It's the Great Gourdthulhu, Doc Neurotic!

It's the Great Gourdthulhu, Doc Neurotic!

(aka, Happy Hallowe'en!)

I was in a 'Nocturnals' mood, and this Nocturnals/Peanuts mashup seemed like a good idea at the time. It took waaaaaay longer to get done than I'd planned (obviously; it's November 10th). I often found myself working on it in 15-minute blocks of time between work, chores, playing with the girls, running errands, tending to the sick and doing assorted other family-centric activities.

In other words, it might be late, but I'm just glad I finished it (which doesn't mean I won't go back and fiddle with little things later; I'm just declaring it 'done for now').

But I also want to take a moment to ask: Where's the 'Nocturnals' love these days!? It's, like, THEIR day. Send Dan Brereton a friendly reminder of how much you miss his crew.

Dangerous Nuts

My first love was newspaper comic strips (can you guess which was my favorite?). My second love was super-hero comics, especially Marvel's "Fantastic Four" (which led John Byrne to create what analogous super team?).

I've mashed up my favorites to get this team snapshot. Not totally thrilled with the composition, but inspiration struck and took root, so I rushed to get things done, working in spurts around other priorities. Still, it was a challenge, finding a balance between two very different art styles (one of extreme minimalism, the other of extreme detail), hence the flat colors and dearth of modeling.

Most important, I had FUN. Itch scratched.

2011 Resolutions

Welcome, 2011! These aren't resolutions as much as they're realizations, which is (I think) a better way to start the year.

I accept that life revolves around my Daughters. I am, in a very basic way, their servant. To them, I do magic and have super-powers; I find lost stuff, repair broken things, know how to get from anywhere to somewhere, and create masterpieces with crayons. So, whatever I do to better myself, my outlook, my attitude and my skills makes me a happier person, and my Grrls are the direct beneficiaries of any growth, however miniscule I might perceive it to be. After all, if I'm good enough for my Grrls, who else matters?

No more reading and posting anything related to Politics or Economics. I'm done with them. They are like twin girls I've been dating, and I've naively believed one or both of them might be good. Instead, they are both pure evil, and they make my life miserable. We are breaking up, ladies! D'ya hear me!? Find some other fool to string along with your empty promises!

Instead, I will focus on Science and Spirituality.

... Um ... Wait a minute ...

I'm putting my appetite for the new and novel on an even more rigorous diet. 2011 is the year for cultivating appreciation and more actively expressing gratitude. It's the year for "wanting what I have" and reconnecting with past favorites: books, CDs, videos, comics, &c. I'll be re-reading, re-viewing, re-listening, re-visiting, re-purposing, re-ducing, re-using, re-cycling, re-re-ing.

This year, I am going to draw stuff ... then sell it. I quit my position as sole arbiter of whether or not my work is any good; instead, I'll let "the market" decide. If it's true that "Every man with an idea has at least two or three followers" (--Brooks Atkinson, an American theatre critic), then the folks who enjoy whatever Art I concoct can duke it out, ebay-style (... or just buy it from the store I'm going to set up once I have stuff to sell).

I have learned my lesson about overcommitting myself to art projects. My first priority, creatively, is to have fun. My second priority is to generate income so that I might better contribute to my family's short- and long-term well-being. My third priority is to enthusiastically jump through whatever lucrative door opens from honoring my first two priorities. I cannot afford--personally, financially or professionally--to do free (that is, "spec") work for anyone who isn't living at my address. That said, if either of my Grrls wants me to draw a whale riding a bicycle to the moon, then by golly, I'm clearing my agenda and getting it done.

Happy new year!