2008

2008 was quite a year for me. Fulfilling in spots and crushing in others.

Personally my toughest year, physically, mentally, emotionally.

Professionally, I've taken on more responsibilities and made friends and connections in the comics field which will lead to hopefully better things. Teaching still pays the bills but is becoming less and less how I want to spend my life.

2009?

Time will tell.

Check this out from Mid Ohio Con

http://www.youtube.com/maknbacon

Check me out ( in all my fatness) talking up Comic Related in an interview by Fanatic Press' Allen Freeman

Iron Man

Finally bought the DVD and it was every bit as good as seeing it in the theater. In fact, I got so caught up watching the extras, I almost missed getting my daily post in on http://www.sketchmagazine.net.

And I am also behind on my coloring for Unleashed Press and still need to get content in to http://www.comicrelated.com.

I need more hours in the day...or at least to be better able to prioritize my time.

Inspiration

Inspiration is a funny old thing. Sometimes you have tons and no energy to pursue it. Sometimes you have the energy but not enough inspiration.

Right now I don't have enough of either.

And need some.

Badly.

They got me workin' workin' day and night

I'm taking a lot more onto my plate to help out a friend and I want to do it all well. I just hope I can keep it all up in the air and to a quality it deserves.

Time will tell.

A Victim of My own Success

I'm trying to become a ghost.

After a year where I was doing too much, this school year, I am trying to pull back, do less, disappear. When I suggested giving up a leadership position earlier today, my colleagues wouldn't have it. They were upset that I was even considering leaving and were vehement about me staying. When I went to try to give up another position after that, the organizer looked so sad about it that i almost said I was just kidding right there.

I don't think I am doing very well at any of them. But apparently, I am too good at these jobs somehow to be allowed to give them up.

How do I get myself into these things?

Professionalism

We all have stuff. Life intrudes, things happen, etc. etc. ad infinidum. I am the master at being life's punching bag. It's a wonder I'm sane at all (thank you , Sheriff of Nottingham).

But the thing that makes us professionals is that we rise above all that, when we are given a task, when the boss (or art director, publisher and so on) gives us a job, we get to work, we push all that stuff away and we get it done. It's not easy. It's never easy, but we get it done. You can't control having to wait on other people but you can always control your end of it. Be the one who can always be counted on, be the one who they know can save the day and be the one gives answers where everyone else gives excuses. You will be the one that gets the call when everyone else is getting their next excuse prepared. Publishers don't respond to excuses, they respond to met deadlines.

Be THAT Guy! You have the talent and the drive, you know you do or you wouldn't be still pursuing this after all these years. You just need direction. Well here it is...go do it already!

Impact

I have a friend (no, really, I do) that had a crisis of faith recently. Not in any sort of God but in himself. He thought what he is doing, what he had accomplished and his impact on the world around him just didn't matter. I had to divest him of that notion quickly and help him realize that he does matter, that he has touched a lot of lives and in doing so, has made those lives better.

If you are reading this, that applies to you too. You make a difference. You touch lives. Just make sure that impact is always a positive one. Make the world better. Even if it is just one life at a time.

Getting back in the saddle

Life has been seven shades of lousy for me in the last couple of months, but I am doing what I can to crawl back from my personal wreckage and get my life (both personal and professional) back in order. I'm coloring comic pages for the first time in my life and I can say that I am getting more comfortable with it. One of the two stories I have written has a real chance of seeing print soon and I have gotten a small library of reviews printed on www.comicrelated.com. So I am making it, slowly and somewhat dispassionately at the moment but I am making it. For those who were there for me, thanks.

Tomorrow's a new day, right?

Like a buddy of mine says...time to get off my heine and get to work.

Whistling past the graveyard

I know people mean well and they think that they are helping me when the offer me their condolences on the death of my mother but in the last several days I have come to realize that it is just them "whistling as they walk past the grave yard". Seeing me in my loss reminds them of their own mortality and that idea scares most people shitless. Honestly though, I'm getting a little sick of it and wish people would just move on and leave me alone about it. This is something I need to deal with alone and I wish people just wouldn't talk to me if they have nothing better to say then that I am in their prayers. That does me no good whatsoever and is kind of making me want to pop the next one that says it to me in the face. If that makes me an asshole, I don't care. I'm entitled to deal with this my own way and it is quickly becoming evident to me that my way is that I am going to be mean to people for a while. I'll apologize later because right now I just don't care.

Saturday Stuff

I'm feeling drained mentally today. There is a lot I should and could be doing but I just can't get motivated. Part of it is my back is killing me from falling last week. A big part of it is that I was standing in a hospital room this time last week watching my mother die. I'm not sure what I'm feeling today. Sad...sure, depressed...always but I just feel kind of numb, unfocused. I don't know what to do about it. Except, write this. Maybe I should just go back to bed.

