PRODUCTION BORN AND RAISED RIGHT HERE IN BATON ROUGE.

ZIGGY IS A NINE-YEAR-OLD SPACE ALIEN FROM A PLANET FAR, FAR AWAY.

WHEN HE FIND THE VOYAGER ONE EXPEDITION HE HEARS MUSIC FOR THE FIRST TIME AND REALIZES THERE ARE OTHER WAYS OF EXPRESSING EMOTION.

TEXTILE CREATIONS.

JOURNEY TO FREEDOM IS A QUILT I DID YEARS AGO BUT IT'S AT THE HEART OF A STORY THAT I BELIEVE IN.

THE EXPERIMENTAL CRAFT OF CREATING CARTOONS.

THIS IS A COMIC STRIP ABOUT ERIC AND OPAL.

IT'S ABOUT FAMILY.

LOOKING AT THE FUNNY SIDE OF FAMILY RELATIONSHIPS.

AND THE BAND BILLY AND THE SEA COW DRIFTERS.

A LOT OF INFUSION OF REALLY EVERYTHING WE PICKED UP IN OUR MUSICAL CAREERS ALONG THE WAY.

WE BROUGHT THIS TOGETHER INTO ONE BAND.

ALL THIS KIEUD UP AND COMING YOUR WAY ON "ART ROCKS."

"ART ROCKS" IS MADE POSSIBLE BY THE FOUNDATION FOR EXCELLENCE IN LOUISIANA PUBLIC BROADCASTING AND BY VIEWERS LIKE YOU.

HELLO, AND WELCOME BACK TO "ART ROCKS."

WITH ME, JAMES FOX-SMITH, PUBLISHER OF COUNTRY ROADS MAKING SEEN.

CHALK THIS ONE UP AS RED STICKIES NEWEST CLAIM TO FAME, AS THE CAPITOL CITY OF PUPPET TRY LOCAL ARTISTS CONSUME DIRECTOR CLAY ACHEE HAS COLLABORATED WITH OTHER FREE THINKING CREATORS TO DEVELOP A CHILDREN'S ART SERIES BUILT AROUND THE PUP R PUPPET CHARACTERS ZIGGY AND THE JUNKYARD BAND.

HERE'S CLAY ACHEE.

ARE YOU GOING TO PAINT US EARTH BLUE?

MY ROCKET MAN!

THAT'S A NEW HABITAT, YES.

WHAT COLOR IS THE SKY ON YOUR HOME PLANET?

STRAWBERRY PINK.

ZIGGY IS FROM A PLANET FAR, FARR WAY WHO HAS NEVER DEVELOPED THE ARTS.

WHEN ZIGGY FINDS THE VOYAGER ONE EXPEDITION HE HEARS MUSIC FOR THE FIRST TIME AND REALIZES THERE ARE OTHER WAYS OF EXPRESSING EMOTION AND COMES TO EARTH TO LEARN ABOUT IT.

HE MEETS A BAND OF PUPPETS WHO ARE ALL IN THE JUNKYARD BAND.

THERE ARE SIX OF THEM.

THEY EACH HAVE A VERY DISTINCT PERSONALITY, VERY DISTINCT FORM OF MUSIC, THEIR OWN SKILL SETS.

I'M HOPING EVERYONE CAN WATCH AND PICK WHICH BAND MEMBER THEY RELATE TO.

OUR AUDIENCE IS K THROUGH FIVE E EDLEY.

THAT'S WHAT WE AIM AT BUT I THINK THE AUDIENCE CAN BE QUITE A LOT BIGGER THAN THAT.

THIS IS GOING TO A BE A SHOW PARENTS LIKE WATCHING WITH THEIR KIDS ASHOW THAT COLLEGE KIDS TUNE IN TO.

I'M HOPING THAT WE TALK ABOUT ART IN A WAY THAT'S INR ENRICHING AND ILLUMINATING FOR A LOT OF PEOPLE BUT SPECIFICALLY WE'RE MAKING SURE TO HIT CORE CURRICULUM AND ART CONCEPTS THAT ARE GOING TO HIT K THROUGH FIVE.

