timfishworks

Arche-Lady Primer: effort and quality

2011-12-09T11:23:00.002-05:00

When I first began the series, it was intended for my own amusement, and that of my friends (despite how widely I was dispersing or not, at the moment).

But periodically, I would infuse additional effort into the series, whether it was story, art, or both. And other times, I would lapse into a hiatus, producing nothing at all.

When I began scanning the series, I would get excited or wince, depending on what I was looking at. Some of the original material I think is still pretty good (for my skills and abilities at the time) and some of it was just crap.

From time to time, I've read through the series from its start, in minimal doses, with Sven, Piotr, and Matt. But the pace of reading never produced any deeper observations. As I walked down memory lane, scanning page after page in rapid succession, I then reflected on where I was, in location, in spirit, in happiness.

I saw a direct correlation: the happier I was, the more effort I put into the series, and the better it was; the less happy, the worse it was, or I'd lapse into hiatus. Of course, it may also be said that the more effort I put into the series, the happier I was. Likely, it's something of both, as art and life intertwine for me.

It was great for me to see this, and hash over some of the darker and happier moments in my past. Especially because many of the stories were metaphors for my life at the moment. Sometimes subconsciously done, sometimes thinly veiled, sometimes overt. The most interesting, of course, are the metaphors I didn't realize I was making.

Of course, my "artistic sensibility" played a role, as well. I can see that the best stories are ones that ARE the metaphors, and statements on my life, the events of it, and the people in it. The worst stories are the ones when I focused too much on "plot" and trying too hard to be a "real" comic book.

From the start, the series was not meant to be serious. It was light-hearted and campy. Mid-1993, came up with plans for the trajectory of the series, and its grand finale at episode #100, if I ever made it that far. Well, I did, to my own surprise! By the time I was there, I was putting a lot of effort into my comic stories and art, and #100 was to be a swan song. I decided to be very serious, treat each page like a portfolio piece, while spoofing typical 100th issues of comic books in tone, content, etc. I was pretty proud of the result.

When Xavier was visiting me this spring, he read through the series with shocking delight—bith what I liked and what I thought was crap. Until he hit #100, which he said was awful. AWFUL! We discussed and debated, and while he "got" what I was trying to do, he said the complete loss of camp was not in keeping with the rest of the series, and the camp is what made the series enjoyable despite its fluctuating quality.

I get it...and certainly, I was trying to wrap up a complex "plot" which I'd already observed was my weak spot. Oh well. I hope my efforts in the post-series (Arche-Lady SPECIAL # 10, Astro-Boy Quarterly #s 1-4, as well as the new-for-2011 Arche-Lady SPECIAL # 11) repair some of the damage I did with #100.

NOT TOMORROW, BUT SOON: buy Arche-Lady SPECIAL # 11!!!

Arche-Lady Primer: the surrounds

2011-12-08T13:45:00.009-05:00

Wow, this is where I really start to get obsessed.

The series predominantly takes place in a fictional city, in an undisclosed location. But with episode #9, the Mayor officially changes the city name to Arche-City as a way to thank the heroine who has saved it so many times.

Of course, her ancestral mansion and its underground Arche-Lair is several miles outside of the city proper. It is connected to the city by a subway tunnel for her private use. More on the subway later.

Adjacent to the city was a small island, known as “M City” which was mysteriously not connected to Arche-City…always eluded to, but no stories took place there. Many stories take place on Science Isle, where Professor Peppercorn maintains an extensive complex.

But most oddly of all, many stories take place in Eastern Europe. When the series began in the early 90s, the Iron Curtain had just fallen and the mystery of forbidden lands now open to us and our imagination. Add to it the mysticism of places like Transylvania, and it was ripe for all sort of un-Earthly activity. The Freak, the Tomato Witch from the small nation of Tomatia, the tiny demon, and many more, found their roots in Eastern Europe. Hence, Arche-Lady had to go there a lot.

Early in the series, I created a rough city map, with a subway system, calling out key districts of the city. Over time, the map evolved to include neighborhoods, major thoroughfares, and points of interest. All utilized in the series. Places such as the Famed Institute for Insane Persons, the Northside Home for Unwanted Children, the Happy Harbour School for Girls, the Rocky Point Boys’ Academy, M University, the Belbicon, the Arche-monument, and Miriam Blvd.

Over time, the map grew in detail, and those details were fed into the stories. Named streets and the street grid appeared in backgrounds. The end result was a to-scale map of the city, with maybe about 75% of the streets names, most neighborhoods named, and key places (stadiums, parks, transit stations) named. Yes, TO SCALE.

The city evolves as many do, and though the street pattern is relatively stable, the names change quite often. Once, my friend Adam was blessed with a street, but then he annoyed me and it was changed. Things like that.

But the subway is a different story. Putting the Paris Metro to shame, the most efficient and useful system is always changing, and under experimentation. You see, the city is built atop a series of caves, so all that needs to be done is throw down some track and open a new station. It’s that easy!

But, then, sadly, in early March 2009, this all came to a screeching halt—my copy of Adobe Illustrator stopped working. So the city may sat dormant for years, and people of influence in my life went unrecognized on the map. Until my PC crashed earlier this year, and this time when I reinstalled AI, it worked!

So, the map was updated! Adam didn’t get his street reinstated, but he got a neighborhood. Robert—obsessed with dogs—got a park in the neighborhood of Dogtown (which was named many years prior, after the 'hood in Saint Louis). And after some investment in mass transit and a bi-city vote, M City became absorbed into Arche-City, and the streets named, inspired by details of Matt’s life.

Of course, Miriam holds the record of most number of things named for her in the greater metropolitan area!

TOMORROW: tracking the series quality against my personal happiness, 1991-2001

Arche-Lady Primer: the villains

2011-12-07T10:08:00.007-05:00

For every hero, there is a villain; or in Arche-Lady’s case, dozens.

The villains were inspired by friends who could take teasing and strangers I saw from afar with striking physical characteristics. But mostly, villains were inspired by people who annoyed me. Co-workers, bosses, dates, clerks, waiters, strangers.

Most villains appeared but once, and in the rare case, twice. Villains with silly powers, stupid costumes, and absolutely no chance of defeating Arche-Lady. Among them: Macho-Gal; Little Debbie, the snack cake queen; Bloody Nose; Monkey Face; Big Feet; Insane Laughing Girl; Apple Brown Betty; The In-Breds; What-Not; the Technoids; Skinny Girl & the Lush; the Salad-Master; Mommy Cheeseburg; Cloth-Child; Pineapple Princess; the Bed-Wetter; the Flake; the Sun-King; the Effeminate Cowboy; the Creepy Thug; Myra the assassin; Turtle-Girl; Raisin; the Sweetheart; the tiny demon; Victor Von Freak, known to the world as the Freak; the Tomato Witch and the Tomato-Men; the Sludge Men and the Grand Sludge. Each a classic.

But a handful rose to the top and became recurring characters:

Doctor Glax was the super-scientist who couldn’t stay in prison. Let’s say there was nothing terribly interesting about him, except he was a great “the reason behind” any random plot I came up with. He had a penchant for imbibing others with super-powers, to foil Arche-Lady. As a super-genius, he was too smart to cross swords with her directly (often).

Panther Pam went insane when her husband left her. She sought to claim Astro-Boy as her mate. Presumed dead, she later turned up as a pawn of an evil business man and is still at large. With each appearance, her new costume was inspired by a classic cat-themed character (Batman TV show’s Catwoman, the '40s Huntress, the '80s redux of Wildcat, the '90s redux of the Jaguar).

The Wizard’s purpose for recurrence was that he was Rich’s favorite villain. He would be trounced hard by Arche-Lady each time, simply to irritate Rich. He is pretty powerful though, having created an entire magical realm to live in, and repaired his neck which Arche-Lady broke.

Vix-N the galactic tramp was exiled by her homeworld for starting an intergalactic war. Her breasts has the power to enslave men. She sluttily returned time and time again to vex Arche-Lady. Ultimately, she and her emissaries, the Snee, returned to her homeworld.

The upper sketch is of the 4 recurring villains. The lower is a page from the in-color retelling of episode 12 that I did in 1999. It gives you a flavor of the villain battle formula.

Fish-philes know that I used to customize Mego action figures quite often. At one point, I had accumulated enough parts to customize the entire recurring cast of the series. However, only two were ever produced: the Wizard, and Panther Pam; both reside in Los Angeles as gifts to Rich.

TOMORROW: the surrounds

Arche-Lady Primer: the allies

2011-12-06T08:20:00.003-05:00

Delving into the world of Arche, we first look to her myriad of friends and side-kicks.

From the start (and much to Miriam’s chagrin), a side-kick (often inept) has been attached to Arche-Lady. Her first (and the only she liked) was her telekinetic, telepathic, super-smart retriever named Dog-Matic. He bow-wowed out of the series at its start, having found Astro-Boy as his replacement.

Astro-Boy was a fixture for many years, and the first 50 episodes of the comic. Never quite able to control his awesome “astro-blast,” he was captured and beaten up quite often. Over the course of the series, he was replaced by a robot, irreversibly change into a fish for 11 episodes, permanently encased in crystal for 27 episodes, and sent to the realm of the What-Not as their cosmic prince, forever. He returned just a few months later, with amnesia, but soon regained his memory.

After Astro-Boy, came a string of sidekicks, some lasting but a single episode: Twister (whose tornado powers were a result of the tornado virus, which ultimately exploded him from within); Cave-Boy (a prehistoric teen paired with Arche-Lady the devilish Devil-Toe to annoy the heroine); Gravity-Girl (a former villain turned good, who was apparently crushed by an exploding dam); Nova-Boy (who gave up the hero biz to become a dentist); Perfect-Boy (who turned out to be Astro-Boy’s surplus genetic make-up, and merged with his doppelganger in episode #100); and Multi-Boy (boy of 1000 talents).

