Austin, eh?

Wow, so someone in Austin is into this blog. You're here like, every day!


Does Austin get humid or is it more of a dry heat in the summer?

Tabloids Pt II

Damned if I didn't call it. In a post dated November 4th, 2008 (where I shared my favorite, creepy tabloid covers documenting their sick obsession with celebrity babies) I said, "the idea of Shilo and Suri cavorting together is OK's biggest possible wetdream"



YAY IT'S JUST LIKE IN MY FAN FICTION

I am becoming less and less inclined to go see 'Watchmen' and have Zack Snyder ruin that book for me. The more I hear-- which is surprisingly vague, but negative-- the more I don't want to see it.

I took my hard-earned money to see 'Coraline' instead; now that is a decision I can be happy with. Some have pooh-poohed the character design, but I go on record now saying they are super mega-wrong. I just really like it. I was equally impressed with it as I was the tiny costumes (they were knitted!), the tiny sets, the background, and the superb animation. Not a bit of it disappointed me.

I owe a post to MegaCon; I will probably get around to it later tonight, now that I've actually thought of it. Been back a week and I haven't reported at all, save for a Facebook photo album.

The Fisher King

A twelve year old probably doesn't understand Terry Gilliam so well. Or at least, that's what I would assume at 29. I saw a trailer for 'The Fisher King' when I was 12, and was so impatient to see it-- it was rated R-- I bought the movie novelization, and read it intently during study hall in school. I loved the story, and re-read it, envisioning the story the best I could. It may well have been borne out of a great like for Robin Williams, or perhaps of a budding love of Monty Python, but I wrung my hands until the title was released on VHS, at which point, I immediately watched it. My parents reasoned that I'd already read the book-- and I assured them there was no sex--so they allowed me to watch it. All the same, I remained scandalized at the full-frontal nude scene of Robin Williams' although to his credit, his intense body hair obscured anything obscene that a twelve year old would have no business seeing.

The video was returned upon its due date, and over the years I rented it again and again, finally owning the copy in college. I started using it as a litmus test of sorts with friends and boyfriends; it remained my favorite movie-- was it New York? The composition of shots?-- and it became important that people knew it. It's like that scene in 'High Fidelity'; it's not what you're like. It's what you like.

The scene above is my favorite scene of the movie, or maybe of any movie. It's because the scene imbued me with a sense of wonder at twelve that still persists today. I saw it the first time and just wanted to go to Grand Central Terminal, where it was filmed. And everytime I pass through it today, I think of that scene. My real life experiences in that space are nowhere as beautiful or seemingly effortless, but I still look up at that clock in the Main Concourse and think of that scene.

Didn't heed my advice, I see.

Seriously, Craigslist: What is your deal?

In all honesty, I would say that every other ad I have clicked on has been for an unpaid "intern" position, and half of the legitimate-sounding jobs have actually been fake ads, trying to scam people into chasing after some sort of ridiculous, fake, "work from home" thing. I responded to something that sounded absolutely perfect... and got an almost immediate reply that the position had been "filled" (in 40 minutes since the ad was posted!) but they had a SECOND position.... that of posting newspaper ads! From home! For commission!!!

What kind of animation studio does that?

NO KIND, that's what.

Oh, economic recession. You're ruining my year.

New York Comic Con Wrap Up...

I got my new copy of 'Scott Pilgrim Vs the Universe' signed by Bryan Lee O'Malley.

I signed some books of my own at the publisher's table:


I did a lot of standing.

Um... AND I MET JOSS WHEDON AND SCOTT ADSIT.




I promise you I normally don't chase people for photos, but they both wandered dangerously near my table so I threw caution to the wind and cornered them. Win!


Mega Con is the end of this month. I expect to do some signing and standing there too, but in a warmer climate.

Hey, Craigslist.

Stop sucking.

How many more ads for artists do I have to see, where the poster isn't offering compensation other than "experience" and in general, a queasy feeling that you just got used like an ugly girl at prom?

Those things do not pay the bills.

spective; retro

2008 sort of sucked.

