Cartoon Concepts for the Book One More Bite
1. An anchorwoman is delivering the nightly news. Papers in hand, she says to the camera: “Another upsetting discovery in the world of science: experts reveal that the air itself is fattening…” 2. Woman doing TV commercial: “I just lost 50 pounds at WeightMinders. Now I’m going to divorce my husband!” 3. A woman is at the checkout stand of a supermarket. As she places her items on the conveyer, the magazines catch her attention: Glamour, People, etc. Caption: And just when you finish selecting all the foods you really shouldn’t eat, you get the Perfect People to make you feel bad about it. 4. A woman is picking up her order inside a pizzeria. The cook is about to cut the pizza into slices when the woman stops him, saying, “No, don’t cut it! That way it’s just one piece.” 5. Woman stands on the scale with arms folded. Caption: Kathy decides to remain standing on the scale until she loses weight. 6. Two men are walking on the street. One says, “Betty and I started a new diet together.” The two pass a bakery, and the man looks longingly at the sweets. His friend says, “Now there are two ways you can’t cheat on her.” 7. A woman is ordering lunch inside a restaurant. She says to the waiter in caption: “Ah, hell, gimme the fries. I’m just going to throw 'em up afterward anyway.” 8. Man opens the refrigerator to reveal a full-length mirror. Caption: Bob discovers the ultimate weight-loss method. 9. In a flower bed, one withering flower shields itself from the sun with a parasol. Caption: Anorexic flora. 10. We look through the window of a gym that is packed with members working out. Caption here: One week after New Year. Same view, but now there are only a few people working out inside. Caption here: The rest of the year. 11. A woman is brushing her hair before a vanity mirror. A second mirror to her right is labeled, SECOND OPINION.
12. A teacher is at the chalkboard doing math equations. Chalk in hand, she says to the class in caption: “If you go on a diet and lose one pound every day for a week, only to gain it all back plus two more pounds the following week, how many irritating, godforsaken pounds do you weigh?” 13. Picture of a heavy woman exercising on a Stairmaster. She looks at us with sarcastic, half-closed eyes. Caption: Sherry had actually been thin until that fateful day when she ate a cookie containing 14 billion calories. 14. A group of women are in attendance at WEIGHT BLASTERS. The leader of the group presents a very thin woman, saying in caption: “I am pleased to announce that Jenny here is down to 2% body fat and has only passed out once this week.” 15. In a nightclub, a man says to a skinny, modelesque girl: “You look emaciated and strung out on drugs. You should be a model.” 16. Customers line up for a buffet. Overhead is a banner reading, ALL-YOU-CAN-EAT BUFFET. Below in parenthesis, it reads, BULIMICS NOT INCLUDED. 17. Two women are in line at a fast-food restaurant. One says to the other in caption: “My shrink says that I need instant gratification, but I don’t think I can wait that long.” 18. A group of business people are having lunch in a restaraunt. Everyone is eating except one woman, who is on a diet. She looks around the room glumly, thinking in bubble: “Why do they call it fasting when it goes so damn slow?” 19. Close-up of a package that advertises Only 75 calories per serving! magnifying glass, we read the small print: 652 servings per package. Under a
20. A man and a woman stand on neighboring treadmills in a gym. The man hands the woman a note and says, “Here’s my mother’s number in case I don’t make it.” 21 A scientist walks onto the set of a photo shoot with a model who is impossibly thin. He says to the photographer in caption: “We just finished this one. Think they’ll notice that she’s five pounds lighter than humanly possible?” 22. A newscaster is delivering the news before a graphic that reads, HEALTH AND FITNESS. He says matter-of-factly to camera: “Following two decades of contradictory fad diets, the AMA reports that nobody knows anything.” 23. From the TV comes: Join 24 Hour Fitness and lose those nasty pounds before summer… Same TV but now: The triple-decker bacon cheeseburger at a new low price… Same thing but now: Metaboost helps you burn fat without the jitters… Same thing but now: Hey, life is short. Eat more pizza… Caption: And we wonder why therapists are always booked.