Tired of sidekicks, she sanctioned the formation of her Teen Auxiliary (a nod to my favorite teen team, the Teen Titans). The initial roster included recurring teen allies Better-Girl and Rachel Moon, plus Perfect-Boy and Multi-Boy. Rachel was swapped out immediately for Johnny Magnet, and later Sunflower joined. The new Lady-Bird Beetle Lady and Cave-Boy became reserve members, and it was revealed that Better-Girl, Sparky, and Moon-Beam had been unofficially banded together prior to Arche-Lady’s official sanction.

Her doddering mentor, Professor Emile Peppercorn appeared throughout the series. His invention/plot device, the Ximometer, saved the day more than once. He maintains a lab in the science district of Arche-City, as well as an entire facility on Science Isle in the south Pacific. He cured Tiffany of the dreaded Hell-Hound curse, therefore curing another of Arche-Lady’s teen allies, Flying Boy, of his insanity. He also invented a power-dampener so that another teen ally, Kid Jinx, could live a normal life.

Mimi Chandler was introduced into the series as a friendly rival to Arche-Lady after being the protagonist in my mini comics Sigmund & Friends, which I created in junior high school. Mimi could and had done anything: model, astronaut, police woman, short order cook, reporter. She now runs a travel magazine. Another friendly rival was the “can-do dare-doll” Lorna Van Duane. Far less versatile, but far more action-y than Mimi, Lorna was a strong, graceful, beautiful ass-kicker.

In the man-department, Arche-Lady had three fellows she could rely on in a pinch. It was always ambiguous to what extent did their relationships reach with the heroine. Certainly, there was much innuendo. The Week-End Jock, Doc Marten Man, and Christopher Gallant, though each a masculine power house in his own right, could never quite hold a candle to the amazing Arche-Lady.

Most (but not all) of the allies are based on my friends and people I admire.

TOMORROW: the villains

Arche-Lady Primer: the series, the lady

2011-12-05T08:29:00.004-05:00

Some people know, others don’t: for a decade, I wrote and drew campy mini-comics featuring a super-heroine named Arche-Lady.

Arche, from Greek: beginning, origin or first cause; power, sovereignty, domination.

It all began when my friend Miriam received a present from her sister (in the fall of 1991) of a pair of super-hero-ish shoes, brand Arche. She asked me to draw a thank you note, which I did. And, according to Greek, what a beginning! It led to a number of appearances in my mini-comic series Ten Minute Cartoons. And, eventually, to her own series. Originally titled The New Adventures of Arche-Lady and Astro-Boy, it was shortened with #51 to The Adventures of Arche-Lady. There were also 10 annual specials titled The Arche-Lady SPECIAL.

The series proper ended late 2000, but a spin-off series featuring her former side-kick Astro-Boy ran in 2001-2002, and the last special was in 2001, commemorating the heroine’s 10^th anniversary.

It struck me late last year that 2011 is the 20^th anniversary. I couldn’t let it go unnoticed! I decided to compile the original series into two 500-page volumes. I scanned, and scanned, and scanned. Then inspiration hit to create an all-new special.

It was going along at a good clip, until I became embroiled in a kitchen renovation, and was hired to write and draw an excerpt of Wuthering Heights. So, I slowed to a crawl. Further, my comics pals who graciously agreed to color the stories became embroiled in other work, too.

Here we are, December, with no jumbo compilations in sight. However, a B&W Arche-Lady SPECIAL #11 is on its way!

To prepare you, I thought it best to tell you a little about the lady herself.

My point of inspiration is my dear friend Miriam. Her shtick is to say horribly mean and conceited things, pretty much to me only. Then we laugh and laugh. She kills me. That mean and conceited brass is Arche-Lady’s leading characteristic. She never wears the same costume twice. She never shows cleavage.

She has no super-powers per se. Thought her “keen wit, concentrated righteousness, and super savoir-faire” gets her out of lots of scrapes. Often, her presence alone is enough to halt crime. It has been revealed that she was a quadruple major in university; hence she graduated second in her class. She is extraordinarily brilliant, though doesn’t spend much time creating gadgets. The only invention of note is the amazing Arche-Mobile.

Arche-Lady comes from a long line of super-heroes; her father was once known as Wing-Tip Man, and her mother was Saddle-Shoe Sally. They turned over their vast fortune, crime lab, and family mansion to her when she came of crime-fighting age. They turned up once in a while during the series, but mostly cruise around the globe in their luxury yacht. In her secret identity, she is a world famous accordionist. Her true name has never been revealed in the series.

At the conclusion of the 100 issue series, Arche-Lady slipped into an “ageless coma” after being exposed to Cosmic Devil radiation. In 2006, when I first thought to compile the material, I wrote an intro and conclusion which adjusted people’s perception of what became of her dog, Dog-Matic, and also pulled her out of her coma. Basically, the Arche-Lady SPECIAL #11 picks up from there.

The special includes two solo shorties, one which heavily features her former side-kick Astro-Boy, and one that heavily features her former Teen Auxiliary. It launches at least 4 new sub-plots, which may or may not ever be resolved (in true Arche-fashion).

TOMORROW: the allies

Romance week: Aries and Gemini

2011-10-08T07:45:00.004-04:00

In this complex scene, Aries appears at a disadvantage against Gemini's inner confliction.

To the west, one of the twins longingly looks to other venues, quite apart from Aries.

To the east, the other twin's affection for the little lamb is rather overpowering.

The scene is full of duality: one twin focused solely on Aries, the other focused on all but; the skies are both heavy and gloomy as well as bright and cheery. Are Gemini's intense attentions squeezing the love OUT of Aries, or producing the love IN Aries?

TOMORROW: Aries and ?

Romance week: Aries and Pisces

2011-10-07T06:57:00.005-04:00

In this moist scene, Pisces merrily flips above a water-logged Aries.

Pisces is chipper and cheerful in Aries company, while his companion struggles, unaccustomed to the aquatic playground.

Aries couldn't be described as drowning, but certainly having difficulties staying afloat. He was not born to tread water.

TOMORROW: Aries and Gemini

Romance week: Aries and Scorpio

2011-10-06T09:24:00.006-04:00

In this fierce and fiery scene, Aries and Scorpio are locked in eternal battle.

Scorpio, on the offensive, finds the thick wool a daunting obstacle to reach Aries' heart, and attacks his exposed head instead.

Aries, while on the defensive, proves to be quite skilled at the use of his horns, and is another unclaimed prize for the poisonous killer.

TOMORROW: Aries and Pisces

Romance week: Aries and Libra

2011-10-05T08:51:00.003-04:00

The scene at hand is a bit neutral, perhaps fitting for the scales of faceless Libra.

Here, Aries dozes as Libra weighs his worth against everything else Libra values.

We needn't be upset with this factual assessment by Libra, for Aries' slumber is not a nightly repose, but more the sleep of the mind and spirit.

TOMORROW: Aries and Scorpio

Romance week: Aries and (a second) Capricorn

2011-10-04T08:50:00.004-04:00

A bleak scene as a dark and heavy cloud hovers above Aries and a second, different, scragglier Capricorn.

Without levity, this Capricorn nervously and cautiously trails behind Aries. Aries goes about his day eating grass, as Capricorn pretends to do the same.

Perhaps they are both unaware of the tenuous situation, but both lack any apparent concern for the impending storm brewing overhead.

TOMORROW: Aries and Libra

Romance week: Aries and Capricorn

2011-10-03T09:23:00.004-04:00

In this bright and cheerful scene, wide-eyed Aries knocks Capricorn off his feet while he seemingly minds his business, chewing the field grass.

The bright sun and smile on Aries' face suggests this is a playful clash, indicative of the pair.

Capricorn himself looks neither surprised nor hurt, confirming that this is a bit par for the course with Aries.

TOMORROW: Aries and (a second) Capricorn

Femme Fatale

2011-10-02T16:10:00.007-04:00

Welcome to October!

We finally have a bit of fall-like weather here in Boston. It's been unseasonably summer-like, right up through last weekend...which was Union Square's annual Fluff Fest.

Fluff, the story goes, was invented here in Somerville. For those of you who don't know what it is, Fluff can be described as a semi-liquid marshmallow, which has made me sick each time I've attempted eating it since I was a little boy. Once, I carried around a Fluffernutter (Fluff and peanut butter) sandwich around with me for hours, until I got the courage to throw it over the stone wall into the woods.

I digress.

The festival was lots of fun, despite the disgustingness of the food and particularly the Fluff-dropped-into-beer.

Adam and I had much fun, taking pictures of many interesting things and people. Including this gal, which I later sketched after Adam's photo reminded us she was worse than we remembered. No older than 15-ish, sat a group of girls, among whom was a compatriot not more than 5' tall, but an easy 250 lbs. Nearly round. But the bad part was the TIGHT lemon yellow tube top she wore which accentuated roll after roll of fat.

It was sad, but in this sketch I turn sad to glad, as she's portrayed as a signer, perhaps in a pop band. A true femme fatale!

Riffing on that, I drew her singing away, with a manipulative manager type creating his plans for her. Maybe the story will continue!

My Death

2011-09-25T14:34:00.002-04:00

Fish-philes know I suffer from debilitating headaches. I am convinced my death will come as my brain expands and explodes through my skull.

Let me explain:

You and I know that the skull is made up of several bones, held together by elastic-y sutures. For some time, I thought my brain was pushing out along one of these natural connection points causing one side of my skull to have a sharp, near-90-degree angle (B) rather than a gentle curve (A). But, no.

The ridge is the temporal line, also naturally occurring, but mine has been increasingly sharpening, which is worse than the theory above. If the above were true, the elastic-y sutures would allow for some give, like the earth's crust movements. Instead, my head will explode out like a volcano (C).

My doctor won't entertain this notion. I consulted a biologist who also disagrees with me. And, I've consulted a geologist, who tells me volcanoes form along fault lines (sutures). He insists the pressure exerted against my skull by my brain is more likely to kill me than it is to make my skull explode like a volcano. He did, however, suggest I keep my head from becoming excessively warm.

All this has only convinced me I'm right. All these people telling me how wrong I am—methinks these ladies doth protest too much!

