Headaches

Some time ago, I vowed to stop sweating the small stuff. More recently, I vowed to stop sweating the big stuff, too. Things always work out, and we just need to make the most of our daily lives. However, with all the financial news and layoffs, and office-political wranglings, so many of my colleagues are sweating everything—big and small. The small things perhaps more than the big. Stress can do that to people. As for me, I've tried to go about my business carefree, but my colleagues are starting to wear on me, and I hate the feeling of disappointment.

Ever since we moved office locations, and I went from a fun, quirky, office with window (in which I took advantage of natural light) to a corporate, big-brother-esque office with no window (in which I rely on flourescent lighting) I leave work daily with a headache. In the old location, it would only be once a week. Now, seriously, daily. Mid-week, it was 1000x worse than usual, and I was trapped in a horrific meeting. During the meeting, I really triued to capture my pain. Not sure I caught it. I left work @ 4:30 and thought I would vomit en route home, the pain was that intense. But I didn't.

I am REALLY glad to be leaving on vacation for 2 weeks!!!

Somerville recycles—or does it?

Sadly, it's time for me to recycle inventory. While all my books have turned a profit, it's sensible to examine sales levels and understand that storing books that are not selling costs money. Thinking responsibly, I put 2 cases to the curb on trash/recycle day clearly labelled "CAUTION—HEAVY" and "RECYCLE PAPER" and the recycle truck took them away. The next week, I put 2 more out which were specifically left behind! I hate to be irresponsible and trash the books, but I need these F-ers out of my apartment... and I have a few more cases to go! This past week I have been going to bed @ 8 PM and getting up @ 4 AM to prep myself for the upcoming jetlag of my trip to Sweden (I know, I'm a dork). Fearful my heavy boxes would be left behind again, and taking advantage of the dead of night, I stealthly moved about my neighborhood, spreading the boxes far from my own apartment house, placing boxes on neighbors' trash bins. I felt bad for trashing rather than recycling, and also for potentially sticking neighbors with trash that woudn't be picked up. But all's well that ends well... the books are gone. Oh—of you are near the Porter Square subway station and want some free books, look for them next trash day.

Lilith

Sure, I like to draw the Titan boys (see prior posts) but since I really do love the original run of Teen Titans, I am no stranger to drawing the girls. While Wonder Woman and Wondergirl appear every so often in my sketchbook, Lilith—to to character—has been a bit more elusive. But the other day, there she was. I really Fd up her right hand, so there are a lot of hands on the page as well (not inked). In the background are Gnaark and Mal. I've actually been drawing the Titans a lot lately due to my Mego action figure collection. I had customized the original Titans... and lately have been reworking the mistakes. I thought while I was at it, I'd draw some art for the boxes. Maybe I'll share all that bizarre Mego stuff with you some day.

Conferencing

Whenever I attend conferences, the most visceral journal entries spring forth, and they are almost always the same. I express how I feel I am wasting my life and the talents given to me in favor of an institution that means as nothing to me as I to it. While I like my job, and I believe I work hard and do well at it, and I want to be successful at it, there is something about the unbridled enthusiasm seen at conferences that REALLY drives me bonkers. And not in a good way. Of course, I also get some sketching in. In the first, we have a chancellor of MIT telling us how important student and young alumni philanthropy is, and how this is "forever and always" activity, with a faceless retort. As it turns out, my VP just cut our staff in that area by 50% which means we cut out some activity and scale back on the things remaining. Is that the definition of irony? In the second, I caught a glimpse of a colleague everyone was sure is gay, but turns out he has an ex-wife and a current girlfriend. He was dressed rather inappropriately for a business conference... black suit, black shirt, pink tie, and shoes better for the leather bar than campus. Oh—another bit of irony... I had to give a presentation with 2 colleagues. I spoke last after 2 not-very-lively speakers, so my dellivery was energentic, humorous, passionate. Several people have told me how much they enjoyed hearing ME, one even said it the most favorite part of the conference! In short, I exhibited the unbridled enthusiasm that irritates me so.

New project

Since I'm still burned out of page production,I've been sketching a lot—which is great. During peak book production, I was so busy @ MIT and so busy @ home, that I wasn't sketching at all. And after, I was too tired. Recently, I've been discussing with a comics friend a new project for the second half of 2009. It's a little different for me, but then again maybe not. The story would be a short OGN, based on the myth of Orpheus and Calais. Orpheus, Jason's musically gifted Argonaut, and Calais, his winged lover. The project is very appealing for several reasons. (1) it's nicely written, (2) it's a gay romance in many ways, (3) it has lots of action-y stuff to draw. So here, I've started practicing drawing Calais, in case the project comes to fruition.

Love is the Reason

I'm very excited about my latest book, “Love is the Reason” which hits stores any moment now. The story stems from an idea I had in 2004 focusing on darker romantic tales, and I spent a lot of time planning, outlining, editing, and writing it. The overlapping stories of Aubrey, Michael, Tighe and Chase allowed for foreshadowing, and incorporated recurring motifs. While I was always true to the outline, I also let the story shift organically, as characters developed. I wrote the story in as a newspaper serial; those pages had to be a bit dense to bring readers back each week (Figure 1). As a counter balance, I planned for “mood building” and “character development” moments that would be book exclusive pages, including some cinematic moments (Figure 2). Stylistically, each of the main characters was giving a slightly different “theme,” with Aubrey’s heavy blacks to Michael’s ’60s background patterns to Tighe’s zip-a-tone to Chase’s angular grays. From the start, Aubrey is set up as a dodgey character. But then I began interjecting dark and somewhat disturbing panels to tease the reader: is this foreshadowing? a flashback? a glimpse into Aubrey’s mind? (Figures 3 and 4). I even used a metaphor!—representing the fragile nature of love and relationships to blowing bubbles (Figure 5). As crazy as it may sound to some people, this is the first time I’ve ever felt like an artist. I admit I’ve told some entertaining stories in the past, but I’ve never put so much care into a project, utilizing storytelling tools in a thoughtful way. Reaction to the book so far has been positive, which really makes the last 18 months really worth it.

No hidden agenda

Historically speaking, I have a good day job @ MIT. When my old boss enticed me back to the office with a promotion, it was with a good understanding of my comics life. She even announced during an all-staff meeting, "these meetings are important... you shouldn't be doing other work—except Tim, he can sketch." I ended up with some great sketches either on meeting agendas, or directly in my sketch book. They often have lots of white out (to block out the bits of agenda I drew over). I usually glue the agenda sketches into my sketchbooks, and sometimes glue them onto pages of original art to ink, if I don't want to risk losing anything by tracing it. Turn the clock ahead a bit and I've been acting director of my deptartment since July. More work, more stress, more responsibility. Worst of all, I barely sketch during meetings anymore! As if my full attention really meant something. However, recently I was at a real yawner, and produced a handful of sketches; two are posted here. I'm not sure what the first boy is doing... leaning against a counter or bar, maybe doing a pushup. He looks a little different than my usual drawings, so I like him. Below is a sexy caveman. Regulars to my sketchblog know how much I like sexy cavemen (Gnaark of the Teen Titan entries, etc.).