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loislaneinvestigatesauthors · 6 years

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Chicken Doodle Soup (Don Owens) presents Stick to the Funny Stuff!

I notice your lead female character, 'Oprah Fat-Free' deals with severe depression. Did you do research into how depression works, how the state of mind of a person changes when they are experiencing that? Have you known anyone who was depressed to that point?

QUESTION #1: Good question, even though "STICK To The Funny Stuff" doesn't go in-depth on the subject of depression, but rather, utilizes stick-figure comedienne Oprah Fat-Free as a representative for every human being on the planet, who faces some obstacle serving as hindrance to positive existential progression along this miraculous road called life. But yes, statistics indicate there is a substantial number of depression cases on record. The World Health Organization has reported 300 million people around the world suffer this affliction. Reportedly, 16.2 million U.S. adults have experienced a major depressive episode, with approximately 10 million being severely impaired by their experience. Anxiety disorders are attributed to approximately 50% of all people diagnosed with depression.

Depression can befall an individual at any stage in his or her life. It can range from moderate to crippling, as there are many forms of depression, as well as multiple catalysts thought to precipitate its onset, such as complex-chemical reactions in the brain and gene vulnerability identification. I myself have been depressed and sought counseling while in the military. My girlfriend, now deceased due to heart failure, suffered from a bipolar disorder and depression was a significant marker highlighting her condition. It's a mental-health issue that has motivated individuals even to suicide. But here's a statistic that I believe offers hope: I read a 2017 study indicating that Christianity at this point is still the world's number one faith. So then, for followers of the faith, God offers hope in the face of this state of impairment.

Of course there are skeptics who ascribe God's existence to fervent imagination, but what about those CERTIFIED physicians, such as Dr. Sean Thomas George, who go on public record as saying hopeless cases were reversed by divine intervention? Who could be more credible sources than esteemed, highly skilled health-technicians, to confirm a miraculous event? By the way, I myself was in three hospitals in two different states, dying, with no explanation whatsoever as to why my body was shutting itself down. Doctors were baffled by my condition. So perplexed was one of my doctors, he mused about publishing my case in a medical journal. I wouldn't be here today - except for the prayers of my family and the church. I'm a living witness to God's healing hand.

Be they physical or mental conditions, God's Word says He is ready to step in to assist us with our afflictions. I was reading a case of a depressed woman who'd been deemed to be in need of receiving shock treatments for her depression! But as a believer, she called on Christ, and He availed Himself to her. No one is saying these condition reversals take place in an instant, necessarily. Although, God is more than capable of on-the-spot healing, as scripture illustrates. But often in the Bible, God took His sweet time (in some instances, decades or CENTURIES) about turning situations around, simply because His timetable supersedes ours. But He tells us in His Word that with His assist, we are more than conquerors through Him that love us (Romans 8:37) and that He is The Lord Who heals us (Exodus 15:26, Psalm 30:2).

Do you think that humor really helps people get through life stuff? Is it a matter of 'laugh or else you'll be crying?'

QUESTION #2: Definitely! I read an article posted online at PsychCentral entitled "9 WAYS THAT HUMOR HEALS" by Therese J. Borchard. She states that "Of all the tools I use to combat depression and negativity, humor is by far the most fun." I agree with her assessment that humor combats fear, comforts, and relaxes you. She also notes that it reduces pain, boosts the immune system, reduces stress and cultivates optimism. And she even mentions one of my favorite scriptures in the Bible, Proverbs 17:22, which states that a merry heart does good like medicine. Actor Robin Williams' movie "Patch Adams", was based on real-life doctor Hunter Campbell, who infused laughter-based therapy into his treatment regimens for his patients. Studies show that laughter is an unimpeachably viable element in the healing process.

That said, I am a humor goon! I love to laugh and I love trying to make others laugh. This is why I chose humor to try to convey God's Good News message to the world. I've seen the dramatic difference God can make in the lives of the willing - and how He replaces tears with the infectious rumble of hearty laughter! And I can tell you, I much prefer laughing to crying, unless they are tears of joy that ensue when you finally get past an agonizing condition or experience, such as the one I had while confined for a few months to hospital beds in Oklahoma and Texas.

How did you come up with Thin Diesel's little motivational messages? What happens when people can't pull themselves up by their own bootstraps anymore?

QUESTION #3: Thin Diesel is a character who comprises part of my personality. If you read my previous bodies of work, you will see that I habitually inject into my projects these bite-sized parcels of humorous, pun-fueled philosophies designed to motivate you to go for broke, to attain the prized goal that defines your purpose, transcending you beyond meat-and-potatoes subsistence, to an actualization mountaintop whose reward is spiritual in scope, where a healthy paycheck is simply a byproduct (because truly money can't buy happiness, otherwise so much of the well-to-do populace wouldn't be as spiritually or emotionally disabled as many among the economically distressed).

I use God's Word, humor and cartoons to remind people that God can get them where He purposes them to be. But even if you take away my humor tools and my illustrations, God is still right there, cheering you on, telling you He'll get you there as you trust in Him! In His word, He says that in OUR weakness lies HIS strength (2 Corinthians 12:9). That faith and trust is what compels you to overcome your troubles. I've seen the change God makes in the lives of the hopeless. It's really quite fascinating.

