Happy Cartoonists Day Yesterday

[That's Jake Vol for Life]

I was not even aware that there was such a thing, but when I found out about it a day late, I decided to celebrate myself by posting some old drawings on my Substack site (jakevest@substack.com). While looking through some sketchbooks and files, I found this one -- I think from maybe 1973 or 1974. It was right after they put in the new upper deck on the student side, the one that swayed.
My concept here was what if we did a card section that said what was really on the minds of fans. The message might even be more timely these days in light of the Nico transfer.

 

[WillisWG]

 

[volsforever27]

Grew up reading That’s Jake in the 80s in Jacksonville. Always tickled to see Tennessee stuff on there as a kid.

 

[BruisedOrange]

I was not even aware that there was such a thing, but when I found out about it a day late, I decided to celebrate myself by posting some old drawings on my Substack site (jakevest@substack.com). While looking through some sketchbooks and files, I found this one -- I think from maybe 1973 or 1974. It was right after they put in the new upper deck on the student side, the one that swayed.
My concept here was what if we did a card section that said what was really on the minds of fans. The message might even be more timely these days in light of the Nico transfer.
View attachment 830543

Nicely rendered drawing for a cartoonist! If you'd said you pursued architecture I'd believe you.

Also--since this was done during the early '70s--congratulations on accomplishing that card stunt without spellcheck.

 

[Hacksaw]

Good find, thanks for posting!

 

[That's Jake Vol for Life]

Grew up reading That’s Jake in the 80s in Jacksonville. Always tickled to see Tennessee stuff on there as a kid.

Living here in Gator Country, I got a lot of grief for some of those references, but there always seemed to be another Vol who had my back.
After a loss to Florida, I was at a club meeting in which several of the attendees showed up with little posters of the score and did quite a bit of other low-class taunting. I didn't like them much, but they paid big money for ski vacations my wife sold, so I had to tolerate it best I could. I did have a few extra beers.
When it came time to pay up, the absolutely darling little server came over with the standard leather envelope with the bill.
Mine should have been fairly extensive, but it had a zero and a note.
"I'm originally from Morristown. I spread your drinks around those loudmouth assholes who were picking at you. Go Vols!"
I tipped her $100. Money well spent.

 

[That's Jake Vol for Life]

Nicely rendered drawing for a cartoonist! If you'd said you pursued architecture I'd believe you.

Also--since this was done during the early '70s--congratulations on accomplishing that card stunt without spellcheck.

Ha. Some were better than others. In the same sketchbook, I found a drawing of a television that appears to be hovering a few inches off the ground. (There was a lot of inhaling done in those days, so who knows whether that was intentional?)
And how do you know I didn't use current AI to make it appear that it was done in the 70s?

BTW, is that Bruised Orange user name a reference to the John Prine album containing "Fish and Whistle" and "That's the Way that the World Goes 'Round"?

 

[Enigmatic_Vol]

Not familiar with the comic strip, but very familiar with the phrase "That's Jake".... it's very common in old movies, especially pre-code movies.

 

[That's Jake Vol for Life]

Good find, thanks for posting!

Thanks.
Is Hacksaw a reference to Reynolds? I was in school when the incident of sawing a car in half reportedly happened. I was lucky enough to meet his linebacking colleague Steve Kiner at a tailgate party once and talked over some old times and old games. Also played in a golf tournament hosted by Doug Atkins and heard some great yarns about what I think of as the good old days.
That was when players, too, were VFL instead of HUIGAO (Here Until I Get Another Offer)

 

[YankeeVol]

I was not even aware that there was such a thing, but when I found out about it a day late, I decided to celebrate myself by posting some old drawings on my Substack site (jakevest@substack.com). While looking through some sketchbooks and files, I found this one -- I think from maybe 1973 or 1974. It was right after they put in the new upper deck on the student side, the one that swayed.
My concept here was what if we did a card section that said what was really on the minds of fans. The message might even be more timely these days in light of the Nico transfer.
View attachment 830543

You've posted this drawing before correct?

 

[That's Jake Vol for Life]

Not familiar with the comic strip, but very familiar with the phrase "That's Jake".... it's very common in old movies, especially pre-code movies.

