Dunce Press

Did you know that’s really how you can spell reestablished? It looks odd to me. I suppose I could hyphenate it, but somehow I don’t feel like it would be right. Sort of destabilizes a word to shove a hyphen in there.

Alright-Now that the aesthetics of hyphenated words is out of the way … Hooray! my semester is essentially over! I’ve had to do two presentations in two weeks, one of which involved building a whole new website, and the other which needed to sum up what I’ve done with this comic and website over the last six months (and for that matter, ten years of fiddling around with this world I’ve created). But now it’s over. I’ve just got to show up to class today, and watch the second batch of seniors squirm like I had to last week.

For those of you don’t know, I’m in my second year at The Center for Cartoon Studies, located in beautiful White River Junction, Vermont. It’s fun, but pretty grueling. The second year of the two year program is made up mostly of a thesis project, and MAN O MAN am I glad mine is this comic. I don’t have to worry about finishing enough work – at two strips a week (um…well, mostly. Sorry guys.) my thesis is piling up behind me as we speak.

And speaking of that new website I made all by myself, check out the Rarebits blog! I’ll be posting on it once a week or so, along with the other members of the crew (we’re all either current students or alum of CCS). It’s going to be a pretty soft start, what with the holidays being next week and all – but it should get rolling full steam in the next couple of months leading into Convention season.

Also, I tried to make a puffy sticker in photoshop:

I don't actually smoke anymore. This is just the best picture of me ever.

I think it’s a pretty good first try, but if any of you have a better way, let me know. My future may be contingent on my ability to produce credible puffy sticker effects.

Well, I’m off to work on the next comic. I’m frickin’ praying I can get it up before bed tonight, but it may be tomorrow if the inking causes me problems.

Hopefully in a couple of weeks this won’t be an issue any longer, because over vacation I’m hoping to achieve the holy grail of Webcomickers…the buffer…

Later,

J

No new comic just yet, but I’m going to try my hardest to get it done by the time I go to sleep tonight. Of course, I’ve got to go in for a seven hour shift between now and then, so it might be tight. The good news is that I’m halfway through the end of semester crunch at school, and after next week things should settle down until graduation in May. Hopefully.

My other great hope is to actually produce a buffer for the comic during the winter break. Cross your fingers because that would allow for REGULAR updates. You know, like on the same days every week. I don’t know how many of you actually read these blog entrys, but if you’re out there, what days would you like to see me update on, in the instance I actually do get ahead? Thursday and Sunday sort of seem to be the default days when all goes well right now, but are those weird days? Does it really matter?

And, to make up for the wait on the comic, here’s an embarrassing reference photo:

Guess the panel that matches this one.

Well, I’m off to start drawing for the day,

J

I’ve got a whole lot of stuff on my plate this week. Of course there is the strip, which means everything to me. But also I need to get my thesis presentation for school ready (hint, hint – you’ve probably been reading it), which means a making a powerpoint (due at midnight tonight, or turn into a pumpkin or gourd or something) and trying to psyche myself up enough that I don’t crap myself in front of a room of my peers. This usually means notecards.

Other projects are looming on the horizon as well (which you will soon be hearing about), and with this in mind, please forgive me if I miss my two strips per week mark either this week or next. It may all be fine. But I’ve been pouring so much time into them lately to really get them looking good, that I do worry. If it truly is a fair and glorious universe, then I can build up a buffer during the winter break and set REAL update days. That would be awesome.

In the meantime, I think I’m going to grow out a holiday beard.

I’ll keep you posted.

J

Hey, so new comic tomorrow and all that. But in the meantime, I suggest you all go out and buy this comic:

Seriously. It's awesome.

It’s still on the shelves right now. And if you can still find issues one or two, buy those as well. And then, when the collection comes out, buy that. Why? So someday soon Dark Horse Comics tells Evan Dorkin and Jill Thompson to go ahead and keep on making this fine, fine comic book.

Sometimes Comics and I can have a conflicted relationship. I really do love them, and I try and read a broad range. Honest, I’m waaaaay more experimental with my comics consumption than I am with my movie habits. But for all the brilliant work that the Chris Wares and Dan Cloweses and David Bses of the world are doing, The comics that I truly yearn for are things like Uncle Scrooge, Usagi Yojimbo, Dungeon, or (dare I say it) Calvin and Hobbes.

My nerdery is boundless.

Let me explain a little more deeply. Once I started really thinking about comics, and making them in a more thought-out and methodical manner, reading comics became simultaneously harder and more intimidating. Harder because now I’m always trying to be aware of the beats, the art, the writing, whether the inking really complements the story, etc. etc ETC., and more intimidating because because I always see what that creator or team does best. I mean, sure I can pick apart everything negative about a comic to make me feel better, but I’d rather find what I like about that book so I can file it away for later, and maybe see how to incorporate into my own work. But, it’s inevitably something that I not only can’t do, but also something that I would like desperately to be able to do (at least while I’m reading that particular comic). Take for example Alan Moore’s exceptional ability to wring every possible nuance out of a story. As many issues as I have with Watchmen, I keep going back to it because the entire thing is just so perfect as a comic book.

But I digress. Getting back to Beasts of Burden, what I’m liking so much about this series (and the other comics I mentioned) is that, yeah, it’s a pretty brilliant piece of work – but I never lose sight of the story or the characters because it’s too darned fun while I’m reading it to stop and examine anything. Yeah, I wish I could write characters that pop as individuals from their first line of dialogue like Evan, and who wouldn’t want to be able to paint like Jill Thompson. But while I’m reading it, I can just relax and be a comics reader again. All the best comics (in my opinion) strike a nice balance between maintaining enough depth to the work that you can pick it apart a little, but not losing the sense of fun in the process. Especially in the case of issue two, Beasts walks this line just fine. And for cripes sake, It’s about a group of housepets that deal with the paranormal problems in their neighborhood.

An example of both the great writing and the great art. And a poop joke. Oh, and the end of this issue will probably make you cry.

Alright. Done rambling. Just go check out this comic. It’s really really good.

For Serious.

J

(and by the way – all Beasts of Burden images  © Evan Dorkin and Jill Thompson. But you knew that already, didn’t you?)

A while ago (probably before anyone was aware that I, or this comic existed) I drew this, and made claim to illustrating the high water mark in videogame power-up confluence. Now, I know many of you out there are not gamers. Gamers seldom read webcomics, I’m told. And also, many of you may be unfamiliar with the movies in the “Star Wars” series of films. But if you are aware of both, this particular moment is comparable to a canonical pairing of Boba Fett and a time displaced Boba Fett. I give you…

Oh. Is that to far away? Can't make out the details?

That's right. Tanooki Goomba-Shoe Mario.

Yeah, it’s been done before. But this really is where obscurity goes to drink coffee and hang out. I still maintain that the Goomba’s Shoe + Fire Flower combo is king in terms of offensive capability, but for those of you in the “less screen time equals cool” camp, this one really reigns supreme. If only some lovely person out there could re-program Mario 3 to allow the Hammer Bros. Suit to apppear before level 5-3, I could be the happiest boy in all the land.

New comic Sunday.

J