ELIZABETH FOOS IS OUR EDUCATION ADVISOR AND WRITING.

WHAT FOOS IS ABLE TO DO IS TO TAKE BOTH HER AND MY PASSION FOR THE ARTS AND REALLY UNDERSTAND NOT JUST WHAT DO KIDS NEED TO LEARN BUT ALSO HOW THEY ARE GOING TO BE BEST LEARN THAT INFORMATION.

WE TRY REALLY HARD TO WEAVE THE VOCABULARY AND THE ART CURRICULUM INTO THE NARRATIVE.

IT'S NOT THAT WE TAKE A BREAK AND TALK ABOUT ART BUT THAT ART IS A THREAD THAT FLOWS THROUGH THE STORY AND THAT KIDS AND GROWNUPS ALIKE CAN LEARN BY HAVING FUN WITH THESE CHARACTERS AND NOT BEING TALKED DIRECTLY TO.

ZIGGY!

HEY, WHAT ARE YOU DOING?

WELL, I'M IN MY CREATIVE SPACE.

SO I'M FROM OUTER SPACE.

THIS IS THE BAND SPACE.

YOU ARE IN YOUR CREATIVE SPACE.

I'M KNOT QUITE SURE I UNDERSTAND SPACE.

OUR FIRST EPISODE THE THEME OF THE DAY IS SPACE, AND SO NOT ONLY DO WE WANT TO TALK ABOUT HOW SPACE IS USED IN AN ART FORM LIKE PAINTING BUT WE ALSO WANT TO TALK ABOUT HOW SPACE IS USED IN OUR EVERYDAY LIVES SO THAT THERE'S A CHARACTER WHO IS TRYING TO FILL A SPACE IN THE ROOM.

THEY ARE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO BEST DO THAT.

NOW WE HAVE THE ART CONCEPT APPLIED TO ART BUT ALSO TO REAL LIFE.

I THINK THAT PEOPLE MISUNDERSTAND THE POINT OF ARTS EDUCATION.

WE LIKE TO THINK OF IT AS A WAY TO CREATE ARTISTS AND TO ME THE POINT OF ARTS EDUCATION ISN'T NECESSARILY TO CREATE NEW ARTISTS BUT TO ENRIRCH THE LIVES OF ALL PEOPLE, EVERYBODY'S LIVES HAVE BENEFITED FROM THE ARTS AND WE LEARN SO MUCH THROUGH THE ARTS THAT I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT AND GOOD FOR EVERYBODY, NOT JUST PEOPLE WHO WANT TO BE ARTISTS.

I'M MAKING ART THAT YOU CAN SEE WITH YOUR EYE.

ART FOR YOUR EYES?

YOU HAVE NO IDEA.

MY GOAL WITH THE SERIES IS REALLY TO CREATE ART LOVERS OUT OF ANYBODY.

WHETHER THEY FEEL THEY HAVE A TALENT IN THAT AREA OR NOT, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT EVERYONE CAN APPRECIATE.

ARTS EDUCATION IS ONE OF THE FIRST THINGS THAT GETS CUT IN SCHOOLS.

SO WE REALLY SAW THIS AS AN OPPORTUNITY TO BRING ARTS INTO THE SCHOOL SYSTEM IN A WAY THAT IS FUN AND ENTERTAIN AND REALLY UNIQUE.

IT'S A REALLY UNIQUE CONCEPT.

WHEN YOU'RE DESIGNING A CHARACTER AND YOU KNOW IT'S GOING TO BE YOUR BLEED CHARACTER IT FEELS LIKE THERE'S A LOT OF PRESSURE TO GET IT RIGHT.

THANKFULLY WE HAVE HAD QUITE A FEW YEARS.

THERE'S BEEN A COUPLE OF VERSIONS OF ZIGGY THAT WE'VE HONE IN AND GOTTEN MORE AND MORE.