Look, we're not going to get into the particulars, the why and the how; I just want you to recognize that the year sort of sucked. And let's be done with it.

2009 is being built up as the bestest year ever by people. Optimists. 2008 just sucked so bad, you have to think that whatever is around the corner just has to be great. It just has to be.

I'll reserve my judgment until we're, say, at the halfway mark. So far 2009 for me has just been about wine, cheese, Scrabble, and my Target gift card. I also went to the gym. I wouldn't say it's overly promising but it hasn't disappointed me yet. The jury is out.

I know there are a few things I'm planning to accomplish by year's end. I won't dare call them resolutions. I also won't dare share them here. But I, like everyone else, am looking to 2009 with wide open eyes. 2008, after all, was pretty bad.

There is no Santa.

I'm further convinced of the nagging feeling I've had since age 9 that this whole Santa thing is a crock of shit.

My evidence--which may seem slight to you, but is of paramount gravity to me-- is that there is still no box set of the entire series of 'Night Court'.

I hope with all the free time coming up that I get a lot more stuff done.

Writing and art and otherwise.

Right, so I find it exceedingly creepy and disturbing that the Google Truck has in fact gone down my parents' street, right up to the foot of their driveway in the cul-de-sac, and you can now seek it out. In podunk Mississippi! The future is not supposed to go there.

NCN Convention - Famous Corpses

Well, the 2008 NCN Convention in Raleigh just wrapped up last night. Early Wednesday, post Election Night elation, I flew down on the teeniest jet Delta had to offer to join the festivities mid-week as a guest.

While I was there I signed some copies of 'Famous Corpses'-- it had been sale already for a few days so Emi and Jan had gotten all of them, but some people came up to have me sign theirs as well, and Friday we sold some more to those stragglers who hadn't gotten theirs yet.


One day, maybe I'll take a photo of 'Famous Corpses' that's not totally blurry.


Publisher Joe Bluhm, Author Danielle Griffith, and Illustrators Emi Sato and Jan Op De Beeck





We met and talked about the next volume, of course; 2008 was full of awesome people who totally died, and we have a hell of a list already. We need to par it down, but, well, the deadline to get in the book is December 31st, so we need to sort of play a waiting game to make sure somebody fabulous doesn't make the requirements (ie die) before then. We're going to move tentatively forward, I guess.

All in all the book was well-received by the members of the NCN! Jan Op De Beeck is a superstar, so of course they were waiting for it to come out. People looooved Emi's cartoon contributions too. I dare say it was a hit--we definitely sold enough this week, anyway. It will become available on the Art Squared website very shortly; I'll be sure to mention it when it is.

Tabloids.

Here are some truths, things that stubbornly refuse to change, no matter how much you may want them to.

Tabloids have a creepy and unsettling obsession with babies. OK Magazine and US Weekly seem to exist only to deliver to us the innermost thoughts and desires of the most celebrated babies of our time. Also, OK Magazine offers the absolute worst airbrushed covers in the industry.


They look like terrifying porcelain dolls.




My personal favorite.


It's important to note these are separate photos of the two girls, but obviously, the idea of Shilo and Suri cavorting together is OK's biggest possible wetdream.


Now, this one is special in its own way. Number one, look at the amount of airbrushing gone into Shilo's face. Really? Really? You actually had to airbrush flaws from a baby's face? You had to make her skin and features smoother? Really? Now, aside from that... "Kissing and cuddling her baby doll and sleeping in her big girl bed?" Either Maddox is a mole, there are some OK Magazine owned hidden cameras, or someone has a RIDICULOUS FUCKING OBSESSION to come up with these INANE DETAILS. Oh, and guess who it is! YOU people who read this crap and lap it up. I mean, REALLY? This is front page news? The SUPPOSED WANTS AND DESIRES OF A TWO YEAR OLD? Are you KIDDING me? For God's sake, Patrick Swayze's recovery from cancer takes a backseat to somebody's bizarro fan fiction. I'd rather hear Jen tell us again why she's over Brad.