Once, a palm reader told me I'd die abruptly (now young, but suddenly). That's cool, I'm ready to go. Rather, I've been working on my will with an attorney, so I'll be ready to go in a few weeks, once it's notarized.

Crazy, you say? My doctor and neurologist can't account for the headaches, nor can they offer any suggestions to minimize them. take that! :-)

Summer 11 reading list

2011-09-20T09:21:00.004-04:00

It's the last day of summer, and before work I finished reading my last summer book and inked a little sketch I did, inspired by the reading.

After I finished writing and drawing my short adaptation of Wuthering Heights, I took a little breather with some light summer reading.

First up, Nancy Drew in The Hidden Staircase, followed by also-penned-by-"Carolyn Keene" Dana Girls in By The Light of the Study Lamp. While I enjoy the Nancy Drew genre, let's just say reading two back-to-back exposes the formula unflatteringly. And, shhh—the mystery can be solved basically by the titles.

Next, I turned to some classics. Good-bye, Mr. Chips was a bit delightful and a bit disappointing and a bit sad...seeing someone's life scroll so quickly by.

Little Women was a surprising joy. As a boy, I'd avoided "girl books" but this novel (like many "children's classics") was actually written for an adult audience. The first part was a bit preachy, but I enjoyed how the girls applied their childhood lessons as adults in the second part. Alcott's description of Laurie's loss and artist malaise after Jo turned him down hit home. In general, the novel made me appreciate the lessons my folks taught me over the years. On the subject of "girl books," I also read Anne of Green Gables. Sweet, but a rare example of how a filmed version surpasses the novel. Read the book then watch the '80s mini series to see what I mean.

Lastly, I turned back to "boys classics" with Penrod and Sam. Oddly, the second and most famous in a trilogy of books featuring Penrod Schofield. This one is supposed to focus more on his friendship with Sam, but really just jumps around from vignette to vignette about Penrod, ending with a set up for the last in the series. Written in 1913-ish, it's another example of horrific racism of the day. The racism in Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew were written out in the '60s revamps; the racism in a novel like Huck Finn can still be seen as literature. But Penrod and Sam doesn't deliver anything lofty alongside its depictions of Penrod's alley-pals Herman and Verman. Aside from the curiosity of "how it was" and "how far we've come," I could do without it and the whole novel, I guess. A disappointing end to my read-a-thon.

But still, here's a sketch of Penrod and Sam. It was fun to draw the boys in knickers and newsboy caps. Otherwise, all I could think of was Little Women in Space. Maybe I'll still do that one.

Summer boys—2011

2011-08-14T18:03:00.008-04:00

Hello, summer!

Here to the left is Robert, with his big, bright, green eyes, and always-talking, always-laughing mouth.

I met Robert during Pride. Because MIT commencement/reunions typically falls on Boston Pride weekend, I can't usually go. But this year, they did not, and I went to Paradise's block party with Adam. There, met Robert.

It was just his birthday, so I colored this sketch I did of him a while back for the occasion.

HBD!

As for some other eye-candy, clockwise from the left:

Skinny indie boy with nicely muscled arms, wearing some lightweight green cut-off sweatshorts that left nothing to the imagination.

Kid at MIT campus, who, from a distance, looked fat. But closer up, it was all muscle. I've never seen anyone fill out every inch of cotton madras shorts. Seriously, every inch of fabric was accounted for.

Another kid I saw on my commute. He was wearing denim cutoffs, and biking shirtless, shoeless, helmetless. He had a cute hayseed look about him. But really, he needs to wear a helmet.

Dude talking to another dude at the Porter Sq Shaw's. His arms filled out his cotton plaid shirt sleeves nicely. Otherwise, he had the 30-going-on-40 look. Or, he was a youthful 40. Either way, very nice!

Summer gals—2011

2011-08-10T13:53:00.005-04:00

Recently, I took a day off to do some writing for my WUTHERING HEIGHTS project, and I stopped by Diesel Cafe to see my friends Steve and Adam.

Nearby was one of those newfangled preggers gals who show off their preggers form. Definitely not the mod maternity wear I saw in photos of my mom.

In truth, the showing off of the belly wasn't nearly as bad as the showing off of her back fat rolls. AND, if she hadn't been loud and obnoxious, she wouldn't have caught my attention at all.

By contrast, I saw this vision at Sherman Cafe, where I stop every Thursday morning before therapy.

I LOVE HER!

She has this moderninzed Mama Cass redux thing going on. Hippy head-band, flowy printed micro-dress, and sandals.

Well, I thought it was a micro-dress...turned out to be a shirt, because if she moved right, you could see her denim Daisy Dukes underneath.

The quote is somewhat accurate...they were out of whatever she had intended to order, though I don't think she was so daintily concerned about it.

Next next, Summer boys!

Le Menu

2011-08-07T07:32:00.009-04:00

My parents' hobby is restoring big old houses. They do most of the work themselves, and they are good at it. But, 3 story homes are kind of a lot for 2 people, so they accumulate and store. Not like pack rats, per se, but they aren't so good at purging. Recently, my mom started the process, and stumbled upon a box of letters and postcards and stuff from me and my sister to her and my dad.

The letters I wrote while I was in college were pretty un-interesting to me, but the ones from Saint Louis were pretty good. Most of it, I had similarly captured in journal form, but still fun to read, a little. Weird to have such a detailed glimpse back at one's self from decades ago.

What really nabbed me were some of the personalizations on the greeting cards I gave them as a little boy and teenager:

"You don't look a day over 39! Happy 38th birthday, Mom."

"Happy late birthday/On-time Father's Day" (my dad's birthday is in February, Father's Day in June)

"Happy Mother's Day. Your present will be late, but you will still get one."

"Don't worry about getting old and all your wrinkles. Happy Birthday"

So, I haven't changed terribly much, forgetting birthdays and presents. Oops.

Among the items was this fake menu I had to make in Junior High French class. I recall the teacher being a bit annoyed at deliberate details such as charging 20 Francs for a cup of coffee against 22 Francs for an entire meal.

I laughed when I re-read this—and it's still making me laugh—was my pun, "Oo-la-lard." Lard not only means lard in French, but also bacon. Anyway, a bit more of vintage Tim Fish for ya.

Wuthering Heights Preview

2011-08-01T08:52:00.004-04:00

Some Heathcliff, with the cast for height comparison.

Edgar and Isabella Linton. In the moment of drawing, Edgar looks more like a guy I work with, and Isabella looks more like a Barbie doll. Oh well.

I didn't get much opp to draw Hindly and Hareton, but they look pretty similar to this in the final pages.

Ok, this was a tough assignment...14 page excerpt, preferably a self-contained portion. Thinking...thinking...whirr...whirr... I ended up doing a 2 page spread summarizing chapters 1-9 and then focused the next 11 pages on chapters 10-17, then added the ghost bit for the 14th page.

I started off from notes, then a tiny hand-written script, then 5"x8" thumbnails (pages 1-2 to the left), then 11"x17" pages.

Was a fierce debate whether to add some color, gray shadows, or keep it stark B&W. Excellent arguments were made all around. I added gray shadows but left it to the publisher to decide whether to go with them or the B&W.

I can't wait to see it in print! Though June 2012 is a long way off.

Poor Aggie—!

2011-07-23T16:22:00.004-04:00

I just scanned this from Adam's sketchbook. I had drawn this in February to explain the horrific event of the morning.

Aggie, now 11, starting tripping and falling casually in the past year. However, in February, she took two nasty spills.

The first, I was taking her outside, and she was was a bit excited, and missed a step, ultimately "sliding" down the small flight of steps to my building. I felt really awful.

Later that week, she was bounding inside my apartment, eagerly seeking her toy, Person. Twisting awkwardly, she slipped and landed hard on her left hind hip. In the days that followed, she would yelp in pain if I touched her, or even at random moments.

Not sure if it was the first fall, second, or combination, but she ruptured a knee ligament. Fortunately, she did not need surgery, and recovered just by me making sure she stayed calm and not playful. That was a challenge as she started to feel better.

Kick ahead 6 months, and she'd basically fine...though less and less playful. She is having an increasingly difficult time getting up and laying down. If she's not laying on a rug, I have to help her up. And, I must limit moving about my loftspace too much: being a sheepdog, she's hard-wired to make sure she keeps close track of me. If I move too far from her, she compulsively follows. Sometimes, if I am not mindful and move around a lot, I catch her laying down only to struggle to get up less than a minute later. Repeat, repeat, repeat. Until I make her stay in a spot that she can monitor me without getting up.

When I saw this sketch hanging out with Adam this morning, I blurted out "Poor Aggie—!" before I was consciously aware that I had titled the sketch that.

Special Announcement: WUTHERING HEIGHTS

2011-06-16T18:14:00.002-04:00

I am now ready—and quite pleased—to announce that I will have a graphic excerpt of Emily Brontë's WUTHERING HEIGHTS in Seven Stories Press' anthology THE GRAPHIC CANON.

Fish-philes will remember I pitched this to Marvel—without success—for their classics line. Though disappointed, that pitch lead to both the Iron Man and Northstar stories published in 2010 (for those who don't remember, read the post by clicking the tag).

Enter Seven Stories, Googling around for the novel, and saw my post announcing my disappointment. One thing leads to another, and I have signed a contract to produce a short excerpt of the story in graphic novel form.

Yay!

And that's an understatement. It's one of my favorite books. I can't wait to get going on it.

Now that my kitchen project is completed (Phase I, anyhow), I can get myself into the proper headspace to work on it. First, I will finish up another Arché-Lady shortie to get back "in shape" drawing. It's been a few weeks putting inks on the page, and I am rusty. No wonder why some artists who don't draw for months or years at a time get frustrated!

Anyhow, yay!

You are invited!

2011-06-05T07:01:00.001-04:00

ALISON BECHDEL (Fun Home)
PAIGE BRADDOCK (Jane's World)
HOWARD CRUSE (Wendel)
TIM FISH(Cavalcade of Boys)
GINA KAMENTSKY (T-Gina)

ONE SHOW: Between Straight Lines.

