Sitting

The weekend has arrived and nothing much changes. I feel like I never leave the house, I'm just sitting all the time either here in front of the computer or 3 feet away at my drafting table. Work work work. Some of it I enjoy, lots of it I loath. It's no wonder I'm out of shape, just sitting and working. Sometimes I sit and read but that's not a very active endeavor either.

There was a time I think, when I did stuff. I use to count down the days until the weekend. That feels like a lifetime ago! I've been to only one concert I can think of in the last 3-4 years and that was The White Stripes a few months ago. Granted, no one's really come around this neck of the woods (except KMFDM a few years ago in Moncton, I'm still angry I missed that one) that I'd want to go see (or could afford to go see) but my point is I don't get out much.

I've been getting up early to work on the Angora Napkin book this past week and making some progress. By the afternoon today I was good and ready to breath some fresh air and go do something other than work and do it outside of the house.

...But I couldn't think of anything to do or anywhere to go. I thought about it for a while (this isn't the first time this has happened to me) and eventually gave up and decided I'd just go back and sit and draw some more. I wonder sometimes if I'm missing out on some vitally important aspect of life.

My very small world consists of my wife, my kids, my drawing, my day job, reading and watching movies. Carol says that that's more than enough for anyone to tackle and I have to admit I agree with her. I know I'm doing my best using the time I've got.

Still, I can't help but feel envious when I see friends traveling around the globe and doing things that don't involve sitting withing a 15X20 foot area every single day, weekends included. It's no wonder artists go mad. I could use a hobby if only I had the time for one and a clue as to what that hobby would consist of.

In order to preserve my sanity a little longer I've decided to do my best to save up for a road trip to SPX next year with my friend Pat. I've been planning to go for years now and something always comes up, but this time I must go. Not need, MUST. It's this shred of something that lies in the future in which I can justifiably see the outside world for a few days. It's over a year away and I can hardly wait!

Polly Pocket ruined my day.

Yep, the little plastic wench put me in such a foul mood my day was shot. Such are the joys one can achieve by working in animation so get out there you starry eyed youngsters and get a job in Flash animation. Or maybe you'll be lucky enough to work on some 3D masterpiece like Shrek 14. Dare to dream.

Anyone in the market for a 13 year old dog who's stone deaf, hates the outdoors and can't stop barking? And when he's not barking he's whining. Or pissing in my office. Or eating out of the compost bin. Anyone? Anyone? If I was a gun owner I'da given him a couple of Milk Bones today.

I was supposed to meet up with some friends at the Confederation Center and check out the show but that didn't work out as planned. I watched Jason walking out the door at the opposite end of the building, and as I had the twins with me I'm not in the position to run him down. Mark had all ready left, so that all sucked.

On the up side, the show looks good! Ihor did a great job mixing my interview so that I sound half way competent. He converted the segment into B&W; I was back lit so it's kind of dark. I'll see if I can get a copy of it from him for the web site. While I was there I had a newspaper interview for the local Kensington paper. The interviewer (Mike) was a student of mine back when I was teaching comic art at my old High School, so that was kind of interesting.

Other than that, I received a nice card and some money (I expect it's worth a lot!) from my biggest fan in China and harbinger of Pocky. Hi Xiao Ai, and thanks! ;)
That's it for me. Guess I'll post another Mygrain and either go to bed or get back to work. I'm getting pissed off with myself, which usually means I'm about to go into overdrive until I burn out. Nothing unusual.

Read a Book!

Ak! So much going on and me without my clone again!

I'm going down to check out the show at the Confed Centre on Wednesday, I'm quite anxious to see what Ihor has put together. The CBC news spot has gone over way better than I had anticipated; the story went National on CBC.ca, I got a few back issue comic orders (thanks Stephen & Eric!) and some more interviews are getting lined up.

The whole thing has got me thinking about the next Chiaroscuro book and so I sat down and looked at how long it would be before I started work on it. I was kind of disappointed when I noticed that as it stands the Angora Napkin project will be going until March (at least) of 2008, which will have put that "quick" project squarely into the two year mark, and it'll turn out to be a fairly small book when it's all said and done. Okay, granted I became a dad to twins and all, I just figured I'd be done sooner than that. Oh well, accept it and move on I guess.

In all likely hood it'll kick my ass into gear and I'll try to knock out more pages a month. I'm stupid like that.

On another note, I had the pleasure of reading Carol's 3 Day Novel "Hide Your Life Away" and it's just brilliant! I have no idea how she pulled that off in just 3 days. It's really well written and laugh out loud funny, I think she should win. So on that note, watch this video:

Read a Book

Troy featured on CBC TV tonight!

