Tag Archives: Hamtoons

Agent Carter and her Astatic microphone

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Agent Carter with Astatic D-104 microphoneWhat do ham-radio operators do when watching TV and movies? Why, we look for ham radios used as props, of course!

In this week’s episode of “Marvel’s Agent Carter” titled “Life of the Party,” Peggy Carter and SSR Chief Sousa monitor an undercover operation from inside a van filled with retro-looking radio equipment – including two Astatic D-104 microphones.

Using those microphones as props actually makes sense: First manufactured in the 1930s, the Astatic “lollipop” microphones were used by the military during World War II and for decades afterwards by hams. They could have been used by Agent Carter, too.

Agent Carter with Heathkit visual-aural signal tracerBut then Peggy reaches to flip a switch on some radio doohickey that’s actually an old piece of Heathkit test equipment – and you’re reminded that this is a TV show based on comic-book characters.

It’s a pretty good show, actually. My XYL and I watch it religiously. For now, it airs Tuesday nights on ABC. You can catch up with it on Hulu or Netflix.

Builder with Bronx attitude

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KN2A cartoon QSL by N2ESTThe operating position of Joe, KN2A, is half radio, half workbench. I’m not sure I did justice to the workbench part, but I made sure his latest radio acquisition — a Heathkit HW-8 — was front-and-center at his operating position. Joe liked it; as he said they say in the Bronx when he saw the finished art, “You the MAN!” Thanks, Joe.

Rover / mobile / portable

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K0BAK cartoon QSL by N2ESTThis cartoon QSL was fun to draw. Pete, K0BAK, operates a lot from the road and wanted an all-purpose card usable for any activity from any QTH. Because it’s best to operate from as high as possible, I placed him and his Honda van on top of a plateau. Maybe the mountain goat on the other plateau knows how he got there.

QSLs and kayaks

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K0FD ham radio cartoon QSL by N2ESTAttorney and long-time ham Dan, K0FD, had been off the air for 30 years when the bug bit him again. When he contacted me to create a new QSL for him, he wanted it to show his other passion: kayaking.

Using reference photos Dan sent, I drew him in his specific kayak, albeit with liberties taken for proportions and dimensions to keep it cartoony. His finished cards arrived in the mail just a few days ago, an early Christmas gift.

Hank Hill as a ham radio operator?

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cast of "King of the Hill"Recently my XYL (wife for you non-hams) and I have been watching reruns of “King of the Hill,” Mike Judge’s wickedly funny cartoon series about middle-American life in Arlen, Texas. When I watched it the first time, I thought it was one of the best-written sitcoms, animated or not, on TV. Watching it a second time hasn’t changed my opinion.

One thing I have realized since then, though, is how much the cast of “King of the Hill” is like every amateur-radio club I’ve ever belonged to. Just about every cast member could be a ham.

  • Hank Hill would be an Extra-class licensee, club president and area EC. He’d get misty-eyed when the ARRL was mentioned. He’d have the tightest, best-built station in town, much of it homebrew – powered by propane, of course.
  • Boomhauer would be the club vice president. He wouldn’t be much on phone but would be an ace at CW.
  • Dale Gribble is the ex-CBer who’d have his ham license lifted quickly when the FCC discovered he wasn’t really Rusty Shackleford.
  • Hank’s wife, Peggy Hill, would get her Tech license just to be with Hank. She’d then chair the Field Day committee and totally screw it up. Hilarity would ensue.
  • Bill Dauterive would join the club and get a license just to be close to Peggy. Yet more hilarity would ensue.
  • Hank’s son, Bobby Hill, would also get his Tech license, then tie up the club repeater with comedy routines. Even more hilarity would ensue.
  • Bobby’s girlfriend, Kahn Jr., would ace her Extra test on the first try after being pushed into it by her parents. She’d operate for just a little while – but only because it looks good on college applications.

Do these people look familiar? What kinds of ham would other cast members make? Feel free to discuss amongst yourselves.

Offroad QSLing

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KG7PKA cartoon QSL by N2ESTShawn, KG7PKA, is a new ham who says his primary station will be in the Jeep Rubicon he drives offroad, so he wanted the vehicle with a map of Washington behind it on his QSL. It was an easy card to compose and fun to draw. I used to spend hours as a kid drawing cars. Can you tell?

Phone patches and auto patches

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ham radio autopatch cartoon by N2ESTI drew this cartoon some years ago to advertise a phone-patch-related product marketed by j-Com. It sure brings back memories of the way hams used to connect with the phone system. Does anyone still use a phone patch or an auto patch? For that matter, does anyone still use a landline phone?

Constitutional QSL

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W200DOC cartoon QSL by N2ESTSince the U.S. Constitution was signed by a majority of convention delegates on this day in 1787, I wanted to share a QSL I created in 1988 to commemorate the constitution’s bicentennial as law of the land. That year, the FCC allowed ham stations to replace the number in their calls with “200” if they wanted to celebrate the event. My friend Bill Ronay, KM4LS, commissioned me to illustrate this special QSL for the Atlanta Radio Club. Not only did I draw the cartoon (love that brick-size handi-talkie!), but I also hand-lettered everything, including the report form on the back.

Hot rod QSL

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W7SAB cartoon QSL by N2ESTWhen John, W7SAB, told me he wanted a picture of his 1929 Nash hot rod on his QSL, I knew immediately how I would play it: His QSL would be an homage to Ed “Big Daddy” Roth, creator of Rat Fink and king of the hot-rod cartoonists.

Drawing this card presented three challenges: Getting John’s likeness right, getting John’s car right, and making it look as if Roth might have drawn it. I think I got close.

John’s reaction when he saw the finished product: “Awesome!!!” This one was a lot of fun to draw.

When a ham snaps …

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Look-at-thatThis is one of the last cartoons I drew for QST some years ago, and it’s one of my favorites.

I don’t remember the exact details of the article it accompanied, but I do remember the set-up: Some poor amateur had worked so much public service that he eventually lost his mind, so much so that at his final assignment he mistook a fishing rod for a handi-talkie and started barking status reports into it.

Anybody else been in his predicament? I haven’t — yet.