Snowman Legal

Nothing can prepare you for a fascinating, ingenious product called Method and apparatus for facilitating the construction of a snow man/woman. I warn all readers of Today's Snowman that it is literally impossible to get through the excruciatingly dull and endless explanation but I provide you with a couple of excerpts (the above drawing is NOT related to the patent to protect the originator) for the first ever patent for making a snowman.

If your like me, you enjoy building snow men . . . big. The bigger the better...It is said that the most ingenious ideas are the most simple in design. The Wheel. The Toaster oven. And, yes, now the ultimate Snow Man. Of course, in hindsight the wheel is not so inventive, but at the time it was an earth-shattering innovation. I do not pretend that the ultimate Snow Man will be as revolutionary to the advancement of mankind, but I do contend that as far as I know no one has ever conceived and reduced to practice such an apparatus. I do contend, however, that my innovation is a heck more fun, err than a plain old wheel, and will inspire tons of enjoyment and play for hopefully a long time...The fundamental building "block", or component, of the invention is the creation, for the first time, of a snow sphere that is much lighter in weight than a snow ball or boulder of the same size made out of snow. The snow sphere is made of a material that is rigid enough to support a layer of snow, yet made of a material or construction that causes the snow sphere to be much lighter in weight than a snow boulder of similar size... If you actually want to read more, US Patent 7264531.

(For all you freelancers out there, there is a current bill which will change the rights artists have on their work. For more details and how you can help please visit Freelancer's Lament.)

Snowden Snowman Winner

Congratulations to the winning snowman, Tirehead in this month's snowman contest, the last of 2008 made by Alicia, Jeremy, Jesse, & Matty and photo by Jaci! They have won a signed copy of The History of the Snowman book and a year supply of snow. Alicia's acceptance speech; "Thanks to all our snowman fans!"

Today's Snowman's monthly snowman contest will resume in January 2009. Prizes next year will include official snowman calendar and mugs.

Things Are Heating Up For the Snowman

Unfortunately, this is a family blog so we'll have to leave these snowman girlie playing cards to the imagination. But trust me, things heat up and it's not only the snowman that is naked.

Speaking of voyeurism and heating up, here's an intimate glimpse of my financial woes. When one is a freelancer he or she will undoubtedly experience more than their share of career crossroads. I'm at one myself as the realities of making ends meet as a cartoonist are forcing me to explore some options, although I better do it quick. The past few weeks I've been busy 1) drafting a possible children's version of the snowman book. 2) working on a snowman calendar 3) starting up again a project I began 7 years, a graphic novel comedy on 19th arctic exploration and 4) working on a script for a film studio interested in pitching a snowman special to cable. It goes without saying, all of these ventures are on spec. Meantime, I'm illustrating (my work can be seen in this month's Consumer Reports, Money Adviser and this Monday's sports section in the NY Times) and trying, unsuccessfully, to sell cartoons to the New Yorker (I'm in this month's Prospect – the second cartoon on the site).

Special thanks to fellow freelancer and talented writer Mary "PaperGirl" Fons for writing up the snowman for a few publications and mentioning my book.

My brush with fame moment of the week? A couple of days ago I met renown chef Gordon Ramsay at his book signing in Manhattan. I'm a huge fan (of his BBC shows, not the cheesy American reality shows) and I gave him my book. The hothead TV star was extremely nice, taking the time to chat with me.

Meet the Snowman; Jeff Monson

Jeff Monson is one of the world's top submission grapplers and is coming into his own at the highest level of Mixed Martial Arts (MMA). The main event of Global Fighting's GODZ OF WAR on June 21st pits Jeff "The Snowman" Monson vs. Kevin "The Monster" Randleman. (Oh, you gotta click on that site, believe me.) Tickets for the Snowman's fight are going for upward of $500.

Monson got the nickname, The Snowman, in 1999 at the Abu Dhabi Combat Club Submission Grappling Tournament. The Brazilian Fighters said he was like a snowball: white, compact, and rolling downhill, getting bigger and stronger as the tournament went on. Snowball was translated into Snowman and Snowman stuck. "Snowball or Snowman, in a fight he is an avalanche headed straight for you."

Jeff is from Olympia, Washington, a Brown Belt in BJJ and studied psychology, Pankration, Jiu Jitsu and wrestling (I won't be saying anything smart-alecky for fear of Jeff breaking both my legs). Go to the official website of Jeff "The Snowman" Monson to see Jeff's schedule of speaking engagements and personal blog which gets inside Jeff's mind.

White Stuff People Like

Photo by friend Ben Wolf (his new movie) © 2008

Not to be confused with Stuff White People Like, a popular blog which I think is much to do about nothing (ugh, book deals, Kurt Andersen stamp of approval, blah, blah, blah) and borderline racist. Conversely, I present White Stuff People Like.

1. Snowmen. (In a South Florida mall, Gary Hume from The History of the Snowman is one of the featured artists displaying his Back of a Snowman, a 10-foot tall enamel on bronze, installed outdoors amid tropical palm trees.
2. Cool-Whip. If my family is any indication (they put it on everything three meals a day), this dessert topping is the bomb.
3. White powder. Most every American is addicted to some form of unhealthy white powder whether it be, white flour, sugar, cocaine or some other drug.
4. Snowmen, yes, again. Free range, free standing, Up-standing, Upright, but not up tight, snowmen!
5. Ice Cream. One of the world's most popular foods, the most popular flavor is, you guessed it, vanilla.
6. Milk. In all it's variations, cow, goat, almond, soy, rice, coconut, mother's...white beverage is one of the most popular things in the world, not to mention cheese, which I think is made from milk.
7. White balls. Golf balls, baseballs, soccer balls, snowballs...all make the world go round.
8. Paper. The world changed when paper was invented and white paper has been by far the most popular color. Pink is the least.
9. Moon. Who doesn't like the moon? I think without it we wouldn't have gravity or something. Don't hold me to that.
10. Polar bears. Our generation's endangered Duck-billed Platypus.

Bear in Mind...

Thanks to friend of a friend, I received this amazing image of a Frank Verbeck illustration of bears making a snowman courtesy of Fred Taraba of Taraba Illustration Art, LLC. I am grateful to Fred for sending this piece (sold years ago by The Illustration House). Fred's collection of fine illustrations include all the artists who persuaded me when I was a kid into the field of illustration...Bob Peak, Bernie Fuchs, etc...and Taraba Illustration sells their originals to the public. Frank Verbeck (1858-1933) was known for themes with bears. Below is my two cents (a cartoon I pitched to The New Yorker) and maybe the start of my own bear period.

Last of the 2008 Snowmen

Suicide snowmen in Atlanta after the forecast of a warm week. After a three hour stand-off, police successfully talked the jumpers down.

ALASKA – This is the saddest part of the year as the snowman officially becomes an endangered species. Today's Snowman has received reports across the country of horrific measures of snowmen taking matters into their own hands. These include a fluffy snowman in Montreal using a tanning bed and in Vancover comes the story of a snowman eating soup.


Janet Gattenby sent in this snowman from what looks like the last big snow fall in her hometown of Kenai, Alaska. Stay strong everyone.