One of the first entries in my new notebook because I have a terrible book problem and very inadequate space to accommodate it, yet here I am eyeing a 700+ page type specimen book as I type this.
Why am I like this?
The Chris Ware quote is from IN THE STUDIO: VISITS WITH CONTEMPORARY CARTOONISTS which—initially—I was a bit disappointed with only because I was expecting to see cartoonists in their studios and get a good look at their setups, daily routine, and much talk about process and craft stuff. None of that is in there. But now that I know what is in the book and possess no false expectations to be crushed, I find that I enjoy returning to it now and again, picking up on something new every time. Like that quote for instance, which rings true to me as a perfect methodology for crafting stories.
#journal #reads
Have entered into the nether realm of post-exhaustion where one is more or less sleepwalking through their waking hours but without the sleep. Just mindlessly operating on auto-pilot through days that blend into one another in a surreal collage of child playing/feeding/bathing and colorful benday dots across photoshop interfaces.
It's a weird existence, but child can say play now and he says it all the time because it's all he wants to do, and every time he says it my heart melts and I play. Despite the big haze of exhaustion that envelops me I play, and I do so with genuine joy.
#journal
Despite starting at 9:00am and not finishing before 2:00am, the result was only one page of colors yesterday. Woke up this morning at 6:30am as per child's routine, and am of course paying the consequences of last night's overtime, head a-pounding.
New sitter arrived at 9:00am. By the time I got done explaining child's schedule and needs and showed her around the house and took care of email, grocery order and a few other checks off the to-do list, it was already 11:00am. Have yet to get any actual work done and it is almost noon. Not very optimistic about today.
#journal
First day of one full week of solo parenting has commenced and I am already dead. And it just so happens to coincide with the week I'm determined to wrap up this chapter of TSG because it really has been an awful lot of time, hasn't it?
His mother though—gods bless her—did book a sitter for 2 days out of the week, and organized daycare transport for 3, so at least that's some of the load taken care of.🤞
Currently reading: BLOOD, SWEAT, & CHROME: THE WILD AND TRUE STORY OF MAD MAX: FURY ROAD, and the title does not lie. If half of what is recounted in this book is true, then the making of this film is truly mad and most certainly unlike that of any other film in history. The book reads fast and drops glorious little nuggets throughout along with much inspiration. And I'm willing to bet that the 384 pages dedicated to chronicling the movie's wild journey barely scratches the surface. I was only 50 pages in when I realized I had to go ahead and order THE ART OF MAD MAX: FURY ROAD immediately, which I'm actually surprised took me this long to get around to.
#journal #work #comix #TheSolarGrid #reads
I am a poet.
Cranky this morning. Little sleep and little accomplished to show for it. Ordered new computer in futile attempt to save me from this machine's taunting ways. Doesn't arrive till next week and will have to put off a few tasks till then.
Never a good idea to spring straight from bed to work. Will now attempt to gave day its proper start: shower, shave, breakfast, coffee, proper clothes (underwear and t-shirt at the moment), and then back to dialoguing this thing.
Poetry, sheer poetry.
#journal #work #comix #TheSolarGrid
Inks on current chapter finally complete, but it is not yet time to celebrate as there is still scanning, lettering, the addition of tones, and even color on a number of pages ahead of me. Battling cold for a couple days now with the aid of ramen, Irish coffee, and phenylephrine.
Youtube's algorithms decided to stream the Depp/Heard trial for my background listening, which has provided for some rather unexpected entertainment. The way each party attempts to portray themself as a saintly angel with the other being the monster is of course expected, but quite fascinating when the cross exams come into play and reveal otherwise. The entire fiasco is spawning a bajillion other biased “opinion clips” siding with one or the other, but watching the trial in its entirety rather than just the “highlights” reveals that both are quite terrible but Depp in particular is clearly very ill and quite possibly borderline psychotic. Genuinely flabbergasted by the strategy employed by him and his
lawyers thus far, because all I'm seeing is a man digging deeper into what will inevitably become his own grave.
Attempting to get any work done today proving to be futile. Will instead read and think and laze around and swallow more meds in hopes of complete rejuvenation come tomorrow.
#journal #work #TheSolarGrid
Whenever a particular architectural feature catches my fancy, I make note of it, just in case I'd like to put it to use if ever in a situation to build my own abode (which likely means the thing will end up looking like an eclectic nightmare). In this particular case, it is the glass brick floor sections in a single screenshot from a new Gerard Depardieu film that Warren Ellis made note of on his blog for completely other reasons.
I run the image through my Rollo Wireless, a thermal label printer (I typically use for shipping labels) which automagically gives it the kind of stark black and white treatment I wish my drawing looked like, and stick it in my journal (no glue necessary, the label is already a sticker).
Inbox and feed-catcher both at zero. A cool breeze gently huffs through the office window on this bright sunny morning and a red jay announces its arrival at the birdfeeder outside. On the docket today are two TSG pages worth of inking, a couple emails, and beet kofta to cook later in the afternoon. Must also remember to step away for a little exercise in addition to a quick stop by my chiropractor, who is a short 10 minute bike ride away.
Already at the drawing table with cappuccino in hand and generic “coffee & jazz” instrumentals playing the background. It's that kinda day.
#journal
Also, in the back of same journal, where I utilized a bunch of pages for working out some TSG stuff:
Rough cover art/design for the printed edition of THE SOLAR GRID #1. Here it is alongside the actual produced version:
Pretty close.
#journal #comix #TheSolarGrid
Since posting about my “journaling” practice (it's not actually journaling, not in the traditional sense), many have wrote to tell me how they'd love to take a peek through some of my journals (sick voyeurs). I am but here to please; here's a look at my journal from November 2017 to 2019:
#journal
Rome, September last year if I recall. Laura Mega conceived and curated this project in collaboration with Maurita Cardone and Chiara Mannarino. They called it DREAMERS and it included the work of over 40 artists in projections set up at multiple locations around the world.
Only now just got around to uploading a couple pics to Ganzeer.com, because I've been graphic-noveling and thus braincells are switching off too many too soon.
#journal #work