Gosh, it's been so long since I've posted here. Goes to show what a pandemic can do. 

In the midst of everything that went down globally in 2021, I did manage to get a book together! It's a collection of the best cartoons done for the ITPNZ Techblog alongside the weekly ‘Brislen on Tech’ column. It was released to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the IT Professionals group's existence in New Zealand. 

We were planning a launch event for it in August 2021, but then the Delta variant of COVID-19 hit New Zealand and everything got locked down, so no launch party took place, sadly. Since then, I've mostly been trying to keep my head above water with work, family and other ‘life admin’ things, so have not had the chance to promote it much. But better late than never!

More info about the book, and how you can order it is here.

Since then, Paul Brislen has moved on to other things, but Jim's cartoons can still be seen alongside the columns from Techblog's new lead columnist, Peter Griffin. To see these NEW cartoons in the new ‘Griffin on Tech’ column, go here. 

And as always, stay tuned for more about Jim's next big project via Facebook and Twitter. 

Ciao for now!

It’s been a VERY long time since I posted any new cartoons here. In that time, the world has been overrun by a pandemic – and equally – conspiracy theories related to it. 

This cartoon was inspired by the efforts of a fellow Aucklander, long-time acquaintance, and supporter of Jim’s cartoons, David Farrier, who is making it his mission of late to combat conspiracy theorists in all their forms, but especially in relation to COVID-19.

See here for Dave’s latest comment on all that, and when you’re done there, check out his recently launched Webworm project.

Meanwhile, for New Zealanders dealing with the latest COVID-19 lockdown …  Stay home, wear a mask when you’re out and about, be kind, and listen to the experts. 

Peace. 

Those who know my life story know that I grew up as the son of a preacher man (‘pastor’, ‘minister’, ‘priest’ … whatever you want to call that job) and have been drawing cartoons throughout my life, very often with religious themes inspired by my upbringing in the Christian Church.

In 2006, I published my first book, called ‘Gone Astray: A collection of (sac)religious cartoons by Jim’, which chronicled my first 10 years of cartooning on ‘churchy’ topics.

Since then, I have had a cartoon panel featured monthly in Touchstone magazine (published by the Methodist Church of New Zealand) – which has touched on wide range of topics relevant to church-going people … as well as those outside church walls who may look in through the windows wondering what the heck is going on inside!

This book will collect together for the first time 120 of these cartoons drawn for Touchstone and other media and will be appropriately titled TOUCHING A NERVE: A CURLY COLLECTION OF CHURCHY CARTOONS BY JIM.

It’ll be an irreverent, often thought-provoking, and (hopefully!) laugh-inducing collection of cartoons that will touch readers’ nerves (and funny bones) on some big topics – life, God, religion, politics, social justice and spirituality in the modern world.

The book will be about 136 pages in full colour, so I’m aiming to raise at least $3,500 to cover an initial limited print run and am offering a few different reward packs as incentives for you to pledge your support.

Thanks for your consideration of this project, and I look forward to your help in bringing ‘TOUCHING A NERVE’ to life!

CLICK HERE TO SUPPORT THIS PROJECT: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/touchinganerve/touching-a-nerve-cartoon-book

Apologies for the bad pun, but this is all I can think of whenever I hear that statement.

And now I’ve gone and made another. :) 

This probably should have been the title of the first movie. 

I first thought of this cartoon idea a few months ago, but considering the recent “fire and fury” that has been spewing from the White House of late, it now seems ominously appropriate for this new year just dawning.

Enjoy 2018. If you can. 

Sometimes even Demogorgons just want to Netflix and chill...

It’s been a while since I posted a cartoon here, but that’s not because there haven’t been cartoons to do. It’s been a busy year, and good things have been happening. More on that later…

For now, there’s an election on in New Zealand this week. It’s been a doozy of a campaign, and now that’s it’s coming to a close I’m hoping there’s going to be a change of government. That’s probably obvious considering the cartoon above – inspired by this moment from the last few days – popped into my head the minute I read it. He who smelt it, Bill... 

We’ll see if all the digging in the dirt pays off for this snide, smarmy Party this weekend. I’m dreaming of something more positive meanwhile.

You might have seen this story a couple weeks back about New Zealand Prime Minister Bill English having a go of some new AR/VR technology.

The cartoon wrote itself really. 

I recently drew the above cartoon for the Community of St Luke Christmas billboard. Strangely, it made the news. I have no idea why. Since when is honesty controversial?

This cartoon is more personal for me. 2016 has been a tough year. Not only because of the outcome of the US election (and I’ve had to eat my words about that), there’s just been so much awful stuff to crawl through.

Top of mind right now is the heartbreaking situation in Aleppo. How many pictures of dead and bloodied children do we have to see on TV before those in the position to influence the situation actually do something about it? It’s infuriating and soul-numbing.

So, am I thinking Christmas is going to make a difference to that somehow this year? Sadly, no. I just want this year over and done, and maybe come 2017 we can start to rebuild sufficiently so that there will truly be a reason for joy next Christmas.

In the event you need help understanding this cartoon, click here.

Here is another cartoon I drew for the People’s Mental Health Review initiative.

Click here for how you can be a part of it, and here for an interview with project leader Kyle MacDonald about social anxiety.

Jim likes cartooning for a good cause. And this is an especially good cause.

Click here to read more about the People’s Mental Health Review.

About a year ago, I was chatting with a friend about my next book project. I’d had a bunch of ideas about what it could be … maybe a sequel to my last book, or an overview of my cartooning careers over the past 30 years … but nothing was really coalescing into a single definitive idea. Then my friend stated the obvious:

“Why don’t you do a book of all your technology cartoons?”

It seemed so simple. And it was. I had been working for the past 10 years in public relations consultancy roles on a wide variety of technology brands, and all the while my cartoonist’s brain had been creating cartoons that naturally picked up on the themes and topics that my PR consultant’s brain was mulling over on a daily basis. I checked my foilio and found dozens of cartoons on technology themes; definitely enough for a book.

Skip forward to today, where I am now very excited to announce that my new book, ‘Sounds Like a Game Changer: A soon-to-be obsolete collection of technology cartoons by Jim’ is complete and is now just busting to get published!

This is where you come in!

From today until the end of June 2016, I am seeking folks keen to support the publication of this book and pre-order copies so I can raise enough cash to print it and bring it to life. I have set up a campaign through Kiwi crowd-funding web site PledgeMe where you can place your order and score some cool rewards as well. Check out all the campaign details here!

I’m really proud of how the content of the book has evolved. As some major tech moments have occurred over the past year I’ve created new cartoons about them, and grouped them into seven distinct topics areas: innovation, devices, life online, tech at work, big data, sustainability and the future. I’ve added some written thoughts to each chapter drawn from my work with technology brands which complement the cartoons and give a bit more insight to their development and reflection on the issues they address.

I’m also super chuffed that my good friend and world-renowned scientist / technology guru Dr Michelle Dickinson (a.k.a. Nanogirl) is writing a foreword to the book! Can’t wait to see that!

So, if you’re into technology and love cartoons, this is the book for you. Be a game-changer, and help me get this book published!

Thanks!

My recent cartoon for Touchstone magazine on the bankruptcy of the terrorist mindset.