Lackadaisy

Last updated
Lackadaisy
Lackadaisy (panel).jpg
A panel from the comic depicting Freckle McMurray and Rocky Rickaby
Author(s)Tracy J. Butler
Website https://lackadaisy.com
Current status/scheduleUnknown
Launch dateJuly 19, 2006
Alternate name(s)Lackadaisy Cats
Genre(s) Comedy
Dark comedy
Crime
Alternative history
Mystery
Thriller
Original language English

Lackadaisy (also known as Lackadaisy Cats) is a webcomic created by American artist Tracy J. Butler. Set in a Prohibition-era St. Louis with a population of anthropomorphic cats, [1] the plot chronicles the fortunes of the Lackadaisy speakeasy after its founder is murdered. The comic mixes elements of comedy, crime and mystery. It won multiple Web Cartoonists' Choice Awards in 2007 and 2008, [2] and in April 2011 it was nominated for the Eisner Award for "Best Digital Comic". [3] [4]

Contents

The style of the comic is highly detailed, with elegantly attired [5] cartoon characters that resemble styles from animated films of Walt Disney and Don Bluth. [6] [7] The earlier strips are sepia-toned, resembling aged photographs of the 1920s era, while more recent pages can be seen fully colored, often in shades of deep blue. Launched by Butler in July 2006, the comic updates on an irregular basis, with the most recent update published in 2020. [8]

A short film adaptation of the same name was released on YouTube on March 29, 2023.

Setting

When prohibition grips the United States in 1920, Atlas May sets his eatery, the Little Daisy Café, as the front for a successful speakeasy called the Lackadaisy. Situated at the mouth of a network of limestone caves, the speakeasy can only be accessed from the Café by those showing a pin in the shape of a Clubs card suit. [9] [10] With easy access to illegal alcohol and a steady clientele, business burgeons, and the Lackadaisy becomes a premier establishment. [11] [12]

In 1926, however, Atlas is mysteriously killed, and management of the Little Daisy and the Lackadaisy falls to his widow Mitzi. Patronage at the Lackadaisy gradually falls off, bringing it to the brink of collapse, with only a handful of its original crew remaining and doing their best to keep the business alive. [13] [14] There is a band that plays at the club, and one of the members is a rumrunner, which brings the characters into conflict with others who distill their own whiskey and moonshine. [15]

Characters

Lackadaisy features a wide cast of characters, most of whom are workers for either Lackadaisy or Marigold, two rivaling alcohol smuggling rings.

Characters employed by Lackadaisy include Roark "Rocky" Rickaby, a sporadic and cunning violinist who works for Lackadaisy as a bootlegger; Calvin "Freckle" McMurray, Rocky’s cousin - a nervous, awkward and surprisingly violent young man; Ivy Pepper, an energetic, cheerful worker at the Little Daisy Cafè who later develops a romantic relationship with Freckle; and Mitzi May, Atlas' widow who is in charge of the Lackadaisy speakeasy.

Marigold employees include Mordecai Heller, a cold and curt trigger-man for Marigold, and Serafine and Nicodème "Nico" Savoy, two siblings from New Orleans who work with Mordecai. [16]

Other significant characters include Viktor Vasko, Asa Sweet, Atlas May, Dorian "Zib" Zibowski, Sedgewick "Wick" Sable and Nina McMurray. [16]

Production

Butler creates the comic by pencil sketching original images, then scanning and adjusting them with software such as Photoshop, where the panels are then assembled. Lighting is then added in grey tones, sharpening where needed, and dialogue and sound effects are added in a separate layer. The sepia tones are added in the final pass. [7] Some of the feline characters are based on Butler's own pets, Ivy and Calvin. [17]

Artist biography

Tracy Butler, 2008 Tracysm.jpg
Tracy Butler, 2008

American cartoonist Tracy J. Butler was born in 1980 in Springfield, Massachusetts. In high school, she would doodle and create characters while sitting in class. [18] [19] She studied biology for a year at Our Lady of the Elms College, in Massachusetts, before returning to her art. She created a website with some of her work, which led to a job offer from Simutronics, a Missouri game development company. Butler performed illustration and graphic design work before moving into 3D character design and animation. [7] After living in St. Louis for some time, she purchased a 100-year-old house, and began researching its history, as well as that of the local neighborhood, and ultimately the history of St. Louis itself. [20] Combined with her interest in jazz music, and the characters she had designed in school (loosely based on her own pet cats), this led to her creating Lackadaisy in July 2006. [7] Butler also credits being promoted to a more managerial role in her job pushing her to seek a creative outlet again through the comic. [20] An Italian print version was released in 2008, and an English version in 2009. [7]