THERE'S A LOCAL ARTIST NEIGHBORHOOD BARTON GILLEY WHO DOES ANIMATRONICS ALONG WITH MANY OTHER THINGS WHO COLLABORATED WITH ME ON THIS VERSION OF ZIGGY TO CREATE A VERSION THAT WE'RE BOTH REALLY EXCITED ABOUT AND PROUD OF.

I THINK THAT KIDS ARE GOING TO BOTH LOVE BUT ALSO SEE THEMSELVES IN.

THEIR BODIES NEED TO BE FAIRLY LOOSE BECAUSE THERE'S AN ENTIRE HUMAN HAND THAT HAS TO STILL FIT INSIDE OF THE PUPPET BUT NOT SO LOOSE THAT THEY ARE FLOPPY.

ONCE I STARTED TRYING TO MAKE THE CHARACTERS MORE COMPLICATED IF THEY NEEDED TO BLINK, ZIGGY GLOWS DIFFERENT COLORS.

I REQUIRED COLLABORATION SO BARTON GILLEY CAME IN AND WE REALLY DESIGNED ALL THE PUPPETS FOR THE SERIES ANEW AND WERE ABLE TO PUT NECKS IN THEIR HEADS, WHICH IS AN INCREDIBLE FEAT BECAUSE YOU'RE SOMETHING SOFT AND PUTTING A MECHANICAL ELEMENT THAT'S HARD, RIGHT AND CAN'T BE SMUSHED INSIDE OF T. YOU HAVE FULL BODY PUPPETS WHEN YOU'RE DOING THE LEGS YOU HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT THE JOINTS BEND LIKE REAL JOINTS AND THAT THEY ARE NOT GOING TO BEND THE WRONG WAY AND LOOK BROKEN.

WE HAD OUR PRODUCTION DESIGNER CHRISTIAN IS FROM MEMPHIS BUT WE REALLY DID FIND ALMOST EVERYTHING WE NEEDED IN BATON ROUGE.

THE TALENT POOL HERE IS RIDICULOUSLY WONDERFUL AND ALSO A LITTLE UNTAPPED.

WORDS AREN'T THE BEST WAY TO UNDERSTAND DANCE.

WELL MOVEMENT DOES WORK BEAT.

IT ENDED UP WHAT WE HAD A SPECIAL GUEST STAR.

WE HAD JOHN GRAY WITH A TRUMPET.

WE HAD A GUEST STAR, TOM HENRY, AN ACTOR IN BATON ROUGE FOR YEARS AND WE HAVE A VERY, VERY SPECIAL GUEST ON OUR LAST EPP SOID, THE FIRST LADY OF LOUISIANA, DONNA EDWARDS IS GOING TO STOP BY AND VISIT THE JUNKYARD.

THE JOKE ABOUT PUPPETRY IS EVERY SHOT WITH A PUPPET IS A SPECIAL EFFECTS SHOT.

SO ON A FILM SET IF YOU HAVE A BIG SPECIAL EFFECTS SHOT YOU SAVE THAT FOR YOUR AFTERNOON, YOU MAKE SURE YOU'RE PLANNING AROUND IT.

WE ARE DOING PRETTY NORMAL NUMBER OF TAKES.

WE'RE NOT DOING TOO TOO TOO MANY TAKES BUT THAT'S MOSTLY CREDIT TO THE PUPPETEERS BEING EXCELLENT AND THE CREW BEING REALLY GOOD PROBLEM SOLVERS BUT EVERY TIME THE PUPPET IS ON SCREEN THERE'S AN EXTRA DEGREE OF CHALLENGE THAT COMES WITH IT.

WE BROUGHT A LOT OF CREW IN TO FILM IT BUT ONE OF THE THINGS I HAVE ALWAYS LACKED WAS POST PRODUCTION AND LPB DIGITAL TEAM HAS DONE AN INCREDIBLE JOB DOING ALL OF THE THINGS YOU HAVE TO DO FOR POST PROTECTION WHICH IS EDITING SOUND AFFECTION, PUTTING THE MUSIC MIXING.

