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Summer Caption Contest

June 6th, 2013

What better way to ring in the summer than to hold a cartoon caption contest? Here’s the deal: submit your caption for this cartoon through June 21, 2013, and you could win the original watercolor!

Remember to keep your punchlines short and sweet. And funny! One submission per entrant. Contest open to all humans on planet Earth. To keep it fair, I won’t be judging. Instead, that duty falls on the shoulders of author and illustrator, Bruce Arant, who just happens to have a beautiful new children’s book coming out later this summer. Email your captions to KoterbaCaptionContest @ gmail dot com (Sorry, you’ll have to retype that address…just avoiding spam) by 11:59 p.m. CST, June 21, 2013. The winner will be announced July 1, 2013. Good luck and have fun!

My Drumming Dad

April 10th, 2013

My father, Art Koterba, who passed away earlier this year, was a drummer and vocalist. Yet, rarely did the two of us have the chance to play music together in public. Two years ago, in April of 2011, Stefan Morel, a filmmaker from Toronto, was in town to shoot footage for a documentary that was to include scenes of my band, Prairie Cats, performing.

My parents had come out for the show, but it wasn’t during the break that Stefan and I had the idea to ask my father if he’d be willing to sit in on a song. I looked at it as a rare opportunity—not only would I have the chance to share the stage with my father, but also, we might be able to capture the moment with Stefan’s camera.

But my father, true to form, stubbornly resisted. He said that he wasn’t feeling up to it, that he wasn’t sure his feet could handle playing the kick drum and hi-hat cymbal. To be fair, at the time he was eighty-nine years old. It would take a bit more convincing, and eventually, he agreed to come on stage. After adjusting the drum kit, he dove in, playing on a song we certainly hadn’t had the chance to rehearse.

In that moment, he turned back the clock…he seemed twenty years younger.

But then, he always was young at heart.

Farewell, Neil Armstrong

August 27th, 2012

When I met Neil Armstrong, my sketchbook seemed to make him nervous. I knew that he didn’t care to give interviews and although I had no intention of asking anything, I couldn’t help but go up to him, just to shake his hand. He was, after all, one of my heroes. But I, too, was nervous, stumbling over my words. Worse, I was excitedly waving around my hands and trying to explain who I was, and what had brought me to the Saturn V complex at the Kennedy Space Center. He kept eyeing my sketchbook with suspicion, however, and before I could reassure him that I wasn’t a reporter, the moment was lost…

In the spring of 2010, my family and I had come to the Kennedy Space Center for the launch of space shuttle Discovery. We were guests of astronaut Clay Anderson—mission specialist for Discovery—who had also asked to take on his flight two of my original drawings. The hardcover of my memoir, Inklings, had just come out, but because space travel—and Snoopy—play a role in the book, I was able to write an epilogue for the paperback edition that included this:

Even an actual Saturn V rocket, suspended overhead horizontally and as tall as a building, seems to defy logic. Something catches my eye: a display of famous newspaper front pages from July 1969, the headlines proclaiming that man had landed upon the moon. Although the newspapers come from all over the globe, one front page in particular leaps out at me, that of the Omaha World-Herald.

I’m marveling at this familiar image when Josh grabs my attention. Behind me, in the shadow of the mammoth rocket is a statue of astronaut Snoopy, as tall as a boy. Moments later we realize that just a few steps from Snoopy stands Neil Armstrong, the man. I shake his hand and attempt to explain why I am here. He smiles politely but I know that there is probably nothing any mere human can say to this hero that will impress him. I glance to the newspaper display, to the World-Herald’s front page with Armstrong’s image. I want to point it out to him, but he is overtaken by other fans and soon we are back outside, at the bleachers in the viewing area, in the darkness that buzzes with anticipation.

