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Got some Dis for you darlings.

This is the first page of the comic where I haven't inked the entire thing by hand. Instead, I experimented to see if it would save some time to fill in the black areas digitally. I'm not sure if it was really easier; I found it difficult to see where the finished image was going, and to balance out the value balance of the page as a whole. So...we're left with these two very heavy black top panels, and the bottom one ended up all white. I'm not sure that I'm really happy with it.

I know that every single page doesn't need to be a first-place winner, and that it's the quality of the book as a whole that's important...but man. This just keeps up the trend that the first page of every chapter is the worst one.

Dis 04:02: "Muffin...?"

And here is some Makeshift Man!

I'm really especially happy with the art on this page; it's full of really specific gestures, but I think they read clearly. :)

It's so dumb, but I was fretting for a while about whether jackalopes would be rabbits or hares. I'd initially planned for them to be very distinctly of the Lepus genus, as jackrabbits. However, I find rabbits to be much easier to draw, and that's what I found myself doing. I had seven pet rabbits when I was a kid, and so I'm very familiar with their anatomy, movements, and expressions. (Rabbits are definitely among my very favorite animals!) Anyway, this is such a silly thing that I was upset with myself for. After all, jackalopes aren't rabbits or hares; they're jackalopes. They'd be a whole separate family of lagomorphs, or at least a separate family in Leporidae (if spiritual creatures could even be counted in the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature at all.)

(JoJo has a tendency to overthink her work.)

Anyway, I also really love getting the opportunity to drop little hints about MM's past. It's a doozy of a biography he's got.

Makeshift Man 02:05

And I've got a new Shirt-of-the-Month shirt for ya! You might have noticed that I took the Summer off from this project, but I'm back. Bu-u-u-ut...due to my upcoming wedding, this shirt shall serve as design for both September and October. But if you've just gotta buy stuff twice, never fear, because I have made this design in, like, a gazillion color combinations to choose from.

Well, bully for the 26th president of the United States. This design is inspired by my own recent journey to the Badlands of western North Dakota. So you can wear a bit of history on your body in fantastically bright color. :D

Uh...Got two more drawings for ya to see.

In other news...I am stressed. What's, like, the most relaxing thing ever? I need that, whatever it is. I think I'm dehydrating, too. Catch you kids, later; I'm gonna go slurp down some delicious watery water.

Peace.

Status: STRESSED...Listening To: Robyn - "Hyperballad"...Been Reading: Emily Brontë - Wuthering Heights...Been Watching: The Daily Show

New pages, new pages, new pages!

I'm so excited,'cause it's finally the beginning of Dis: Life is Hell chapter 4! There shall be plenty of Persephone, and this makes me pretty pleased with pencil and pen. :D

04:01: Strictly Business

And here's a new page of The Makeshift Man! Working on these pages is always an interesting experience for me. I'll be ploddin' along, thinking that what I've got is utter crap. That last panel, for example. The whole time I was thinking, "This is the worst art that anyone has ever made." But then, at the very last second...BAM. Looks, dare I say, downright snappy. It's always a surreal and excellent surprise to suddenly discover that I've made something that I can feel proud of.

I guess what I'm trying to say is...don't give up on your drawings because they don't look amazing right out of the gate. :)

MM 02:04

Here are a couple more little artings. There are so many exciting things just over the horizon...

Status: Happily Drawing...Listening To: Polaris - "Hey, Sandy"...Been Reading: Emily Brontë - Wuthering Heights; Tomoko Taniguchi - Miss Me?; Been Watching: The Office

Hey cats, tomorrow I'll be downtown at the Grand Cities Art & Wine Walk again! Whoo-hoo!

What is it?

Stroll through downtown and view artwork by local artists at galleries, restaurants, and other businesses that will serve wine or other non-alcoholic refreshment. Most artwork is available for sale, and artists will be on-hand to discuss their work. The Art & Wine Walk is a great way to experience downtown Grand Forks and East Grand Forks, view artwork by regional artists, and learn about the many and varied businesses downtown.

The Art & Wine Walk begins at the Blue Moose Bar & Grill in East Grand Forks or the GuestHouse Town House in Grand Forks. Maps can be purchased for $10. At each participating business, the map will be stamped (wine consumption is not required to receive a stamp). Maps can be turned in at the closing reception at the Empire Arts Center to enter a drawing for a gift basket of prizes donated by participating businesses. The closing reception will also feature a champagne toast, with champagne donated by Happy Harry’s Bottle Shops.

