The Secret Life of Guinea Pigs

Nice and neat

2011-11-13T08:57:00.000-05:00

Keeping the desk clean, inbox empty, worker productive.

Spreading the knowledge around

2011-11-06T12:39:00.003-05:00

Here's a Lyra-pig teaching her new neighbor some things about computers...

New Pics

2011-10-31T17:41:00.004-04:00

A common sight around these parts. She's only missing her baby carrot.

A request from Guinea Pig Gardens

A slightly smaller GP

2011-10-02T15:24:00.001-04:00

The 'Chuck

2011-09-27T20:14:00.002-04:00

What's waiting outside Lyra's window at work!

New Toy

2011-09-21T20:08:00.002-04:00

Someone got a new toy to play with...

New jobs bring new changes

2011-09-17T18:17:00.003-04:00

So I've been remiss in keeping up on this blog. I've been busy at work and am almost done with a major project on my my other blog, so that's been keeping me occupied. My wife got a new job and I thought I'd post a new peegchure to celebrate:

New pictures, new medium

2011-07-27T12:33:00.002-04:00

Hello. I know it's been a while, but I have not had any access to a scanner all summer. L suggested I try to draw some pictures on my tablet mouse, and though I do not have a lot of confidence with it, I thought I'd take her up. Here are some recent attempts:

Face time

2011-05-05T13:36:00.000-04:00

Another scene from last summer

Presented without Comment...

2011-03-14T17:00:00.001-04:00

Preview of tomorrow...

2011-03-09T14:14:00.000-05:00

Chores got to be done!

Exotic Entertainments

2011-02-18T15:02:00.002-05:00

The bunnies are surprisingly dangerous to charm...

Nervous no longer!

2011-02-15T09:57:00.002-05:00

Another job-related situation: waiting nervously by the phone...

Sweet sweet feeding time

2011-02-11T14:07:00.000-05:00

An image of what Lyra-pig did this summer...

Biblical epic pigs! [thunder crash]

2011-02-08T09:56:00.001-05:00

Too long gone...

2011-01-13T13:08:00.005-05:00

I've been gone so long that even I wondered where I was. The good news is that I'm back, and that my autumn push achieved all of its goals. So now I'm Dr. Secretguinea and I have some new cartoons for you all:

Just got back from the MLA conference in Los Angeles, where I saw lots of young pigs looking like this...

This is the way to keep calm before those nerve-wracking flights. I particularly was struck by this guy's big 70's headphones.

Lot of scarves to be seen at the MLA convention...

... as well as many wheel-about suitcases...

The afternoon commute

2010-10-08T09:55:00.001-04:00

I love watching faces on public transportation

Knock this guy over his crupper!

2010-09-28T11:55:00.000-04:00

Who knows where he gets horses this small?

Hot Summer Days

2010-08-05T16:39:00.002-04:00

She should be glad GPs can't get sunburned...

Tender moment in the airport

2010-07-26T16:54:00.000-04:00

A picture from my recent vacation

Depressing Post-apocalyptic movie GPs

2010-07-21T12:11:00.001-04:00

From the "Pigs on Page and Stage series..."

Goopy before n' after

2010-06-11T13:44:00.001-04:00

At least it wasn't the mustard gun...

More goopy L

2010-06-05T14:41:00.000-04:00

Uncorked a faceful of Vroom

Household accidents

2010-05-29T11:15:00.000-04:00

Just a little too much laundry soap and voom!

Babysitting perils

2010-05-25T09:12:00.003-04:00

Sometimes I draw pictures for a series called "Goopy Lyramin," which entails a Lyra-pig confronted by and/or coated with various viscous or slimy substances. Here's a babysitting Lyra-pig.

Actually what grading looks like...

2010-05-19T13:47:00.000-04:00

Let's be honest here

Busy times

2010-05-16T14:31:00.002-04:00

May brings stacks and stacks of papers to grade...

Light reading

2010-05-07T10:30:00.000-04:00

A little light reading is definitely appreciated around here...

From the darkness...

2010-05-02T10:09:00.001-04:00

In black metal, it's all about the greaves...

Bunnies behaving badly

2010-04-20T16:05:00.002-04:00

Here's an image of a recent bunny party -- if you're uncomfortable with pictures of bunnies drinking, then you might want to keep surfing.

It's 11:30...

2010-04-06T15:52:00.001-04:00

...and the show has begun, with a very relaxed Lyra-pig laying down some sax while Wally the Chinchilla keeps the time. Yes, it's cool jazz night at the Hayloft.

