Friday, June 18, 2004

Kind of a slow day at work (although there's still plenty of time for late ads), but I just don't have much I feel inspired enough to write about. You've all been there, I know. Not to mention that I generally don't feel like I can get on a good writing roll here since I never know how many ads I'll get and how often they'll be coming in, and I have a hard enough time writing coherently even under the best of circumstances, let alone when I'm being constantly interrupted. So, all the time looking over my shoulder, I think I'll just type some odds-and-ends type things that have been crossing my mind lately and let the chips fall where they may.

Went back to the comics shop and got the rest of the titles that I didn't get on Wednesday. All total, twelve, count 'em, 12 comics, thirteen counting the Originals ashcan, and another of which was $4.95. Thirteen! In one week! I've dropped a lot of cash mon-nay on my funnybook jones lately. This can't continue. I need a decent-paying job. In case you're wondering, I did drive up to Bardstown to jump through hoops for the fine folks at American Fuji Seal, Inc. Didn't do too well on a skills test they gave me, sorta understandable since I haven't had to dissect files in Illustrator since 2000, and certainly not in Illustrator 10 on OSX. Of all the graphics programs I know, with Quark and Photoshop being #'s 2 and 1, respectively, Illustrator comes in at a distant #3. I kinda knew what I needed to do, but was kinda hesitant and a bit slow in unfamiliar territory. Excuses, excuses. Haven't heard from them since, but I have a feeling that I'm asking for too much money, plus they won't help me relocate, so au revoir, American Fuji Seal. Didn't really have a very good feeling about the place anyway. Nothing else on the horizon, although I'm trying to keep an eye on a situation closer to home with the help of the Political Correspondent. Not gonna hold my breath.

So, demonstrating my usual disregard for the facts of life as I live it, I sat here the other day and did some figuring to see how much it would cost me to go to the San Diego ComiCon next month. My wife would love to go back to San Diego- she went there a couple of years ago and had a large time. My reasons for wanting to go are obvious, I would think...today's the last day you can register online, by the way. OK, let's see. Con registration, $120 for two people all four days. Flight, according to Expedia.com, round trip $706. Hotel, the Best Western Bayside Inn, $847 for 5 nights and 4 days, the most affordable one I could find in the same zip code as the Convention Center, again according to Expedia. Car rental: (I'm not walking everywhere, and we do want to go other places besides the Con) $143 for a midsize car. That's approximately $1800 bucks, not to mention that we should probably take another thou so I can buy stuff at the Con, and we can hit some other places, not to mention all those other miscellaneous expenses that always pop up. I had thought it would be cool to go see a Padres game at their new stadium, but they're out of town that weekend. Crap. Anyway, guess a dream it shall remain 'cause that's a lot of money for me, especially the way things are right now. Just donts gots da chedda. Oh well, someday...someday...

Work proceeds apace on the children's book Pumpkins on the Vine...the cover, pumpkins and cats are already inked and awaiting the scan/color process; the splash page of the pumpkin patch where most of the action will take place is about 75% inked, and the money shot, a splash which explains the mystery of where those gosh darn pumpkins went in the first place, is loosely drawn and I've just begun to ink some of the figures. This is going out late next week, so there's my deadline, and another reason why I haven't written much hereabouts in the evenings whilst at home- I feel like I should be working on this art project instead of spending my time blogging. So...if I don't post much between now and, oh, Sunday, I hope you understand. I love all of you guys, but I gotta live with the author!

Went shoe shopping with me Mum back on Monday, got some cool black suede Converse One Stars, and found the DVDs of Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels and Snatch for less than 20 bucks together- but I didn't buy. The more I think about it (and the more I listen to the Lock, Stock soundtrack, like I have been today), the more I want to go back there and get them. I know, I know, if I wouldn't spend all my money on comics, DVDs and CDs, not to mention lunch out five days a week, I'd have money to go to San Diego in July! That's what my parents would say anyway, God bless 'em. I am truly their son.

Brian Wood, over at his LiveJournal, mentions new Channel Zero t-shirts. I didn't know there were old ones! I sure would like to get me one of those! Anyway, you can go here to see what he has. I like the design of the "I Heart Vermont: Freedom and Unity" shirt, but that color makes my eyeballs bleed.

I can't imagine why you reading this might not check out Ilana's Sugar-n-Spicy site, but if you don't, I'll keep on passing along some of the cool links she posts. Like this one, a really nice Alphonse Mucha gallery that's typeset in foreign characters...but the illustrations are the main thing anyway so what the heck; also, here's a site which features The Advertising Art of Dr. Seuss. Fascinating stuff.

That's all for now. Don't know if I'll get the chance to post much this evening or tomorrow, but I'll try to get comics reviews up, if nothing else, by Sunday evening. I'm the ringmaster of the holy roller circus at WLOC most of the day Sunday, so I should have some time to blog a widdle bit.

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