Those over 21 will receive a wristband, allowing participation in wine tasting. Children under 12 accompanied by an adult receive free admission.

This is going down tomorrow, Saturday, August 21 at any time from 1pm to 5pm. Soak a wristband into your arm, soak beer and wine into your mouth, and soak art into your soul. It's a good time for ladies and dudes.

This time around I'll be located at O'Really's Irish Pub in Grand Forks.

I'll have my full convention spread again, with books, prints, posters, postcards, bookmarks, original paintings, and I'll be doing on-the-spot commissions! Yow!

Status: Gearing Up...Listening To: Golden Delicious - "Suffragette City"...Been Reading: Emily Brontë - Wuthering Heights; Bob Kane & Bill Finger - Batman...Been Watching: This Is Spın̈al Tap

Comics! Pages of them! Oh, boy!

Here is a new page of The Makeshift Man, in which jackalopes are revealed to have powers of speech, and in which MM's reading habits are further revealed.

And here is the final page of Dis: Life is Hell chapter 3. I'm rather pleased by this drawing, if I do say it myself.

Further happiness! One gentle Danny took it upon herself to craft this most delightful picture of Hermes! I'm so into it. She's got all the sparkly little details in, and drew Hermes with the most perfect cheeky attitude. Boss. <3

Here's a peek at just some of the stuff I've been super-duper busy with. Mm-hmm. Mmm-hmmm.

That's all I've got, sorry. Back to being super-duper busy. JoJo, away-y-y-y-y-y...!

Status: Drawing, Drawing, Drawing...Listening To: Iggy & The Stooges - "Cock in My Pocket"...Been Reading: Gardner Fox & Bob Kane - "The Batman Wars Against the Dirigible of Doom"...Been Watching: The Simpsons...Like what you see? Contributions to the tip jar are always appreciated:

Well, here is a thing that is. There's an article all about me in this month's issue of After 5 entertainment magazine. It's most flattering. :)

In the interest of science, please allow me to correct a few facts which are objectively inaccurate in this article:

1. I was neither born nor raised in Grand Forks, North Dakota. I was born on the other side of the world, and raised on the other side of the country. I attended high school in Grand Forks, then left, then by twist of fate ended up back in this frozen wasteland* where I currently reside.

2. There is nothing particularly inspiring about my personal biography. I'm white, straight, well-educated, currently employed, and have rich parents. My religious faith sometimes meets with derision, depending on current company, but no one's ever thrown a rock at my head, or anything like that. And as misogynist as geek culture all-too-often is, I've personally been the victim of shockingly little hostility due to my gender.

Anyway, you can go read and download the article here. Big thanks to Mike Peterson and After 5 for the attention! <3

* North Dakota is not actually a wasteland. This is hyperbole used to make this place sound more romantic. It is, however, very often frozen, and generally provides a surreal, empty-seeming landscape to the eye.

Status: More Grateful Than I Probably Seem...Listening To: Arcade Fire - The Suburbs...Been Reading: Emily Brontë - Wuthering Heights...Been Watching: The Big O; Home Movies

Hooray! Comic pagey time!

Got your second page of the second issue of The Makeshift Man. I poured some extra love into this painting; I hope it shows. <3

And here's the next-to-last page of Dis chapter 3. I'm hard at work on chapter 4, and I think it's gonna be pretty all right. We'll be taking a closer look at Persephone, plus how things work on Olympus. You excited?

I've got some other really super-duper extra ultra-ultra fantastic comic stuff going on, and I'm so very looking forward to telling you about it soon! Be vigilant, I beseech you!

Here are some other pictures that I have drawn in recent times:

Yay! Now, back to the crypts of the arcane and the dead work goeth JoJo...

Status: Excited-like...Listening To: Black Mountain - "Tyrants"...Been Reading: Emily Brontë - Wuthering Heights...Been Watching: The Simpsons; Home Movies

Heyyyy, everybody! You should all be aware that both Dis and The Makeshift Man are now for sale at Whole Wheat Records! Hooray! I'm really happy, because this is the most rad place in Grand Forks. So if you're in the area, and you don't have my books yet, you should hop yourself downtown and visit Whole Wheat! And even if you do have them, you should still go down there and get yourself some tasty vinyl. Spread the love around. :D

And I wanna apologize for bein' so slow about new comic pages, at the moment. The next page of The Makeshift Man has been sitting in my living room, half-painted, for a while now. But you see, I am an insane person, and I decided that I need my wedding invitation to be a comic book, so I've been frantically working on that, and I need to get that done as quick as can be, so it has to be my top priority. New pages very soon! I promise! <3

Status: Drawing!...Listening To: Ugly Casanova - "Diggin' Holes"...Been Reading: Emily Brontë - Wuthering Heights; Darby Conley - Get Fuzzy...Been Watching: Home Movies

Yay! Comics, comics, comic books for you on the internetweb!