The Brickbottom Gallery features the art from 5 queer artists exploring LGBT themes in comics from June 2-25. End your Boston Pride weekend by stopping by the gallery NEXT SUNDAY, JUNE 12!

Wine. Snacks. Art. And, lots of free parking.

http://brickbottomartists.com/gallery_current

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=216297151734476

Ode to spring: tow me, jack me

2011-06-03T09:32:00.003-04:00

For months and years, Piotr and I discussed hiking up Mt. Cardigan. It's located close to my hometown, and I would hike it often as a lad. Home from university during summers, I'd hike up 2-3 times a week before work. It's a nice half day hike.

Since he was in town for his PhD graduation from Harvard Divinity, we carved out time to finally go. The morning of our adventure, I was to pick him up, and we would proceed on to NH.

About 2/3 the way to his place, I thought, "why is my car riding funny?" and then, "what's that odor?" Fish-philes know I do not have an acute sense of smell, so will not be surprised I didn't recognize it as "burning rubber." Parking at his place, I saw I had a flat tire.

Piotr called AAA, and who shows up, but this wiry but muscled late-20s tow boy. He really had to work to get my tire off, and his black undies were cheerfully exposed by his baggy jeans.

It sure took the edge off the misfortune.

We couldn't go hiking due to the timing, but we managed to go on Monday. It took several days to get a new tire, as well, since my car is so old, they no longer make the tire for it. So they had to hunt one down. Sigh.

Ode to spring: anyone up for Mickey D's?—let me grab my leatherette hot-pants

2011-06-02T09:52:00.003-04:00

I was headed to the Shaw's grocery store, when a remarkable sight caught my eye. So remarkable that I had to change direction and head into the neighboring McDonald's to confirm what I thought I'd seen.

There she was, in line, rifling through her giant purse. Crazy top, brown leatherette hot-pants, black undies hanging out the pants' leg-holes. Over-sized boots...they looked like winter boots actually.

I actually had to take a photo for reference. What I didn't even see in real time, but in the photo, was the woman in front of her in line. She was tall, thin, wearing spandex pants, and a green bikini top. She had the build for it, but I was still shocked at what the patronage of McDonald's looks like today.

Though I really haven't been into McDonald's more than maybe thrice after I worked there for a summer when I was 16. Yes, my first job was working the quarter pounder grill. Eight with eight on the turn. If you know what I mean, I feel sorry for you, too.

Ode to spring: pretty girls in unexpected places

2011-06-01T07:54:00.002-04:00

Not highly unusual or anything...just unexpected.

My dad recently had shoulder surgery, so I've been up north a bit lately, after my trip to Montreal.

One trip home, there was this totally pretty indie chick working the toll booth. The NH toll takers are generally pretty friendly...but let's just say to find a knock-out is an anomoly. Ok, ok, she wasn't a knock-out, but she looked pretty cool, the type of gal I wish would be my friend.

A few days later, I saw a girl on a bicycle, casually commuting along. Not in cargo shorts or biking spandex, but her snug jeans and polka-dot top. She had a very "Amsterdam" air about her...her pace, her look, and all while bicycling. She was pedaling at a very modest pace...but as I had hurt my back the day before, I didn't have the giddy-up to pass her, hence the detailed observations.

Since I stopped taking the subway and started biking exclusively to work, I observe so fewer people. I kinda miss it.

Ode to spring: sweet child of mine

2011-05-31T08:11:00.002-04:00

Welcome to my ode to spring!

In the past month, it's rained maybe 28 days, up until this past weekend. So, any poking out of sun brought people out like crazy. Or, brought the crazies out. Your call. I've captured a few of them, along with a few others who simply caught my eye.

First up, ...um, ...not sure what to say here.

But he was working his trench-coat, top hat, out of control long hair and beard look crazily well. He kind of struck me as Slash from Guns N Roses gone wrong. I dunno.

Keep checking back this week for daily posts!

Drawings inspired by other people's drawings: the next unicorn

2011-05-24T10:32:00.002-04:00

When I was in Montréal, I was enamored with Serge's 4-year old daughter's drawings. Children's drawings are great. There is no way adults can draw in the same style, with the same imagination. Even when an adult tries to draw in the style of children, it doesn't quite look the same. Maybe because adults are too mired in "reality" I don't know.

This creature in particular held my attention. I couldn't tell what it was! Serge said, "I think it's a unicorn."

So there you have it. Sort of a Barbapapa-unicorn with a crazy fairy jockey riding it. Here, I've drawn my take on Sofia's work: the fairy flitting about the B-unicorn, who is excited for the ensuing cantor.

Drawings inspired by other people's drawings: A Stranger's Tale

2011-05-23T08:39:00.004-04:00

At our charming haunt in Angoulême, Café Chaud, the party before us had left some random drawings on the table (like many place during the International B.D. Festival, the café encourages doodling on placemats, etc.).

Most were poorly drawn and without imagination, but this one page was pretty amazing. I believe it was a jam sketch. The drawing was bad to Ok, but the variety and composition really struck me.

So I gave it the ol' Tim Fish treatment. Indie witch carrying a basket of Easter eggs, a vampire-like diety, and little flying aliens. Nice.

Oh, Angoulême, how you torment me so. I was all set to NOT go this year, but Xavier and Jeff laughed that idea off. Now, of course I want to go again in 2012!

I'm always torn...love to see my friends there, love being at the festival, always inspired by the comics there. But there are so many other places I want to see, as well! And with no new book, it's a pricey annual jaunt. If only money and vacation time weren't an issue. Le sigh.

On the note of travel, Xavier asked about my travel sketch book idea...I'd still love to do it, but am not sure how wise it is to publish. And, I'd still like to get to Brazil and Argentina before I'd go to print...thoughts?

Old lady

2011-05-19T12:53:00.003-04:00

Xavier deploys his umbrella at the slightest drop of rain, or mildest of zephyrs.

But, the weather totally sucked on Saturday. We walked around in the rain, going to a few comic and furniture galleries.

Later, out to eat and then bowling. In New England, we still have Candlepin bowling, but I was fascinated by the lane we visited. I have since learned it's Duckpin bowling. Its squat lightweight pins were knocked over as if they were made of marshmallow. And then, somehow were lifted up (perhaps magnetically?) to the pin clearing mechanism.

The next day I headed home, in terrible rain. Not a fun drive, especially solo. Plus, I was all hopped up on sadness and anger. On the way home, my '97 VW GTI (VR6) turned 100,000 miles. Fun!

Oh...I was also bummed out that I couldn't find any postcards on my journey! I bought the Canadian stamps, but no touristy cards to mail.

A world away

2011-05-18T17:39:00.002-04:00

Everytime I go, Montréal amazes me. It's not so much Canadian...it doesn't feel European...distinctly Québécois.

It's a bit of a hike...more like 6 hours drive, including time at the border check. But the drive is so pretty...NH mountains, Vermont rolling hills, Québéc flat farm country.

After spending a week in Boston, I drove Xavier and Jeff up north—it was just too long since I'd left the country.

We got off to a late start, doing some laundry, packing a lunch, dropping Aggie off at Elena's, and then on to Sherman Cafe. Xavier had bonded with the staff and food at Sherman's...I think he was as sad to leave it as he was to leave Aggie!

Crawling our way through NH, we stopped in my home town for a snack and wine (none for me, driving) at my parents' house. And then a quick stop at the outlet mall for a bargain or two. Our next pitstop was St. Johnsbury VT. A charming little town, but kinda tough to get a decent cup of coffee. Listen up, Sherman.

At the border, we met THE FRIENDLIEST border guard. She joked around with us in French and English. She stamped Xavier and Jeff's passports, but not mine (not required). I knew I could clown with her, so I asked for a stamp, which she cheerfully provided.

That night, after some food and a nap, we went to a jazz bar (which I had coincidentally been to before, on my last trip to Montréal with Andy). Afterward, we walked through Le Village and stopped at a lesbian club for a drink. On the terrace was a straight couple, she providing a BJ to him, as if they weren't surrounded by 25 other patrons. Gross.

Playing pool, Xavier won...as he won every other game we played during his trip.

One or two?

2011-05-17T14:23:00.004-04:00

Xavier and I were taking the T downtown to meet up with Jeff after his Sunday matinee of the ballet. Waiting in the station, we observed a loud-spoken older lady, with crutches, wearing a lot of black.

We were neither far nor close, and for the longest time we thought she had but one leg. Xavier was nonplussed by the uni-leg, as if he sees this thing all the time. He noted the crutches as if it was a natural conclusion to therefore have only one leg.

Sufficiently convinced, we went about our conversation until she shifted position, and revealed a second leg! Color us surprised.

I guess it was an optical illusion of all that black clothing, plus her position, plus our distance from her.

When Xavier said "oooo, she has two legs!" he seemed more surprised at the idea than her only having one.

I'm glad she has two, for her sake.

Ladies' Night

2011-05-16T08:47:00.006-04:00

PREMISE: I notice, draw, and post, hot men "more than anything else" (ugly men, pretty or ugly women).

REALITY: Aside from fictional characters I draw; aside from drawing the people I know
(most of those drawings are of Adam, Matt, or women I work with); aside from my travel
sketches (which I draw men, women, scenery, and moments, all pretty equally), careful
analysis shows:

Ratio of men:women = 1.57:1

So, TRUE, I pay more attention to men than women, but not even double!
And, TRUE, the men I draw tend to be fit and handsome.

While my analysis proves to myself that overall it's not so one-sided, I
will make a better attempt at equality. To start this, I happily post some
sketches of ladies I've seen and drawn in the past months.

On the subway en route to South Station, I noticed these two ladies. One haggard
and hooker-ish, the other nicely put together but wasn't dealing with her receding
hairline very well...rather, accentuating it.

Overdue

2011-05-09T18:17:00.007-04:00

For this Monday-after-TCAF anniversary of sorts (the last time, the loss of faith, the end), I post the first drawings I did of Matt.

Shaggy B&W, then one of his big legs. Then, the version he colored and uses as his avatar for most of his online profiles as of the last time I looked, a few months back.