Old Time Religion GP

2010-04-01T09:54:00.000-04:00

The Wheaking of Elijah-Pig

Get better soon, foot

2010-03-28T12:53:00.001-04:00

New Pics

2010-03-25T12:23:00.001-04:00

Everybody love pickles...

Guinea Pigs, Tokugawa period

Cupcake Taming

2010-02-26T14:39:00.002-05:00

It takes nerves of steel to tame the wild cupcake. They'll turn on you if you're not firm with them...

Time for Chores

2010-02-18T16:02:00.000-05:00

An all-too frequent sight at Chez Lyra-pig

Random picture

2010-02-17T15:02:00.002-05:00

Not sure what this means...

Aaron bites...

2010-02-12T11:19:00.001-05:00

... whale bubbles.

Gotta put those pellets somewhere

2010-02-05T12:01:00.000-05:00

Safe at Home

2010-01-24T12:48:00.000-05:00

Playing with a wagon

2010-01-20T14:02:00.000-05:00

Baby Lyra- and Aaron-pigs on a sunny afternoon...

Squirrels beware!

2010-01-18T14:45:00.002-05:00

Honing her skills against the tufted, fuzzy-tailed menace of me and you. Protect us, Lyra-pig!

Let's get physical!

2010-01-13T13:39:00.001-05:00

Just a few sampled images from Lyra-pig's personal fitness program.

Guinea Pigs w/ problems

2010-01-12T11:13:00.002-05:00

The boys have been a little under the weather recently. A little slippery down there...

Get well soon! You'll master that TP yet!

Update on Ilya

2010-01-07T10:26:00.004-05:00

For an update on Ilya the Northerly-Swimming Manatee, please go here.

Here's an image from his convalescence. Thanks Lyra-pig for all your help! You're the best!

Church guinea

2010-01-06T09:58:00.000-05:00

Apparently guineas go to church in the South...

MJ imitation

2010-01-03T13:59:00.001-05:00

The first in what will be a sequence born of lots of holiday sketching. Be sure to come back tomorrow!

Walking the Ham

2009-12-27T13:15:00.000-05:00

Happy New Year, everybody!

My Binket Style is unstoppable!

2009-12-16T11:34:00.000-05:00

Happy holidays, guinea fans!

Cooped up GP

2009-12-08T12:09:00.002-05:00

The Lyra-pig has been a bit bored lately...

Two for a cool November

2009-11-14T14:15:00.003-05:00

It's tough to get those nails looking their brownest...

En garde, hamster!

Three more for the weekend

2009-11-01T11:14:00.003-05:00

Another image from the crazy rabbit Oktoberfest this year

In response to the rescue of a stranded manatee named Ilya, we thought we'd update you on how it was actually done. A very wet Eurovan and numerous stops at McDonalds.

Anything's more funny if it's repeated thirty times...

End of October peegs

2009-10-30T11:43:00.004-04:00

I really need to stop apologizing for infrequent posts and just get to drawing and scanning.

If you like cute pigs you've definitely seen Balbinka on Flickr. Here is a picture of her on a motorcycle.

Here's guinea dressed as a bun celebrating Oktoberfest. Rock that accordion!

Six weeks too late...

2009-09-19T14:21:00.003-04:00

So sorry for the delay. The scanner's been out of service for a while. Here's a pasttime-y type picture to help you remember the lazy summer days...

Even more overdue pics

2009-08-04T14:23:00.003-04:00

O bounteous land of itinerant binket salespigs!

Of course, SHE'll tell you she never does it

PS) Congratulations to Michelle Adams for winning the SLGP Favorite Cartoon contest! She received a framed piece of original SLGP artwork and species-wide fame for being such a guinea pig fan. A nation of little guys proudly wheak in your honor! :)

Overdue pics

2009-07-26T16:23:00.000-04:00

She's just a little sick...

The cure: seven buns

Airports

2009-07-10T15:40:00.004-04:00

I always come through airports with a ton of sketches, and this time was no different:

Checking in at CornAir.

Of course beavers run the security checkpoints...

A portrait of Lyra & me dancing it up.

Three new pics

2009-06-19T15:24:00.003-04:00

Hello all -- here are some news pics for your guinea needs. Don't forget about the contest--only 11 days left to enter! Just email me stating your favorite SLGP picture and you may win a copy of that picture.

Thoughtful or just grouchy?

Hot cross buns are not tiny bunnies with weird markings...

Getting ready for bed

Fanciful moments

2009-06-13T16:22:00.003-04:00

Happy wet summer day! New pictures for you today. Enjoy!