You just hit a nerve with that one.
The comic started off being titled Sun Belt, which was a once-a-week feature that was designed to make fun of all the UpNorth and Left Coasters moving to Florida and telling people here how backward they were. It caught on, go popular enough for us to try to go "national."
I wasn't dumb enough to think we were ever going to sell a hickabilly right wing contrarian cowboy to urban audiences, but there was money in it, so I was all for the opportunity.
So I end up in a New York cartoon syndicate's offices discussing how to proceed.
One editor said the title "Sun Belt" was "too regional." I wanted "Tall Cotton," as in "picking in tall cotton." People around the conference table looked at me as if I were a disappointment, which I was -- to them. I still like that name.
The managing editor said "how about That's Jake... like 'that's jake by me'?" and everybody around the table nodded approval -- except me.
One always nods approval at the ideas of one's managing editors. He wasn't mine yet, but he still carried the day.
As far as I know, we never sold to a single northern urban newspaper except the Chicago Tribune on a few special occasions. The audience was Old Dixie, the West, including, of all places, Los Angeles and Seattle and I don't think 98 percent of them had any idea what the phrase "that's jake" meant.

 

[BruisedOrange]

Ha. Some were better than others. In the same sketchbook, I found a drawing of a television that appears to be hovering a few inches off the ground. (There was a lot of inhaling done in those days, so who knows whether that was intentional?)
And how do you know I didn't use current AI to make it appear that it was done in the 70s?

BTW, is that Bruised Orange user name a reference to the John Prine album containing "Fish and Whistle" and "That's the Way that the World Goes 'Round"?

I'm no lawyer, but... probably better to be prosecuted for breaking the law of gravity than the law on substance abuse.
(Great bar story, BTW!)

The AI question is real. I originally started to jokingly ask (about your OP drawing) if that was a fold in the paper, or one of the seams in that 1973 artificial turf... and that's when the AI question passed through my noggin.

In another forum I used some image-editing freeware to put some LV figures into a picture of the Start Trek transporter room, and was pleased with the results. Then I thought, "I wonder if this is good enough that people might think it's AI generated?" Of course, then my pride popped up (some human problems can never be solved by technology) and suggested I intentionally degrade the quality so I'd get credit for creating it!

And yes, I'm a long-time fan of John Prine's songwriting. The name & avatar were kind of the natural response to a couple of life-changing personal tragedies overlapping with the Dooley years at UT. Participating (and hopefully contributing) in the Volnation community provided a healthier online option for me during some of those subsequent long nights.
Better'n becoming another verse to "We are the Lonely."

 

[That's Jake Vol for Life]

You've posted this drawing before correct?

I do not recall having ever posted that one? In fact, I just ran across the whole file, tagged "old sketchbook" while looking for some stuff to illustrate an article for Substack about National Cartoonists Day.
My not recalling something, however, does not mean that it didn't happen.

 

[That's Jake Vol for Life]

I'm no lawyer, but... probably better to be prosecuted for breaking the law of gravity than the law on substance abuse.
(Great bar story, BTW!)

The AI question is real. I originally started to jokingly ask (about your OP drawing) if that was a fold in the paper, or one of the seams in that 1973 artificial turf... and that's when the AI question passed through my noggin.

In another forum I used some image-editing freeware to put some LV figures into a picture of the Start Trek transporter room, and was pleased with the results. Then I thought, "I wonder if this is good enough that people might think it's AI generated?" Of course, then my pride popped up (some human problems can never be solved by technology) and suggested I intentionally degrade the quality so I'd get credit for creating it!

And yes, I'm a long-time fan of John Prine's songwriting. The name & avatar were kind of the natural response to a couple of life-changing personal tragedies overlapping with the Dooley years at UT. Participating (and hopefully contributing) in the Volnation community provided a healthier online option for me during some of those subsequent long nights.
Better'n becoming another verse to "We are the Lonely."