I'm so super pleased to present to ye the first page of the second issue of The Makeshift Man! Our story begins as M.M. is enjoying his favorite book with his favorite meal. What could go wrong...?

Roadhouse Blues: Page o1

And here's a new page of Dis! We're a-a-a-almost done with chapter 3. And I've been hard at work on chapter 4, so, uh...be excited!

03:42: "Banana Peel Gag"

And here is something nice. My lovely and talented friend Reb has drawn this summery and excellent sketch of M.M. on a surfboard. I imagine that such a scene in its entirety would involve a lot of coconut rum, and getting in a fight with dolphins. Hooray!

Less interesting, here's some crap I've drawn:

Hmm, what else, what else...? Oh! Just in the interest of interest: I'll be growing increasingly busy in the next three months, so if you want a commission, now's the time to go for that. And, um...it would be really great if you could. 'Cause I've gotta, like, buy a bed. Stuff like that.

Okay, I'm back to work! Hope to see all my Red-River-Valley-and-surrounding-area chums on Saturday! Whee!

Status: Popcorn Spine...Listening To: Say Anything - "Most Beautiful Plague"...Been Reading: Philip K. Dick - Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?...Been Watching: YuYu Hakusho

Ah, sweet Summertime. The weather in this forsaken Northern wasteland has actually been habitable lately! (Rather nice, even.) And good timing, too, because this Saturday, July 17, I'll be downtown at the Grand Cities Art & Wine Walk! Yaaay!

What is it?

Stroll through downtown and view artwork by local artists at galleries, restaurants, and other businesses that will serve wine or other non-alcoholic refreshment. Most artwork is available for sale, and artists will be on-hand to discuss their work. The Art & Wine Walk is a great way to experience downtown Grand Forks and East Grand Forks, view artwork by regional artists, and learn about the many and varied businesses downtown.

The Art & Wine Walk begins at the Blue Moose Bar & Grill in East Grand Forks or the GuestHouse Town House in Grand Forks. Maps can be purchased for $10. At each participating business, the map will be stamped (wine consumption is not required to receive a stamp). Maps can be turned in at the closing reception at the Empire Arts Center to enter a drawing for a gift basket of prizes donated by participating businesses. The closing reception will also feature a champagne toast, with champagne donated by Happy Harry’s Bottle Shops.

Those over 21 will receive a wristband, allowing participation in wine tasting. Children under 12 accompanied by an adult receive free admission.

Dig it? You come downtown in Grand Forks, North Dakota, and East Grand Forks, Minnesota, this Saturday, July 17 at any time from 1pm to 5pm. You get a wristband, go for a pleasant stroll through the more handsome part of town, look at art, chat with art lovers...and people are giving you drinks the whole time. Is that a good time or what?

And I will be right at the front, located at The Blue Moose Bar & Grill in EGF...a charming little place on the waterfront, decorated within with gobs of taxidermy. Coincidentally, I was having dinner there last night. Their sweet potato fries are too, too delish.

So if you're anywhere in this part of the country, you should come see me! I'll have my full convention spread with books, prints, posters, postcards, bookmarks, original paintings, and I'll be doing on-the-spot commissions! Yaaaaaaaaaaay!

Status: An Instance of Civic Pride...Listening To: The Smashing Pumpkins - "Here Is No Why"...Been Reading: Philip K. Dick - Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?; Sam Kieth - Four Women...Been Watching: The Simpsons; YuYu Hakusho

Ka-BOOM! I've just posted up the cover to The Makeshift Man issue #2, and that means that it has officially begun! Are you excited? I'm excited! This one is gonna be so much fun to draw and paint! Lots of action. And, as you'll see, lots of jackalopes. >;D

Behold!

Like the cover? I've also made it into a wallpaper for your desktop:

Or you could buy it as an (incredibly inexpensive) poster or other stuff. :D

(And a reminder, gentle readers, that issue #1 is now on sale for a mere pittance. <3)

Status: Mighty...Listening To: Pink Floyd - "Another Brick in the Wall (Part 2)"...Been Reading: Dennis O'Neil, Denys Cowan & Malcolm Jones III - The Question...Been Watching: The Simpsons, YuYu Hakusho