There is another sketch series that will never be posted though, despite the fact that it might actually be more relevant to this date.

You probably get what I mean.

It struck me what a powerful anniversary month May is for me now, and what I was going through last year. Closing on my loft...saying good-bye to my grandmother...the aforementioned...prepping my space...moving...my grandmother's passing...living in a new space while fixing it up. I was so overwhelmed, and shut down and off. What a remarkable year it's been since...crawling out of the pit. Much, much better now.

America vs. evil empires, or "USA! USA! USA!"

2011-05-06T07:12:00.003-04:00

Like millions of Americans, I was asleep by the time the news of Osama bin Laden's death was announced; I read about it the next morning.

I was surprisingly moved. My first reaction was to be transported to that morning, remember where I was, what I was doing, how I felt. How I felt the rest of that day. I thought of my friends and loved ones and where they were, what they were feeling and experiencing. Images of the people jumping off the towers flashed through my mind...I imagined what it must have been like to have been in one of the planes, realizing you were about to die. It was a somber moment.

Next, I was disgusted by the revelry in Times Square, the chanting at the Mets/Phillies game, and such. Shirtless, presumably drunk, college boys running around with American flags as capes. It looked like a cross between 4th of July and St Patrick's Day.

Shame on you.

Celebration is for the end of war, the end of violence. This is not over. Decades of Western oppression have created some really bad blood, to say the least. What attacks are next? What terrorist organization and leader will emerge now? What will the US's relationship with Pakistan look like? To say nothing of how ape-ish, war-mongering, hateful, the Times Square photos look to the rest of the Western world, as well as those who despise this country.

A sense of closure? I hope so. A sense of peace, or inner peace? I really hope so, for the people who experienced that awful day. Partying? Jubilation? I'm sorry, you made me sad.

Click forward a few days and I drew this lovely rendition of the villainous Nazi, the Red Skull, pursued by the Falcon and Captain America on a meeting agenda. I had my Stradlaeter brush pen with me, so I was able to ink about half of it during the meeting, and I finished the rest (and eliminated much of the agenda with white out and p-shop) later. Definitely feel like I am channeling my inner Andy Soriano.

Common ground

2011-04-28T12:02:00.005-04:00

PREMISE #1) I am generally not a fan of country music.

PREMISE #2) I am generally not a fan of Dolly Parton songs.

PREMISE #3) I generally don't make a lot of effort to find common ground for dis-common interests.

Well, I've been having a lot of fun listening through the Dolly Parton catalog and watching video clips in search of songs I like. I certainly don't like them all, and I don't think she'll be my go-to when I need a musical hug, but I have found a number of songs that I enjoy. So, a double-whammy (enjoying the process AND the outcome)!

I watched Coal Miner's Daughter, too. I was delighted to learn that the song during the end credits of the Strangers With Candy episode where Jeri learns she's an Indian turns out to be Loretta Lynn singing the "Squaw is on the Warpath" song. Fun!

Fear not, Fish-philes—country is not taking the place of lounge in my heart, and France Gall still makes me smile big.

Anyway, here's a drawing I did of "pretty miss Dolly" as she appeared signing the "Jolene" song in 1974.

Girly tomboy

2011-04-25T13:07:00.004-04:00

Here's another of my favorite tomboy (and likely lesbian) Debbie that I draw from time to time (see other tagged posts).

Just like the way this one turned out for some reason, it's nothing special.

She's kinda girl-ed up here, and I suppose she's shooting down the boy who is trailing after her in other sketches.

I've been drawing some Arche-Lady pages for the upcoming Arche-Lady Special #11. But I've been itching to do a sketch or two inspired by my latest quest to enjoy finding common ground on non-mutual interests! Soon!

Dull, dull, dull-dull-dull

2011-04-20T11:13:00.003-04:00

I was recently trapped during an all-day meeting at work. It was excessively dull, and I resorted to sketching to stay awake.

I used to openly sketch during all meetings, but with a change of bosses, it's not so cool anymore. So, I only do it if it's an emergency. Though really, I pay better attention when I am also sketching.

I liked the way these fellows turned out, so they were freed from the agenda documents they live on and glued into my sketchbook.

Not sure if the one on the right is Austenian or possible steampunk. He looks kinda evil though.

Arché-ideas

2011-04-11T10:05:00.005-04:00

As I announced some time ago, I am compiling my old Arché-Lady mini-comics into a 2-volume book. I have been scanning, scanning, scanning. I've only been editing lightly, mostly if the original toning wouldn't scan in, or if the original digitally toned docs were missing or created at a too-low resolution. In the meantime, story ideas keep jumping into my head. Yay! Creative block destroyed. I now have 2 stories written out, and they will become part of the surprise 3rd volume, which will be in color. Details later.

At Bloc 11, I was sketching out some upcoming Arché-moments that have been in my head—you see Multi-Boy and Cave-Boy images there.

I didn't get very far along before Lonnie arrived. He was venting about work, and I was asking Qs and ended up interpretting one of his colleagues. Lonnie's a bit dashing at 6'1" and the annoying coworker was described as rather small and angry. I asked "Hobbit-like?" and the response was more "Pan/Satyr-like." I'm sure what I drew is nothing like reality, but it's a fun little character that will probably end up in a story.

Sitting through the grueling speeches at a work function led to another story idea, with an alien invasion force at the heart. I'll definitely turn this into a shortie for the 3rd volume in the collection.

I suspect this 3rd volume will be packaged as The Arché-Lady Special #11, with these new stories, plus the Color Companion to V1 and V2. There are a handful of things I did in color (various covers, 2 stories, and the character bios) which I might as well print in color if I am going to do some new stories in color.

Just so you know, I am printing these books with Ka-Blam, who specializes in low quantity digital printing. It's not as nice as off-set, but still pretty nice.

I'll probably only print a handful of books...maybe take pre-orders. But it's not going to be widely distributed, that's for sure. For die-hard fans only.

I'm done scanning (or finding the original toned files) through 1999. However, I still have 2 more episodes from '99 to re-tone. So much work still ahead!

FAN POLL: Aside from the 3 shorties already penned, I would like to do a 4th—with YOUR input! Is there a particular villain you'd like to see Arché-Lady face off against? Vix-N, the Galactic Tramp? The Wizard? The Technoids from New Death City?

A decade of vaccuuming and lint rolling

2011-04-10T08:57:00.004-04:00

Happy Anniversary Aggie!—Ten years ago, my folks trudged up to Vermont after I saw an ad for a one-year old Old English Sheepdog. My family had owned several of the breed over the years, and is fond of their clown-like exuberance.

Turns out ol' Ags was coming from an abusive home, shy around most people, and terrified of children. She was 20 pounds underweight, and she had a number of infections, plus wood worms.

The first year was spent aclimitizing her to the leash, people, and putting weight on and her health stabilizing.

The second year was spent dealing with some puppy-like naughtiness. Nothing bad.

After about 5 years or so, she started coming out of her shell around new people more quickly. And now today, there's almost no hesitation indoors. Outdoors, she's still leery of people.

About a year ago, she started being a bit Ok around children. Last week, she let a two year old hug her even.

I don't draw her much, though she is a constant source of laughter and joy for me. This sketch I did after the poor girl was victim to static electricity. Adam Leveille inked it.

Pic 1 was about a month after I got her. She is rail thin, but her hair started to grow finally, and she looks a bit happy. Pic 2 is just after her grooming yesterday, enjoying a dog biscuit. Pic 3 is lounging on the shag rug she's taken a shine to.

It's bath weekend once every three weeks. It begins with clipping her nails, and trimming the hair between her pads and other places (30 minutes), then the bath itself (30 minutes), then towel drying her and cleaning up (30 minutes). After a break of some time, it's on to combing (1.5-2 hours). I estimate in the past decade 510 hours (or, 21 days) have been spent grooming her. Of her 170 baths, I've had assistance for about 15 of them.

She's a sweet girl though. Average life expectancy is 8, so she's doing alright for a dog with such a shakey start to life.

I have the power...

2011-03-30T19:25:00.004-04:00

I drew this He-Man piece for a charity show/silent auction, Skeletor Saves.

Skeletor Saves is a collective charity show with work from top artists based on He-Man and the Masters of the Universe, benefitting The Ali Forney Center.

Thursday 4/7/11 from 6-10PM at Headquarters Studios at 385 Broadway, NYC.

The Ali Forney Center (AFC) was started in response to the lack of safe shelter for LGBT youth in New York City. AFC is dedicated to promoting awareness of the plight of homeless LGBT youth in the United States with the goal of generating responses on local and national levels from government funders, foundations, and the LGBT community.

If you are in NYC next Thursday, definitely check out the show and bid, bid, bid!

http://skeletorsaves.tumblr.com/
http://www.aliforneycenter.org/

A study of my beard

2011-03-28T07:32:00.003-04:00

I didn't pack my shaving stuff when I went to Europe, and on my return, I was feeling lazy so I didn't shave. Time marches on and I developed a mountain-man beard.

Maybe it was driving me itchy-crazy; maybe I knew I would be shaving it soon; maybe it was sheer boredom of sitting through an all-day board meeting...but on nearly every page of the giant PowerPoint handout, I drew some version of me in my vintage 1963 mod stripe suit with beard. I was having a good hair day, too.

Alas, all good (and bad) things must come to an end, and the beard has since been shaved. Haircut occurred as well. Feels much better this way.

STAPLE! 2011 Report

2011-03-21T12:19:00.004-04:00

Dear Monica was hyping Austin's indie comic show STAPLE! for the past several years. Her rec plus my free crash pad @ Scott's, plus the enjoyable company of them both was the inducement to go. Not to mention Austin itself—I love it there and hadn't been for 2 years.

The con itself was about half the size of SPX and had a very regional feel to it. Aside from Monica, I didn't recognize any exhibitors from SPX, MOCCA, or APE (though that may be unfair, I stopped going to APE several years ago).

Sales were low...Austin may be more of a hipster scene than a gay one...but I did have a few nice conversations with some fans of mine, who were surprised to see me in attendance.