Ace video journalist Sophia Harris from CBC news stopped by the studio yesterday for almost 3 hours to talk about Chiaroscuro, the big book deal and other stuff. They say the magic of film is in the editing so I hope I'm edited well because I sure need to be! You can never tell how these things are going when you are in them. Like when Ihor (curator from the Confederation Center) was shooting interviews with me for the up coming exhibit, I had the feeling I was rambling and loosing track of the subject. I have no idea what any of this stuff will look like in the end so it should be an interesting (and I hope not embarrassing) learning experience. I think I need to learn to be more media savvy, I tend to fall into the 'Overly Modest Canadian' type, which probably makes for lousy TV. Eh, what do I know.

Anywho, the spot will be aired on Compass tonight at 6 (late in the show). I'm told sometimes other CBC stations pick up stories off the wire for broadcast, so if you happen to be living somewhere other than P.E.I. and see the spot, drop me a line.


Update: I just found out you can watch the show 90 minutes after airtime on the website found here: www.cbc.ca/compass/

3 Day Novel: Epilogue

Illustration by Peter Kuper

Here we are the day after the World's Most Notorious Literary Contest draws to a close. I finally had an opportunity to speak with the author only moments ago as she was on her way back upstairs to her office to continue transcribing her manuscript.

I ask her how she feels about the project now that the 72 hours is up and the bell has wrung. She tells me that she feels very good about the experience, pleased with the work in general and completely at a loss as to how to explain the fact that she wrote a novel in 3 days when her usual daily quota is about 5 pages. The title of her story is called 'Hide Your Life Away'. She went into the project with a simple two page outline and a boat load of coffee and came out the other side a hero.

I have yet to read a word of the story, but she assures me that I can start reading tomorrow. The final typed manuscript has to be in the mail Friday so until then she'll continue burning the midnight oil with cramped fingers, stiff back and a four point headache.

I ask would she attempt this again? Absolutely, she replies, but I might hire a typist... and an in-house personal masseuse.

In closing she adds the interesting observation that many people who have been following her mentally/physically torturous endeavor participating in the 3 Day Novel refer to it as "Hilarious", or "A Riot". A perplexed look crosses her sleep deprived face at such utterances, as if the words must hold another meaning. Is such torment a point of humor to some? I suppose it must be so. And with that, the Author struggles to stand and with glazed eyes robotically turns toward her office where the words and the pain have melded into one numb pool of exasperation.

Yes folks, she has won. Congratulations again Carol, Champion of the Word.

3 Day Novel: Day 3 - 8:22pm

She's done, the story is told! 118 hand written pages in just under 3 days! Congratulations Carol!!!! Of course the night is young and if you can believe it she just went back up stairs to start typing. Madness has obviously overtaken her.

As for me, I'm worn out. I'll follow this short entry up tomorrow with an epilogue. I need to go to bed soon, CBC television is going to be here tomorrow morning to talk to me about the forth coming Chiaroscuro graphic novel and the up coming art show at the Confederation Center. I hope I'm coherent.

3 Day Novel: Day 2 - 7:52pm

It's getting late in the day for you normals out there, but it is to your credit to be aware and pay homage to the lonesome writer. Picture her as I do: seated in a Elizabethan style wing back chair, Siamese cat purring by her side and a steaming hot cup of Red Rose swirling next to her. Pen, thoughtfully poised only a breath away from her lips as she forms the next thrilling scene in her mind.

Ignore the idea that she is suffering near crippling pain in her right hand and is feeling more than slightly nauseous from lack of sleep coupled with an over abundance of coffee and left over pizza. Try not to imagine how the ticking of the clock sounds to one who feels she is miles away from her necessary amount of writing for the day.

Yes, Day 2 is shaping up to be a test of will power and creative prowess.

In my world, I took the girls to Charlottetown for I had planned to drop them off with family and do some drawing between morning and afternoon nap time. As is the case these last two days, things don't work out as planned. None the less, I met with The Wa and had lunch with Ann at Hunter's Ale House. Let it be known that after the wretched service we had at Hunter's Ale House I will not be returning.

That's about it for me. I feel like a blunt instrument and once I'm sure the girls are sound asleep I'm ducking out to the Petro to snag some chip dip, then kick back and watch 'Pan's Labyrinth' in the dark. With my chip dip.

Tomorrow: DAY 3 "THE FINAL BATTLE".

(...that is if you ignore the fact that she'll THEN have to start typing the bloody thing out into proper manuscript format. Aren't YOU glad you don't write for a living?)