New Page One-Hundred

Today was good. I'll tell you about it. If you get bored, there's art at the end of it.

I exhibited many parts of my persona and their modes of dress today. It was my "Saturday" today, so I got up early, brewed some strong coffee and started drawing and working on a model.

Then my contractor father-in-law called and asked if I could help him the last door of thirteen I'd helped him install last week (I don't know much, but I can carry heavy things and follow direction. I now know quite a bit about installing replacement interior doors in an old, badly-built house). So, it was on with my Carhartts and old t-shirt. The door went in remarkably well and I got slightly dusty.

He didn't need my help trimming the doors (which I know nothing about and is a one-man job anyway), so I left and since I had my riding togs and bike in the car, I went for a ride on the way home. While mostly dry, there were some muddy bits and I got dirty. I only meant to go for one 45-minute run but, as I was starting to pack a guy I ride with occasionally rode up and I decided to tag along for another 45-minute ride. He's slightly better than me, so I had to push hard. It was good for me; I'm usually the leader.

Then home to shower, eat, hit the hammock with the cat and a book for a while and then get dressed* for my Graphic Novel night at my local bookstore. It's never the same night twice and it's been rather.. lightly attended. I did have some parents bring in a kid last week and, on my recommendation, he bought Scott McCloud's "Making Comics". They came in again this week and this kid is actually pretty good. He's only eight, so his draftsmanship isn't that great, but he's really getting story and image and he's really got some inventive panel layouts; simple, but not just same-size boxes. I didn't want to tell him too much, he'll be better served by finding his own path. He did ask where I got my ideas and I just told him "the same place you do". Then, I just picked three random objects (penguin, robot, steamroller) and told him that all he has to do is pick three things and write a story about them. He laughed pretty hard and I think he might just do the penguin/robot/steamroller story. I'm working on one right now, so keep an eye out.

So, I'm busting to get better so I can start offering commissions for Page One-Hundreds. These need to be extra, special good as they're meant to be framed and hung, so post-production digital manipulation is right out. I'd appreciate any feedback.

This one is based on one of my favorite books: "Northern Borders" by Howard Frank Moser. It's a rip-roaring tale of a boy sent to live with his grandfather in rural Vermont. Now, this isn't a kid's book and neither is it a "heartwarming tale"; not chick-lit this. It's a naturalistic and slightly magical account of a boy coming of age in the fifties. Try it, it's good for you.

I won't put the actual text on Obscurum, but you can read it on my DA page. Here's the page, just finished inking it today:



Also, there's an update to The List. The second one I actually misheard at a job interview.

Cheers!

Listening to while posting: "No Sunlight" by Death Cab For Cutie

*Nice shoes, khakis, good brown windowpane short-sleeve button-down shirt and my new straw fedora; hey, I like to look good when I'm going out! That's the fourth part of my persona.