Blog for Suits and Guarders--a cartoon by Ian Johnson

Let's Have a Picnic!

5/28/2018

Happy Memorial Day!

Memorial day is a wonderful time for picnics and remembering our soldiers who have given their lives for our freedom. This cartoon is really just about picnics but I thought I would share it with you during this holiday weekend.
There are quite a few outdoor pools that are set up with grills right beside them. So in many ways, this comic was screaming to get written. I think Arnold is hopeful that someone will bring him some food. Kurt, on the other hand, isn’t so sure.

There are perks to having a grilling station near a pool, unless Hansel and Gretel start leaving bread crumbs on the pool deck for the wildlife. Then look out for the furry visitors!

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Mind the Water

5/20/2018

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Long days of summer are just ahead of us. This marks the time for picnics by the pool or going to the beach with family. For many of us, there is water involved. Once school is out and spring comes to a close, we immediately rush to the water to frolic without thinking about others or our own safety. So before you grab your towel and head out to the pool, keep in mind these tips for safety.

General Safety Tips:
Always have an understanding of the rules at each destination where you swim.

Always swim with a buddy. Whether you are young or old, a beginner or a competitive swimmer, never swim alone.

Always stay hydrated by drinking water or eating hydrating snacks (popsicles, watermelon or other fruit), especially when outdoors.

Always use sun protection: hats, clothing, and lotions which are SPF 15+.

No lifeguard on duty:
Hotel pools are the best example of “Swim at your own risk.” Parents are the lifeguards at these pools. Please teach children that they must wait for parent’s permission before entering the pool area and before they enter the water. Be aware of all children in the water. Be vigilant!

Lifeguard on duty:
Lifeguards are employed for safety. Parents should be present and keep an eye on children. With a lifeguard on duty, you don’t have to watch them like a hawk, but be present to help with understanding and following of rules.

Lake/Beach:
Always swim in the designated area. If the area is not defined, be cognizant of how far you venture out because it’s difficult to determine depth in murky water.

Remove any objects that are unsafe. Let a lifeguard know if there is a dangerous object in the water. (Jellyfish, broken glass, large branches)

Boating:
In states where no life jacket law is in place, the US Coast Guard mandates that anyone under the age of 13 years wear a life vest. So the best rule is this: Always wear a life jacket when you are boating!

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Let Her Rip!!

5/7/2018

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Thomas loves hosing things down.

Thomas clearly enjoys hosing down locker rooms, but doesn’t seem to grasp that Kurt may not enjoy it, even though he may deserve a good soaking! This particular strip is part of a set of outdoor comics which I pretty much wrote in one sitting after working at a few outdoor pools. There is a significant contrast in atmosphere, patrons and duties when comparing indoor lifeguarding to outdoor lifeguarding: The beating sunlight and neighborhood recreation swimmers versus a noisy HVAC with light fixtures and the lap swimmer that just got off work.

The secondary duties that a lifeguard has to perform are much different however. For instance, indoor locations require locking up and setting a facility alarm system at closing. Outdoor locations involve locking up as well, but also placing things like a backboard and shepherd’s crook in a storage closet before leaving. What inspired this comic was the fact that there may be no janitor for an outdoor pool, so lifeguards may be required to hose down the locker rooms every night. Not very many lifeguards enjoy hosing stuff down. (We can sometimes be a lazy bunch.) If Kurt receives a wet shirt in return for not doing the grunt work, maybe next time, he’ll pitch in!

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One Happy Camper!

5/1/2018

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Here is an idea I have had for quite a few years now. Many of the short stories that I’ve written for Suits and Guarders are between 4 and 10 comic gags before the story wraps up, but now I am considering a much longer story. I am still not entirely sure as to how long the story will be. The premise for this story will be built around the lifeguards temporarily leaving the city pool to work at a mountain lake over the summer. I am also considering that they win a talent show contest and the prize is the opportunity to go away to this lake camp to work. Ellen is driven to win this competition because this is the same camp of her childhood. The story will have several efforts by the lifeguards to come up with ideas for winning the contest like forming an a cappella group, a garage band and perhaps even a comedy skit. After much contemplation and work, they manage to pull through, and Ellen gets to revisit her summer memories.

The lifeguards of "Suits and Guarders" harmonize on the pool deck. This is a Norman Rockwell tribute too.

There are a long list of things that needs to be figured out like the format of the cartoon and the flow itself. For the last three years, I have done my work on 9x12 Bristol Board in landscape view which works well for comics but if I switch to making a graphic novel, I may need to consider rotating to a portrait view and perhaps even moving to a larger scale. Oh, and of course, then I have to consider scanning something that is in a larger format. Because a true graphic novel is vague in description, I don’t plan on changing the flow of the cartoon. It will still have the typical punchline and gag humor to it and the same sweet charm that it has. One of the upsides to doing a webcomic that isn’t syndicated is that you have free reign in choosing the size comic you want, portrait or landscape. The downside is later you may have to change it.

The inspiration to write about camping stemmed from taking a short camping trip every year with a youth group I was in many years back. My brother and I always looked forward to it, because there were numerous shenanigans that took place along with a few pranks. I was one happy camper! On this note, I invite all of my readers to share with me some of your fondest memories that you have from summer camp. It would be great fun to see how many I can include in the story.

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Let's Have a Picnic!

Mind the Water

Let Her Rip!!

One Happy Camper!

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