Awards

In 2007, Lackadaisy won every award for which it was nominated in the Web Cartoonists' Choice Awards, including "Outstanding Newcomer" and "Outstanding Artist".[ citation needed ] In 2008, Lackadaisy won five Web Cartoonists' Choice Awards, including "Outstanding Artist", "Black and White Art", and "Website Design". [2]

In 2009, the art of Lackadaisy was used on the cover of the Turkish magazine Photoshop. [21] In 2011, Lackadaisy was nominated for an Eisner Award in the category of "Best Digital Comic", but lost to The Abominable Charles Christopher by Karl Kerschl. [3] [22] [23] [24]

Collected editions

In 2008, the first hardcopy volume for the Lackadaisy comic was released in Italy by ReNoir Comics, ISBN   88-95261-35-6. [25] [26] [27] [28] An English version was released in 2009, ISBN   0-9819599-1-1, published by Iron Circus Comics. [29] The second hardcopy volume for the Lackadaisy was released in English on August 13, 2024 by Iron Circus Comics ISBN   978-8865671665 [30]

Legacy

The art style of Lackadaisy has been cited as an influence on other webcomics, such as Zebra Girl by Joe England, [31] and received a mention in the Girl Genius webcomic by Phil Foglio. [32]

Short film adaptation

In March 2020, it was announced that Iron Circus Comics was planning the production of an animated short film based on the webcomic, set to be directed by animator Fable Siegel. The project was crowdfunded through a Kickstarter campaign. [33] The 27-minute short film was released on March 29, 2023, on YouTube. [34]

After a second campaign with an original goal of $125,000 raised over $2 million, Iron Circus Animation announced they would also produce a five-episode season. [35]

Related Research Articles

Webcomics are comics published on the internet, such as on a website or a mobile app. While many webcomics are published exclusively online, others are also published in magazines, newspapers, or comic books.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Colleen Doran</span> American writer-artist and cartoonist

Colleen Doran is an American writer-artist and cartoonist. She illustrated hundreds of comics, graphic novels, books and magazines, including the autobiographical graphic novel of Marvel Comics editor and writer Stan Lee entitled Amazing Fantastic Incredible Stan Lee, which became a New York Times bestseller. She adapted and did the art for the short story "Troll Bridge" by Neil Gaiman, which also became a New York Times bestseller. Her books have received Eisner, Harvey, Bram Stoker, Locus, and International Horror Guild Awards.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kim Deitch</span> American cartoonist

Kim Deitch is an American cartoonist who was an important figure in the underground comix movement of the 1960s, remaining active in the decades that followed with a variety of books and comics, sometimes using the pseudonym Fowlton Means.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eisner Awards</span> American comic book award

The Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards, commonly shortened to the Eisner Awards, are awards for creative achievement in American comic books. They are regarded as the most prestigious and significant awards in the comic industry, often referred to as the industry's equivalent to the Academy Awards.

<i>Questionable Content</i> Webcomic by Jeph Jacques

Questionable Content is a slice-of-life webcomic written and illustrated by Jeph Jacques. It was launched in August 2003 and reached its 5,000th comic in March 2023. The plot originally centered on Marten Reed, an indie rock fan; his anthropomorphized personal computer Pintsize; and his roommate, Faye Whitaker. Over time Jacques has added a supporting cast of characters that includes employees of the local coffee shop, neighbors, and androids. QC's storytelling style combines romantic melodrama, situational comedy, and sexual humor, while considering questions of relationships, sexuality, dealing with emotional trauma, and artificial intelligence and futurism.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jeff Smith (cartoonist)</span> American cartoonist (born 1960)

Jeff Smith is an American cartoonist. He is best known as the creator of the self-published comic book series Bone.

<i>VG Cats</i> Webcomic by Scott Ramsoomair

VG Cats is a webcomic written and drawn by Canadian cartoonist Scott Ramsoomair. Published on its own website, it follows the adventures of a pair of anthropomorphic cats, who both have an interest in video games, and often play the roles of characters in popular games that are parodied in the strip.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shannon Wheeler</span> American cartoonist (born 1966)

Shannon Wheeler is an American cartoonist, best known as a cartoonist for The New Yorker and for creating the satirical superhero Too Much Coffee Man.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Howard Tayler</span> American cartoonist

Howard V. Tayler is the creator of the webcomic Schlock Mercenary. He worked as a volunteer missionary for the LDS Church, then graduated from Brigham Young University. Using his degree in music composition, he started an independent record label.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brad Guigar</span> American cartoonist

Brad Guigar is an American cartoonist who is best known for his daily webcomic Greystone Inn and its sequel Evil Inc.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Faith Erin Hicks</span> Canadian cartoonist

Faith Erin Hicks is a Canadian cartoonist and animator living in Vancouver, British Columbia.