One fan also creates comics, and I love her style. I suggested we do a sketchbook swap: I'd draw something in hers if she drew a hot guy in mine. She has started a "Sub-Mariner and Aquaman" sketch book for other people to draw in, so I happily complied.

Here is the result.

I'd never drawn Sub-Mariner before, but, um, he's kinda fun to draw! Just a built guy wearing some Aussiebums. Nice.

Halt

2011-03-17T19:52:00.003-04:00

The next morning in Amsterdam, we ate breakfast in the hotel's breakfast room, along with other guests and the hotel's HUGE Maine Coon cat. He was sooo sweet. But this one tired/angry looking patron wasn't so into him. Then, she violently attacked her biscuit. It was like one of those nature shows, where the predator is silently, patiently waiting for it's prey to innocently step too close, then STRIKE! But really, that biscuit wasn't going anywhere.

After Abby and I wandered a bit, took a canal boat tour, we met up with a reporter interviewing us for the gay youth magazine Expresso. Albert was cute, but the cuteness was intensified by his CNR (Charles Nelson Reilly) glasses. The three of us were walking along, and Abby noticed all the window displays—her declaration made my heart skip a beat and I immediately went into a bit of a void.

And though I was in A'dam several more days, that evening is when I stopped drawing...last entry.
Above are the 2 two-page spreads I drew; the second being me falling into my emotional void after Abby's comment jarringly shifted my mood. Poor Abby, she had no idea.

:-\

Hug-worthy

2011-03-16T12:28:00.002-04:00

Amsterdam is so cute I could hug it!

I hadn't been before, and I'd heard much of it, so I was excited to go! Abby and I transferred by train and arrived at our affordably-priced, super-clean hotel. On to exploring the neighborhood and eating pancakes.

I ducked into WE at Matt's insistence, and bought a fun flower-print shirt. It came in brown, purple, and light blue. Abby encouraged me to buy one of each for myself, but I resisted.

Later, we met up with a friend of a friend who is an erotic film director, and her baby. I asked to hold the baby—a big deal for me, I am not really comfortable around babies, small children. They break too easily! But, in the past 6 months, I have stepped up to overcome my hang-ups one by one.

For dinner, I was happy to find this hole-in-the-wall place, "Coffee & Jazz" which actually is an Indonesian restaurant with a Jazz soundtrack. We were the only party in the place (there were only 4 tables, anyhow...), and the old Dutch owner/restauranteur was bopping around. It was a great meal and a very off-beat experience. Loved it!

The streets of Paris

2011-03-15T12:19:00.002-04:00

Yes, this is pretty much accurate. I admit a few bits of the story were removed for sake of the one-pager. The funniest part in reality was Jeff's violent reaction.

Also funny, which couldn't be included was both Xavier's and Jeff's reaction to the excursion. I thought we were near a shop I wanted to go to, and Xavier insisted we try to find it even though I didn't know the address. I was concerned about being gone too long, and Xavier said, "Oh, Jeff always complains that it takes me an hour to buy a croissant because I get lost or distracted. He won't even be out of the shower by the time we get back."

We didn't find the shop, and indeed, our croissant purchase basically took an hour.

When we got back, Abby was still Skype-ing and Jeff was just getting out of the shower and said, "Oh, I told Abby not to expect you back for an hour."

It was funny to me how well they know each other, and lovingly make fun of their foibles.

I am excited to see them both next month!

No one gets this one

2011-03-14T09:24:00.006-04:00

After an emotionally exhausting few weeks, and a roller coaster of a 2010, I finally unwinded enough for, hrm, I'm not really sure how to describe...I guess a relaxed state in which emotions freely flow.

So this is me with my heart on my sleeve. No one gets this drawing, so I added color. Abby suggested that it should be pinned to my sleeve, near my shoulder. I guess no matter how you look at it, one's literal heart on their sleeve is kinda gruesome.

Onward for a bit of tourism and shopping in Paris! Wheee!

Jeff insisted we cross this very romantic footbridge. The chain link fence on either side was covered with locks placed by lovers, with their initials carved into the locks (or written on them). I wonder how many of those hearts are still connected...

Every once in a while, I stay in closer contact with someone I meet at a convention. One such fellow, Sylvain, could not attend Angoulême this year, so I attempted to draw him instead. It doesn't look quite like him, the face is too long/chin too big.

Since he's now "stationed" in Taiwan for the forseeable future, I was inspired to discuss meeting up in Japan. This is now not likely to happen in part due to finances and in part to the horrible events late last week.

Early Friday morning, I headed out to NYC and was asleep on the bus all morning, so by the time I heard the news of the earthquake and tsunami, everyone was abuzz. So awful.

Obviously, events such as this can really put your own problems and stresses in perspective. That said, it's been a rough month, certainly testing my faith.

We must bury him

2011-03-13T09:29:00.004-04:00

Jeff is obsessed with Psylocke, and he and Xavier have an adversarial relationship when it come to Psylocke vs. Spider-Woman. It's fun to hear them go at it.

On the walk home Saturday night, I noticed a dead cat on the sidewalk. It was pretty sad, but we had to move on. Though Xavier was very upset and wanted to try to bury it.

The next morning, Diogo saw me and Abby off at the train station. We made our way to Jeff's place and walked around Paris a bit.

Throughout the weekend, we had been talking about men's and women's outlook on sex. So, when Abby commented on my gallantry, I reminded her that I expected certain things in return, in general. Though she was quite safe with me.

Still not a morning person

2011-03-09T09:21:00.002-05:00

First day of the Angoulême festival, I agreed to get up early and help Xavier set up.

The second day, I was a bit tired, a bit hung over, and not needing to be at the festival early, I only got up to see Xavier off.

He has this skill to wake up and be instantly chipper but non-annoying.

On this day, I was on a panel "Mainstream vs. Indie" comics, which was fun.

Actually, I am a morning person; I typically am up by 7. HOWEVER, I definitely need to ease into the day with minimal conversation and maximum neck-pinching and head-squeezing (reduces my recurring and debilitating headaches).

There are other sketches of this day, which will remain UN-posted. Those in the know—and you know who you are—know why.

Casual convention

2011-03-08T09:34:00.005-05:00

This year, through some SNAFUs, we were very limited in booth space, so I wasn't exhibiting. This was a little sad, but it was also really nice to be able to walk around Angoulême and the festival with out much of an agenda.

While I was on a panel, and had a few scheduled signings, I was mostly roaming about, looking at the gorgeous books, admiring the charming village, and hanging out with friends.

I finally made it to the museum of comics, which (no knock at the comics museums in the U.S.) is Smithsoneon caliber.

Of course, I ate and drank a lot. But the long walks and steep hills to climb in Angoulême burned off more calories than I could consume, and my 30" waist jeans were beginning to fall off. I had dropped a lot of weight in 2010, and finally broke down and bought a slimmer size. And here, I admitted to myself that I'd have to drop down again.

Euro-tour two-thousand and eleven

2011-03-07T12:01:00.007-05:00

Typically when I travel, I am sad at the airport, to be leaving behind my life and all. There's often too much time on your hands for "thought" and of course, the terminal itself isn't all that comfy.

Once I board the plane, I am Ok, and once I land, I am really excited to be where I am at.

But this time, as I sat in the airport, I was nothing but happy! Given what 2010 was like, I just sat there realizing how lucky I am...on every level...for everything. And most particularly, my emotional "journey." I really am proud for dealing with stuff and not postponing for another day.

I said my good-byes over the phone, and then boarded for France, looking forward to the festival and seeing my friends.

Arriving at CDG, I was surprised to feel sad...since I'm usually elated on arrival.

But looking around at the couples, I felt kind of alone. I was meeting up with Abby, and with friends, but it just wasn't the same.

Onward to Paris to meet up with Xavier, and then Jeff, and once in Angoulême, Marie-Claude. M-C took us to this lovely bakery/cafe and ordered a brioche.

This time of year, it's served in a similar way to King Cake in New Orleans...but instead of a porcelain Baby Jesus, there is a porcelain shoe baked inside.

Since I got the shoe, I was crowned King!—and I can expect good fortune for all 2011. Yay! I also must buy the next brioche, apparently.

That night, I shared raclette with Jeff. It's basically a giant wedge of cheese, served against a heating element. As the cheese begins to melt and ooze off the block, you slop it on to the meats and veggies they bring you on a platter. It was sooooo good, but I felt like a pig for eating so much cheese.

What I'm working on

2011-02-23T18:27:00.012-05:00

"What are you working on?" I'm often asked.

Truth?—I'm not working on anything.

After I wrapped up TRUST/TRUTH summer/early fall 2009, I immediately transitioned to two shorties for Marvel which took the rest of the fall. Then came "the holidays" and finally the filling of book orders on TRUST/TRUTH and my annual trip to Angouleme Festival in France.

The spring was a difficult time for me, dealing with family issues and ultimately a death in the family, the technical aspects of buying my first home, and the emotional aspects of buying my first home. And, of course, considerable interpersonal confusion. During this time I attempting to outline and write the second half of BABY MAKES THREE simply to conclude it was unworkable.

Upon the closing of my home purchase, I was thrown into cleaning, painting, packing, moving, unpacking, more painting, arranging, re-arranging, furniture hunting, and the like.

Though in the summer I was able to start drawing again, including a 5 page mini comic "Trying Something New" written by Greg Lockard; 10 new pages for my CAVALCADE Volume 1 reprint; the first 3 pages of another mini comic written by Greg; complete thumbnails for an art-as-therapy OGN which I'll not likely draw; the X-Calibur and Wonder Woman Day illustrations I posted to this blog.

I was thrilled to help out Monica Gallagher with a 13-week guest run of her webcomic BONNIE N. COLLIDE this fall. Then it was off to India, and after I completed my travel sketches. And on to creating some custom Mego action figures and then "the holidays" again. I drew this illustration of Sailor Moon just prior to my recent trip to France.

This sounds like so much more than it is, in terms of comics production. The past year-ish resulted in 31 finished comic pages, 3 specialty art pieces and 3 custom Megos. That's all.

There is no book in the works...no pitches...no mini-comics...nothing.