Mom

My mother died today. I have no words.

Current Art Challenges

I've recently embarked on a digital coloring project that I can't really talk about yet but I can say that it presenting quite a challenge for me. After being so used to using my hands and skills to paint a picture, dealing with technology, pixels and a mouse is kind of kicking my butt. I am on a serious learning curve and have run into a few obstacles dealing with my older version of the software I'm using, but this is something that I am dedicate to doing well. After so many years of inactivity on the creative front beyond that which was necessary for use in my classroom, it is a struggle that I am happy to engage in.

Hellboy 2

I saw Hellboy 2 yesterday and while I can say it was a visually interesting, even stunning movie, that is about the best that I can say for it. It wasn't a bad movie, persay, but it lacked the story and the heart of the first one. It was all over the place, trying to be too many things at once. It couldn't decide if it was an action, comedy, romance, allegory or horror movie. I never felt danger for the characters and barely felt the emotions that were supposed to be so strong between these characters. It seems as if parts of the movie are missing or lost. My only true anticipation was that it was as good as the first and that I was entertained...sadly neither desire was completely filled.

On a related, but outside of the screen note: There should be a special place in hell for people who bring young children to movies that are not for children. We had a chatty little girl wondering around from one set of family to another. I kept my cool but only just and if I had possession of a roll of duct tape that day, the girl would still be attached to the wall. Call me what you will but if you can't control your child, someone else will.

Comic Related

I have been a busy boy since returning from the Chicago con, in part because of my new association with the fine folks at Comic Related (http://www.comicrelated.com). It is a great site to keep up with...well anything that is comic related. Site founder and all around cool guy, Chuck Moore has tapped yours truly to ramble on in print, beginning with reviews of How to books and eventually going who knows where but I plan to get as much stuff on the site as possible before the man comes to his senses. Make sure you stop by for the daily updates and especially for the weekly podcasts. They are definitely "must-hear" material every week. And if you like what you read and hear , stop by the Comic Related forum and let Chuck know. You'll be glad you did and it will put a smile on my face as well.

Random Pics from Wizard World

Red and Green with Skrulls between

There were never schoolgirls like this in my school

Funny, I thought it would be taller

I wish this wall was in my house

Crickey, that's a lot of people
Fellow Louisvillians and cool acquaintances Kynt and Vxysin

Bob's Retirement plan

Mommy, can I have this for X-mas?

Big damn heroes? Aren't they just...

Some people get so stressed out at conventions

Some dude from Tokyo

Who parked this here

The Defuser

TV's Hulk from a distance


Check out other convention pics on the Art Unleashed forum http://www.bloodandroses.com/forum

Wizard World Chicago--Saturday

Meet great people, had a great meeting with potential new work on the way and saw some unusual people in the oddest of costumes. Got to buy a few cool things and even sell a few. Had a crappy lunch but a good dinner in the company of good people. It would have been a just about perfect day except one of my favorite artists, Micheal Turner, passed away after a long bout with cancer. I don't easily impress but his was work that truly impressed me. I will miss seeing his talent and I hope that his company can carry on in a way that is respectful of the man and his work.

Wizard World Chicago--Friday

After some vechicular drama this morning and an incredibly long drive, we made it just in time to hit the first day of WWC. Finally got to put a face to people I have only known as Psychomud, Flairbrusher, Superman79 and MTopolski. Great guys all who are full to brimming with anticipation to sell some of their original art. I personally am dealing with give aways and selling my compilation convention tips in book form. Sold 5 and I'm pretty happy about that. Hope to clean them out tomorrow and Sunday. All and all, a lot of fun and met a lot of folks. Also hit all the art schools to have them send me stuff to IHS for the kiddos. Surreal run in today: Saw Louisville's Kent and Vyxin and they actually recognized me. And later they stopped by the table. Kinda cool, all in all.

The Road to Wizard World part 2--Thursday

Well, I'm all packed and ready to go. 4 bags total with stuff for the table and all. I'm looking forward to the con but not that 7 hour total drive I have in front of me. I'll try to sleep most of the day away and at 1:00 a.m., I'm off and driving so we can make Chicago in time to check in, eat and be con ready by 9:00 a.m. And then the fun truly begins. More on that tomorrow!

The road to Wizard World, part 1--Wednesday

Two days left (or one if you count that I am leaving at Midnight Thursday/Friday). I have a surprising amount of stuff to do today. I need to pack all the stuff for the table and pack all my clothes for the weekend. I also need to touch base with a variety of people and make absolutely sure that my wife has everything she needs before I leave out of here. Its a lot to do. But I think it will all be worth it. I think this year is going to be very beneficial to my comics career.