Category: Doodles

Almost 4 years ago I did something scary… really scary.  I started this comic strip.  Today I again was told by the Professional review board for the San Diego Comic Con that after reviewing my work in their eyes I am a Professional.  I, once again, am in shock.  When I went out to visit my parents over the holidaze I was reminded that I tend to talk down about myself… It’s just the way I am.  I always know I can do better.  You just have to look at the beginning of this comic strip to see that.  To have some people look at my art and say “he is worthy” just blows my mind.

As for today’s comic… If you’ve ever seen me at a Comic Convention this is how I tend to look.  This drawing is basically “who me?”  Which was how I felt after getting the email today, reading it over and over again.  The shirt is actually a scan of the shirt I have, because anyone can wear a Hawaiian shirt.

Today was a day of meetings, so instead of relaxing and getting mentally prepared for the first day back to school (Weather Permitting) I bounced around planning meetings.  One of these meetings got me thinking about this challenge and how to best address some things that I know I fall into.  Instead of drawing an action pose, or something interesting, I draw a guy… standing… looking awkward or cool or something.  You see the Indy Webcomics Group is planning on a session for teens on drawing comics… and we talked about adding emotion and facial expressions and life to your drawing.  So today I decided (after getting home for my next meeting  & dinner) to in the short time I give myself for these things, draw something not just a character standing… my solution- three monkeys standing!  Still working on some things and hopefully in the next 18 days and beyond I will continue to work on creating more interesting images.  But for today, this will have to do- I’ve got to get ready for what the day will bring me tomorrow- and yes, I’m afraid… very afraid.

Will our hero rescue the beautiful princess? Find out on today’s episode of “As the Planet Turns!”

So while there are pictures of me reading comics early on.  I recall a well read issue of All-Star Comics in my grandmother’s house in the room I always slept in when I visited.  For me Science Fiction and Fantasy has always had a place in my life, from watching things like “Earth vs. the Flying Saucers” or the Flash Gordon serial with Buster Crabbe.  All this said if you were to ask me what was the defining comic story for me it would be Alex Raymond’s “Flash Gordon”.  When my family moved from San Francisco to Los Angeles I recall that my dad bought my brother and I bound editions of volume 1 and volume 2 for us to read on the drive down.  I was hooked by the beautiful artwork, and the compelling story, from that point on I worked on gathering the rest of the story, What happened in the Forest Kingdom?  The Caves?  Did Flash Gordon ever defeat Ming the Merciless?  After years I was able to get the story to (*spoilers*) Flash Gordon heading home to Earth with Dale, and Dr. Zarkov.  Later after moving on my own and feeling nostalgic, I was unable to find those original volumes (1 to 5).  I finally found some reprints that continued the story up until Alex Raymond left the strip… Now I just need to go back reread them.

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!  I don’t know what to draw!  OK I actually sketched out a bunch of things and decided to settle with the doodle of me running screaming from… I don’t know, another snow day?    Actually this is one of those drawings I need to keep working on since I tend to draw talking heads so something in action is not something I typically do.  I figure as I close in on 1/3 mark of this challenge I’m going to start coming up with a list of things that I would like to practice to help me become a better cartoonist.

As for the conservative attire- I do think I still own a navy blue blazer (it’s a wardrobe staple), grey dress slacks and a white dress shirt.  As for the tie… Even with Matt Smith’s departure from Doctor Who- bow ties are still cool.  I think I was around 16 when my grandfather came out for a visit, during that time I spent some time talking with him about stuff (I was 16 there weren’t that many serious thoughts in my head).  By the time he left I had been taught how to tie a bow tie.  The funny thing is that I remember in college years later having to learn how to tie a regular tie.  A double windsor is much nicer than a four-in-hand, but when given the chance I will always wear a bow tie.  When my grandfather passed away I was grateful to be able to pick a few of his ties which I will never part with.

We’re at day 3 of no school.  I can’t blame the school district at all- lots of snow, followed by historically cold temperatures, now people getting back to the swing of things, but finding out that the roads are bad, not in an icy slide all over the place way, although they weren’t great.  more along the – feeling like the road has never been paved.  So today I went out and braved the roads (in my Roadster).  The average speed was around 25 mph.  The roads were very bumpy.  Along the way I discovered the existence of a new super villain- Polar Vortex!  While throwing the United States in turmoil, he has done the worst thing ever!  He has delayed the delivery of new comic books!  Today is Wednesday, that sacred day for all comic book geeks, know always as “New Comic Book Day”  the reason to brave torturous road conditions and risk life and limb… but this miscreant caused the delivery of the holy books to not happen… so now I call on all heroes to stop his nefarious plans to get comic book geeks to read something else on Wednesdays. Who knows… I may not have had anything coming in today, but still it’s the fact that new comics were delayed and this evil-doer must be stopped!

Tomorrow, school has been called again.  Hopefully the roads will be better, the parking lot at school will be plowed, and the boiler at school will be turned on.  Many people are calling for school to be canceled the rest of the week because the kids will not be able to focus for just one day… I just need to remind myself that soon we will reach the point where they will add days to the end of the year.  For me, I do have school work to do tomorrow, but that won’t stop me from keeping up with my challenge and doodling something else!

Today the temperature was very cold and the roads were impassable. We have a nice wall of ice and snow at the end of our driveway that I will deal with tomorrow along with work for school.  As for the drawing I was taking my typical robot and just playing around with the design a bit.  I know there are areas that I need to work on so consider this a baseline.  over the next 24 days, I’ll revisit robots and see what I can do to improve them including actually taking more time to color.

I don’t know what inspired me to do today’s drawing… OK, it was cold and snowing.  They keep comparing this to the infamous “Blizzard of ’78” I guess when I’m sitting around and kids are complaining that the weather control system has it too cold I can regale them with stories of the Blizzard of ’14.  The snow was pretty (and poofy and heavy).  I shoveled the driveway twice, mostly because of the predicted cold snap that is supposed to follow bringing temperatures to somewhere way south of zero.  Don’t panic we have enough bread, eggs, and milk to make French Toast for an army.

As for the doodle,  I was thinking about Calvin & Hobbes and the Snow Goons… An thought of a heroine with an imagination battling an attack of these guys while shoveling the walk… As a teacher, I couldn’t come up with a name for the character that didn’t have some connection to some student, either good or bad.  Someday the story will be told if I have the time.  but tomorrow (while a snow day) will be inking the conclusion to Cecil’s latest adventure and another drawing… Then some work stuff and the all important petting of the cat.