Monday, September 22, 2008

Feets a'Draggin

One thing I don't know that I'll ever adapt to is my sleep schedule. At it's best, it's a very regular mechanism. Up 16-22, down 4-9. No breaks inbetween, I've never been one for naps unless I'm drugged, ill, or in some other way rendered less capable. Another factor is mornings - I don't like them. I recognize their importance, without them the day would start after lunch and that's not right. Unfortunately, when you prefer sleeping/ working late and your paying job does not, it's going to mess one up.

There are things worth getting up for, though. For instance I found a cortland apple on my desk courtesy of Marsha, which if you didn't know is one of the bestest apples evar. As I type this most of the day's work is done, and I find the concept pleasing.

But the best of all is finding messages from people interested in your work! I've gotten several emails from the Herron institute of art and some of them could turn into something significant. I don't want to jinx myself by saying too much, and also I've discovered I have a way of depressing myself when high things are promised, so let's just leave it at "I'm excited".

Also, Heroes Season 3 starts tonight. Hooray!

Thursday, September 11, 2008

This Day

Where was I on September 11, 2001? Oddly enough, I was right here in the Butler Mail Room.

I had just come in when the first plane hit. Marsha told me there'd been an accident. We listened to coverage while doing the morning sort and heard that the second tower had been hit, and it became clear these weren't accidents. For the rest of the day work was sporadic as people went back and forth to offices with TVs or radios, internet coverage and email checks to make sure people were knew weren't hurt. After the first hour, memories start jumbling.

Today, while dashing back and forth between two mail rooms, I'm going back over an old chestnut: my first extensive comic book script. It's a three-issue story that I'm reediting. I knew I'd grown as a writer since I first wrote this script, but... well let's just say I have a lot of work to do. The basic story is one I'm still proud of, so it'll be worth it in the end.

Thursday, September 4, 2008

Shroedinger's Road

Work continues to proceed, both the kind that I try to focus on in this blog - the kind that gets me up in the morning - and also the kind that pays me.

I’m of the mind that the Arts are interconnected. That is to say, someone who can play music very well might have an easier time composing their own, or even drawing or cooking. I also like to believe that the more arts one is skilled in, the more robust each art skill is made by the others.

I’m doing a LOT of drawing right now for the webcomic I’m doing, and as I'm figuring out how to draw people's hair and all that, I find I'm learning more about these characters as people. My main character's a young woman, but aside from earrings she doesn't like most jewelry - this is something I never thought about until I tried drawing bracelets on her and discovered she didn't look right. Even the tiny characters I put next to no thought into, as I'm drawing them they become... fuller. It's an odd sensation, but certainly a welcome one.

I had finished six such strips by the time I sent them to my friend Stuart Sayger for review, and his response (positive - let's be clear) has me reevaluating the style I was using. I'm looking at thicker lines lengths now and am even toying with the idea of using a brush for the figures. I've little aptitude with a brush, but a lack of aptitude hasn't stopped me yet so what's the point?