Nothing like a sold-out plane! 
At least there is plenty of legroom to spread out and enjoy the plush 2-hour ride. (haha)
Apparently, the DFW to Baltimore route is quite popular.
I know I don’t get to fly in first class but I would settle for at least a seat in coach. I think I got the steerage section where they transport livestock. At least it smells that way.
That’s ok. If I can keep the person next to me from spilling their mini plastic bottle of wine all over my sketchbook and my lap, it will be a successful flight.
Next stop will be the rental car lot to pick up the van and then it’s off to the convention center to help with the finishing touches on the booth setup and then get to grading!
Next blog update will be LATE tonight…
Do you know what is fun about traveling by air?
No, I’m asking you, do you know?
I haven’t the slightest idea. In fact, if you asked what is MORE fun than flying I would answer just about EVERYTHING else in the entire world is more fun.
Traveling to card shows for 10-plus years, I have learned how to streamline air travel. I would like to think I have it all down to an art at this point but it is the variables that get you.
Will the security line be hours long or will there be no one there? Will your plane be only 10 minutes late or will it be in Atlanta getting an engine replaced and a dead yak removed from the wheel well? Not even the seasoned, precious metal status decorated traveler knows what will happen in that magical place called hell, er… I mean the airport.
One funny moment is when you are carrying cards in your bag and that bag passes through the x-ray machine.
No, before you panic, I do not carry customer cards with me. All customer cards are shipped to and from card shows via armored air currier. Trust me, I do not want to lug your cards through the airport!
The cards I am talking about are either signed cards from my collection that I am having authenticated (hopefully) by JSA or cards that I bought at the show for my personal collection.
Sometimes they slide right through the machine without incident but sometimes the screeners make a comment like “baseball cards, huh?”
Traveling to the National is different from any of the other shows throughout the year. I don’t know the reason other than maybe it is the excitement. The National is the only show I actually get excited about.
Since my first National in 1992, I find there is still a thrill when I first walk into that exhibit hall and see how big it all is. The seemingly endless rows of everything you collect all under one roof. It is a little overwhelming at first.
In 24 hours I will be in the air heading for Baltimore for the National. The show opens tomorrow at 4pm.
While tomorrow is usually a very long day that will start at 4am and not end until probably close to midnight, today is the real hectic day.
Today is split between finishing up business here at the office and trying to pack everything needed for grading on the road for 5 days.
Things like multiple loupes, rulers, black lights, scales and other assorted tools have to be packed away. The obvious stuff like phone chargers and laptops seem to be hard to remember sometimes. Then there are things like business cards, sketchbooks, pen and pencils and lists of things needed to to at show or people to meet. Clothes usually get thrown into a bag on the way out the door. One thing is for certain, something will be forgotten.
Once you board the plane, you can relax because at that point, there’s nothing else you can do to prepare for the show. You can settle into your middle seat and enjoy a compelling conversation with the guy next to you who has been traveling for 3 days in a tropical climate…and hasn’t showered.
I, along with my fellow Beckett grading staff, will be arriving in Baltimore, MD for the 31st National Sports Collectors Convention on Wednesday, Aug. 4th.
This will be my 11th National and it is nice to be visiting a new city!
Instead of “Tweeting” or twitting, or whatever it is called, I will be adding semi-live reports and observations from the floor of the National with my sketchbook via this blog. It can be a very busy show and grading cards can run into the wee hours of the morning but I will try to send up at least 1 new update each day of the show.
I will also send updates to Facebook which you can find the link on my website (andybroome.com)
If you are visiting the show, stop by the Beckett booth in the corporate area and say hi! Beckett grading will have some great exclusive show pricing and specials.
Hope everyone has a great show!
– Andy Broome
