Once a year, I take up a pencil and draw up something speeshülly Germanian for the mother of my fan/friend in Nutley, NJ. To understand WHY I do this, it’s briefly explained it here.
Originally doodled May 18, 2013.
Happy Dreikäsehoch! | Another Mrs. Berry Birthday Doodle
Every May, going back to 2010, I cobble together a German-themed birthday illo for the mother of my fan/friend in New Jersey. Nope, they’re not German — but, they did take me to a German-themed restaurant in Hoboken for Mrs. Berry’s birthday get-together in 2009.
And that’s the (in)joke. Ahh, I guess you had to be there.
If you were wondering, “Happy Dreikäsehoch” translates to Three Cheese High.
Cheese has nothing to do with anything with relation to the person, the day, or the theme… I just needed a long, complicated, funny-sounding German-ish word (“Dreikäsehoch”) and this one fit the bill.
That’s supposed to be me (Bort) on the left. The sentient purple plush critter on the right is "Trunko”, an Ugly Dolls character I picked up at FAO Schwarz with Mrs. Berry in 2011… but I digress…
At left: this is the illustration without the “Happy Dreikäsehoch” titles. Yes, that’s THREE cheese slabs stacked in the background (re:translation).
Über Von Doodle-Strudel | The First Mrs. Berry Birthday Doodle
In 2009, after jokingly badgering me I had to fly from Melbourne (Australia) to New Jersey to visit my (then) newly found vet-tech fan, Karen… and flying to NJ to do just that a few months later… and after one of several guided tours of NYC, Karen (with me in tow)(#typicalaussietourist) wound up at a German-themed bistro/restaurant thingy in Hoboken for Mrs. Judy Berry’s birthday get-together.
The scene depicted below is NOT of that night... just a fun 1st Anniversary illo of (a) that birthday dinner in Hoboken and (b) the first of "Mrs. Berry's Birthday Doodles" yearly installments.
The cast of characters (from left to right): me (in picture frame); Carolyn (Karen's sister), Charlie (Carolyn's fiancee); waiter in stereotypical traditional German lederhosen; Amber (Carolyn's daughter); Karen (fan/"get your ass over to NJ" instigator); and Mrs. Judy Berry (birthday girl).
This illo was drawn digitally in 2010 and is littered with in-jokes for the time. I'd point out and explain each one -- but I don't wanna.