What is Room 47?
More than 30 years ago, I worked at a graphic design firm that had outgrown its office space. To prepare for an efficient move to a new space, each workstation, conference room, or area was numbered. That way, the movers could drop our boxes of paraphernalia in exactly the space it would be needed and we could all get back to logging billable hours without delay.
One of the new spaces was a large area that wasn’t initially part of the lease. We couldn’t have workstations there but we could use it temporarily for storage. For the movers, it had the number 47. The space had big, double doors and soon everyone was calling it Room 47.
The items that accumulated in Room 47 were a hodgepodge of unrelated things left over from previous projects. Useless, but too precious to throw out. I remember nearly life-side cutouts of people, tools that were no longer used, excess foam core, bubble wrap, obsolete prototypes, defunct models, and much more.
Because the space was free, there was little pressure to clear it out. So, Room 47 slowly accumulated more precious artifacts. The contents of Room 47 were arranged in tidy rows so one could access stuff. But because the contents never had any continuity or theme, there wasn’t any logical structure someone could use to organize things. Strange objects accidentally ended up beside other strange objects. Think snow shovel beside a crepe-paper palm tree. Room 47 had the feeling of a cabinet of curiosities big enough to walk inside or a museum organized by a maniac.
Years later when the office moved again, the new plan had a similar space. Officially, we were supposed to call it “the shop.” But, naturally, we all referred to it as Room 47.
A few years ago, when Karen and I remodeled our basement, we made a compact storage space in one corner with a nice pair of double doors to hide the mishmash it contains. Naturally, we call it Room 47.
So, when we decided to start sharing a miscellany of old doodles, drawings, and sketches in weekly emails, we had to call it Inside Room 47. A collection of precious detritus. Hope you enjoy it.
Don
Koala Doodle
Today, I immersed myself in the vibrant stream of universal creative energy. But all I got was this koala doodle. (By the way, koala doodle would be a good name for a band, right?)
Birthday Boar
Back in August (2025), I was exploring the notion of a series of birthday card designs. That didn’t go anywhere. But my sketches allowed me to meet this charming wild boar. My new best friend.
Anti-gravity Pizza
This drawing was a reject from the deck of Double Trouble cards. But somehow it still resonates with me. Haunts my dreams.
Cozy Conflict
Take the coldest animal you know and give her hot chocolate, mittens, and a scarf. The cold/hot tension adds interest. So does the cookie.
Principal Rat
The body language and expression suggest he tolerates no shenanigans. Bonus—I got to draw all those whiskers.
Let Them Eat Cake
Who doesn’t appreciate a good cake? A few months ago, I was in my Cake Period—drawing animals with their favorite cakes. (Honestly? I’m still not over that obsession.)
Pink Elephant
This drawing is from deep in the archives (August 2009). The idea was to render an elephant’s texture. Time consuming. Glad I didn’t decide to do it actual size.
Comedy Gold
My research (from October 2025) has shown that everything is funnier wearing a tutu.
My research (from October 2025) has shown that everything is funnier wearing a tutu.
Start Here
I needed a field of flowers for the background of the Early Unicorn letterpress print. My approach to an assignment like that is to start with one flower and then surround it with different flowers. Keep going until you reach the edge of the page. Paradoxically, I find the activity soothing but also fraught with tension. The more one draws, the more risk that one will mess up that work.
Madam Wolf
Drawing a wolf wearing a dress is inherently funny, but here it’s her smile that makes this drawing so delightful.
Drawing a wolf wearing a dress is inherently funny, but here it’s her smile that makes this drawing so delightful.
Stuffed
I’m almost never stuck with no subject to draw. I mean, there’s ALWAYS taxidermy heads for my trophy room.
Precious
Drawing creatures hugging objects they cherish is a theme I return to over and over. Monkeys, possums, bears, and aliens end up hugging dinner plates, stuffed animals, rayguns, and pastry. But cats appear to be the best huggers of all.
Drawing creatures hugging objects they cherish is a theme I return to over and over. Monkeys, possums, bears, and aliens end up hugging dinner plates, stuffed animals, rayguns, and pastry. But cats appear to be the best huggers of all.
Technical Support
This drawing of Don and his robot buddy (May 2022) was for a book about robot comedians. The book is currently stuck. But it could become unstuck someday. Who knows?
Close Encounter
This Close Encounter design was once considered for notecard (2020). If you enjoy seeing how the sausage gets made, there’s a blog post that describes how this drawing developed.
The Sky Is Falling
This comet-based pattern was created for the inside of the Skedaddleosaurus bags, which just recently sold out. I was inspired by a label I saw, years ago, at a stall selling fireworks, but my design is so much better. It is not rare for a design to surpass its inspiration. Civilization would be in a bad way if every spin-off was worse than the thing that triggered it, right?
Auditioning Sasquatch
This doodle is from a sketchbook in 2017. The creature in the lower left got the job as the star of our Sasquatch Silks pattern. Auditioning is one of my favorite steps.
This doodle is from a sketchbook in 2017. The creature in the lower left got the job as the star of our Sasquatch Silks pattern. Auditioning is one of my favorite steps.
Susan
May 11, 2026
You must return to the birthday card line of animals with cakes -