Page 100

I went into the studio this evening, but didn't feel like working on what I'm supposed to be. So instead, I drew a page for Jason Turner's Page 100 Project.

There aren't many prose books in the studio. I had a copy of "Candide", but that doesn't go to a hundred pages, or there's "The Phantom Tollbooth", but that's already illustrated. Ended up grabbing "The Prisoner of Zenda". Here's the page:



It's pretty girlie.



And my interpretation of it. Wasn't happy with how the watercolors turned out, and much Photoshopping took place.

Okay, now I suppose I should do some real work...or maybe not. G'night!

Stuff happened this week.

This was my "hell week" at work. It's always the first week of the semester, when I have to train and schedule all the new student workers at the circulation desk, and tell a hundred other students that I can't hire them. Ended up working a twelve hour day on Wednesday (eeew) and was going nuts by Friday so I left work at noon.

Turned out to be the BEST DECISION EVER, because like an hour later I got an e-mail from Robyn saying that Art Spiegelman was in town, and he was going to give an impromptu lecture at CCS that afternoon!




Due to the crappy week, I was dead tired, and it was like 80 degrees and humid which makes for perfect napping weather. So I ran down the street to get an iced coffee and avoid falling asleep during the lecture. They were out of iced coffee, so the barista was like "let me make you an iced Americano, it's pretty much the same thing."

I took her up on the offer, but NOOO it was not the same thing. I left the lecture both inspired and totally wired from the espresso, ran to the studio, and drew a three-page anthology submission for the next Trees and Hills anthology.



(Yeah, I know ninjas aren't cool anymore, but I always do a ninja comic for the T&H anthologies. It's tradition. And they're real easy to draw).

So yeah, I'm in love with this town again.

Ahem:

Look, it makes sense in the context of the story. OKAY?

Red And Shades of Brown, or, I wish I could draw dancers like Jules Fieffer.

I had a Monday off from work, so I spent it in the studio working on an anthology submission.

Lately I've been doing a few quick watercolor sketches to warm up before I start drawing. They're just little 4x6 deals on a cheap watercolor block that bleeds badly.



Today I was thinking a lot about Danse Apache, because of the anthology piece I was working on because I associate the dance closely with cartoons. Before I did a bit of research and figured out it's real name, I always thought of it as the "Olive Oyl and Bluto Dance".



Like here (starts at about 4:35), or here (starts at about 3:52) and here (starts at about 4:05).



The dance interests me because it tells a story, but the story is just so weird for a cartoon- a woman getting continually beat up by this guy, and then begging for him to come back. In some of the video clips I've seen (live action, not cartoons) the violence gets really disturbing. It's strange how this became such a standard animation gag.

Okay, enough of my dance fascination.

I also went to see a bunch of bands in Burlington this weekend with Jonch and Alec, and one of them was the Screaming Females.

Their set was sandwiched between Jon's favorite band, Pretty & Nice, and Ted Leo & The Pharmacists. I was really blown away by the Screaming Females singer/guitarist, and did this quick sketch. It was during this that I figured out I've no idea how to draw a guitar.


Guess what colors I always run out first when I buy a new watercolor set?

More Muppets

Okay, I think I got that outta my system.

But how are you?

The whole world's going to hell, so I will sit in my little room and paint muppets.