If Lyra liked tennis and could play against the blanket...

A future shot of when we have a baby-pig to take for a walk...

Please don't forget about the favorite SLGP cartoon contest -- entries accepted until June 30th. Check for the rules a few entries back and send me an email (secretguinea@gmail.com) about your favorite picture.

Fresh June Pigs

2009-06-06T13:26:00.002-04:00

Hello -- here are new pigs for your early June feeling:

Looking at the author of these here toons...

Get your trunks and suits on -- it's almost time for the Jersey Shore!

Popcorn and Clay

2009-05-27T07:03:00.002-04:00

New pictures, the last from my recent surge. Beginning new surge presently...

They come equipped with their own clay tools...

There's a story in there: something about the Great Chinchilla Popcorn Revolt.

Happy Remembering Day

2009-05-25T10:52:00.003-04:00

Happy Three-Day Weekend Day. I hope you are all relaxing and enjoying the beautiful day. If you are considering going to the American Museum of Natural History, you might think twice about braving the crowds and check this picture instead:

Delving into the prehistory of GPs...

May toons, pt 2

2009-05-24T05:45:00.003-04:00

More pics from the recent heatwave of drawingness:

Bunny MD's, delivered right to your door...

Whatcha gonna do?

Keep those entries to the contest coming (see note, two posts down). Also, for the lurkers, you can use the sidebar poll to vote (but you have to enter the contest separately).

Assorted Animals

2009-05-20T21:03:00.003-04:00

I have a lot of pictures, some of them of other cute animals. Here are two of those pictures, complete with punchlines to keep the chuckles coming:

A chinchilla explores Romantic poetry...

And don't forget about the contest (see previous entry)!

Choose the Best Cavy Cartoon

2009-05-15T20:49:00.003-04:00

Hello all,

Ever wanted a real-live copy of original cartoon artwork? Ever had an opinion about the relative merits of two drawings when set beside each other? Then you can play along in our "Choose the Best Cavy Cartoon" contest.

Vote for your favorite "Secret Life of Guinea Pigs" drawing and you could win the original toon for which you voted, framed up and suitable for display or use as a coaster*.

Just send an email, written in English (or French or Spanish), to secretguinea@gmail.com with your name, email address and the title of the picture you're voting for (it's the name your computer will want to save the picture under if you were to download it). If you like include a brief explanation of why you like that picture. I'll draw a name from a hat and send a picture to the winner.

You have until June 30th to send in your choices. Send multiples if you like, but you will only be entered once into the raffle. If you are the winner, I will contact you about an address to send the prize, but don't give me an address before that moment.

* Some exceptions apply. Some pictures are not extant in anything other than digital form. Others are already on display in other people's homes, including my own. A substitute will have to be found in these instances.

You also must be over the age of 18 or have your parent's permission to receive a mailing from me. Finally, there is a limit to how far I can afford to send a picture (Antarctica might be to far, for example).

Good luck to all and let the contest begin!

Two more this week

2009-05-14T20:21:00.001-04:00

Hello boys and girls, here are two more pictures for your week's pleasance:

Razzing the local owl

Just try to imagine this guy's sound as he goes barreling in!

More piggetry

2009-05-13T16:17:00.001-04:00

Still more from the recent bonanza:

From the GP infirmary...

Pellets à la Purslane

Les Cobayes en Coleur

2009-05-12T13:20:00.002-04:00

I've been gone a few days, and came back with sketches. Here's my first color GP toon:

Lovingly rendering that cabbage...

Spring madness

2009-04-24T15:06:00.002-04:00

Spring is here, and in the rush to get outside, I hope you can pause for some pictures:

Lots of ways to use that spare catapult. Next week: Beef Tips Trebuchet!

Images from the 2009 Spring GP Dance-a-thon...

Step aside, Hayden Panettiere

2009-04-10T12:51:00.002-04:00

You're no longer the cutest and tiniest of super-heroes:

The city has new savior, Dee Cute!

Pictures

2009-03-29T16:36:00.002-04:00

Hoping all of you are surviving this weird spring weather. It's sane in P'ton, but still froggy and unpleasant.

Fresh baked pellet pie!

"We are your over-looooords!"

Springtime and the 1970's

2009-03-20T18:26:00.003-04:00

Fashions of the early 1970's

Springtime brings lots of baby buns to our favorite outdoor markets...

Fish faces

2009-03-17T18:13:00.001-04:00

'nuff said...

Pigs by Land and Sea

2009-03-15T17:32:00.001-04:00

View of our steadfast helmsman aboard the HMS Wheakster

One day she'll mow enough lawns to afford a gas-powered mower...

