The Smart Mouse Rises To Say Cheese

It’s Shavuot again. That time of year in the Jewish calendar (largely in Israel), where people celebrate the blessed cheesemakers, and the dairy they delivery.

Of course last year saw Oy Vey bring to light the famouse color comic strip panel “All Your Cheese Are Mine“, which was a follow-up to the now fabled “Happy Shavuot Cheese!” mouse editorial cartoon.

This comic strip panel was published by Laughzilla for the holiday cartoon of May 14, 2013 by Oy Vey – for the entertained appetite of all viewers.

In the Gregorian calendar, this webcomic illustration first appeared on what was the 65th anniversary of Israel’s Independence Day. Shavuot is mostly celebrated in Israel, partly because most of the farmers in Israel are Jewish, and therefore, the farming community’s holidays are much more important, as indeed are all of the holidays, since Israel has a broad population variety, despite its small population size.

Shavuot is a little like having a French brunch. You eat lots of cheese and drink a nice amount of wine, and you do this for a period of two days, not including the few days before and after which seem to be added on by cultural tradition and glorification of the curdled milk materials.

And if you’re looking for a good ice breaker at a cheese & wine event, here’s a little haiku you can take with you.

Shavuot is here. It’s time to eat some cheeses, and drink some good wine.

The post Smartmouse Say Cheese Happy Shavuot Dairy Holiday appeared first on Oy Vey.

The trouble with denials

President Bashar al-Assad has long denied there being any Syrian chemical weapons arsenal of any kind, despite evidence to the contrary. That makes the irony of Israel’s latest hit on a Syrian convoy allegedly carrying chemical weapons from Syria to Hizbullah terrorists in Lebanon even funnier in a macabre sense.

This Syrian chemical weapons editorial cartoon features a caricature of Bashar Assad wearing a gas mask in the middle of an open landscape, with a bombed out truck carrying chemical weapons, and a fighter jet marked with the Israeli symbol of the six pointed star, or Magen David, flying in the skies above what is presumably the Mediterranean Sea in the background. There are also two red rays (not quite red lines) in the image, represented in the small Syrian flag lapel pin and the red neck tie, both worn by Mr. Assad.

Red lines are, of course, something of a catch phrase which were bandied about quite a bit during this period of time, as they had been uttered by U.S. President Obama in relation to the possible actions the United States might take, should it be proven that the Syrian regime had used chemical weapons or WMDs of any kind within the confines of Syria’s Civil War.

This comic strip panel was published by Laughzilla for the political cartoon of May 4, 2013 by Oy Vey – for the enjoyment of people who may see what is and what is not.

It is the first political cartoon published by Oy Vey since the Life During Wartime cartoon, which appeared in the Autumn of the previous year.

The post Bashar Assad Denies Syrian chemical weapons or wmds Since Israel Bombed Them appeared first on Oy Vey.

When visionaries take to battlefields

Not everything in a war zone is bombs and bullets.  Or at least, not everyone in the war zones sees it as such.  Some even fantasize or imagine entirely different scenes of the reality and the environment surrounding them.

This Artist painting life during wartime editorial cartoon depicts a rather rotund painter painting a smiling flower in the middle of a green field with blue skies and fireworks above, in the background. By contrast, the background behind the artist seems more like a desert battlefield, replete with armor, ordinance, and artillery setting things ablaze after they fire and explode on or near their targets.

This Life During Wartime caricature was published by Laughzilla for the political cartoon of November 17, 2012 by Oy Vey – for the enjoyment of people who may see what is and what is not.

The post Artist Painting Life During Wartime appeared first on Oy Vey.

What do residents of Tel Aviv – Jaffa do during rocket attacks?

As Iranian-made Fajr-5 rockets flew from Gaza to Tel Aviv for the first time, residents of Israel’s largest coastal city had to contend with falling missile debris, along with the usual land-based debris, like too many cars and not enough parking spaces.

This Fajr 5 rocket and Tel Aviv parking space caricature was published by Laughzilla for the editorial cartoon of November 15, 2012 by Oy Vey – for the amusement of all shnooks who think war is something to laugh at.

The post Tel Aviv Fajr 5 Rocket Stole Parking Space appeared first on Oy Vey.

Why do Jews celebrate the new year in Autumn?

