Larry Roibal

Ball pint pen on the morning newprint

April 15th is like a holiday in my house. My wife Donna was trained in the legal field, but has found her niche amongst life’s two inevitables working in the fiduciary accounting biz (It’s like a regular accountant, but the clients don’t complain as much). The practical effect being that between the new year and April 15th we don’t get to spend a great deal of time together. Tonight we’re keeping the after-tax-day-palooza going by seeing Nathan Lane on Broadway in the political comedy November.

Ball point pen on the morning newsprint

The Five term mayor of New Jersey’s largest city is found guilty on 13 counts of fraud and conspiracy. Dubbed by some “Newark’s Mayor For Life”, he proved the axiom that power tends to corrupt, and absolute power, corrupts absolutely.

Ball point pen on the morning newsprint

Shepherd One touched down on Andrews Air Force Base. While in the US, Pope Benedict has put ridding the church of pedophile priests on the top of his agenda.

Ball point pen on the morning newsprint

Pope Benedict is coming to New York. I remember when Pope John Paul ll visited New York in 1979. He traveled down Fifth Avenue in the Pope-mobile right past Parson School of Design, on 13th Street, in Greenwich Village. I was an art student at the time. I took some pictures and did a sketch from a window on the 12th floor illustration department.

Ball point pen on the morning newsprint

When you’ve campaigned for two years and exhausted every issue, it comes to this. Your gaffe is worse than my gaffe.

Ball point pen on the morning newsprint

Everyone on the pro tour has skills, but on Sunday it’s the golfers nerves not their skills that are tested.

Ball point pen on the morning newsprint

I think investing in the intelligence of our future generations is probably the most important expenditure for securing peace and economic strength as a people. I’m going to give ten dollars to Miramax. Not just because I’ll probably enjoy a movie of, by and for smart people, but to stimulate more of the same and maybe raise the level of culture.

Ball point pen on newsprint

Today I had two photo shoots for book covers I’m working on. That means a commute into the city. I think New Jersey Transit coaches might have the worst suspensions of any moving vehicles still in operation. Besides making it challenging to read a newspaper, it makes it very difficult to draw a picture…but not impossible. I did this doodle on the train. You have to abandon all hope of placing the pen down and moving it exactly where you’d like, in short, forget about line and think like a painter scribbling in mass and form.

After my shootings I stuck around and went to see James Gurney Lecture at the Society of Illustrators. This is the second time I saw him lecture at the society. He is a perfect cocktail of talent, intellect, imagination and dedication,…and I’m not just saying that because he was gracious enough to sign my book and add a doodle of his own. Thanks James!

Ball point pen on the morning newsprint

The Lady Vols of Tennessee wins back to back NCAA Camapionships.

Ball point pen on the morning newsprint

There’s still hope that Jon Corzine’s legacy as New Jersey’s Governor will be that he balanced our wasteful, corrupt government’s debt, but more likely it will be to remind us all to buckle up.