Harrogate

This was a fun jaunt!

Greg and I had finished Liebestrasse some time back, and comiXology Originals chose Thought Bubble to release the book. 

They lined up several interviews for us, and a panel. 

Sadly, the panel was poorly advertised... "What's new from comiXology" rather than what the book is about.I think we agreed it would have been better that way. 

I love Leeds, so it was a little sad that the show moved to Harrogate (no offense, Harrogate). But it was nice that Dom trekked over to the show, as did Christophe.

I also had a great chat with a comics pal, Sean, an English guy I met at Angouleme in 2010. In the back pages of one of his books, he mentioned drawing comics in his 50s. As I was about to turn 50, I asked him further about his experiences and feelings. That was great, because it's certainly had been a challenging experience for me, to re-enter the world of exhibiting at shows into my late 40s.

Hillside

 This sketch was inspired by my hillside, though it isn't nearly that steep, in reality.

About a year ago, I came to conclusion (or, rather, accepted the conclusion) that my house and yard were too much for me to manage by myself. I was successful in its care, but was drained, and consumed.

I took my job in NH in 2018 as I needed a change, and the College's location (and, the house's, specifically) suited me, as just a few miles from my father's campsite. The house gave him ample opportunities to putter.

In COVID, I've been working remotely--as not student-facing, we're one less detail to manage. My father hasn't returned since the pandemic hit, nor is he likely to.

Looking about, one terribly snowy day, as I shoveled the pathways around my house, I took careful inventory of the house. 

"I'll spend my whole summer scraping and painting this place," I thought with frustration.

The market being good for sellers, and my loft to return to, I decided to sell the NH house, and figured things out if and when I was called back to campus. 

Nearly a year later, still waiting. 

But in the meantime, without the burdens of house care, I've been able to handle so many other things, and nearly at a relaxed pace. I miss very much the parts of the house and yard and ownership I loved, but am thankful for an advantageous exit from the aspects I found deeply stressful.

Vroom

Here are some sketches I found in preparation to draw the Liebestrasse scene driving through the Alps. Not a probable choice for Philip to drive, but I desperately wanted to draw an Auburn 351 Speedster.

You also get a piece of my to do list.

Snow-raking

 

When your house has a low-pitch roof, as mine did, snow can build up more easily. When you have more than say, 18" on your roof, it's time to haul out the "snow rake" and pull as much off the edges as you can. 

The primary reason is to prevent "ice dams" from forming. That's when the snow at the edge melts and refreezes... then when more snow melts, the water has nowhere to drain, but backs up, eventually draining into your house. But with the edges free, melting and draining occurs properly and faster.

I owned my little house for the 2018-2019 and 2019-2020 winters complete, but sold the house January 2021. I miss many things about it, but not the snow-raking.

Q-Force

 

My introduction to anime was in the late '70s, when Gatchaman was imported and repackaged as Battle of the Planets, to capitalize on the sci-fi craze reignited by Star Wars.

While Greg, Monica, and I were having a mini comics retreat early in 2019, somehow the idea resurfaced of "us" as members of G-Force (who, in the anime wore bird-themed uniforms: eagle, condor, owl, falcon, swan).

Here we are, Monica the cockatoo, Tim the toucan, and Greg the parrot.

Bed hog

When I first adopted Mr. Darby, I was determined he not be allowed on furniture. Though I stuck to that by way of the sofa, his pitiful yearning gnawed at me. After a few months, I acquiesced, inviting him to the bed for a few minutes. He had been so desperate for attention, he passed out laying on top of me. 

For a while, he honored the few minutes, but learned that he could jump onto the bed mid-night and not wake me. So, it was difficult to break him of the habit.

In my NH house, the bedrooms were perfectly proportioned for full sized beds... which turned out to be a little too small for me + dog. Plus, being so cold, he was always cuddled against me for warmth.

Ultimately, I was relegated to a small sliver of the bed.

Back to NH

Back in 2018, after 15 years at MIT, and living in Cambridge and Somerville, I accepted a position at Dartmouth College. Professionally, it was time for a change, and not far from the College, my elderly father owned a camp site. My sister, too, was not terribly far away, so the move made sense on few levels. 

Once I adapted to the quiet, I was off to a fun start fixing up my 1950s ranch. 

The new job worked out well, as well, and the woodsy commute inspired a good number of early sketches back in my home state.