The Jewish holiday of Yom Kippur holiday of spiritual atonement – is a day of soul-searching, forgiveness, and fasting. No food or drink is consumed by the observant for a period of 25 hours, from sunset on one day, until 1 hour past sunset on the next day, and comes 8 days after the New Year of the cyclical lunar calendar New Year.

For the holiday, Laughzilla penned this greeting card for all who wish to share the laughs while reflecting over prayers, empty plates and dry cups.

This Yom Kippur cartoon titled The Yom Kippur Lunch Menu was drawn during the bridge day leading up to Yom Kippur 5773 by Laughzilla and published by Oy Vey on September 25, 2012

The post Yom Kippur Lunch Menu 5773 appeared first on Oy Vey.

Why do Jews celebrate the new year in Autumn?

Rosh HaShanah – the Jewish New Year’s holiday – is a celebration of the cyclical lunar calendar, and a time of forgiveness, renewal, and soul searching, aside from all the feasting and drinking that’s involved in the spirit of the occasion.

By tradition, the Jewish people gather by families and friends and eat a wide array of fruits and delicacies, including apples, honey, pomegranate, star fruit, and other exotic treats that one may or may not have enjoyed during the past year.

Laughzilla penned this greeting card for you and everyone who wishes to share a laugh at a cute Jewish holiday card with their mishpuchah.

This Rosh HaShanah cartoon titled Happy Jew Year drawn during the bridge day ending 5772 and starting 5773 was drawn by Laughzilla and published by Oy Vey on September 16, 2012

The post Happy Jew Year 5772 5773 Rosh Hashanah Caricature appeared first on Oy Vey.

What’s Tu B’Av and what’s funny about it?

Tu B’Av – the Jewish Love Day – celebrates the ritual tradition of men harvesting the early season’s grapes, while virginal unmarried women dance outside of the walls of Jerusalem.

According to learned Judaic teachers, white garments are worn by the women, because white clothes apparently evoke no jealousy (ie: JAP cat fights). And so, white clothes are worn by all observant Jewish girls on Tu B’Av.

Naturally, after a long day and evening of harvesting grapes (or reading the story and examining it in a Yeshiva all day), the men find their way over to the young women as they dance, laugh, sing and rejoice. What guy would resist that?

The result is … a lot of Jewish babies are born within the next year or so. And thus, as the people of the book are commanded to do first and foremost, they do their part to be fruitful and multiply.

This Tu Be’Av cartoon titled Grapes Virgins and Love was drawn Laughzilla and published by Oy Vey on August 3, 2012

The post Tu B’Av Grapes Virgins Love appeared first on Oy Vey.

For 25 years, Jonathan Pollard has been held in captivity, in a maximum security U.S. federal prison, without a proper trial or conviction.

A series of events and political considerations have blocked Mr. Pollard from being freed. Every U.S. President since Reagan has failed to release him. For all the hope sold down the river by Presidents Clinton and Obama, none has so far had the courage to free this man, despite the numerous reasons that should happen. It seems only appropriate that after so many long years, we should do something and let our voice be heard. We believe Jonathan Pollard should be free.

This Pollard Obama political cartoon was drawn Laughzilla and published by Oy Vey on July 21, 2012.

Read more about Jonathan Pollard on his official website.

The post Obama on Pollard appeared first on Oy Vey.

The cheesemakers, blessed as they are, love this holiday … almost as much as the cheese eaters.

To cherish this sacred tradition of eating cheese and other dairy, Oy Vey presents you with this happy mouse caricature, illustrated among an array of tasty cheeses.

Once you’ve filled up on the goods from the goats and the wows from the cows, fill up the last remaining empty cell in your brain with one of Laughzilla’s cartoon books, and who knows? You may have much more tolerance for lactose.

Besides, who can resist one more piece de resistance?

The post All Your Cheese Are Mine Shavuot Mouse appeared first on Oy Vey.

Not a matzo was leavened, not even one piece.

Freedom’s just another word for so much tasty food. Shank Bone ain’t worth eatin’ but at least it’s free.

Laughzilla penned this Happy Passover cartoon for the Oy Vey webcomic strip, as a reminder of the afflictions the Hebrew people survived in their long years of bondage and slavery in Egypt.

If you need an updated way to remember how humans are making each other laugh and cry across the generations, read Laughzilla’s cartoon books, and then you’ll have something to cherish the next time your freedom is challenged by your modern day Pharaoh.

Plus, paperback comic books last longer than most papyrusback editions.

The post Happy Passover Wine appeared first on Oy Vey.