THERE'S A TREMENDOUS NUMBER OF THINGS THAT PUT THE FINAL PROFESSIONAL TOUCHES ON SOMETHING THAT YOU SIMPLY DON'T USUALLY HAVE BY YOURSELF.

THIS HAS BEEN A TRUE COLLABORATION BETWEEN LPB AS A STATION WITH CLAY AS THE CREATOR OUR TEAM INTERNALLY OUR ANIMATION, OUR EDITORS, THE DIRECTION I THINK HAS REALLY HELPED ELEVATE THE STORYTELLING.

THE CLAY ALSO CAME IN WITH JUST AN AMAZING CAST OF PUPPETEERS THAT HE'S WORKED WITH FOR YEARS.

I ACTUALLY THINK THE SERIES AS IT GOES ALONG EVERY EPISODE GOT BETTER.

MY LONG TERM GOALS FOR ZIGGY ARE VERY AMBITIOUS.

I WOULD LOVE TO SEE ZIGGY HAVE MULTIPLE SHOWS, EDUCATIONAL SHOWS, ENTERTAINMENT SHOWS, SHOWS OF DIFFERENT LENGTHS.

THERE'S SO MUCH I THINK WE CAN DO WITH THESE CHARACTERS.

[CHEERS AND APPLAUSE] THAT'S A WRAP!

[APPLAUSE] PLANS ARE TAKING SHAPE TO DEVELOP SOME OF THE EPISODES OF ZIGGY FOR TV SO WHILE YOU'RE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR THAT REMEMBER LIFE CAN BE IMMEASURABLY ENRICHED BY THE CREATIVE ENERGIES OF OTHERS.

IF ONLY YOU KNOW WRU TO LOOK.

SO HERE ARE OUR PICKS FOR NOTABLE EXHIBITS COMING SOON TO MUSEUMS AND GALLERIES IN OUR PART OF THE WORLD.

FOR MORE ABOUT THESE AND LOADS MORE EVENTS IN THE CREATIVE SPACE VISIT LPB.ORG/ARTROCKS THERE YOU'LL FIND LINKS TO EACH EPISODE OF THE PROGRAM SO TO SEE OR SHARE ANY SEGMENT AGAIN VISIT LPB.ORG/ARTROCKS.

MOST OF US WOULD FIND IT HARD ENOUGH TO MAKE A QUILT.

BUT OUR NEXT GUEST ACHIEVES SO MUCH MORE THAN THAT.

WHEN CYNTHIA LOCKHART TAKES UP NEEDLE AND THREAD SHE SETS OUT TO RELATE STORIES USING LAYERING, PAINTING, SILK SCREEN, ADORNMENT, EMBELLISHMENT AND OTHER TEXTURE AL FEATS.

BUT ALMOST ALWAYS LOCKHART'S GOAL REMAINS THE SAME, TO INSPIRE HOPE.

CYNTHIA'S STORY COMES TO US FROM CINCINNATI, OHIO.

ELLEN AND ANN FROM THE TAFT CALLED ME UP ONE DAY AND SAID WE WOULD BE INTERESTED IN COMING OVER TO LOOK AT YOUR ARTWORK.

THE TAFT IS INTERESTED IN YOU.

SO I PREPARED THE VISIT FOR THEM.

THEY CAME BY, THEY LOOKED AT MY ARTWORK IN THE HOUSE, VISITED MY STUDIO THEN PROBABLY ABOUT A MONTH LATER I GET A CALM WITH AN INVITATION TO DO A SHOW.

OBVIOUSLY THE TITLE OF THE SHOW AND THE DESIGN AND DEPICTING OF THE SHOW WAS UP TO ME TO COME UP WITH.

SO THAT JOURNEY TO BE ASSOCIATED WITH THE TAFT STARTED.

JOURNEY TO FREEDOM IS A QUILT THAT I DID YEARS AGO BUT IT'S REALLY AT THE HEART OF A STORY THAT I BELIEVE IN.

I BELIEVE IN A STORY OF PEOPLE WHO WERE SLAVES.