Front page on display in the Omaha World-Herald lobby, and at the Kennedy Space Center

As a kid, Neil Armstrong inspired me to dream big. And when he passed away, he again inspired me as a cartoonist…

Quiet No More

July 30th, 2012

Although it’s been six months since Prairie Cats decided to take an indefinite hiatus, I haven’t exactly been keeping quiet. Last month I dusted off my mandolin for a series of performances in Nebraska with Kentucky-based singer-songwriter, Andrea Davidson. Andrea is a triple threat: she writes great songs, she’s a terrific guitarist, and best of all, she possesses an incredible voice. Most recently, Andrea and I filmed a music video with award-winning filmmaker, Dana Altman, and Grammy-nominated sound engineer, Tom Ware. Although the video is still in the editing process, here’s a photo from the film shoot…

Jeff Koterba, Andrea Davidson, mandolin, music, guitar

Photo courtesy of Christine Brandt

I’m also excited to announce that my son, Josh, and I, will soon be joining forces to write and record a few songs, possibly even an EP. Josh is a gifted singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, producer, and sound engineer. He records and performs as Sail by the Stars. Although we’ve played music together before, we hadn’t written anything as a team until last year. To write a song with one’s son is a thrill that cannot easily be expressed. As his dad, I’m proud of him. As a fellow musician, I’m in awe of what he creates.

Kind Gestures

April 9th, 2012

I’ve been hit by lightning. My cartoons have flown in space. And yet, one of the most surrealistic moments I’ve ever experienced had to be watching myself twitch on the big screen—when I was able to watch, that is. Truth be told, there were moments when I had to close my eyes during a recent screening of the new documentary, Voluntary Gestures, by Stefan Morel. I mean, it’s uncomfortable enough listening to my voice in the recording studio when working on a new song. But watching myself twitch? Tough. Yet, what did I expect? The film is about the connection between Tourette’s and creativity.

Filmmaker Stefan Morel and I first met a year ago when he came to Omaha to spend a week with me, his camera in hand, always at the ready. I trusted him from the start and we quickly became close friends. Stefan is an artist, and what he’s created—from what I’ve seen—is beautiful. And apparently, others who have seen the film agree. At its premiere at the Omaha Film Festival, Voluntary Gestures won two awards including the Audience Choice Award for a short film.

I’m also proud that the film allowed me the opportunity to work with the talented, Josh Koterba, who happens to be my son. Josh and I recorded much of the music for the film. What we didn’t record came from my band, Prairie Cats.

I would also like to thank all of those folks who came to the festival and shared their kind words about the film. For those who have asked when and where they can see it: at present, Voluntary Gestures is being submitted to film festivals around the world which, at this time, precludes general distribution. However, at some point down the road, it’s my understanding that Voluntary Gestures will be available to a wider audience. When that happens I’ll be sure to let you know.

In the meantime, here’s the trailer…Enjoy!

Cats and Dogs, Tics and Space

December 21st, 2011

I always knew that my childhood creation, Dogie the Doggie, was engaged in a self-proclaimed space race with Snoopy. Dogie was also the star of his own newspaper, The Dogie the Doggie News. But who knew that he had competition? From a Cat? It took a trip to New York for me to learn that when she was ten, comedian Chelsea White was not only “broadcasting” The Daily Cat, but had also sent Whiskers into space.

When she’s not making people laugh with her stand-up, Chelsea’s hosting, producing, and editing. And when she’s not doing that, she’s mentoring those with Tourette Syndrome, often visiting schools, sharing her experiences of having grown up with Tourette’s. As someone who also suffers from Tourette’s, I was in town to give a talk at a mentoring brunch sponsored by New York City’s chapter of the Tourette Syndrome Association.

The best part about hanging out at the brunch? I got to meet a lot of great people with Tourette’s, people who don’t define themselves by their tics but instead, are infinitely creative, smart and funny. And that’s the thing about Tourette’s. It isn’t just about twitching, it’s about creating art, music, books, and plays.

And sending imaginary pets into space.

Another Jeff

August 24th, 2011

1. Earlier this summer I’d been asked to visit Timothy McMahon’s MBA class at Creighton University to discuss social networking. The students had plenty of great questions and the informal discussion was fluid. Along the way, we got to talking about my cartoons that traveled aboard the space shuttle, which led one student to ask why space travel is important—a topic in which I am passionate. Along the way, I realized that Timothy was videotaping our conversation. Afterwards, I asked for a copy of the clip; unfortunately, technical difficulties prevented him from posting or sending the video.

