Work Work Work

WHEW! Last night I finally finished my work on the Ronald Reagan biographical graphic novel. That was one tough job! Though, as it worked out, I only drew the first half of the book (50 pages). Someone who I admire greatly is drawing the second half of the book, which begins with Ronnie sworn in as California Governor. Not sure if I can name the other artist yet, because the publisher may not have announced it. Perhaps I will be able to fill you all in later. I hope to get a sneak peek at his work soon…hopefully he won’t make me look bad in comparison!

No rest for me. The schedule on my Tokyopop book is getting more intense, so I need to PRODUCE! I’m officially chained to my drawing board for the foreseeable future. Maybe I’ll have some stuff to show off soon.

That reminds me—I’ve set up a new blog on the Tokyopop website. The new one will deal exclusively with my new manga, scheduled for July of 2007. The title of the book is…Battle of the Bands! It is a story about an all-girl punk rock band and their roadie. Actually, it’s more than that, but I’m trying not to give away too many details right now. You will have to stay tuned.


I just started drawing Bands a few weeks ago, and I’m pretty pleased with how it is shaping up. I’ve been working hard on my “manga style.” My muse? I’m almost ashamed to admit it, but my inspiration has come from watching the DVD boxed set of Love Hina, over and over again. For those unfamiliar: Love Hina was a Japanese “Harem” Manga by Ken Akamatsu. It was translated & published in the U.S. by Tokyopop, and it spawned an animated TV series, which is available from Bandai Entertainment. What’s a “Harem Manga?” Put simply, it is a “sub-genre” of manga where one guy is in a situation with several women who love/hate/love him. Love Hina is the story of a loser who becomes the manager of an all-girl dormitory. Actually, that’s just the surface of what Love Hina is about, but the actual genre and setting of a “harem manga” can be anything. The popular American manga, Scott Pilgrim is actually a variation on this theme, though I don't know if the creator would admit it! (That's a great book, btw)

Actually, I’m having a blast! And now, I’d better get back to work...Seeya!

Vanguard!

It’s Monday (insert long sighhh here). Back to work and all that jazz. This week should be action-packed! I am finishing up my portion of the aforementioned Ronald Reagan biography and blasting away at my Tokyopop project. Last week, my Editor and I revised the production schedule and now I really have to crank! But that’s good! I work best under pressure. Keeps me sharp…(snap!)…On the edge…(snap!)…Where I have to be. I’ll post some sketches soon!

In other news, I’ve started season two of Lost. Dang, that show moves! I don’t know how they do it. I don’t see how anyone can stand waiting a week in between episodes (thanks, Netflix!). I may be a year behind everyone else, but I’m thoroughly enjoying it. Don’t post any spoilers here, okay?

Speaking of being behind the times, I’ve only recently gotten into the whole You Tube phenomenon. I’d looked at a couple of videos in the past, you know, when somebody’s sent me a link, or whatever. But I never really investigated it. Then, about 10 days ago, I was on Don Hudson’s Birthday Pub Crawl, and there was a whole discussion about You Tube. The bartender at one place was talking about a series of video blogs by someone called Lonelygirl15. He wasn’t sure if they were real or acted. Anyway, since hearing about it, I’ve watched Lonelygirl15’s saga, which is strangely compelling. After a couple of days, a New York Times article about Lonelygirl15 was published, about how her blog is an act--part of a promotion or something for a feature film. SO, I got to enjoy the fact that I was “in the know” about this piece of pop-culture for about 15 minutes before it was exposed to the world.

Yep, I’m on the cutting edge…

Remembering...

This morning was pretty typical. In the rush to get everyone fed, dressed and out the door to work & school I gave no thought to anything going on in the world. Then I sat down at my computer with my coffee to check my email and start the day. What day is it, anyway? Oh yeah. September 11th. Ouch.

I suppose that most thoughtful people today are feeling conflicted about the state of America and the world in the 5th anniversary of the terror attacks of 9/11/01. Angry, sad, sick, hopeless, afraid go ahead—pick a feeling, any feeling. Collect ‘em all.

I’m inclined to ignore the popular media today. I do believe that it is important to remember 9/11 and all its lessons, but I don’t really need to watch the planes hit over and over again to help me remember. I don’t need to hear any of the political rhetoric, finger-pointing or second-guessing. No hare-brained conspiracy theories, please. Thank you.

The week before last, I was vacationing with my family in New York (my home town). We sublet an apartment on West 90th street for most of the week, except for the first night because the apartment was unavailable. We stayed that one night in the Embassy Suites in Battery Park City, right across the street from Ground Zero. It was the first time I’d been down to the site since 9/11 and it was really disturbing, as one might guess. Not the same as on TV. I moved away from NYC when I was 24, but still consider myself a New Yorker. It was really painful to see the Ground Zero crater—like a giant, open wound on a familiar friend. Any New Yorker can tell you that the Twin Towers provided a tremendous landmark that one was always aware of. The absence of the towers is an emptiness in the skyline that, like the elephant in the room, is a constant reminder of that terrible day. I hope that when the new Freedom Tower is built, that it remains that much-needed reminder, instead of patching the hole in the sky and letting everyone forget.

Not sure why I’m writing this at all. A million others have written on the subject using more eloquent words. I guess the minutes I’m spending writing this blog entry constitute my ‘moment of silence.’ While I reflect on the meaning of 9/11 this morning. After I upload this post, it’s back to the rush of the day. I have much to do, as do we all.

My New Favorite Website

is Overheard in New York.

I'll have something more interesting to say soon. Meanwhile, do yourself a favor, follow the link and have a laugh. On me.