The "Dude and Dude" Studio (The Dude-io!)

Dudes have been asking, so...here it is,

the "Dude-io"    
     This is where most of the drawing, creating, preparing and sending of my "Dude and Dude" comic strip ( Dude and Dude at Comics.com ) happens.
     A small, little studio/office in Orange County, CA (The OC). It is actually my office for the camp I work as Marketing Director for (the camp I grew up going to), so Dude and Dude time is in the off hours and weekends!
     The pics aren't great because I shot them with my non-Smart phone. I apologize, I haven't moved into the world of using a phone for everything but calling someone yet!
    

You also see bits and pieces of my writing and speaking career, mixed in with my likes and hobbies. But, my favorite spot is "The Chair" (dude, awesome chair!), where I sit, think, relax and fall asleep trying to conjure up the daily cartoon concepts that will hopefully keep Dude and Dude relevant, entertaining and funny! Heavy emphasis on the "funny"! I'm sure as soon as it isn't, or if it isn't to you, you'll let me know!

    

     Fans have asked if I prepare my comics differently from other cartoonists because the colors seem more vibrant and backgrounds tend to be repetive and similiar. You dudes are sharp!
     Because I wear so many (too many) hats, my cartoons are prepared in a less conventional way compared to most daily cartoonists, whose work pays all their bills. They have the time to, and luxery of hand drawing the majority of their work, where I must settle for reusing characters and backgrounds from a preserved library that floats around the edges of each new cartoon, just waiting to be called into action.

     Trust me, every new character, setting, background, building, piece of furniture, coffee mug, etc., at one point, is either hand drawn or created in a computer graphics program by me. I'm not that far removed from the fact that I am a cartoonist. I'm just using what's out there to save time right now.
     If you fans decide to make Dude and Dude my one and only source needed to survive, trust me, I'll adjust....dude!

     I love talking cartooning and all things "Dude!" Let's talk!...I'll be over in my chair waiting to hear from....ZZZZZZZZZZZ

Email: keith@keithpoletiek.com
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Awesome Dude Series: No. 2 - Bhutan

Bhutan? No. 2 on my Awesome Dude Series?

You're thinking, "Dude, Bhutan is a country, not a dude! A country can't be a dude, can it?"

I beg to differ, dude!

I say, if a country announces that its' Gross National Product is "Happiness", then makes casual robes on men the required dress of the day, and demands that relaxation be included in every work day, then they are a dude!

Bhutan even became a country by a large group of dudes slipping away from the big country they were apart of "The Man" and found a place so remote, they're hard to find on a map.

Bhutan is also so casual that they don't promote tourism. They'd rather be left alone to live the life they want, at their own pace, their own way, with their own kind; the very definition of a dude! They actually didn't even introduce tourism as an option until 1971when they were being hounded, daily, by hippies (dudes) looking for a place to disapear, check out and grow old.  Their government still fights for allowing the Bhutanese to "keep on keepin' on" in their own mellow lifestyle by charging tourists $200 a day just to hang out. Discourage City, or what!

Dude, there number two sport, right behind archery, is darts! How kickback and non-confrontational is that! Peace, Love, Bhutan!

If you want to know where Bhutan is, sorry, dude: You'll have to look it up yourself. Us dudes never give away a secret spots where dudism can flow. All I can say is, find the Himilayas and go left!

For a great read about all things Bhutan, check out Lisa Napoli's book, Radio Shangri La: What I Learned in Bhutan, the Happiest Kingdom on Earth and when you're done, you'll realize what I did; that a country can be a dude, and that Bhutan is one.

Tell us about your secret "dude" getaway spot (and don't charge us
serious fundage to go there!). We won't let anyone but a dude check it out!

Keith Poletiek is the creator of Dude and Dude, a daily comic strip, distributed by United Feature Syndicate at www.Comics.com

 keith@keithpoletiek.com
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"Dude Digs"

If you've been following along, Dude and Dude are on the search for their own digs, "Casa de Dude". Their motivation to move out of the convenient confines of mom and dad's place, like much of their motivation, came from good old dad himself. Wanting to kick-start their lives - he politely kicked them out. Dad then kicked in $250 a month to help. Money the "Dudes" feel will be enough to secure a great pad with plenty of living space...and an ocean view. Enter a serious dose of reality!

Time to wake up, indeed. You can just imagine, and will soon learn if you follow along, that the neighborhoods that can provide a two-man, personal dwelling for $250 a month are not neighborhoods you want to walk around in at night (or during the day, for that matter).

Where were you when the "It's time for you grow up a bit, get out there on your own and learn some responsibility" monster came knocking? If you were caught off guard, totally bummed, fought it at first and are maybe still fighting it, then you just might be a "dude".

My "Get a full-time job, go to school full-time, or get out!" speech came at age 19 from my dad, attempting to motivate me in any direction. His approach, following many subtle hints for months, was finally a yelling match across a dining room table. A table that kept us from probably having our first fight ever that would involve physical contact. I love that table today; my dad would have creamed me!

What did I do? What would a dude do? I took all that anger towards my dad, the confusion and the spite, went out into the world and...got a full-time job as an editorial cartoonist and graphic artist for a local trade publication in 4 days. I never thanked my dad properly either...dude.

Their eventual humble dwelling, "Casa de Dude", came to me following a conversation with a person who works at a small natural food place (The Stand) in Laguna Beach, CA who rides a bike to work, is saving money to travel the world playing guitar, and rents a room in the hills of Laguna from an older woman who converted a closet into a bedroom for just such an occasion...dude! A closet is a "Casa de Dude" for sure!

I hope you're living where you want to be living, no matter how humble! If it works for you, it's right!