2. A few nights ago, I caught Another Earth, a beautiful new film about the discovery of a duplicate planet, and one character’s desire to travel there. But more than a sci-fi story about space travel, Another Earth is a commentary on the human condition, one that confronts the question: how would it feel to meet yourself? One of the things I loved about the original Twilight Zone series was its focus on character development, not on special effects. Another Earth is like a gorgeous, full-length Twilight Zone.

3. While walking home from the film, the night took on a strange, ethereal feel. Maybe it was nothing more than the overcast sky, the lights of the city creating a strange glow, combined with the residual effects of having watched such a moving film…

4. I turned on my iPhone and discovered a message from Timothy—he was letting me know that he’d finally been able to post the video of my answer to the “why space exploration is important” question.

5. As I walked I watched a smaller version of myself, another me, professing my beliefs about the importance of space travel. As far as coincidences go, this was a small one. Yet, as I moved through the shadows of my neighborhood, my phone aglow with YouTube, I couldn’t help but smile and imagine that Another Earth had continued on, beyond the theater, out into the real world…

6. A big thank you to Timothy. Here’s the video (and yes, that’s a cartoon including Moammar Gadhafi in the background):

From Bono to Gaga

July 30th, 2011

It’s happened again. I seemed to be in the right place at the right time for a celebrity sighting. As I’ve mentioned before, I don’t get that excited about such things. However, whether spotting someone like Bono or Lady Gaga, my inner journalist takes over. And although I don’t carry a camera, I do have a smart phone (I also often carry a sketchbook, but I’m fairly certain not even celebrities on the B list would wait around for me to do a sketch.)

Once, upon spotting U2‘s Bono at a bar in my Omaha neighborhood, I followed him outside to snap a photo. Unfortunately, my attempt to capture his image didn’t go so well. (Read about my attempt here.)

bono, jeff Koterba

This past Monday, on the very day I was celebrating 22 years as a full-time cartoonist (that’s at least 7000 deadlines, I’m guessing. Gulp.), I went for a walk and came upon a small crowd gathered in front of KFAB studios, a few blocks from where I live. As I approached, Lady Gaga arrived—she was there to give an interview. Memories of my botched photo attempt of Bono, of course, quickly came to mind. Coincidentally, Lady Gaga was standing just yards away from where Bono stood for my “photo” of him.

I have several good friends at the Omaha World-Herald who happen to be talented photographers. Their jobs seem glamorous. They get to cover everything from wars to championship sporting events, often gaining access to people and places the rest of us can only dream of. They also get to spend a great deal of time outside, not stuck at a desk or drawing table. There have been times when I’ve even fantasized that maybe I should have taken up photography. But then, all it takes is a moment like the other day, when I find myself among screaming—and in some cases, crying—fans, that I remind myself that I’ve made the right choices career-wise.

Here’s one attempt (Did I mention I was in sweaty running clothes? Humbling.)…

Example number two why it’s good I didn’t become a professional photographer…

Finally, with the exception of someone’s giant hand that got in the way, a bit of success (though she’s probably thinking, “Who’s the dude in the sweaty workout clothes? Even the guys from TMZ dress better than that…”)…

Quirky side note alert: the way Lady Gaga’s hair is swirled around her face reminds me a little of the cover of Lisa Glatt’s novel, A Girl Becomes a Comma Like That.

Farewell, Space Shuttle

July 21st, 2011

I’m pleased but saddened by all the attention the space shuttle is getting these days. While it’s reassuring to know that there is still a fervent interest in space exploration, it’s heartbreaking that the United States has no plans in the near future to send humans back into the heavens.

