Monster Hunters panel

Okay, I know I'm putting up too much commentary and not posting enough art.

I'll work on that. I've got a lot of art, it just takes too much to fire up the scanner...

In the meantime, here's a panel from Monster Hunters.

The Message

I have had my Bible since I was a kid. My poor Bible has been drug everywhere for 25 years. Like a weathered face, It's got a lot of character in it's scarred up surface.

However, lately the binding has started to crack and I'm afraid it's gonna fall apart. So I've been looking for a replacement. I figure I'll spend some real money and get another really nice Bible.

One thing I've been looking at is switching up versions. In the end I decided I just can't do it, I'm just too used to the wording and the cadence of the NIV and the new versions just don't read right.

However, several people suggested I get a The Message version. I was very sceptical because I had read online about how 'radical' it is.

One thing I've learned is the internet is no help deciding stuff like 'which version of the Bible should I read' because there are too many opinions and they're all worth exacly what they cost!

Well my father -in-law suggested I pick up a copy of The Message, he said I'd really like it.

So I decided to look around and see. I went to a few stores and one had this version of the message for half price. The cover is so cool with kind of a Matrxi-like photo of a cool urban landscape. Plus the cover is kind of rubberized with rain-drops on it. Exactly yhe kind of thing I dig.

However now that I got it I gotta say the best part is on the inside. I am inspired everytime I open this Bible, it's awesome! I've read the Bible virtually all my life, but this really speaks to me.

One thing I like is in the front, the author admits this is a paraphrase and uges readers to get a good study Bible.

And I'm still planning on getting me a nice NIV with the leather cover and all that jazz. And a local store is having an Easter sale, so I'll get one in a few weeks.

But man I really like this Bible and would urge anyone who doesn't read the Bible, but is maybe curious about God to give this a try. You won't regret it!

New Drawing

While I was at Disney World I did this drawing of Tokyo. I bought a large Moleskin reporter sketchbook before we left. I had seen a webpage with some guy's vacation photos of Tokyo.

That inspired this drawing. I carried the moleskin around with me and drew this drawing in bits and pieces whereever I happened to be waiting. Resturaunts, bus lines, airports, wherever.

The thing I always run into while I'm drawing in public is people want to talk to me and look at my sketchbook. I don't like just handing someone my sketchbook to leaf through because I like to experiment in mine and there are a lot bad drawings, missteps and half finished sketches. I think this is important to have a place to experiment and attempt to grow. If I thought people were going to see every page I would freeze up.

I'm not drawing pin-ups, it's a sketchbook!

I'm not sure why drawing in public always attracts such attention. If I saw a guy working on a PowerPoint presentation at an airport I wouldn't slide up to him, ask him if he was a salesman, ask to look at his laptop and tell him how great of a salesman my cousin is.

But that's the kind of thing that happens to me all the time.

I guess the whole idea of actually being an artist seems kind of exotic, but I don't understand that. I guse the fact I grew up with an older cousin who is an artist and seeing him work on stuff at Grandma's kind of makes it seem normal. My family has always been 'creative' with artists and musicians in the family.

New Comic

I mentioned I've been working on a new project. Here's the first page. The writer has a major publisher interested in the script, but them wanted to see a completed book. This publisher has also expressed interest in having me work on a project for them.

So we're hoping between them liking his script and my art, this will be a slam dunk.

However, one thing art has taught me, nothing is a slam dunk!

Plus, I'm insecure enough to figure the editor for this company who actually likes my art was an escaped mental patient, who has been recaptured by now!

Adding to my insecurity: I sent the first three pages to a bunch of comic people I know. NO ONE RESPONDED! None, nada, no one! I mean, I know these are busy people, but common I figure somebody would have sent me something, a simple looks good, leave me alone, whatever!

Remember, You know who you are, and I know where you live!

Cool Disney World Stuff

Okay, my last post I kinda dumped on WDW and how much it's changed. Here's where I make up by telling you about all the cool stuff we did that we've never done, even after 8 or 9 times.

1) The Adventurer's Club. A cross between a bar and a theme park, this was pretty cool.

They told all these stories and there were props on the wall which would move and talk to you.

It was one of these places which you will like if you just kinda throw yourself into it and have fun. If you're a wallflower, forget it your in trouble!

2) Prime Time 50's Cafe. In MGM, this restuarant looks like a '50s era house. The greatest part was the witresses. Our's (Aunt janice) kept telling me to keep my elbows off the table. When I was drawing in my sketchbook, she told me, "that's good Skippy, keep doing your homework!' She commented how Michelle couldn't make up her mind. It was pretty fun and I 100% recommend this place-ask for Aunt Janice!

Here's a photo of Michelle as we're waiting to be seated. This place looked like my Grandma's house.

Back From Disney World!

Okay, we've been back for a while, but I've been busy working on a new comic. Here's my much belated DisneyWorld report.

We stayed at Downtown Disney Hotel this time, which is a first. We've either stayed off property or at a 'Disney' Hotel. We were gonna stay on property, but somehow all the hotels were full. My first, price is no object choice is the Polynesian. We stayed there a few years ago and it was awesome! But VERY expensive. My second choice is Port Orleans. It has a boat to downtown and is kinda cool and under $200 a night.

We stayed at the Grovsner, right across the street from downtown Disney. It was $75 a night, but the added about $25 of fees per night. My only complaint was it was kinda old and it felt like an old hotel, with a connecting door , thin walls and all that.

Still the price and proximity to Downtown made it worth staying at. We had a fridge and our first night I HIKED down the end of the block to leave Disney property and go to a grocery store. The walk was so far I loaded up and swore I was only doing that once!

Michelle and I have been going to WDW since '96, right before she graduated from college. While it's still fun I think in some ways its changed for the worse. Here's my reasons:

1) Vibe. Okay I'm gonna start off with the most elusive. The only way I can explain it is Disney used to have this kinda funky '70s vibe that I really liked. It's like it was well preserved. I know this sounds weird but here's some examples.

This used to be a resturaunt. Now it's empty!

2)The Animation tour. WDW used to actually have animators working there.

3) The Virgin Megastore. They used to actually stock graphic novels and art books there. I picked up a bunch of my Mobeuis and Masamune Shirow trades there. Of course this was before Amazon and me going to San diego every year, but their stock has gotten bad.

4) Animal Kingdom. I hate this park! And I can't figure out why. It has the best theming. I think it feel too much like a zoo and that bugs me.

5) The Art of Disney store downtown. This store used to have nice stuff. I bought my 'Illusion of Life " there. Heck, we bought a coffee table there. They used to have shirts, books, furniture all kinds of stuff. Now it's just stautes and high end prints. Oh you can buy a 'cel' drawn by a Disney artist. You can sit there and watch him. I talked to the guy and he was super nice, but lets face it, that's not a cel. It's a guy copying from a model sheet. You could do the same thing yourself! I also have this same gripe about the store in Epcot, across from the Electric Umbrella. I guess my real beef is the stores used to sell some cool stuff, now it's junk from china.

I don't want you to think I didn't have fun, I had a blast. Walt Disney World used to have a cool 'feel' that I really liked and I think it's lost that.

Next i post about all the cool things we did!