24. Two women are working in adjacent cubicles. One is jumpy and has wide, bloodshot eyes. The other says in caption: “Still on the diet pills, huh?” 25. A very skinny woman is jogging on a treadmill in a gym. Two trainers grab her arms, and one says, “I’m sorry, Kitty, but you’ve become entirely too thin. We’re going to have to cut you off.” 26. Two women are talking on the street. One says, “Hey, Kathy, how are you doing? You look great.” She replies, “I lost two hundred pounds.” The first: “Two hundred pounds?! That’s impossible.” Second: “I’m talking about Fred. We got a divorce.” 27. A man is ordering at a fast-food restaurant. “Gimme a bacon cheeseburger, supersized fries, two apple turnovers, and … a Diet Coke.” 28. Two heavyset woman on neighboring treadmills. One says thoughtfully: “If you had a tapeworm, would you keep it?” 29. A woman is buying perfume in the COSMETICS DEPARTMENT. Inspecting the package, she says to the clerk in caption: “Thank God beauty is only skin deep. Otherwise, it would cost a fortune.” 30. A persnickety man is ordering a meal inside a restaurant. He says to the waiter in caption: “So there is shellfish in the sauce. And do you know what kind of shellfish— where they were caught, how they were processed, who touched them? What’s your mother’s maiden name?…” 31. A man and a woman stand before a judge inside divorce court. The woman says in caption: “Yes, your honor, we are filing for divorce on the grounds of irreconcilable dietary differences.” 32. A woman sits in the doctor’s office. The doctor points to a chart of her weight fluctuations and says in caption: “Congratulations, Kathy. Six Flags would like to model its new roller coaster after this chart of your weight changes.” 33. A heavy man’s body parts are labeled, shoulders, head, elbow, and finally waste (for his midriff). 34. A woman is inside the bakery, inspecting the cakes behind the glass. With an anxious expression she thinks in bubble: “I just want the cake and be thin too.” 35. A woman has categorized the clothes in her closet into the following: 121-130 pounds, 111-120 pounds, and “Someday.” 36. A woman reads bitterly in one room while a marine soldier stands by the refrigerator holding a rifle. Caption: Cathy hires an armed guard to help with her diet.
37. A husband and wife and gorging at an all-you-can-eat buffet. There are piles of used dishes on the table before them. Tired from eating, the man says in caption: “Thank God for elastic waistbands.” 38. We look over the shoulder of a woman who is inspecting a package inside the supermarket. She is reading the NUTRITION FACTS, which list a lot of fat, calories, etc. At the bottom it reads, “Turn over for NUTRITION FICTION.” 39. A judgmental man is on a date with his girlfriend. He says in bubble: “Have you been gaining weight?” He continues: “You were doing so well, too.” He continues: “It’s just that you could stand to lose a few more pounds.” She stands to leave, saying, “Here’s an idea. Why don’t I disappear altogether?” 40. Mother says sternly to daughter in caption: “No, Sarah, you absolutely cannot have a milkshake. It’s fattening.” Sign reading 10 YEARS LATER… The same girl walks into a fast-food restaurant as an adult. She places her order: “Fifteen milkshakes, please.” 41. A woman looks at us with a guilty grin after devouring the entire planet. We see the the faint outlines of continents inside her round belly. Caption: Kelly’s worst fears are realized when, during an especially frenzied binge, she devours the entire planet. 42. A woman is ordering food at McDonald’s: “Yeah, gimme a double cheeseburger with extra ketchup, a chocolate shake, and can I just get a side of French fry grease?” 43. We look over the shoulder of a man holding a box in the grocery store. The box advertises, “Box O’Air. No fat. No calories. Nothing at all!” 44. A woman is jolted by a voice coming out of her cupboard: Barbara…Cream filling, Barbara…