A PEOPLE WHO WERE BROUGHT TO THIS COUNTRY, UNBEKNOWNST TO WHAT WOULD HAPPEN TO THEM, LEFT THEIR HISTORY, CAME HERE AND OVER A SERIES OF 400 YEARS BECAME A VIBRANT AND EXCITING PART OF THIS AMERICA.

WITHIN MY WORK I BUILD A STORY.

I RESEARCH THE PRO JINGT.

I READ UP ON, I WILL LOOK UP THE HISTORY OF IT AND READ SEVERAL ADAPTATIONS, BOOKS AND WHAT HAVE YOU, MAYBE EVEN LOOK AT A MOVIE, THEN I START PUTTING THAT TOGETHER IN TERMS OF SKETCHING.

I COME UP WITH THE IMAGES THAT RESONATE IN ME THAT ARE STRONG, THAT ARE POWER POWERFUL, AND I GET A NUDGE, OKAY, THIS IS WHAT YOU DO, THIS IS WHAT YOU PUT TOGETHER.

I BEGIN TO PUT THE COLORS TOGETHER FOR THE MOOD I'M CREATING WITHIN THE ARTWORK.

I WILL EITHER MAKE THE FABRIC, I'VE DONE SOMETHING CALLED FABRICATION WHERE I'M PUTTING TINY BITS AND PIECES LIKE A COLLAGE TO CREATE A DYNAMIC LOOK OR I WILL DYE THE FABRIC OR DO SYMBOLS AND SILK SCREEN AS WELL.

I AM SO IMPRESSED WITH THE STORY THAT THE TAFT HAS WITH ROBERT DUNCANSON.

I'M VERY PROUD OF THE HISTORY OF THE TAFT BEING ABLE TO EMBRACE AN AFRICAN-AMERICAN ARTIST AND ALSO BEING INVOLVED IN ABOLITIONIST MOVEMENT AND THE INTEGRITY OF THE TAFT TO STILL CONTINUE TO HAVE A PROGRAM IN PLACE THAT WILL SUPPORT THE AFRICAN-AMERICAN COMMUNITY WITH THEIR DUNCANSON.

AGAIN, I HAD TO RESEARCH THE DUNCANSON MURALS AND YOU HAVE TO SCHOOL DISTRICT A PIECE OF ART IN THE TAFT.

I LOOKED VIGOROUSLY FOR MANY THINGS AND I WAS ATTRACTED TO MANY THINGS.

HE DOES A PHENOMENAL DEPICTION OF THE ENVIRONMENT THAT LOOKS JUST LIKE A PLACE THAT YOU WANT TO BE, THAT YOU COULD JUST WALK INTO THIS PLACE.

THAT'S CRITICAL FOR AN ARTIST, THAT THE VIEWER CAN ACTUALLY FEEL THAT.

THEN HE DID SOMETHING VERY W4EU78 CY CAL TO PUT A FRAME AROUND THE ARTWORK.

AND I THOUGHT THAT RESONATED WITH ME.

THAT'S SORT OF PLAYING WITH TRICKS WITH THINGS.

I CAN BE A TRICKSTER WITH ARTWORK SO I SAID WITH THAT WHIMSY AND THOSE BEAUTIFUL COLOR MUTED TONES THAT HE USED I COULD WORK WITH THAT.

SO WHAT I DECIDED WHEN I STARTED SKETCHING WAS THAT IN DUNCANSON'S MURALS I FOUND AN AREA WHERE I FELT A SLAVE COULD HAVE PASSED THROUGH ONE OF HIS MURALS.

THEREFORE I DECIDED TO HAVE A RUNAWAY SLAVE PASSING THROUGH THE IMAGE OF THE INSPIRATION OF THE DUNCANSON.

♪ SWING LOW, SWEET CHARIOT ♪♪ THE TITLE OF IT IS RUNAWAY: SWING LOW, SWEET CHARIOT, WHICH IS AN AFRICAN-AMERICAN HYM N, WHICH DEPICTS AND GUIDES THE TRAVELERS TO TO FREEDOM.

SO IT WAS A SONG INVENTED TO GIVE THEM INSTRUCTIONS OF WHERE THEY WOULD GO TO SEEK FREEDOM.