That's not to sound doomsday about it—it's been a lot of fun fixing up my apartment. More fun than I'd anticipated. But for a variety of reasons, I have no ideas for comics at the moment, no projects underway, and no motivation to change it.

As for this Sailor Moon, I think it might be my most favorite thing I've done in a long time. I really love the way the line art turned out. I colored it...and something's lost. I still prefer the line art.Yes, it is Matt as Tuxedo Mask.

Sad anniversary—to me.

2011-01-25T00:11:00.000-05:00

Soar as the falcon soars...run with the speed of gazelle

2011-01-23T08:55:00.003-05:00

If you've 20 minutes to spare here and there, I encourage you to watch Filmation's live-action THE SECRETS OF ISIS on hulu.com.

I remember hating Isis as a little boy. First, she paled in comparison to Captain Marvel on the SHAZAM! live-action show. Second, she never seemed to do anything.

Watching the show now, I have a better appreciation for them. They were definitely for kids, and each had a very important message about believing in people you love, solving problems by following the law, following your conscience and not peer pressure, etc. Isis spends most of her time helping teenagers make good decisions, the stopping of crooks is very much secondary.

Sure, Isis doesn't do much...it seems like her appearance alone halts crime. Crooks just kinds give up in her presence. And her powers seem to change depending on the scenery and what the budget would allow. And the sets...these poor actors had to run around the crappiest alleys of Los Angeles to film this show.

Another great feature of the show was the '70s post-hippy vibe. The supporting teenagers were usually a racially balanced group.

So yes, please, check it out. Just keep in mind it was made in a day that super-hero fare was meant for 7 year olds and not 37 year olds. She's solving crime with love, not gore.

A Study in Gatchaman

2011-01-20T11:54:00.005-05:00

After Star Wars took the country by storm in the late '70s, the demand for sci-fi was back, with little supply.

Capitalizing quickly, the (non sci-fi) Japanese Anime Gatchaman was rescripted, dubbed, and repackaged as the sci-fi show Battle of the Planets, which I loved as a kid.

I decided to draw a nice image of the group, in color. To gear up, I was sketching the team a bit around xmastime.

If you're not familiar, the science ninja team's uniforms (visors in particular) are bird-themed (eagle, condor, swan, falcon, owl). So I added two guys I draw often suited up as teammates (dodo and chicken).

UPDATE: It probably was too indirect, so I clarify that the teammates I added were Matt (dodo) and myself (chicken).

Out and About

2011-01-17T08:16:00.006-05:00

Fish-philes know I am not hitting the gay clubs with great regularity, but I have been "out" two weekends in a row.

First, I was hosting Serge from Montreal (my friend Xavier's ex BF). Meeting up with other friends at Paradise, we remarked on a scruffy built guy in tight, tight T-shirt with amazing shoulders.

I generally need strong motivation to draw someone...strikingly handsome, eclectic attire, exceedingly heinous, etc. But with this fellow, it was the shoulders. I still couldn't capture them, they were just perfectly sculpted.

This past weekend, Matthew was in town for business and wanted to meet up at Club Cafe. It was a, hrm, interesting evening—but what happens in Boston stays in Boston, eh? After he stumbled away, Adam and I noticed the shoulders dude, whom I promptly spoke to.

Mike's a nice guy, and after I told him about my sketch, and the motivation (his shoulders) he told me he's having troubles with them.

The coloring is courtesy of Adam. http://adamsredchalk.blogspot.com/

Creations from my childhood redux week: Sigmund and Friends

2011-01-14T18:23:00.002-05:00

Last installment...direct from my freshman year of high school—Sigmund and Friends.

Sigmund was this weird, prune-like things appearing in little cartoons.Not sure what else to say about him.

The "and friends" were Jacques and Simone, a happily married couple from Quebec. Jacques was a red-headed body-builder with a mohawk, and his wife was an elderly Native American named Simone. Initially Simone looked like Sigmund in a braided wig. Later, she developed her own look as she appeared in my sketchbook over the years.

Creations from my childhood redux week: Mimi Chandler

2011-01-13T10:34:00.005-05:00

Amidst a "Barbie" craze while I was in junior high school, Mimi Chandler was "born."

At that time, there was a Barbie for everything, and she had many careers. Mimi took it all further in little cartoons titled The World of Mimi Chandler: there was Policewoman Mimi, Fry-cook Mimi, Astronaut Mimi. You get the idea.

She had many different beaus, too, to suit the occasion. None were terribly interesting (in comparison, anyway!—who could compete?!?). However, among the cast was Mimi's half-sister, Miona. Miona was half-Hawaiian, wore heavy makeup and a pink Mohawk. Far more punk rock than her famous elder sister.

I later introduced Mimi into The Adventures of Arche-Lady series, as a glamour gal reporter, always chasing a story in an evening gown. It was later revealed that she and Arche-Lady went to college together.

Mimi appeared in my sketchbook around 2005 or so, as a travel magazine editor, which took her around the world encountering adventures along the way. I had planned (and still toy with the notion) of writing and drawing such stories, using my travel photos as reference. Think Arche-Lady without the super-powers.

So, keep your eyes peeled for some camp fun in Scandanavia, India, Brazil, and more. Maybe.

Creations from my childhood redux week: Harry the Cat

2011-01-12T08:41:00.005-05:00

Trapped indoors during recess by the harsh New England winters (notice the trend?), our 5th grade class' energy was diverted to "creative writing."

Enter the fey kitty detective, Harry the Cat. Harry's adventures were told in prose, but each one was accompanied by several illustrations—like a mini Nancy Drew novel.

The stories are best described as an upgrade from Scooby Doo in terms of sophistication. They might even be a bit more so than early Arche-Lady stories. But still, a mystery novelist I was not destined to become...and Harry did not survive the 5th grade, aside from occasional renderings in sketchbooks.

I'm sure I wasn't intending him to be such the prissy pussy at the time, but looking back, he sure was.

Think Sherlock Holmes played by Terry-Thomas.

Creations from my childhood redux week: Gigi's Garage

2011-01-11T12:36:00.004-05:00

Welcome to creations from my childhood redux week!—I've been sketching the various gems from my youth to your hoped-for delight.

First up is the hippy-chick Gigi, owner of Gigi's Garage. Trapped by the harsh New England winter as a pre-schooler, an ugly knitted blanket draped over the family dog became the inspiration for this enduring character and her long garishly colored hair.

Gigi (pronounced GIG-ee, not jee-jee) appeared in little cartoon snipets, alongside her supporting cast around the run-down auto-mechanic shop. Gigi herself was not a mechanic, but I vaguely remember the burly, dirty fellow. Otherwise, I don't have a clear memory of the other cast members and have no record (drawings) of them. One of them was named Bluebird, I know that.

I am pretty sure there was a little theme-song, too, though I am struggling to recall any of it. Keep in mind I was like 5 years old.

But yes, that is her hair.

From the Gayest Corners of Your Video Screen: Regal Bryant

2011-01-06T13:19:00.003-05:00

After xmas, I was introduced to video game character Regal Bryant from "Tales of Symphonia" for his homoerotic costume design. Skimpy shirt that barely covers his pecs, bound wrists, and an unbuckled belt make this a pretty gay outfit. Even though I used blue pencil and colored his hair blue, Matt said it wasn't blue enough. Hence, take 2.

Filmation Aquaman

2011-01-03T10:24:00.004-05:00

Happy New Year!

One of the few gifts of "entertainment" for me this xmas was a DVD of the Filmation Aquaman series from the late '60s.

For some reason, this was never aired as re-runs locally when I was a kid, unlike a lot of other cartoons from that era. So, I'd only seen snippets on Cartoon Network some years back, though they edited them horribly.

The series isn't quite as "bad" as the '70s Filmation Batman series, but still has its moments: Mera (despite being quite powerful in the comics) is pretty weak and useless, always needing to be saved; Aquaman and Aqualad rely heavily on their giant seahorses for transport; and the addition of Tusky the walrus is pretty absurd...I mean, the action takes place pretty deep, and the poor guy is never off camera long enough to get air...not sure how he survived.

The interaction between Aquaman and Aqualad is fun: Aquaman calls his junior partner "tadpole," "minnow," and "squirt." Aw.

The series also was the innovator (I think) of the sound effect of Aquaman's telepathic commands used in Super-Friends and even today in Batman: Brave and the Bold.

Each episode is like 7 minutes long, so you can enjoy in small chunks...so, do!

Last Call 2010: Boxing Day

2010-12-26T09:06:00.003-05:00

Merry Christmas, for those of you who partake!

Today is Boxing Day, the traditional day for gift-giving in some countries. Santa made his deliveries to me yesterday, and a week-ago yesterday. Once again, he was overly charming.

Having bought my home recently, and it really coming together, many household items were looking really tired...some things I purchased right out of college and not long after. So it was mostly a very functional Christmas for me: coffeemaker, pots, potholders, dishtowels, sheets, a blanket, bike lock, reflector ankle straps. Not much "entertainment" or snacks, but enough to make me more than happy.

I came back to my place a bit early, to make sure it was ready to host my family's visit today. But the forecast is such that they are (wisely) postponing. It's already flurry-ing, and the snow wasn't due to arrive until this afternoon.

Ah well, they will have to wait to see my new floor another time.

I'm signing off the sketchblog 'til 2011. Cheers— and Happy New Year.

Last Call 2010: Extraordinary Part II

2010-12-24T07:16:00.004-05:00

I was just in NYC, and, as with my last few visits, can't seem to escape my memories of the past. They're cast so firmly in stone, I once thought they formed a prison—but for some time now, I see them as the foundation on which I stand.

Let's agree that 2010 was a tough year for me. The high-note it started on quickly turned. Overwhelmed by life-altering stresses, daily stresses, led me to make some sad choices as I buried some intense emotions.

Along the way, I bought my home, began fixing it up, began living a more balanced life (sorry fans, this means I am drawing a bit less ;-).

I'd never lost anyone really close to me before this year. So, my grandmother's passing opened some emotional floodgates, and I began to crawl out of my haze...too little, too late, for some.

