Misc.

I have a friend (in HERO CORP. he's The Man from Mars) who doesn't watch movie trailers. At all. He'll literally close his eyes in a movie theater, or go to the concession stand until they are over. He believes trailers influence your expectations of the actual movie so much, they typically ruin the final experience. I'm nowhere near as all-or-nothing as he is on this topic, but he's got a big point.

Most of my artwork is currently being channeled into issue two of H.C., and as every panel is finished there is a large part of me that wants to show it off immediately. It doesn't help that so many of the characters in the story are essentially me and my friends. They have no idea of how often I want to pick up the phone and say, "Guess what? I'm drawing you right now!" More than once I've received calls from friends as I was looking at their photo-references and drawing them. Yes, it's a little spooky.

I want to share it with you, but I can't because then there would be no eventual surprise. During the production of issue one I wrote here about Mystery and the Artist, and I'm still very big upon this notion. Visual artists crave feedback and acknowledgement just as much as any other kind of creative person - in ways we may even crave it more, because of the lack of direct feedback and audience participation - but to let you in on the process too soon or too directly steals away some of the final awe.

This was a multi-paragraph way of saying I ain't got no art to post today. I'll whip something up for you soon though, just for keeping the faith!

* A huge THANK YOU to my current Spotify sponsors! I mentioned in my previous entry that I planned to upgrade to a premium Spotify account, because their music service is often all that keeps me from falling asleep at the drawing board, or running around the neighborhood naked (or both, which would result in charges of public dreamland indecency or somnabulent streaking). I'm currently on my free trial month, so I'll start listing individual sponsors next month, but it's not too late to contribute if you're interested.

Nothing would make me happier than assembling a squad of my musical supporters into a poster or something when this is over. Come on, join the team!

* Fellow Pittsburgh residents (and those looking for a fun day trip): this Thursday marks the opening of "This #*?! Isn't Very Funny", an exhibition of art by local artist and graphic-prose creator Jim Rugg (Afrodisiac, Street Angel, The Plain Janes). This exhibit will run from March 29th - May 6th in the ToonSeum's Lou Scheimer Gallery. Jim's work is extremely idiosyncratic and fiercely engaging, and I think serves as a perfect museum-mate to the Will Eisner's New York exhibition in the ToonSeum's main gallery. Come on out and check out one of our city's talents on the rise. (Jim, I want to see you in the next 40 Under 40 list in Pittsburgh magazine, now that I no longer qualify!)

* Another local graphic-prose creator, Tom Scioli (The Myth of Opus-8, Godland), celebrated this week's hardcover release of his web-comic series AMERICAN BARBARIAN with a pre-release party last week. Tom gave us insight into his creative process and experience with a talk about the history of this project and his 10-year career in this medium. You can find his book at Copacetic Comics, Phantom of the Attic Comics and others across Pittsburgh and abroad.

* This is unrelated, but I just wanted to mention that my friend Mike Wood (or "Mikey" as those in the inner-sanctum of fandom  are allowed to call him) has been posting installments of a fan-fiction Lone Ranger story he's been writing as notes on The Facebook, and they are REALLY great! I was always a fan of the old radio shows, and remember watching episodes of the 1950s Clayton Moore/Jay Silverheels tv show as a kid. When I was older I read a couple of the Fran Striker novels and honest to goodness, when I started reading Mike's first installment of this "What If...?" tale, I wasn't sure if it was original or just a re-posting of an existing story from the 1940s.

I find it fascinating, as essentially "The Dark Knight Returns" in a white ten-gallon cowboy hat and stirrups. The attention to detail is thorough, both in locations and character history, and so far has been presented as a logical exploration of where these characters would have wandered off past the sunset. Hi-yo Silver, way to polish off the tarnish, Mikey!

That's it. Later this week I'll draw you something!

Recent Music: The Four Tops ("Standing in the Shadows of Love" is a FANTASTIC song!); Keiko Matsui; Trombone Shorty; Usher