Welcome to my blog! I want to share what I've been up to lately. The image above, which is the wraparound cover for Scrappy Jack a book I wrote and illustrated. It's a biography of my dad, who had plenty of stories to tell and he lived to be 100 years old. The original version called "So, That's That!"was given to him on his 100th birthday many years ago. That's me and my brother, dad, and two sisters in the junkyard where I grew up. The best playground any kid could ask for!
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| I'll be at Tsukino Con. at UVIC Saturday and Sunday, drawing people as their favourite characters. That's me as a Homestuck character and a student of mine wanted herself as Sailor Moon. These are samples of what I'll be selling at the con - please drop by our booth if you can. We're trying to raise money for a comic convention at Camosun on the 6th of April! |
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In this sequence we're just about to leave Toronto for British Columbia. Books had become a big part of my development at that time in my life, and I followed my interests in all that I read, McLuhan was at the top of the list and still is. Being exposed to many influential writers and artists was so valuable to my growth as a creative person, and was an education in itself - but more than ever I wanted a university education. That will be part of my next chapter in book three.
These are the last two pages of this book, although I still have a few more to finish off and once those are done, I'll edit the text in the word balloons... then I'm done, Done, DONE!!! and off to the printer... Why does everything take longer than you think? Deadlines are good but if they compromise your work, then they're not so good - I'm so glad I don't have a crushing deadline. I'm a bit of a turtle but that's the way I work, little by little. My desire to finish has served me well, and the extra time it took me to do this book helped me gather my thoughts and try to make sense of what I want to say. I can only hope it comes out all write! ;^) |
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Rubik's cubes were big in the 80's so I thought these two pages were an appropriate way to wind down my second book. We left Toronto in 1987 with all our possessions that fit into a small u-pack container. Wow, that was 27 years ago!!!
Looking back at 2013, Ken and I had a very successful year at Camosun College. We launched our Comics and Graphic novel certificate program in 2012 and our first cohort of students graduated in the spring of 2013, and what a great bunch they were! A fine new bunch started last September, and Ken and I are enjoying the teaching experience and learning a lot as we go along, I'm managing my fight or flight instinct, which is challenging at times - but I think my students are forgiving in that regard because most of them are a little nervous about speaking up in class themselves. I've learned that the only way you conquer anything is to jump right in, even if you stumble a bit... All in all I'm really enjoying the students for who they are and what they are capable of - it's a joy to see their progress.
So... HAPPY NEW YEAR to all - in 2014
CHEERS!!!
plip...splosh...clink...
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The top page is set at the Waterworks near the end of the Queen streetcar line. Just before we moved out west we had a going away party and invited all our friends - even the wacky ones! Our friend on the skateboard had nerves of steel - or he was just plain CRAZY!! He's still alive after his stunts with beer bottles, he later became an animator - a safe career path for him...
We hired a Daiko Japanese drumming ensemble to play at our party, and the location couldn't have been more perfect. The sound reflected off the art deco buildings, attracting many passers-by. As the sun went down the sky turned purple and pink, which matched the colour of the band members' t-shirts. Best partay EVER!
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Meeting Harlan Ellison was a real treat! I got the impression he was a bit of a showman - liked to draw attention to himself, kind of like Ken but on steroids... He loved to tell the most amazing stories and the way he told them was amusing and so very funny. He said he once mailed a dead gopher to someone who really pissed him off and he sent it by surface mail! Nobody messes with Harlan - he once sued AOL and won.
The stories went on till after midnight, when he finally slowed down a bit. Meeting a writer of his stature was such a great opportunity for me to speak up, he was so smart and interesting to talk to, and his wealth of knowledge, humour and creativity was inspiring. I never felt he talked down to me in any way. I guess that's why I felt comfortable around him, enough to have an intelligent conversation and not worry about being judged. He was always interested in what I had to say, a boost for me, especially coming from a well-known writer like him.
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