What do you think is lacking in modern society that leaves so many people vulnerable to depression and anxiety? Some folks have clinical conditions that cause these mental states and need medical treatment, but I'm more talking about people who go through dark moods and life struggles. How do you think we can begin addressing these problems?

QUESTION #4: Don't get me wrong. I believe in the benefits of medicine. One of God's disciples was named Luke - and he was a physician. Certainly our planet offers lavish provision from its vast wilderness-growth credenza, an eclectic array of ingestible products which aid in our mental and physical well being. But just as the Bible says we cannot live by bread alone, neither can we depend solely upon the abilities of modern medical advancement. We are human beings, crafted in the Image of our Creator. The global community we inhabit, unlike yesteryear, is now fraught with ever-evolving technologies, expectations and social philosophies that foster stress, strife and fear. Add to these elements mankind's reluctance to look to Him Who knows us better than anyone.

Our hearts are God-shaped and require constant spiritual nourishment that we don't feed it, instead offering it an unhealthy menu of all things contrary to what God says is good for us. This detrimental diet gives way to those elements which cause our mental/emotional/spiritual health to deteriorate to a milieu where darkness lurks. I know this to be true because, when I used to be depressed a great deal of the time. As they say, the struggle is REAL. And grossly disheartening. But one day I listened to The Heavenly Father when He told me I don't have to be depressed if I defer to Him. I did listen - and now I'm thrilled to say I don't become depressed anymore! Ever! I really don't. That's not to say life is all magical now or anything like that. I have my "MAN, WHY IS THIS HAPPENING MOMENTS???!!!" to be sure. But Christ has taught me that no matter what I think I see or feel or hear, HE is ALWAYS in control of EVERYTHING. If we could all truly get a good grasp of His proclamation in our hearts and minds, things would be so different in so many lives.

How did you decide to tell these characters' stories through a zine-like graphic novel? I mean, this could have been a standup routine, or a novella if you expanded the story. What attracted you to the graphic novel format?

QUESTION #5: Funny you should ask. I HAVE performed Christian standup comedy on TV and radio. And I do have a Christian-humor novel that will be coming out soon, entitled THE DIARY OF BRAN FRANK. But ever since I was a child growing up in Chicago, I've always had an affinity for drawing. I began making animated cartoons with my movie camera and projector starting at age 12. I even won an 8th-grade science fair and was sent to the district science fair with my entry, an animated film about energy production. It was a positively absurd premise, featuring a caveman clubbing a dinosaur into submission, to harness its strength for various chores before the advent of the wheel. In retrospect, I surmise I only won first place because the adjudicators were smitten with the enterprising spirit of a 14-year old, who'd manufactured an animated cartoon for the occasion.

In any event, history shows that cartoons are an extremely popular vehicle employed to convey any kind of story for any occasion. That includes stories that are spiritual in scope.

How do people tend to respond to your work? Do you have any interesting stories from people who came to hear you or who read your previous books?

QUESTION #6: Much to my delight, people seem to love what I do. I would never brag on myself because people who boast tend not to be as good as they think they are. But I'm getting great reviews on amazon.com instead of complaints. Yippee!!!!!! I love doing book signings as author/cartoonist cHicKEn dOOdLE sOuP. Okay, here are a few of may favorite instances concerning my work:

1) I wrote of book of Christian cartoons called MYLES A HEDD, under the pseudonym, The Man From A.N.K.L.E. What was so cool about that book is that my Indianapolis-based author representative liked it so much, she called me in Southern California to ask me if I would write a book with her! I was so incredibly honored!

2) Many years ago, prolific writer/producer/director/ author/Stephen J. Cannell really liked MYLES A HEDD, and consented to write a blurb for me to insert into one of my books that was to be forthcoming! What a pleasure to be complimented in such a manner by the now-deceased, Emmy-winning Hollywood luminary who'd created so many memorable TV series such as 21 JUMP STREET, THE A-TEAM, THE ROCKFORD FILES, THE GREATEST AMERICAN HERO and too many more to name here. Also, Movie-TV-star Rob Schneider (DEUCE BIGELOW, SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE) and "Mad Mike" of MTV's popular series, PIMP MY RIDE have offered me support. Mad Mike even wrote a review and did a video promotion for my last book, LOVE STEENX.

3). A woman recently read my current book, cHicKEn dOOdLE sOuP pREsEntS...STICK TO THE FUNNY STUFF!!! When she arrived at the final page, she told me how much she loved it...while shedding tears! Actual tears! I was touched beyond measure! That kind of reception is an author's dream and I will never ever forget that. Because I really was wondering if people would get it. They do and I thank God I can use laughter to point the way to Him. God bless you one and all. And hey, don't forget to go for your dreams like I am - as I STICK TO THE FUNNY STUFF!!!

Stick to the Funny Stuff can be ordered here from Iceberg Tony’s Used Denture Discounts.

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