The Web Cartoonists' Choice Awards (WCCA) were annual awards in which established webcartoonists nominated and selected outstanding webcomics. The awards were held between 2001 and 2008, were mentioned in a New York Times column on webcomics in 2005, and have been mentioned as a tool for librarians.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dave Kellett</span> American cartoonist

Dave Kellett is the creator and cartoonist of two webcomic titles, Sheldon and Drive, the co-author of How To Make Webcomics and the co-host of Comic Lab. He has been nominated for the prestigious Eisner Awards, as well as a Harvey Award, and won a Reuben Award.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kate Beaton</span> Canadian comics artist (born 1983)

Kathryn Moira Beaton is a Canadian comics artist best known as the creator of the comic strip Hark! A Vagrant, which ran from 2007 to 2018. Her other major works include the children's books The Princess and the Pony and King Baby, published in 2015 and 2016 respectively. The former was made into an Apple TV+ series called Pinecone & Pony released in 2022 on which Beaton worked as an executive producer. Also in 2022, Beaton released a memoir in graphic novel form, Ducks: Two Years in the Oil Sands, about her experience working in the Alberta oil sands. Publishers Weekly named Ducks one of their top ten books of the year.

<i>Johnny Wander</i> Webcomic

Johnny Wander is a former webcomic written by Ananth Hirsh and illustrated by Yuko Ota. It was published bi-weekly. In its earlier days, the comic generally focused on slice of life stories involving Ananth, Yuko, and their friends and family following graduation from college. However, the comic occasionally encompasses unrelated fantasy storylines. The comic is currently focusing on one of its ongoing fictional storylines, "Barbarous." The name "Johnny Wander" is meant to evoke the creators' desire to use the comic to "wander" through whatever topics interest them at the moment.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">South African comics</span>

A South African comic is a book or periodical published in South Africa that contains sequential art stories.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Iron Circus Comics</span> American graphic novel publisher

Iron Circus Comics is an American graphic novel publisher founded in 2007 by C. Spike Trotman. Based in Chicago, it is known for publishing the Smut Peddler line of "lady-centric porn" anthologies and graphic novels, and for its pioneering use of crowd-funding sites such as Kickstarter to finance graphic novel publishing, raising over $1 million in revenue through the platform in its first decade.

Notable events of 2006 in webcomics.

<i>Lackadaisy</i> (film) 2023 animated short film

Lackadaisy is an American independent animated period crime-heist short film based on the webcomic Lackadaisy by Tracy Butler. It is directed by Fable Siegel, who also co-wrote the screenplay with Butler, and follows the rivalry between the titular Lackadaisy and Marigold gangs: two bootlegging groups who are smuggling alcohol during Prohibition. The short film was released to YouTube on March 29, 2023, and was crowdfunded through a Kickstarter campaign. It was met with widespread acclaim for its animation, voice acting, music, characters and historical accuracy.

