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  Illustration: Gravesite of Erma Bombeck

  The gravesite trip on Saturday was a welcome change to be outside and to walk around the beautiful grounds of the university campus. I found myself talking with the University Archivist and Coordinator of Special Collections, Kristina Schulz, who shared plans about a larger, more formal housing of the Erma Bombeck archives. I am going to speak with her again in the near future to discuss her participation in my next book, The Most Fascinating Museums. I only took photos on this trip and started painting it at a bench, but the circumstances were such that I waited until we returned to the hotel to finish this illustration. After over 20, I was a bit tired. The elements in the picture are not quite that close together, but for the sake of the illustration, I placed them a bit closer so they could be included in one.

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  Keynote Illustration: Alan Zweibel Introduces Laraine Newman

  Alan Zweibel is someone I’ve been emailing with during the pandemic, and because I knew him ahead of time, I was a bit nervous about what he would think of the picture. I redid his face more times then anyone else's, perhaps five times before I captured the right expression, which is one that is not his usual online photo of looking straight ahead and smiling. I wanted to show his earnestness and sincerity he has with the audience. By the way, I learned later his wife loved the piece. That was satisfying. I want everyone’s significant other pleased. This is not a roast.

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  Keynote Illustration: Katrina Kittle

  I found myself seated far from the stage during the crowded luncheon for Katrina Kittle’s speech. I did the best I could and worked on a couple of changes before I posted this. I knew that I needed to run into Ms. Kittle later and amend that and do a proper portrait of her.

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  Keynote Illustration: Laraine Newman

  This last speech of the event was all about the energy of the crowd, and I had already done a portrait of Ms. Newman earlier that I felt was spot on. So I created the most festive rendition I could of the evening. I was also being approached by many who wanted to speak to me, so this was the fastest one I did.

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  Session Illustration: Susan Pohlman

  Susan Pohlman’s session, "Fear Not the Blank Page," deserved a conceptual treatment and something out of the ordinary. Many cited this as a favorite — I feel like I indeed conquered the blank page.

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  Sketch: Katrina Kittle

  So I found Katrina at dinner, took a couple of pictures and dashed out this exciting, fast sketch of her that many complimented, to my relief.

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  Keynote Illustration: Adriana Trigiani, Cathryn Michon, W. Bruce Cameron

  I wrote down what I thought were key takeaways for each session, but because everyone attended this talk and all were attentive, I picked out little asides that were said instead to fill this page.

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  Keynote Illustration: Dion Flynn

  I used a photo for this one. I never laughed so hard in years, and Dion Flynn is someone I drew before, so I took a break, soaked in the show and came up with something that reflected his speech. After so many of my drawings, I feared fatigue for viewers and needed to do something totally different.

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  Session Illustration: Adriana Trigiani

  This drawing I tried to keep as loose as possible because this session was as loose as any. There was so much positive energy in this room, and I got caught up in the moment myself and regret not adding more color. It was a tough one because so many good ideas were being said by speaker Adriana Trigiani that I could barely keep up.

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  Session Illustration: Alan Zweibel

  Alan Zweibel quickly wins over a crowd, and I hope this is seen here.

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  Session Illustration: Brooke Warner

  Brooke Warner has such a cool look and a confidence that wins over a room. You can see that in the drawing that was the easiest one for me.

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  Session Illustration: Inspired by Improv Workshop of Kathy Kinney and Cindy Ratzlaff

  This was one of the exercises in the improv class taught by Cindy Ratzlaff and Kathy Kinney. They loved the drawings I did for that class — I did something every 10 minutes. I had a chance to tell Kathy, who played Mimi on The Drew Carey Show, that there was a time that was my favorite show.

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  Session Illustration: James Breakwell

  I loved this class so much that I had lunch with James Breakwell afterward, and we have still been in touch. A real bromance!

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  Sketch: Adriana Trigiani

  I recognized Adriana Trigiani on my flight to Dayton, and then we shared a shuttle to the hotel. I could draw her all day, yet it takes very little lines to capture her likeness and personality. Sometimes you get a drawing right away; some people can be hard to draw. I did this in 5 minutes.

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  Sketch: Leighann Lord

  Fast, fast drawing of a smart, smart woman. I wish I had some of her comedy chops she displayed as emcee. A fast live drawing doesn’t do her justice. She’s a real presence, and I’m sorry I didn’t redo this drawing. One day I will return and she will return, and I will execute something more substantial.

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  Illustration: Thursday Night Welcome Banquet

  At the first dinner, of the workshop, I sat opposite this year’s winner. In anticipation of the awards and what the food would be like, everyone was a bit nervous. I made friends immediately with those adjacent to me, but I think I upset one editor who I knew beforehand — and we had a disagreement about the current state of humor, no joke. I was also a little self-conscious that I may have been coming off as rude to others I didn’t speak with, preoccupied with drawing …

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  Keynote Illustration: Cathy Guisewite

  This Cathy Guisewite drawing is a little hodgepodge compositionally because I really didn’t know what to expect, and I just spit it out without any planning. Not sure if she liked it — we ran into each other during the weekend, and she is very shy.

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  Sketch: Alan Zweibel

  This is an example of me having difficulty drawing someone. I would do much better now having seen him face to face and not going by photos online — this was done on the flight over as practice. I never intended on others seeing this drawing. Before I do live events, I normally research the people and practice drawing their likeness.

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  Sketch: Cathy Guisewite

  I’m proud of this drawing, as I feel this captures her quirkiness, beauty and shyness.

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  Sketch: Dion Flynn

  Dion Flynn makes a living from changing his look and face, so there is really no one definitive look for him. It’s also tricky drawing very handsome men, and he has a great smile.

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  Sketch: Laraine Newman

  This is the first drawing I did for the event back in New York City in anticipation of my trip. I was rushing to finish all my previous work commitments and anxious to work for the Erma Bombeck Writers’ Workshop. This drawing is more of a Laraine Newman lifetime drawing, not what she looks like now. She is very beautiful … and very considerate — she was the last person I spoke with one on one when I checked out Sunday morning — but this drawing would be more how her fans would remember her, in character, from TV.

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  Sketch: W. Bruce Cameron

  Another quick study and practice on the way over. Having met Bruce Cameron now, I feel this is an OK likeness.