Cooking up good stuff

2009-03-11T17:50:00.003-04:00

We're always cooking up good stuff at Chez L-A:

This week: stew!

Airports & shooting (not together in the same place, mind you)

2009-03-03T16:36:00.002-05:00

On the target range, that Lyra-pig has a steady hand and an eagle eye. The scope helps too...

Here is the last of the airport pictures from Xmas 2008 (what is it March?) -- I love watching people wait. I need to start taking my sketch book up to Penn Station...

It Pours...

2009-02-25T16:34:00.002-05:00

I promised Lyra a mega-post, so here's what passes for such around these parts:

The anatomy of a squeak...

Count Lyramin thirsts in the night for your chocolate milk

Anthropological methods for studying capybaras

And a semi-serious portrait of our newest stuffed animal: the hamster Vernon.

Hopefully there will be more pics later this week! For now, enjoy the oversaturation.

Getting ready

2009-02-23T18:18:00.001-05:00

Been surprisingly busy these last few weeks, hence the busy clothes...

More soon, I promise.

Mini-pics

2009-02-03T15:59:00.001-05:00

Here are some pictures that will fit right into your front pocket:

Oh, like this has never happened to YOU!

Airport Scenes III

2009-01-28T17:06:00.002-05:00

More scenes from airports -- this time an evening of long delays at Newark-Liberty, just before Xmas 2008:

Time travel & thoughtful pigs

2009-01-25T17:49:00.003-05:00

Advice for time-traveling guinea pigs: always make nice with the locals.

(On a side note, don't ever mention that bad BBC adventure series, Primaeval. Even to say you didn't like it. Many dinosaurs found its premise flimsy, the acting substandard, and the story deeply insulting. And you never want to be in a position to calm down ten tons of Triceratops.)

On a more serious note, here's a thoughtful portrait of Wesley, our third pig. He's a pretty dignified little guy.

Making Lunch (& others)

2009-01-21T16:48:00.004-05:00

Lyra-pigs love PB&J...

Pigs just don't go for those Ponzi schemes.

The secret nocturnal life of Lyra-pig.

Portraiture

2009-01-18T15:50:00.002-05:00

Okay, I've finally gotten back to the scanner for some uploading. Here's a portrait of the Lyra-pig ready for bedtime...

In Memoriam Chumley, aged 3

2009-01-13T14:00:00.004-05:00

I am very sorry about the long delay since my last cartoon. As soon as I got back from break, we had to deal with a pretty serious illness in our oldest pig, Chumley. He developed a bladder stone, which was causing him a lot of discomfort and keeping him from eating. We tried everything we could to keep him fed and hydrated, feeding him with a syringe four times a day (a grueling process that must have been very distressing for the boy). Unfortunately, the stone descended into his urethra and blocked it. We consulted a veterinary surgeon to find out our options. Rather than forcing him to endure a painful surgery that may have only made it worse or just pushed the stone back up into his bladder to start all over again, Lyra and I decided to put him to sleep.

We held him until the very end and he died peacefully in his Mommy's arms yesterday afternoon. We buried him, wrapped in a towel that smelled like home, under a tree at Lyra's parents' house. He will be missed, and I guess that's one of the most important consolations about this -- how lucky could a little animal be out of the millions and millions of them in the world, to be so loved and well-cared for? He meant something to us and we were able to make his life better. That makes me feel good at least.

That, and his crazy brothers.

(the cartoon above is several years old, done when Chumley was almost one. Media is Adobe Photoshop, drawn freehand with a pen mouse.)

Mouse shenaigans

2008-12-22T11:26:00.002-05:00

Here's a video that deserves to blow up, made by my little brother:

Merry Christmas!

Xmas Break Pics 1

2008-12-14T18:01:00.005-05:00

It's that time of year again -- and I'll be out of town for about two weeks for the holidays. Here is a double helping of guinea piggery to get you through.

There was a remarkable pig on Cute Overload a few weeks back with the cutest wide-open mouth. I made a few variations on the theme, trying to capture his great expression.

More will come along as I get them polished up.

The holiday season brings pies, and when there are pies there's a lot of rolling to be done.

Talk like an Aaron-Pig!

2008-12-03T13:10:00.003-05:00

Now you can play along at home. Make sure your mouth is really limber before trying any of these exercises to avoid injury.

New pics

2008-11-18T16:07:00.003-05:00

Happiness is...