SO WITH THAT THEN I SAID OKAY, NOW I HAVE TO COME UP WITH SOME TYPE OF BHIM CY AND SOME TYPE OF FLIGHT.

I DID THAT BY USING A FIGURE THAT ALMOST WAS LIKE A CAMOUFLAGE FIGURE THAT IS ESCAPING THROUGH THE FIELDS.

AND AGAIN, ABOVE HIM THERE ARE THE THREE FACES THAT ARE SINGING, SWING LOW, SWEET CHARIOT.

I ALSO CREATED SOME ORBS.

SO THE ORB STRUCTURES ARE JUST THE ROUND CIRCLES THAT YOU SEE IN THE WORK, ARE REPRESENTATIVE OF TRAVELERS, REPRESENTATIVE OF PEOPLE WHO ARE NO LONGER WITH US BUT IT'S A WAY TO REMEMBER THEM, THE CIRCLES.

SO INSIDE THE CIRCLE IS ALWAYS A PRAYER.

IT'S ALWAYS AN AS OPERATION.

SO THE ORBS SURROUND THE SLAVE AS THE SLAVE RUNS TOWARDS FREEDOM.

WHAT'S ALWAYS IN MY WORK IS THE ATTITUDE OF HOPE AND AND JOY AND UNLIMITED POSSIBILITIES OF BEING ABLE TO BE FREE AND TO BE YOURSELF.

FREEDOM IS A VERY PRECIOUS THING AND AS A PART OF THE SHOW I SAID, W HOA, I TOOK ON A BIG TASK.

THIS IS MY PERSPECTIVE ABOUT FREEDOM.

JOURNEY TO FREEDOM DEPICTED THROUGH MY ANCESTORS.

WHAT DOES EVERYBODY ELSE FEEL ABOUT FREEDOM?

LOTS OF WRITING, TALKING ABOUT FREEDOM, LOTS OF WRITING, AND THEN IT DAWNED ON ME THAT WHAT DO PEOPLE THINK ABOUT FREEDOM?

IT'S A HUGE SURGERY, ONE OF MOST SUBJECTS WE HAVE, OUR INDIVIDUAL RIGHTS AS HUMAN BEINGSES TO BE FREE, TO BE TREATED FREE AND EQUALLY.

♪ SWING LOW, SWEET CHARIOT ♪♪ ♪ COMING FOR TO CARRY ME HOME ♪♪ WAY DOWN FROM KEY WEST, FLORIDA, IS WHERE YOU GOTTA GO TO SAMPLE THE SOUND OF BILLY THE SQUID AND THE SEA COW DRIFTERS.

SILLY NAME BUT THIS POPULAR OUTFIT BLENDS A LITTLE BIT OF ROCKABILLY, A LITTLE OUTLAW AND A HEALTHY DOSE OF HARMONICA TO MAKE MUSIC THAT IS TRULY SOUTH FLORIDA ONE OF A KIND.

LET'S HAVE A LISTEN.

I'M BILLY THE SQUID.

THIS IS ENGINEER ROD ISAMAN, WE ARE BILLY THE SQUID AND THE SEA COW DRIFTERS.

I'M THE LEAD SINGER AND HARMONICA PLAYER.

I PLAY GUITAR, ELECTRIC GUITAR, LEAD GUITAR.

WHEN WE FIRST STARTED OUT IT WAS SUPER COUNTRY, VERY COUNTRY, VERY COUNTRY.

WE HAD, YOU KNOW, LIKE A SLIDE AND IT WAS SLOW KIND OF SWINGING COUNTRY STUFF.

I THINK JARROD WAS JUST TRYING TO EASE ME IN.

YEAH, TRYING TO MAKE A ROCK 'N' ROLLER OUT OF HIM.

A LOT OF INFUSION OF REALLY EVERY INFLUENCE WE HAVE PICKED UP IN OUR MUSICAL CAREERS ALONG THE WAY.

