Bollocks!

Ugh! I had a few posts queued up, which I was able to post successfully from the road. But then, my wifi was too weak to create and upload new posts, even without images. So, it was a technical error to the daily post challenge, and I will allow myself to catch up with several posts at once.

While I was at Gosh! I delighted myself and onlookers by sketching between booksales. The signing went really well, making the most of a tight signing window. I'll leave it at that, since the 2015 Euro-tour sketches will be coming a bit later.

But, thank you to the staff at Gosh! for making my London stop worthwhile! And thanks to all my stateside and Euro pals for sharing the event to Facebook, you helped my turnout. 

Last night, I dreamt of Manderley again.

In honor of my arrival in the UK, the characters from one of my favorite novels, Rebecca.

Anvils

Since I drew a guest run on Monica's Bonnie N. Collide, I've been more excited about sports comics. It allows for some action-y drawing, in tight garb...but not be a super-hero story.

In 2014 I got to draw some ski action in Saved by the Bell #8, I wrote and drew a 3 page Bonnie story in December, and I was thrilled to be asked to participate in Vertigo's Strange Sports Anthology earlier this year.

Every once in a while, I sketch another sports star, Casey and and friends from my pal Bob's comic Casey at the Bat. Look, this time, I jotted down ideas for a story arc, as I keep threatening Bob I am going to force a guest run on him some day. 

Like my work on Bonnie, I would do it in a way that resets to zero...no need to muck up someone else's continuity!

Farewell

Xavier and I made our way to NH for a few days. He'd met my family before, and since he had been in LA and was bound for NYC, I thought time in the country would be nice. And, my mom wasn't doing well, so I wanted some extra time there.

Jeff —then living in Hoboken and traveling the US for his job—joined us. He hadn't seen Xavier for some time...at least 18 months. It was fun to see them together and we talked and laughed.

Between showing Xavier around, Jeff's arrival, and my mom sleeping a lot, I didn't see her much. I only have two distinct memories of her on this trip...her tottling off with Jeff to show off the Christmas decorating she had started, and later when we chatted briefly in private. I apologized for my divided attention and she said how happy it made her to hear me, Xavier, and Jeff talking and laughing. This was the last time I'd see outside a hospital room.

Saturday evening, Jeff wanted to go out for seafood and stop by a gay bar, so we headed to Boston. Summer Shack was fun, but the Paradise was all wrong. Jeff fell into a sad mood (maybe it wasn't sad but the bar had a really strange vibe) and we all just went back to my place in silence.

The next morning, we had an easy start to the day, and they packed up and headed out for NJ. I was ambivalent as they drove off, both happy and warmed by the time and friendship we shared, and saddened by the reality that everything come to an end. 

I understand rabbits and rats don't cohabitate well, so the arrival of rabbits to our neighborhood was welcome. They may carry as many diseases as rats, but they are just so darn cute. And while Mr. Darby was bonkers everytime he saw a rat, he doesn't care so much as the bunnies. 

Turning from Jeff and Xavier as they departed to walk back to my building, I saw this rabbit and started to cry. It just represented so much at that moment.

Newport in November

I decided to bring Xavier to Newport, for several reasons:

1) It's a great day trip in any weather...sunny and warm, walk the Cliff Walk. Rainy and dreary, tour the houses.

2) Xavier loves castles and audio tours.

3) Newport was settled as a summer resort for the elite for a reason—it's beautiful.

We drove down, toured the Breakers and Rosecliff, grabbed a bite to eat, and as this day was unseasonably warm for November, we walked the Cliff Walks.

Newport is home to Salve Regina University, mainly comprised of old mansions donated to the school, converted to classroom and dorm space. So, for a stodgy old town, it has its share of young people.

While it was warm, I don't think it was warm enough for a run in super skimpy lighter than air running shorts. But this lean, buff lad clearly had something to show.

Un-Euro Tour 2014

In honor of my pending UK trip, I present to your the very few sketches I drew last fall, when Xavier and Jeff visited me in Boston.

As I'd mentioned, I didn't want to be traveling far at this moment, and we had just learned my mom's illness was back, so I was very glad Xavier wanted some USA time.

He started out in Los Angeles, in order to attend Bent Con. He enjoyed the show, though its scale underwhelmed him, perhaps. I don't know if he liked LA much, aside from the weather.

But he arrived in Boston for a few days in New England. on our first day, we walked around Boston, and eventually ended up at Brass Union with my neighbors for drink and food. As they filtered out, Xavier and I lingered, playing shuffleboard. 

I love bar shuffleboard. But Brass needs to get a little scooper for the "sand." You have to use your hands to scoop it, and it's pretty gross.

Saved by the Bell #8 ANNOTATED

It's time to finally annotate the last of 4 episodes of Saved by the Bell that I drew in 2014, all with covers by the amazing Chynna Clugston. These stories were published for digital sale on Amazon in 2014, and the trade paperback was published summer 2015. Buy it! 


On to "Ski Trip!"

PAGE 1 One of Kelly's text books is titled "Hi" as I greet you, the reader. Once again Zack sports a polo with a sperm whale logo applique on it.

PAGE 3 Panel 4 Indie gay boy Jeff is in the background.

PAGE 4 I love the way this page turned out...the perspective, Zack looks good in all panels, and of course, I got to draw one of the coveted jokes—the giant cell phone. 

PAGE 6 Mr. Moody was fun to draw, though I doubted the realism of a mall shop owner staffing the floor. Anything's possible in Bayside, I guess. In the mall walks the yet-named large gal that often appears as an extra in my pages. Panel 6 I use my "classic" explosion effect again.

PAGE 7 Slater sports a the Tim Fish magnet T-shirt. Why don't you own one yet???

PAGE 8 Was so much fun to draw. Minimal backgrounds, and very action-y. Fun, fun.

PAGE 9 Awesome ski-on cameo from ARCHE-LADY as Mr. Moody's daughter.  

PAGE 10 Disappointing color rendering of Mr. Belding's ski suit. The photo reference shared with me was from a '90s ski catalog, and the suit was really garish. White, yellow, bubble gum pink and powder puff blue. But the published colors are gray and yellow. 

PAGE 12 Was really challenging to draw. Due to the web publish format, there is a hard break at the half page mark. So, no art can cross that zone. Generally, I've made it a fun exercise to make the page work with symmetry. But wow, this was tough. In the first half, I had to show so many characters, including the ski patrol guys to make the joke work later. And save space for lots of dialog and (in theory) movement. In the second half, I had to execute a complex slapstick moment. This really could have been a page and a half (and pages 9-10 could have only been a page and a half, but it would have been a shame to break up the lodge scene). Panel 7 is definitely a Chynna Clugston pastiche moment.

Thus volume 1 draws to a close. It was a really fun experience, and I thank Greg for pointing me to the folks at Lionforge/Roar. Adam was a great editor to work with, generally pushing me to a better place; Joelle's scripts were spot on in tone; and it's such a thrill to be side by side with Chynna in a TPB.

Looking forward to volume 2!