Cartoons Illustrate by Les
Icon of the Blessed
Virgin Mary
Beside cartoons, I have also done serious work. In the late 1980’s I learned the traditional way of painting of icons from a Russian Orthodox iconographer. Since then I have painted hundreds of icons for churches and for individuals.
My greatest work has been the completion of all of the icons of St. Columba Orthodox Church. There are 51 icons in the interior. The image of Christ over the altar is eight feet top to bottom.
Kool Kat Klub
The stereotype image of an alley cat lends itself to tough yet feline images. This group includes a tough leader, a lazy semi -sophisticated crony and a simple mined follower.
The Glee Club
From time to time over the years I have enjoyed making up groups of characters. Sometimes I entertain Grandkids by drawing groups of characters and often they then do similar drawings as well.
El Hombre de Camino
(the man of the road)
In 1968 I was principal of an elementary school that was about 40% Latino. There were Latino boys in the upper grades that had problems reading. There was very little teaching material that they could relate to. So, I developed several short easy to read comic books with both Spanish and English. I used Spanish that was in the local idiom, not the formal Spanish taught in school.
Mike the Monk
In my teaching at Regis University I used an overhead projector to illustrate my lectures. I made my own transparencies and to make the lectures more interesting, I would use Mike the Monk to add color and something to look at besides a list of dates. As both an historian and a non-monastic associate of a Benedictine Monastery, I have a familiarity and high regard for Monastic tradition.
Wilbert Weasel
Weasels, for some reason, lend themselves to cartoons characters that are sneaky, furtive, and sometimes dangerous. I have used this image for many years as a “bad guy” in a variety of forms. It is one of the fun characters to draw as the figure can be shown in a number of ways
Rollo Dyce casino owner
And shady character
Rollo Dyce was headed in the wrong direction as a teen ager, running around with a bad crowd. But then the Korean War came up and he found himself on the front lines. War can bring out the best in some men, and the worst in others. Rollo took to the excitement of front line duty and actually saved the life of his immediate commander. Shortly after that he was severely wounded and lost a leg. He returned home a war hero and for a time lived a much different life than the one he had before the war. But old cronies, wanting to cash in on his new reputation pulled him back into the gambling industry and questionable connections. No one knows where the money came from, but he became the owner of a gambling casino, Los Perdidosos, just outside of the City limits. He manages to stay just inside of the law – but barely. He will be a recurring figure in Rocky Roads adventures to come.
El Cuchillo
He grew up in a tough Rio de Janero barrio. Because he was smaller than most kids his age he learned to be tough and to take care of himself. He is devoid of any sort of conscience. He became involved in petty crime at an early age and became particularly known for his skill with a knife. He has a deep commitment to his current employer who has paid him well, which allows him a life style undreamed of in the barrio. Since working for his current employer he has disappeared from the ordinary crime of the streets.
Lupe de Lobo
Stanley Steember
(FBM = Federal Border Monitor)
Stanley Steember is a US Government Agent working under the Federal Border Monitor Department. He is a bit of a maverick and has been assigned to the City area, which is a long way from any border, so he will not be an embarrassment to the Agency. Stanley is quite happy being shunted off to a dead-end assignment because he can work in his own way, unhampered by administrative rules and supervision.