"I would not take the ring even if I found it by the side of the road"

[Hopefully, this looks like who it's supposed to be, and not Chad Kroeger from Nickelback. I don't think Lyra-pig would coming running for HIM...]

"Then you and I will slip into my velvet igloo, and begin the butt-dance of love"

More pics

2008-11-10T14:26:00.004-05:00

Hello! I got a little wound up in all the election excitement and neglected to post more last week, but here are two new images to ring this new and wonderful week!

Nature documentaries are surprisingly scary...

How they get the water out of oatmeal in order to make it instant... Voles!

Happy Voting Day! (we hope)

2008-11-04T09:52:00.002-05:00

Here's hoping you have already voted or will do so before the polls close in your respective area. If you did vote, have some popcorn! Lyra-min made it herself!

Happy Halloween 2008!

2008-10-31T15:31:00.002-04:00

Dentistry and prairie dogs

2008-10-30T17:39:00.004-04:00

GP Dentistry:

So, there's a sad story to go with this: A few weeks I accidentally dropped Wesley, and he broke his upper front teeth out in the fall. We were told that he would be eating with a syringe for six month; that we would have to keep bringing him to the vet to have his teeth shaved, and might want to consider putting him down. Well, it's been two weeks, and Wesley's eating baby carrots with no real difficulties, and managing apples, oranges and parsley that are cut up, and holding his own with the other two pigs. His vet check today was cautiously optimistic: he hasn't lost much weight and his teeth seem to be growing back and straight for now. It will be tense for a while, but hopefully eating normally will help him recover more quickly.

Get better soon, WZA! I'm so sorry!

Prairie Dogs

You might have seen my post this past summer with the Muppet prairie dogs singing "Blue Skies." Cutest things ever -- go watch it, and then find the YouTube video with those singing "The Best Things in Life are Free."

Guinea madness continues!

2008-10-28T16:18:00.003-04:00

Welcome to 175 million years ago, when Lyra-pigs ruled the earth...

World Domination -- Lyra-pig Style!

2008-10-27T15:50:00.004-04:00

Hi everybody -- so I've finally gotten a handle of my job app's and reached a happy place in grading and teaching. And you, the public, will reap the benefits.

I have a big sheaf of new pics that I will be posting over the next few days. Here's a Lyra-pig taking the world by storm (and starting in Australia, which usually a good strategy):

WAY overdue post

2008-10-22T15:35:00.003-04:00

It's been too long, ladies and gentlemen, and I am sorry for that. I have been so busy it's not even funny. To make it up to you, I will post these guys, and then try to get another batch up soon.

Cute controversy 2008; Bunny, Hedgehog, Hyrax or Guinea Pig? The Lyra-pig is not amused...

Pics to color

2008-09-24T21:29:00.006-04:00

My mother-in-law recently asked me to provide a guinea pig picture for her first-grade class to color. I thought I'd pass it along...

It's a portrait of our guys at dinner. From the left: Wesley, Chumley, Sauce.

Overdue pictures

2008-09-02T16:20:00.004-04:00

I have been remiss in updating, getting way too involved in what seems to be an endlessly frustrating and sometimes utterly futile project of finishing my chapter. But here are some new guineas.

Baby Lyra-pig loves Uncle Eddie's cuckoo clock.

Coming soon to a theater near you, Lyra-min stars as Dr. Challenger in A. Conan Doyle's The Lost World, featuring real live toxodons, ten-foot cavies from prehistoric South America!

(Update note: Doyle may have been a bit mistaken: a toxodon is a prehistoric ungulate that looks a lot like a friendly rhino; but this even more congenial fellow was found in 2003. Here's Dr. Challenger's prehistoric guinea.

And here's an image I just uncovered of a wholly new form of cavy to me, the Rock or Acrobatic Cavy. Whoopee!

Epic Fantasy Warfare Cuteness

2008-08-08T11:40:00.003-04:00

While watching The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe the other day, Lyra suggested that the reason that this movie was better than Lord of the Rings was that there were more fuzzy animals in the battle scenes. I told her that it was too bad that the Bunny Brigade scenes were cut.

This is a view, from the design team, of what this crack fighting unit may have looked like:

Early august Cartoonitry

2008-08-05T17:05:00.003-04:00

New cartoons this week!

Many mini-sandwiches

And Lyra-pig goes for a nice contemplative float to beat the summer heat...

Woolverton Guest Book

2008-07-27T11:43:00.002-04:00

Just trying to keep striking while the digital iron is still warmed. These sketches were made in the guest book in Hunterdon Cottage at the Woolverton Inn, where L and I stayed the last two nights of our honeymoon.