Follow the dudes as they find their digs and jobs and attempt to scratch out the living they desire! Sign up today at http://www.comics.com/

Email: keith@keithpoletiek.com
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Awesome Dude Series: No. 1 - Jeff "The Dude" Lebowski

     Beginning a biographical series on great "Dudes" in history with a fictional character might not seem like a good approach, but, dude, Jeff Lebowski (played by Jeff Bridges), the star of the Coen brothers 1998 comedy film, The Big Lebowski, so much sets the standard of dudism that I had to put him in the lead-off position.
     Besides, according the Coen brothers, Jeff "The Dude" Lebowski, was very much based on two real life dudes from their past, Jeff Dowd and Peter Exline (who now teaches at USC...dude).
     These were two dudes that lived by simple means, put out only enough energy to sustain a laidback SoCal existence, and were self-assured enough to walk to the slow-groove beat of their own drum, mostly Creedence, according to the Coens, and become, in my eyes as well, full-blown, self-made, dudes!
     What is a dude in my eyes?
     A dude is someone who can relax when everyone else is running around. He (or she) can find greatness in simple ideas and live life with an "Every day is casual Friday" attitude. They usually land on their feet, gain a loyal following of friends, and enjoy just being, or "abiding," according to Lebowski, who when asked who is "The Dude?" His answer was simply, "The Dude Abides," which is now a cult phrase to all Lebowski followers, of which there are many. Enough for Lebowski Festivals, so named "Lebowski-Fest's" to pop up annually across the nation and in Canada (even in Europe, I've heard).
     Though appearing to be laidback and apathetic, another key that draws me to a true dude is they can tend to make a name for themselves without really trying. And when they do try, they do it short spirts, as not to get over worked or "Sell out to The Man."    

     That's also the reason I went with Jeff Lebowski as No. 1 in this Awesome Dudes Series, because Jeff Bridges himself, in my estimation, is a dude. He approached Hollywood with an, "I'll work, and work hard, but only when I want to work and only play roles I want to play" mindset and even walked away from "career launching" roles only to have his career launch to super stardom anyway. If you get a chance to see his biography in the American Masters series (I caught it on PBS), you'll agree that this Academy Award-winning actor is a dude for sure. His home is his own Casa de Dude with a walking labyrinth and maze of hedges and mirrors in the backyard for him and his family to go and get lost in their thoughts, tune out, hang out and escape. The true makings of a real life dude.
     As the creator and cartoonist for my own comic strip, titled Dude and Dude (http://www.comics.com/), you'll find that I consider myself somewhat of a dude also. A dude always looking for new material to use as ideas for the two dudes that star in my comic. Send your dude comments, dudisms, or let me know who you believe to be a full-blown, self-made, righteous dude and maybe they'll make it into one of the Awesome Dudes Series!
     Also, like a true dude, I'm always on the hunt for a great fish taco, so send me, and all of us, your favorite taco shack so we can score one too....dude.


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Dude and Dude - Creating the Comic Strip

     Having watched cartoons religiously as a child; enjoyed a well put together comic book collection, and dabbled in drawing cartoons for most of my life, I, like my blog title announces, seem to have always been “Character Driven”.

     So, when you decide to tempt fate and create your own voice in the comic world, you look to the masters for advise; and when they, Charles Schultz, Johnny Hart (B.C., Wizard of Id), Gary Trudeau (Doonesbury), repeatedly tell you to, “Write what you know,” you dig deep to find that one part of you that you know you could write about, share, and exploit with humor, everyday for the rest of your life.

     Dude and Dude, by process of elimination, have become the two characters that I believe will be that voice, or two of the voices, ready to be exploited at every turn.

     Partnering to help make this happen is United Feature Syndicate, who have decided to take the dudes to the cyber-world by distributing Dude and Dude world-wide through their online website Comics.com…dude!

    

     Why Dude and Dude?

     Because they represent a large portion of the people, or kind of people, I’ve met, been friends with and/or hung out with all my life in the beach community I still live in today, Huntington Beach, Ca.

     Spend ten minutes in the older downtown area, or a couple of hours around the HB pier and you’ll hear the word repeated so often that you’ll leave not only having it ringing in your ears but also coming out of your mouth….”Dude!”

     It has become, in my world, the universal greeting label for anybody worthy of its status.

     Scott F. Kiesling wrote in his speech, entitled “Dude,” to the University of Pittsburgh, “dude has become unconstrained – a sign of inexpressiveness in which one word is used for any and all utterances.”

     Dude, this dude hit the dude right on the head…dude!

     At times, it represents, acknowledges, announces, confirms, recognizes and states our innermost thoughts and feelings, “Dude!” Then it flip-flops and does the complete opposite and announces our apathy, lack of drive and longing for a break from society, the day and “The Man”, “Dude!”

     Like the Coen brothers, who based the their character, Jeff “The Dude” Lebowski (in their 1998 comedy, “The Big Lebowski,”) largely on a couple of guys they hung out with early in their career and in college, Jeff Dowd and Peter Exline, I too have based Dude and Dude on a combination of many people I either grew up around or hung out with that measure up (or down) to the level of an “official, flow blown, righteous dude!”

     I hope you’ll follow along, check in on, become a daily fan of, and soon relate to “the dudes”; if you’re not a dude already.

     Sign up and build your own personal comic page using Dude and Dude a variety of other favorites in the Comics.com bullpen. They email your custom comics page to you daily, and it’s FREE…dude!

     I’d love to hear your comments and suggestions as you follow along and become part of the Dude and Dude community.

     Now, go take a nap. You’ve already read more than enough for one dude in a day.

     Then scrape together some change and go scarf and fish taco or two....dude.

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