Don't understand AI, nor am I much interested in it. I grew up around people who cursed the automatic transmission and FM radio and still know a few who have 8-track players, but I think I am moderate about progress -- even that which confuses me, aka, most of it.
To me, it seems like an extension of PhotoShop, which I used a lot. My Sunday comics rarely existed as "originals" all in one piece. I would sketch, scan, cut, paste and create an electronic image to print out and send to the syndicate. If somebody wanted to buy an original, I had to create one by tracing.
Not real sure what the O and P stand for in OP drawing, or what the L and V stand for in the LV figures but spotted the UT right off. I'm sharp like that. Had dinner with Dooley and Orlando Big Orange Club and liked the guy but was as confused by his offense as his players seemed to be. Now that I think about it, maybe IT was AI generated.
Also not real sure what the great bar story is that you allude to, as I don't recall telling one here recently.
Is it the one about Prine in a bar in Orlando? He did two shows, couldn't sell enough tickets to justify the second one, so they let those of us who were there for the first hang around. We went up and grabbed all the good seats. I was close enough to light his cigarettes... not hyperbole or figure of speech, either. I DID light his cigarettes for him and got to shoot the breeze between songs.

 

[BruisedOrange]

Don't understand AI, nor am I much interested in it. I grew up around people who cursed the automatic transmission and FM radio and still know a few who have 8-track players, but I think I am moderate about progress -- even that which confuses me, aka, most of it.
To me, it seems like an extension of PhotoShop, which I used a lot. My Sunday comics rarely existed as "originals" all in one piece. I would sketch, scan, cut, paste and create an electronic image to print out and send to the syndicate. If somebody wanted to buy an original, I had to create one by tracing.
Not real sure what the O and P stand for in OP drawing, or what the L and V stand for in the LV figures but spotted the UT right off. I'm sharp like that. Had dinner with Dooley and Orlando Big Orange Club and liked the guy but was as confused by his offense as his players seemed to be. Now that I think about it, maybe IT was AI generated.
Also not real sure what the great bar story is that you allude to, as I don't recall telling one here recently.
Is it the one about Prine in a bar in Orlando? He did two shows, couldn't sell enough tickets to justify the second one, so they let those of us who were there for the first hang around. We went up and grabbed all the good seats. I was close enough to light his cigarettes... not hyperbole or figure of speech, either. I DID light his cigarettes for him and got to shoot the breeze between songs.

In order of appearance:
OP = Original Post (or Poster)
LV = Lady Vols
bar - I realize now in your post you said the story with the Florida fans happened at a club meeting.
Guess I misread that as a euphemism for a bar.

Dooley was intelligent and (as an old History major and practitioner of impeccable shower discipline) I always enjoyed his press conferences. But, as gridiron legend Benjamin Franklin observed, "Well done is better than well said."

 

[Hacksaw]

Thanks.
Is Hacksaw a reference to Reynolds? I was in school when the incident of sawing a car in half reportedly happened. I was lucky enough to meet his linebacking colleague Steve Kiner at a tailgate party once and talked over some old times and old games. Also played in a golf tournament hosted by Doug Atkins and heard some great yarns about what I think of as the good old days.
That was when players, too, were VFL instead of HUIGAO (Here Until I Get Another Offer)

You've rubbed elbows with some of the greats.

Yeah, when I was trying to think of a user name I wanted something related to Vol history/tradition. Not related to the real Hacksaw, although I am old enough to remember his playing days.

 

[Enigmatic_Vol]

You just hit a nerve with that one.
The comic started off being titled Sun Belt, which was a once-a-week feature that was designed to make fun of all the UpNorth and Left Coasters moving to Florida and telling people here how backward they were. It caught on, go popular enough for us to try to go "national."
I wasn't dumb enough to think we were ever going to sell a hickabilly right wing contrarian cowboy to urban audiences, but there was money in it, so I was all for the opportunity.
So I end up in a New York cartoon syndicate's offices discussing how to proceed.
One editor said the title "Sun Belt" was "too regional." I wanted "Tall Cotton," as in "picking in tall cotton." People around the conference table looked at me as if I were a disappointment, which I was -- to them. I still like that name.
The managing editor said "how about That's Jake... like 'that's jake by me'?" and everybody around the table nodded approval -- except me.
One always nods approval at the ideas of one's managing editors. He wasn't mine yet, but he still carried the day.
As far as I know, we never sold to a single northern urban newspaper except the Chicago Tribune on a few special occasions. The audience was Old Dixie, the West, including, of all places, Los Angeles and Seattle and I don't think 98 percent of them had any idea what the phrase "that's jake" meant.

Interesting! Thanks for sharing!