The home gym is super basic, with the Finer Form Multi-Functional Bench being its crown jewel.

Other than that, it's just the couple dumbbells you see below there and a pullup bar.

Sure, it may not replace a fully equipped fitness center, but it makes a huge difference (without this stuff I'd be sat on my ass all day, and I'm not so sure it'll be safe or wise to hit a public gym before March 2022). Certainly lacking in the dumbbell department, but will make do with the meager weights I have until I'm ready to score a couple of “smart” dumbbells.

My exercise regiment is pretty basic:

Monday: Chest a) Bench Press b) Butterfly Press c) Crush Press

Tuesday: Back a) Dumbbell Row b) Plank Row c) Pullups d) Reverse Situps

Wednesday: Shoulders a) Arnold Press b) Laterals c) Front Raises

Thursday: Biceps & Triceps a) Preacher Curls b) EZ Curls c) Hammer Curls d) Skull Crushers e) Bench Dips

Friday: Legs a) Squats b) Donkey Kick c) Calf Raise

Saturday: Cardio Which I don't do at all!

All the above entail 3 sets until fatigue. And I also work situps into each day. Eventually, I'd like to start taking my bike out again as a kind of cardio component, but I fell out of the habit over the summer when it was a little too hot and humid. It's getting cooler now though, and I have no excuse.

Day 2 of keto and nothing is satiating me because all I want is breeeeeaaad! I've done this before though, so I know that all it takes is a couple week's time for everything to feel better. 🤞

#Journal #Excercise

Started my day with a bulletproof coffee in an attempt to get back into my Keto diet, the first week of which will turn anyone into a zombie.

Perhaps, not the best day to attempt this, given that my OSU/Cartoon-Library lecture is today!

In about an hour actually. Still time to register for this virtual talk if you like comix and good trouble.

#Journal #Work #Talk

It's been one of those 1000mph days, but I finally have enough off my plate to sit down and look at a few advance reader copies of comix I've been meaning to read, sent by friends (Hate that I've had to sit on them as long as I have because I know, feel, and understand the creative urge for feedback when it comes to this sort of thing. Wholly invaluable to us.).

Then it's a little shuteye before arising for newborn's graveyard shift.

On the upside, Publishers Weekly wrote a little thing on Radix Media's kickstarter.

#Journal

Making edits to what will become the second wave of posters at garage.ganzeer.com, elevating the images into new works rather than just reproductions of older stuff.

Tempted to title this wave CAPITALIST REALISM.

Which already conjures up a certain strain of imagery.

#Work #Journal

Today's morning spread.

Got inspired to properly revisit WATCHMEN after burning through WATCHING THE WATCHMEN. I can't even remember when I last reread it and wonder how it'll read this time around.

Still reading the LONE WOLF AND CUB omnibus which is wholly different, with each chapter being a stand alone “adventure” so to speak. It's really just a samurai getting into a different fight each episode, somehow involving his kid one way or another. Still, very different than say, the superhero villain of the month stuff that was coming out of America at around the same time, especially in terms of the storytelling techniques employed. A lot of mood, atmosphere, and case and effect. And of course the more impressionistic ink work. Frank Miller's genius isn't his level of craft or artistry, but his ability to study and absorb a multitude of different comix-making techniques and make them his own. The influence LONE WOLF AND CUB had on him, and subsequently American comix-making at large is so so obvious, and for good reason.

THE SOLAR GRID is arguably my WATCHMEN in that it is one large arching story, but once it is complete I'd really like to do something more episodic in nature, so LONE WOLF AND CUB is a good primer for that (also: FELL by Ellis and Templesmith and GLOBAL FREQUENCY by Ellis and various).

REBELS AGAINST THE FUTURE I return to often, largely as research for Chapter 07 of THE SOLAR GRID, a sequence of which takes place in the year 1818 A.D.

Also on today's plate is a little prep work for my upcoming talk organized by Ohio State University and The Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum.

More TSG thumbs to map out as well, and a dig through the archives for what will make up my second wave of affordable posters.

#Journal #Work

It has arrived.

Big bastard of book too. Here it is compared to the original material it's meant to unpack:

#Journal

One of my favorite stages in creating comix is the thumbnail stage, where you plan out your pages in miniature form. This is where the bulk of creative choices in regards to storytelling, transitions, reveals are made. First 3 chapters I used regular letter-sized printer paper, folded in half, but the pages were loose and I misplaced them often, so for Chapters 4-onward, I adopted an A6-sized blank Leuchtturm 1917 notebook, which I like very much. I imagine it'll serve as my vessel for all manner of comix-thumbnailing for the foreseeable future (which will hopefully result in the accumulation of a whoooole stack of them 🤞).

My thumbs aren't pretty—nowhere near the tightness of say... a Dave Gibbons—but for those who are into this sort of thing, I've made available the entire thumbs for Chapter 4 of THE SOLAR GRID, my longest chapter to date.

#journal #work #comix #TheSolarGrid

The 3rd track in the sonic companion to THE SOLAR GRID graphic novel has dropped! THE SOLAR GRID SOUNDSCAPE by N Slash A is absolutely wild. I cannot stop listening to all three tracks back to back.

#Journal #Work #TheSolarGrid

Putting together this talk for Ohio State University's Global Comics Lecture Series (the title of which was actually suggested by the organizer) and I'm starting to notice how quite a bit of my work on THE SOLAR GRID is informed by those outrageous times some ten years ago. And of course, a lot of what I did back then, be it on walls or in galleries was itself informed by comix. Everything feeds into everything.

It'll be fun to talk about, even if it's all virtual with no actual meeting of people in meatspace (hey, I'll take what I can get). Will include some shop talk on the making of THE SOLAR GRID as well.

October 19th is the day, 2:00pm is the time (EST, I'm assuming).

RSVP here.

Radix Media is also organizing an online event, comprised of Molly Crabapple, John Dermot Woods, Matt L. and myself. Anything involving Crabapple is a joy.

#Journal #Work #Talk

Long night ahead. Long day tomorrow.

#Journal #Work