Time for a new pair

I've removed the bar name though it's highly unlikely this fellow still works there... but the show of crack and dirty, holey undies made me kind of sad. Everyone deserves a fresh, clean pair.
 

Friendliness Ok!

 

 

I was so excited when this joint pair of conferences I used to attend was to be hosted by Washington University in Saint Louis--my old employer and my old hometown.

Not real hometown, of course. I was born in NH. But I hold a strong affection for the place. Matt was also to attend, and we agreed to rent an AirBnB in the historic neighborhood of Soulard, where I had once lived, rather than the hotel suggested by the conference.

Matt joined me on a long walk around the neighborhood, and I pointed out all the things and places I'd loved--mostly still there. At one point, he noted, "I've never seen you happy before." 

Airport people

 

I love people watching (and drawing at airports). They pass through your life so quickly.

Dublin re-revisited

 I felt I needed a little more Dublin-time so I stopped over for a few days on my way home from Angouleme.

My AirBnB was in an alley... though I thought it a little sketchy, it was "the type of place Dubliners would pay a lot for," according to Christophe.

Mighty Crusaders!

While attending Angouleme, Xavier was telling me of an upcoming story in Scarce Magazine, about Archie Comics' super-hero comics line, featuring the Shield, the Comet, the Fly and Fly-Girl, and the Hood... together, the Mighty Crusaders! I drew this (and I think while I was later stuck at SFO waiting for a flight back to BOS). I might have colored this, and I might have sent it to Xavier, and he might have finally written his piece. I had the short-lived early '60s series in my collection and re-read it once I got home. It's definitely meant for a much younger audience than DC and Marvel were written for at the time.

I'll have to look for the color version.

And there, I found it!

Ha--I've used that explosion effect I made in 1998 in nearly every comics project I've ever done, including Liebestrasse, Saved by the Bell, stuff I did for Marvel, up to my most recent work in Clamantis.

In the same folder, I found a few other drawings I did during the festival, including a Superboy and the Legion (well, just the three founding members, a la S/LSH #250) for Xavier, and an Indie Superman saving a cat from a tree for Pierre.

Angouleme revisited

Between my trip to England and Ireland, and then again to France, I was in a bicycling accident. A pedestrian, texting, stepped into the bike lane. Though I was going fairly slow, when I swerved to missed her... ended up on the ground. My pant leg torn open, my knee bleeding. My coworkers were kind enough to cut my pant leg off and clean me up. One took me home to change and to medical. Nothing broken! 

But that's why I was wearing the brace. I hobbled into Pepe Jeans in Paris, told this lovely sales woman "Je ne parle pas Francais" when she asked if she could assist me, and walked away with two pairs of skinny jeans. En route, the fellow adorable fellow next to me chatted me up. That was nice. 

Meanwhile, Xavier was locked out of his AirBnB and spent the night sleeping outside. The story was too sad not to draw! And later still, grousing (with joy) about how the walk from Marie-Claud's place to the city center over the past decade of trips to Angouleme...
 

Dublin revisited

 I hadn't been to Dublin in a few years, so it was fun to revisit!

After Thought Bubble, Monica, Greg, and I chose Dublin for our comics retreat. We started having a swell time, camped out in the neighborhood of Stoneybatter, talking about future projects, and drinking. But during the trip the election occurred. 

It was suddenly very awkward to be an American... at pubs we talked very quietly if at all, to avoid conversations about the election. 

Our last full day of the trip, a coworker of mine arrived for her Irish holiday, and Kayla's presence added a light-hearted dimension for a final night of frivolity.