References

  1. ↑ Keave, Vincent (September 2, 2008). "The Perspectives of Tracy J. Butler". The Escapist . Archived from the original on October 9, 2012. Retrieved September 5, 2008.
  2. 1 2 "2008 Winners List". Web Cartoonists' Choice Awards. March 8, 2008. Archived from the original on March 10, 2009. Retrieved March 11, 2008.
  3. 1 2 "The 2011 Will Eisner Comic Industry Award Nominees". Comic-Con. April 2011. Archived from the original on May 13, 2011. Retrieved May 14, 2011.
  4. ↑ "2011 Eisner Award Nominations Announced". MTV. April 8, 2011. Archived from the original on April 14, 2011. Retrieved May 14, 2011.
  5. ↑ Cornog, Martha (March 24, 2010). "27 graphic novels for Women's History Month". Library Journal . Retrieved May 27, 2011.
  6. ↑ "Interview: The brains behind Lackadaisy". No. 186. .Net magazine. March 2, 2009. Archived from the original on June 14, 2009. Retrieved August 21, 2009.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 Manley, Mike (Spring 2011). "Cats, Gats, and all that Jazz: an interview with Tracy Butler". Draw! . Vol. 1, no. 20. TwoMorrows Publishing. pp. 27–41.
  8. ↑ Butler, Tracy J. "Lackadaisy Archive". LackadaisyCats.com. Retrieved January 6, 2023.
  9. ↑ Byram, Kaylee (June 7, 2010). "Webcomics you should be reading: Lackadaisy". ComicMix. Retrieved May 16, 2011.
  10. ↑ "Lackadaisy: Smart and Beautiful!". The Pullbox. January 21, 2010. Retrieved May 27, 2011.
  11. ↑ Redazione Comicus (March 23, 2009). "Renoir Comics: Essential Reading" (in Italian). Comicus. Archived from the original on July 28, 2011. Retrieved May 28, 2011.
  12. ↑ Gil, Jo (January 14, 2008). "Comics Kitten Speaks Easy: Tracy J. Butler". Sequential Tart. Retrieved June 1, 2011.
  13. ↑ El Santo (October 18, 2007). "#16: Lackadaisy". The Webcomic Overlook. Archived from the original on May 31, 2011. Retrieved May 16, 2011.
  14. ↑ Cruz, Larry (May 30, 2008). "Lackadaisy, review by Larry Cruz". Comic Fencing. Archived from the original on February 23, 2011. Retrieved May 16, 2011.
  15. ↑ Levitt, Aimee (June 9–15, 2011). "Comic Genius". Riverfront Times. Vol. 35, no. 23. p. 6.
  16. 1 2 "Lackadaisy". Lackadaisy. Retrieved 2023-04-07.
  17. ↑ Kerman, Byron (August 2011). "Web Comic Lackadaisy Brings Feline Funnies". St. Louis Magazine . Retrieved July 26, 2011.
  18. ↑ Butler, Tracy. "Tracy Butler, the Artist". foxprints.com. Archived from the original on July 25, 2008. Retrieved July 25, 2008.
  19. ↑ Yevstratov, Alexei (November 3, 2007). "Comics Tracy J Butler" (in Russian). webartnews.com. Archived from the original on September 2, 2011. Retrieved May 19, 2011.
  20. 1 2 Soltes, John (2023-08-23). "INTERVIEW: 'Lackadaisy,' thanks to the fans, isn't going anywhere". Hollywood Soapbox. Retrieved 2024-02-17.
  21. ↑ "Lackadaisy art on the cover of the Turkish Photoshop magazine". Photoshop Magazin. August 2009. Archived from the original on December 13, 2010. Retrieved September 19, 2010.
  22. ↑ El Santo (June 7, 2011). "The Webcomic Overlook 2011 Eisner round-up". Webcomic Overlook. Archived from the original on June 10, 2011. Retrieved June 10, 2011.
  23. ↑ Geddes, John (April 8, 2011). "'Dapper Men' leads 2011 Eisner nominees". USA Today . Retrieved May 28, 2011.
  24. ↑ Levitt, Aimee (June 2, 2011). "Tracy Butler: St. Charles Artist Nominated for Comics' Highest Honor". Riverfront Times . Archived from the original on March 28, 2012. Retrieved June 2, 2011.
  25. ↑ Butler, Tracy (March 21, 2008). "Lackadaisy Paperback". Lackadaisy. Retrieved March 24, 2008.
  26. ↑ Antonini, Maria Chiara (March 2008). "Fumetti". Top Girl (in Italian). p. 62. Archived from the original on July 14, 2012. Retrieved September 19, 2010.
  27. ↑ "Tracy Butler: Lackadaisy" (in Italian). Comicus. March 23, 2009. Archived from the original on July 28, 2011. Retrieved May 27, 2011.
  28. ↑ "Per chi e'interessato al Web Comics: "Lackadaisy" di T.J. Butler" (in Italian). Booksweb.tv. 2008. Archived from the original (video) on September 11, 2011. Retrieved May 27, 2011.
  29. ↑ Lackadaisy: Volume 1. Iron Circus Comics. 16 April 2024. ISBN   978-1-63899-103-8 . Retrieved May 21, 2024.{{cite book}}: |website= ignored (help)
  30. ↑ Butler, Tracy (2024-08-13). Lackadaisy: Volume 2. Iron Circus Comics. ISBN   978-1-63899-127-4.
  31. ↑ England, Joe (April 8, 2007). "Joe England news". keenspot.com. Archived from the original on June 21, 2009. Retrieved September 19, 2010.
  32. ↑ Foglio, Phil (March 21, 2007). "Girl Genius Online Comics". Girl Genius . Retrieved September 19, 2010.
  33. ↑ McMillan, Graeme (March 16, 2020). "Iron Circus Comics Moves Into Animation With 'Lackadaisy'". The Hollywood Reporter . Retrieved March 16, 2020.
  34. ↑ Alexa, Lauren (April 3, 2023). "Watch: Fan Favorite Webcomic 'Lackadaisy' is Now an Animated Short". Animation World Network . Retrieved April 12, 2023.
  35. ↑ Lang, Jamie (2023-08-25). "'Lackadaisy' Wraps Crowdfunding Campaign With More Than $2M Raised". Cartoon Brew. Retrieved 2024-02-17.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.