Here’s a recent cartoon on the topic:

And here’s an excerpt from a previous post you might enjoy:

When my memoir, Inklings, was released in November 2009, I had no idea that I would soon get the opportunity to write a new ending. At the same time Inklings was hitting bookshelves, astronaut Clay Anderson was making preparations for his second flight into space. Little did I know that just a few months later, I would be making my way to the Kennedy Space Center where I would watch space shuttle Discovery launch into space with two of my cartoons on board.

One of those cartoons was of Dogie—a dog character I had created as a child and one that plays a significant role in my book. Now, Dogie would have a chance at redemption. (For trivia buffs: according to NASA, the sketches that flew aboard Discovery marked only the second time cartoons made it into space. The first being sketches created by Peants creator Charles Schulz.)

On April 5, 2010, space shuttle Discovery—with Dogie the Doggie an extra crew member—was launched into orbit for a two-week mission.

After returning from the launch I had a discussion with my wonderful literary agent, Amy Moore-Benson. Why not write an epilogue for the paperback edition, she suggested, one that would come out later that year? My editor at Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, Tom Bouman, loved the idea and before long, a new epilogue was written and added to the paperback, released in Novemember, 2010.

Buy Inklings with the special space shuttle epilogue here!

The Big Apple Revisited

June 28th, 2011

Not a gig goes by when I don’t think about the night my band, Prairie Cats, performed at Windows on the World at the World Trade Center. Ten years ago this week, all eight members of the band, plus our road manager and “boy wrangler,” EmJay, squeezed into a van and deadheaded from Omaha to New York City where we would perform at some of the coolest venues we would ever encounter. We grabbed a few winks in Sandusky, Ohio, but otherwise, by the time we got to New York, we were going on no sleep for two days.

The first night, a Wednesday, we played an outdoor show at the Hudson River Festival at the base of the World Trade Center. After we unloaded our gear it was my job to park the van in one of the underground garages at the Trade Center. I recall the security guard eyeing me with suspicion, requesting to see my driver’s license. Ironically, the security booth reeked of marijuana.

Oh, the glamour of the road…

Here’s a photo from that show, the Statue of Liberty in the background.

And yes, in case you were wondering, that was the summer of my platinum blonde hair. Hey, we all make mistakes.

I’ll never forget gazing straight up from our vantage point on stage, the twin towers directly in front of, and above, us.

As the night went on, the view only got better…

jeff koterba, prairie cats, new york, world trade center, swing band, 9/11

The following night we performed at the Rodeo Bar—a roadhouse in the middle of the city. This isn’t the bar, but rather our luxurious band lounge area. Complete with peanut shells on the floor. Just like home. Left to right: Jeff Koterba, Erik Johnson, Josh Koterba, Craig Crilly.

It was a wild, leopard print kind of night. And to prove it, our drummer, Jeff Schoening, played the sticks on Larry Frederickson’s standup bass.

We used to do perform a French-ispired song, “Lover DuJour,” where we’d invite women from the audience to come on stage and play the role of our French backup singers. That explains the berets. The Krispy Kreme hat, however, I have no idea.

At least St. Elvis was watching over us. Or maybe he was having a staring contest with Larry. Not sure.

That’s Craig on the tenor sax. After the show, while we were loading our gear into the van, we elected Craig to deal with the very drunk guy harassing the band. Don’t mess with Craig, is what I’m saying.

One of my favorite photos of T-Bone player, Jason Grotelueschen. This, from our show at Jack’s Joint, Times Square.

No one wails on a trumpet like Kevin Linder.

Setting up on Saturday night at the Greatest Bar on Earth, Windows on the World.

Our view from stage.

jeff koterba, prairie cats, new york, world trade center, swing band, 9/11

Dan Schoening’s turn to wail on the trumpet. Same berets, different “French” girls.

A little accordion action from Jason G.

I bought this window pane suit exclusively for this show. It’s a miracle suit. Since then, it’s been through Hell and still, ten years later, it looks new.

As far as I’m concerned, Windows on the World was, and is, the coolest place there ever was. In my mind, the Greatest Bar on Earth is still jumpin’, a decade later.

jeff koterba, prairie cats, new york, world trade center, swing band, 9/11

For more photos click here:Prairie Cats 2001 Tour.

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