About
You like this funny stuff, dontcha? Makes you wonder about the man behind the curtain (see Wizard of Oz).
Keeping Up With Jones is the most frequently updated and long running biker comic strip on the internet, running since October of 2009.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What lunatic comes up with this madness?
- This comic is awesome, how come it’s not in my local paper?
- I just found this lunatic asylum. How do I catch up on all the old strips?
- How can I get these comics even on days when I forget to come check it out?
- Is this how you make your living?
- Do you just draw bikes or do you actually have one?
- Do you have a book available?
- How can I help your evil plans of world domination through biker comics come to reality?
- Do you do custom art or cartoons?
- I find clicking through the strip to be kind of a pain in the neck. Is there an easier way?
- What else you got around here?
Q: What lunatic comes up with this madness?
A: It’s written and drawn by the artist formerly known as Rupert Piston. Rupert was fired a couple of years ago so I, Rob Campbell, could take credit for his work. Sort of an inside take over.
Q: This comic is awesome, how come it’s not in my local paper?
A: Uh, thanks, that’s nice of you. Newspaper syndication is getting pretty rare. I saw a statistic that there are only about 2-3 strips put into syndication each year. Most papers want around five to seven strips a week, and I only do three at this point.
Q: I just found this lunatic asylum. How do I catch up on all the old strips?
A: After doing the strip for a little over a year, I restarted the strip in January 2011 so I could really nail story, character development, and art direction. So you have a few starting points to check out:
- The very beginning of the strip This stuff has a different style (and isn’t as good, really). I had some blog trouble a while back so the earliest strips aren’t online anymore
- The restart in January 2011
- The current year’s material starting in January 2012
Q: How can I get these comics even on days when I forget to come check it out?
A: You got choices there, depending on your level of technology:
- Use the RSS feed and have it delivered to your digital doorstep without you even having to get of your computer front perch.
- Subscribe by email by entering your email address in the subcription box on any other page but this one.
- For $40/month I’ll call or text you on release days reminding you not to miss the greates thing in biker comics since Ghost Rider.
Q: Is this how you make your living?
A: I’m not even sure I’d call it a source of income yet. I make some change on the strip, but nothing to get excited about yet. My plan is to approach some bike industry folks about advertising on the site and putting about 60% of the revenue into advertising on more sites to build my audience. In all likelihood I’ll be teaching high school until I’m at least sixty, which is a decent way to make a living for my family.
Q: Do you just draw bikes or do you actually have one?
The same bike I've had since I was too stupid to deserve it. Looks remarkably like Jones' ride, don't it?
A: Fair question. I’ve had the same ’79 Harley Shovelhead since 1988. It’s my third motorcycle and has seen me through a lot of growing up in life. At this point it’s also the model for Jones’ bike. It just made sense to model his bike after mine, considering I know that machine better than anything. I’d have to say that my ol’ Shovelhead has inspired a lot of good in my life.
Q: Do you have a book available?
A: I’m working on it. My plan was originally to do a print-on-demand book but I think I’ve interested a publisher. Should have something out by July. I pretty excited.
Q: How can I help your evil plans of world domination through biker comics come to reality?
A: I’m like, so glad you asked. Here are some suggestions:
- Spread the good news of Cartoon Thunder. Tell a few friends a month about the strip.
- Buy some Cartoon Thunder stuff from the store.
- Buy a print of your favorite strip, then frame it and stick it on your wall and brag up the work. You can score a decent cheapo frame from Target for $20, or take it to your local framer and see what they’ll charge. Prints are on 17×11 card stock, and are signed by the artist.
- Share the strip on Facebook, Twitter, Linked In, Reddit, or whatever.
- Demand that your favorite biker mag run the strip. Picket the editor’s house until he relents and runs the strip in his magazine.
- Wait with bated breath (use bait appropriate for local fishing) until the book comes out, then buy one
Q: Do you do custom art or cartoons?
A: You betcha. Wave some cash in my face, and I’ll draw for ya.
Q: I find clicking through the strip to be kind of a pain in the neck. Is there an easier way?
A: The first 59 strips of 2011 are available as a free download. Check the sidebar link.
A: I did some animation, which is a pretty time-consuming process, before I came up with the Jones comic. You can find it here. I’d like to do some animation with the Jones material, for fun and promotion, but time is precious. I’m working on scripting a few of my strips for animation.