WE BROUGHT THIS ALTOGETHER INTO ONE ANDERSON AND CONSOLIDATED IT INTO ONE KIND OF STRANGE SOUND.

[SINGING] [CHEERS AND APPLAUSE] ALL RIGHT!

KIND OF LIKE SPAGHETTI WESTERN SURF STUFF.

WE LOOK A LITTLE OUT OF PLACE I THINK SOMETIMES, AND SOUND A LITTLE OUT OF PLACE BECAUSE IT'S A LOT OF MUSIC.

LIKE HE'S SAYING HE'S SINGING LIKE COWBOY SONGS.

HE GREW UP UP ON A RANCH.

BUT WE'RE STARTING TO FIT IT IN WITH NOT REALLY AN ISLANDY SOUND BUT JUST A LAID BACK SOUND WHICH KEY WEST IS JUST LAID BACK, JUST KIND OF MIXING THE SOUND TOGETHER BUT DEFINITELY IT STANDS OUT.

WE HAD A LONG HISTORY OF FOLK AND COUNTRY MUSICIANS COMING THROUGH HERE FOR A LONG, LONG TIME.

I'M JUST HAPPY WE CAN KIND OF BRING IT BACK TO, YOU KNOW, MORE OF THAT ORIGINAL SOUND.

[SINGING] THE COMIC STRIP PICKLES HAS BEEN DELIGHTING FANS ACROSS THE UNITED STATES AND AROUND THE GLOBE FOR 30 YEARS.

SO LET'S HEAD TO SPARKS, NEVADA, TO MEET THE ARTIST BEHIND THIS ICONIC COMIC SENSIBILITY.

BRIAN CRANE.

PICKLES IS A COMIC STRIP ABOUT EARL AND OPAL PICKLES.

IT ALSO INVOLVES THEIR GRANDSON NELSON, A DAUGHTER NAMED SYLVIA, A DOG AND A CAT.

IT'S ABOUT FAMILY AND LOOKING AT THE FUNNY SIDE OF FAMILY RELATIONSHIPS.

I KIND OF GREW UP IN WHAT I THINK OF AS THE GOLDEN AGE OF COMIC STRIPS WHEN EVERYONE TOOK A UP IN AND EVERYBODY READ THE COMIC STRIPS.

ONE OF MY FAVORITE CARTOON CHARACTERS IS POPEYE.

I USED TO WATCH HIS CARTOONS WHEN I WAS A KID AND I STARTED COLLECTING A LOT OF MEMORABILIA OVER THE YEARS.

JUST BRINGS BACK GOOD CHILDHOOD MEMORIES.

I NEVER TOOK ANY ART CLASSES IN HIGH SCHOOL OR ANYTHING, BUT I ALWAYS DREW.

THAT'S WHERE IT ALL STARTED WAS JUST SCRIBBLING ON MY SCHOOL PAPERS.

WHEN I WENT TO COLLEGE I MAJORED IN ART WITH THE IDEA OF GOING INTO COMMERCIAL ILLUSTRATION AND THINGS LIKE THAT, BECAUSE I DIDN'T THINK I HAD A CHANCE OF BECOMING A CARTOONIST.

WHEN IS WAS US IN MY LATE 30s I STARTED THINKING OF MY CHILDHOOD DREAM OF DOING A COMIC STRIP SO I DECIDED TO THINK OF AN IDEA FOR A STRIP AND SPENT A LOT OF TIME DRAWING UNTIL I CAME UP WITH THIS ELDERLY COUPLE THAT GAVE ME ALL KINDS OF IDEAS.

THE WORD PICK WILLS REMINDED ME OF GETTING INTO A PICK WILL, WHICH IS WHAT THEY GET INTO.

PICKLES IS IN ABOUT CLOSE TO 1,000 PAPERS IN THE WORLD, ABOUT 28 YEARS NOW.

IN THE MORNING WHEN I SIT DOWN TO THE DRAWING BOARD I GO THROUGH A FILE OF THINGS I HAVE WRITTEN DOWN OVER THE PAST FEW WEEKS.

