Happy New Year!

We're going to start off the year at the Michael Hopkins Cartoons Blog by focusing on a planned caricature/aviation adventure. This plan is really a natural occurrence given the aviation related journey, which is my life.

I love aviation and have loved aviation as far back as I can remember. Aviation is ingrained in my soul. Aviation raised me and fed our family. My earliest and fondest aviation memories include, my father and mother, grandfather and uncles working for The Boeing Company. My first active participation in aviation involved my brother and I taking a ride (sometime in the late 1960’s or early 1970’s) with my father in a Cessna 172, out of Renton Municipal Airport.

It was a short scenic flight, but nonetheless it was an amazing flight. That flight's intro into the world of aviation continues thru today, with my current side gig as a pretty damn good, Aviation Fueler. Of course, there was much aviation indulgence (including as part of my art repertoire) in between that first flight and my current status as a Fueler. Included in this indulgence, a brief flirtation with becoming an Air Traffic Controller (Yikes!), several air shows and museum visits (the highlight of which was sitting with my oldest daughter on the cockpit of Howard Hughes Spruce Goose) and one of my proudest moments being when some my art was featured the the opening of the Royal Dutch Air Force Aviation Museum opening of part of an exhibit for Martin Leeuwis book Good Landing.

Of course I’ve seen the classics in person (besides, McCartney, Elton and Alice Cooper), two Presidential Air Force One’s, The Avro Vulcan, the previous mentioned Hughes H-4 Hercules (i.e., Spruce Goose) The Concorde SST, the first, 747, 727, and 707 (a.k.a. the Boeing 367-80) the YC-14 and so many others…However, I do have a “Bucket List”. Included in that list is to visit Elvis Presley's, private Convair 880 (the Lisa Marie) at Graceland. Also, I want to visit the National Museum of the USAF, the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum and visit where it all began in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina.

Which brings me back to the plan for 2023 (drumroll please!) Introducing, The Michael Hopkins Caricatures Aviation Roadshow Adventure! The roadshow plan is to participate in as many Air Shows as possible and introduce my aviation art to the masses and promote Michael Hopkins Caricatures.

This idea began out of frustration and inability to bring greater attention to my art (than social media has provided). Although the attention I do receive from social is positive and appreciated , it's limited. My life long goal has always been, obtaining financial independence though my art. Wealth is not what I'm looking for...financial independence, happiness and the ability to create art without the constraints of having hold down a full time side gig as well, to pay the rent. As such, I need to find a way to reach a broader audience. Relatively speaking, the most part I'm an unknown artist which makes the prior goal of financial independence, difficult to say the least. I need to find a way sharing my art with a broader audience. This need, combined with a love of aviation was the inception of The Michael Hopkins Caricatures Aviation Roadshow Adventure and now I need to change this plan into reality I hope to participate in as many Air Shows as possible to introduce my aviation art and promote Michael Hopkins Caricatures (and possibly draw some caricatures while traveling across the country).

I still haven't figured out the logistics of this plan, however figuring out these logistics will be the focus of The Michael Hopkins Cartoons Blog for the foreseeable future. Once the logistics have been figured out, the focus of my blog will turn to The Michael Hopkins Caricatures Aviation Roadshow Adventure (do you like the name??)!

Besides this Blog, the plan is to utilize videos and photography to record my adventure (including highlights from every airshow I visit).

Of course, like pretty much anything aviation related, this adventure will take some funds to get off the ground. As such, I'll be looking for funding and some sponsorships to get this roadshow on the road.

So the first step is finding some sponsorships in exchange for advertising (i.e., signage at my booth, on my vehicle (another need for this adventure) or even companies logos' on the caricature drawing paper (my ideas are endless and my openness to an advertisers suggestions, in exchange for sponsorship is unlimited).

Also if I can come up with some cool gifts for those who donate, I'm considering considering using my "Buy me a coffee" account as a platform for donations from those of you who who wish to participate in getting this roadshow on the road.

First things first, wake up tomorrow and get the roadshow on the road….

Michael