Paul Combs's Blog (375)

It has been a while since I’ve posted a new illustration. To be honest, since the loss of my friend to a car accident I have been in a two-month creative canyon (think Mariana Trench) where nothing seemed funny and no amount of motivation could convince my hand to create.…

What is passion? What does it look like, sound like, feel like? Is it something we instinctively know when we are around its presence, or can it be palpated like a strong radial pulse? Every so often a person comes into our lives whose passionate light shines so bright that comets pale in comparison, and much like a blazing comet or shooting star, their…

A pendulum swings to the extreme far right and to the extreme far left, and in the fire service, as in politics, common sense is somewhere in the middle. Unfortunately there is so much divisive chatter going on that it feels as if common sense is an ugly four-armed green-headed alien stepchild. Quiet the chatter and do what's right... my guess is you instinctively…

To say we live in a society of bold and colorful individuals is an understatement. One only needs to stroll down any city street to see people who would have once been characterized as “outsiders” or “one of them” pleasantly blending into modern society. It’s acceptable to be personality-loud! We “old-schoolers” may shake our heads in disbelief, but truth be…

We’ve got to do better than this.

It is with a heavy heart that I find myself mourning another brother as I write this blog post. A brother who was the epitome of dedication and passion, and who was loved by all who had the fortune to know him, or be the target of his shameless wit and humor. He loved the fire service, he loved teaching, but something…

Have a happy and safe Halloween, everybody!

STAY FIRED UP!

Happy Halloween, everybody!

Stay clear of the morning zombies!

STAY FIRED UP!

Sometimes the best way is to just keep it simple and direct!

STAY FIRED UP!

"Question with boldness even the existence of a God; because, if there be one, he must more approve of the homage of reason, than that of blind-folded fear."  - Thomas Jefferson



I love this quote by our third U.S. President. A man of vision, exploration, and curiosity who never stopped wondering "what if..."  Some of the most groundbreaking moments…

Yes, I've drawn another "wear your seat belt" cartoon! SPOILER ALERT: I will continue to draw them until we have 100% participation and everybody clicks that buckle (and that means your POV, too). So, scoff and ridicule if you wish, but I will draw my conscience and share my passion on this subject as long as there is ink in my pens.

Buckle-up, brothers…

The great thing about drawing cartoons is I have the ability to make people speak the truth within the frame of my work. And with the resent news about skyrocketing drug costs, this cartoon seemed appropriate... and true. I'm all for a free market, but the outrageous drug industry gorging on the sick and elderly has become an epidemic in its own right. I now deal…

“Strong minds discuss ideas, average minds discuss events, weak minds discuss people.”

― Socrates



Apparently Socrates was a man of vision to foresee civility's death by the social media firing squad! We have forgotten how to have a disagreement in this country (and perhaps globally) and how to discuss our differences in a respectful way. Furthermore,…

We all know that one person, don’t we? The one who was promoted to a leadership role when they have no leadership qualities whatsoever. They have said all the right things to the right people, done the bare minimum to get ahead, and now find themselves in a position of management over firefighters that know all to well who this person really is. My grandfather used…

Don't laugh, I bet you a Bulbasaur and a Squirtle that somebody has thought about doing this! Pop culture and the way we humans fawn over it has always fascinated me, if not at times dazed and confused me. But, as any good cartoonist would, I'm having my own brand of fun with it.

STAY FIRED UP!

Click here to see more of my work or to order…

There's no real power to having knowledge that you refuse to share with others. Regardless of your reasons, you are not smarter or empowered by what you know when it's kept in your self-centered locked mind of superior denial. Knowledge only works when you use what you know to lift others, so they can in turn lift others, and so on...

If you know it,…

Heat related illnesses can lead to countless issues including fatigue, nausea, disorientation, injury, and in extreme situations sudden cardiac events. It's hot out there, brothers and sisters - so remember to hydrate and get that gear off as soon as possible.



STAY FIRED UP!

Click here to see more of my work or to order prints:…

Training is not just for the bread and butter tasks, but to sharpen skills that we rarely use, too. This cartoon focuses on one of those tasks: standpipe training, tactics and operation. Are standpipes a resource that we use often? Most of us would probably say no. Is utilizing standpipe connections a real and present possibility? I think most would say…

STAY FIRED UP!

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Click here to see more of my work or to order prints:…

Spring and Summer bring an onslaught of action packed movies sporting muscle-bound studs and mercenary vixens who leap and punch their way into the American culture with gravity defying ease. I admit, I'm guilty of enjoying the latest exploits and theatrics of Captain America, too. But what happens when society places more emphasis on pop culture icons and…