But after months of self reflection, talking with those who know me best, a bit of therapy, and a strikingly meaningful trip to India, I feel a few rungs up the ladder, at least. And, this past weekend, I climbed a very important rung for me.

The outcome of the climb was hardly "joyous." I'd tried to not hold any preconceived ideas of what might happen, as the climb was as important as any tangible outcome could be.

As I walked away from it, the feeling hit me. For the first time in my life, I felt extraordinary. Not relative to anyone else; not in-comparison-to; not tempered with any realistic sense of my place in the universe. Just me, extraordinary.

Last Call 2010: Extraordinary Part I

2010-12-23T08:20:00.008-05:00

Last week, I went to my first rock concert in years. I can't even remember the last time I had to buy tickets from Ticketmaster. But I'd not been to an indie rock bar in some time. Even jazz bars can be a challenge, as excessively warm + loud = nausea + headache. And often, the to do list is such that I can't "afford" to kill the next day all groggy and stuff.

But 2010 has been a year of great transition for me, and I've been living a more balanced life between art, fixing up my loft, family & friends, and other experiences. Often, deliberately placing myself into situations which had been for some time automatic "no"s.

Enter Liz Phair, back on tour to, hrm, salvage her reputation, I think. I love her and her music. I love that she sold out so she could raise her kid, and I love that people criticize her for it. I love how she's evolved over the years, her music reflecting perfectly the stage of life she's in. I sheepishly admit I feel a little affinity as a writer/artist myself.

I thought her show would be heavily leaning on my new album (which is a mix between "great" and "what the—?!?"), but she started with "Supernova" and ended with "Fuck and Run" with everything good in between.

She was fun and funny, joking with the audience and her band. She took requests from people shouting out, and even hauled two scared girls on stage to sing backup on "Flower" which was amazing. In photos, she looks kinda harsh and bitchy, but in person, she was super cute and nice nice nice. Loved the lace stockings and spike heel suede fuck-me boots.

The Paradise was fairly not-warm, but it also helped that Sean and I stuck to the less-crowded balcony. And—sadly for Liz—it wasn't exactly a packed house. So I didn't feel physically sick, though the next day my ears were still ringing a bit and I was sluggish.

So, not something I'll be repeating weekly, but now and again, I am sure I will enjoy myself at a show for someone special.

Last Call 2010: Vomit

2010-12-22T09:14:00.004-05:00

On my commute home, this little kid was leaning out of the car, puking into the bike lane. It wasn't going to stop anytime soon, so I veered around to the left of the car.

Last Call 2010: Leftie

2010-12-21T18:09:00.005-05:00

Was working on some custom projects and one of my drafts of Ilyana box art...while I kinda liked it, (1) it didn't look enough like my custom and (2) she, um, has 2 left hands.

Might not be art week: Customego Teen Titans (Series I)

2010-12-17T09:41:00.005-05:00

Mego action figures were popular when I was a boy, and very popular with me in particular. They were 8" and had fabric outfits and accessories. Let's face it, dolls for geeky boys.

I had nearly the whole line-up leftover from my childhood, but when eBay entered my life, the collection furthered. I also discovered the huge, strange world of customizing figures (taking parts and creating characters Mego never made, or making them better than Mego did).

From 1999-2001, I made nearly 200 customs! Yes, I learned to sew (hand- and machine- ) and I could sculpt parts, accessories, and some basic heads such as robots or the Golden Age Sandman). Often, I would sell off early versions on eBay when I my draft 2 or 3 turned out great. Ultimately, I sold off most of my customs, keeping only the "essential" characters, or characters I really loved.

Among the keepers were my Teen Titans. Mego's Titans were 7" and more "teen scale" compared to the rest of the line up. However, Mego's Robin was 8". I definitely prefer 8 inchers... and the parts were easier to come by. I made most of my Titans toward the end of my customizing career, so they were among my finest work.

However, last year between xmas and New Years, I decided to clean up the last of my shoddy work on Black Canary and the Titans. Here, they are posed and await visitors as they entered my apartment.

Mego figures int he early years came in boxes, which I like to protect and display in or out of the box. Making boxes is fun for me, as I can draw the characters—I can also take a lot of creative license with them, so they look more like my customs than they do in the comic books themselves (cheater).

My Titans boxes were actually really bad—let's agree the digital printing has come a long way in the past decade, as has my skills in production (as well as drawing!). While I redrew the figures while I was in Europe in early 2009, I never got around making new boxes until just recently.

Jumping back into customizing is a bit frustrating...what poor sewing skills I had are gone...and even box making is a new challenge. I could only find super lightweight posterboard or super heavy weight for the box backing (you spray mount the color printouts to the posterboard). I totally forgot that medium weight is best...b/c heavy weight cracks when you fold it. So, these boxes, around the edges, the cracking posterbard has pulled apart the the color printouts. From a distance, it looks like the boxes are well worn from childhood play.

At first, I was irritated, but then I thought, (1) they are vastly better than the first set I made 10 years ago, and (2) Who really cares?!?

And yes, as the post title suggests, there is a Series II of Customego Titans figures. And, uh, yes, a Series III (yes, dork).

For more info check:
http://www.megomuseum.com/
http://www.megomuseum.com/wgsh/teentitans.html
http://www.megomuseum.com/custom/customblog.html

Might not be art week: H&B modulars

2010-12-16T10:44:00.004-05:00

Here's another furniture project via the MIT Furniture Exchange.

As you know, I have lots and lots of books—inventory, rather. So I have been collecting storage furniture for my closet-less artist loft. Enter 4 pieces of labelled Heim & Buch modular cabinets from the '60s: two cabinets (missing the sliding doors) with two bookshelves. Modular furniture is nice, because you can keep using if your needs and space changes.

One cabinet had both shelves and some shelf holders; the other had no shelves, no shelf holders. My dad made me two shelves and I bought some shelf holders. Working with euro furniture can be a challenge, as most of what you buy @ Home Depot in way of parts (shelf holders, bolts, etc) isn't metric. And I lack the patience to wait for special orders.

He also made sliding doors for me, which I covered with a faux pigskin, and added these nice pulls that came from Italy. The tracks are very narrow and close...I think the original doors may have been glass (also b/c the inside of the cabinets are very nicely finished). So the doors—while functional—are not the easiest to use. That's Ok, as these are meant to hold inventory I don't access often.

Each cabinet holds 8-9 cases of books!

Might not be art week: LP cabinet

2010-12-15T09:15:00.003-05:00

Moving in to a loft with no closets and very few walls (in lieu of the benefit of 25 windows!) has been a fun challenge. I've haunted thrift stores, eBay, Craigslist, and the MIT Furniture Exchange for decent or repairable storage furniture.

When I first moved in, the only piece of art I hung was my vintage Farrah Fawcett poster—perfect for hiding the fuse box. Of course, the fuse box can't be blocked by a large piece of furniture or art...as it must be easily accessible. So, Farrah serves a practical purpose.

But the set up left an awkward little space, and in need of evening light. Enter my sister's $5 find at the Goodwill. Took me a while to figure out what this was: someone had installed a horizontal shelf...but the base of the piece was riddled with holes. Then it hit me: the holes likely had vertical dividers, as the cabinet is exactly perfectly sized for holding 33 RPM LPs.

I painted over the cheap and ugly veneer with the same color as my radiators, so it works really nicely in my space. I covered the doors with blue burlap for some texture and color. On top is the blue and white glass shade lamp I've had forever, which ties the blue in and casts a fun pattern on the wall—but not so high as to hit Farrah with the pattern.

Lastly, I replaced the awful plastic door pulls with some really fun vintage mid-century pulls I had kicking around.

Things I Drew For Other People Week: Excalibur

2010-12-10T09:57:00.004-05:00

Here's a long-time coming ditty. Was tough to get my hands around...I've drawn Nightcrawler plenty, and some Kitty, but otherwise pretty unfamiliar with the UK super-team Excalibur.

They're pretty funny...Kitty wearing that super-baggy jacket and boots; another version of Phoenix whose dykes-on-bikes mullet transforms into a flaming mohawk when she dons her S&M/dominatrix gear; Captain Britain, whose costume I admit was a challenge for me to draw; the captain's lover Megan, with her bare feet; plus Nightcrawler. Add in Lockheed the dragon, and there you go.

I only thumbed through some of the old comics to study up on their enemies, the Warwolves, which were the villains in my Northstar story earlier this year. Alan Davis' art is yummy, for sure.

I drew this during the summer, one of the first things drawn on my new (used) drafting table. Love the line weights. Just finished coloring on Painter.

Things I Drew For Other People Week: Northstar

2010-12-09T13:16:00.003-05:00

Since I drew the Northstar story in Nation X, I've been asked to draw Northstar a number of times—both in the actual books, as well as commissioned pieces.

I mentioned sweetheart Suzene earlier—I really couldn't refuse when she asked me to draw Northstar "as naughty as [I] would be willing."

Naughty art is a rarity for me, as I am less skilled in drawing certain anatomy, and it really should be saved for more "special moments."

So, I went down the humor pathway here, with Nstar's BF Kyle swiping the uniform off his partner as he flies by, leaving the hero in his birthday suit.

The character of Northstar is Quebecois, so I thank Adam for his inspiration here.

Things I Drew For Other People Week: Long Live the Legion!

2010-12-08T09:40:00.003-05:00

With the Legion of Super-Heroes' strong gay following, I get asked to draw Legionnaires frequently at cons. Sadly, I don't have photos or scans of most of them. If you have one—particularly the Cosmic Boy or Tyroc—email me!

Just after I did a REALLY nice Ultra-Boy at Comic Con 2006, my pal Andy Swist asked me to draw (I think; again, fuzzy memory) the Legionnaire of my choice. I dunno...whether it was my choice or his, I drew Matter-Eater Lad.

The original was a bit off center on the page, and therefore missing a foot. Andy cleverly added the "chomp marks" when he colored it, to compensate for the lack of foot. Love it!

Please don't accuse me of any Liefeld action—I CAN draw feet!