I JUST LOOK FOR SITUATIONS THAT HAPPEN IN REAL LIFE THAT I CAN PUT MY CHARACTERS INTO.

ONCE I GET THE IDEA THEN I DRAW THE PANEL.

I USUALLY WORK WITH FOUR BOXES.

I WORK OUT THE FIRST PANEL WITH PENCIL, GO OVER IT WITH A PEN.

I STILL USE THE OLD FASHIONED HAND DIPPING IN THE BOTTLE OF INK.

I ENJOY HOLDING THE PEN IN MY HAND AND SCRATCHING ON THE PAPER.

VERY TACTILE SENSE THAT I ENJOY.

IN MY MIND I HAVE BROKEN DOWN THE IDEA INTO FOUR SEQUENCES.

HOPEFULLY THAT'S THE PAYOFF FOR SOMEONE WILL ECONOMIC WILL AND SEE THEMSELVES IN IT OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.

I SCAN THEM ON A SCANNER AN EMAIL THEM TO MY DAUGHTER EMILY WHO COLORS THEM ON PHOTOSHOP.

FROM THAT POINT WHEN I HAVE DONE A WEEK'S WORTH OF THOSE I SEND THEM IN TO MY EDITOR AT THE "WASHINGTON POST," AND SHE CHECKS THEM OVER FOR ANY GRAMMATICAL ERRORS.

OCCASIONALLY A RETIRED SCHOOL TEACHER SOMEWHERE IN AMERICA WILL FIND A MISSPELLED WORE OR SOMETHING AND WILL LET ME KNOW ABOUT IT.

MY WIFE IS ALWAYS MY BEST EDITOR.

SHE CAN TELL IF SOMETHING'S FUNNY OR NOT.

I REALLY DO AGONIZE OVER EACH STRIP, YOU KNOW, TRYING TO COME UP WITH AN IDEA.

MOST THE IDEAS I GET I DON'T USE BECAUSE I DON'T THINK THEY ARE GOOD ENOUGH SO I'M MY OWN HARSHEST CRITIC.

WHEN I SEE MY STRIP IN THE PAPER SELDOM DO I THINK I REALLY NAILED IT.

I BUT I USUALLY THINK OH I COULD HAVE DONE THIS BETTER.

I COULD HAVE WORDED THAT BETTER OR I COULD HAVE DRAWN THAT BETTER.

IT'S CRITICAL FOR ANAR 2EU69 TO BE CRITICAL OF THEIR WORK.

I LOVE MAKING PEOPLE LAUGH.

THE BIG PAYOFF FOR ME IS WHEN PEOPLE SAY MY CARTOON MAKES THEIR MORNING OR REMINDS THEM OF SOMEONE THEY LOVE THAT MAKES ME FEEL I'M CONTRIBUTING SOMETHING TO PEOPLE'S HAPPINESS.

IT'S SO MUCH EASIER NOW TO WRITE MY STRIP BECAUSE WHEN I BEGAN I WAS A 39-YEAR-OLD WRITING ABOUT OLD PEOPLE.

NOW I'M AN OLD PERSON WRITING ABOUT MYSELF.

[LAUGHTER] SO THAT IS THAT FOR THIS EDITION OF "ART ROCKS," BUT REMEMBER, ALL THE EPISODES OF THE SHOW ARE ARCHIVED FOR YOUR VIEWING PLEASURE AT LPB.ORG/ARTROCKS AND IF YOU'RE KEEN TO DISCOVER MORE ABOUT LOUISIANA'S MOST CREATIVE PEOPLE AND PLACES, COUNTRY ROADS MAGAZINE MAKES A GREAT RESOURCE FOR FINDING OUT WHAT'S GOING ON OUT AND ABOUT IN THIS GREAT BY YOU STATE.

UNTIL NEXT WEEK I'VE BEEN JAMES FOX-SMITH.

THANK YOU FOR WATCHING.

"ART ROCKS" IS MADE POSSIBLE BY THE FOUNDATION FOR EXCELLENCE IN LOUISIANA PUBLIC BROADCASTING AND BY VIEWERS LIKE YOU.