Ad Astra Per Audentia

I put it up a little early, but it looks like Krulle already found it!

Well, that's it for this project. It was relatively short, I know, but it felt good to make it, and I hope that other people got something out of it as well.

So, what's next? Not sure. I do know that it will need more time to prepare once I choose it, so I don't drop the ball as much as I did this time. And I'm going to try one last shot to get Dog published, though if they don't want it, I can't imagine who else would. I'm afraid I don't have much else to tell you at the moment. The path gets foggier with every step I take. I can only hope that it lets out somewhere good.

I have nothing clever to say, I have no idea if the comic was worth the buildup, but my god am I just glad to be done with this thing and all its piddling little details that might not even be visible at this size anyway, and all I can say about this comic page is

IT IS DONE.

One more page afterward coming up next Wednesday, it's already preloaded, this is never happening AGAIN.

Well, we just finished Mother’s Day, and I wanted to make my mom something that at least matched if not exceeded her birthday card, so I made this:



That’s a speedy repro of Van Gogh’s “Vase With Peonies” (1886). The real deal looks like this:

https://uploads0.wikiart.org/images/vincent-van-gogh/vase-with-peonies-1886.jpg

Yeah, Van Gogh, I ain't. And you certainly can't recreate the physicality of painted brushstrokes when you're working in PEN. But for, the time and the difficulty rating, I don't think it was so bad.

Don't worry, still workin' on Dog. ;)

I am postponing the update until next week. The postproduction is taking longer than I anticipated - this one is actually a little big. Rushing through it would just keep me up all night and STILL result in a subpar comic. So, gonna treat myself, I guess, to a little more time. I am sorry for the delay. But at least I promise no more delays after this!

Heh. Because there are only two more updates after this.

But at least I can promise it will look nice!

Since the test came up negative, it ain’t Da Bug ™️ , but since I got back my body has been yelling at me for everything I put it through and the comic will be a day late.

That said, fucking WORTH IT.

Also, here’s an image dump from OmegaMart in Las Vegas’ renowned Area15. This was the reason I went there in the first place. Everyone should go - at $45 for potentially over four hours of entertainment, it’s the best deal in town. Can you believe all these photos came from one place?

Next comic is up. Getting too sappy for words here, may need to be taken to the hospital and checked for brain parasites!

Working hard on the next update already, but unfortunately this one is kind of elaborate and I really, really hope I'll have the ability to finish it on time, especially considering my upcoming trip. Then I can kill brain cells and lose money with a clear conscience. :)

Oh, well. I was bound to lose my edge one day anyway.

I think I can finish this thing in another three weeks, and even stay on schedule! In fact, I'm going to have to, if I don't want to leave gaps in this thing before I go to Las Vegas.

Yes, I am going to Las Vegas. There is an art exhibit there I want to see. And if, in the course of my journey, I also happen to eat a ribeye steak the size of a toilet seat, attempt to trade a kidney for additional casino chips or get a banana hammock smashed into my face at an all-male revue show, that will all be entirely incidental!

I'm as shocked as you are. Here!

I know this series has been kind of . . . well, judgemental. But, I'm trying to start closing it out on a high note.

Hey, I warned ye at the start!

And we're back, folks!

I debated on this one - it seemed a bit mean. On the other hand, it is extremely totally true. In this specific instance, my buddy was unhappy that a girl he had tried to connect with at a bar had brushed him off.

"Well, what did you say to her?"
"I told her I was looking for something serious and long-term, but also I never wanted to get married, have kids, live together and probably shouldn't be exclusive."
" . . . you told her all this upon meeting her?"
"Yeah."
"Okay, but you didn't even know each other yet. None of that is relevant. Why not go on a date or two with her and even see if you're compatible before trying to bring up all that other stuff?"
"I just wanted to be upfront and honest with her so that neither of us was wasting our time, you know?"
" . . . . I think we've isolated your problem."

I am missing this week, I apologize. There is no real excuse for it, except that the work is going slow and I'm having a hard time being disciplined about it. I need to focus more, and I'm hoping things will get better after this weekend, when stuff at my job isn't stretched as thin and I'm a bit less tired.

I actually wouldn't mind reaching out for a bit of help on something, if anyone can help me.

So, part of what kind of broke me five years or so back was not just my job at the time, but pulling out every stop I had to compete for a spot in the famed Angoulême cartoonist residency in France. Literally fifteen minutes after I submitted my materials package that I had worked on day and night and during breaks at work, I got a reply that basically just said "no thanks." That will pretty much do it! Well, that sent me down, but not out yet. Obviously I don't have nearly the artistic pedigree required for the residency, that much is obvious, but I've heard that they have an annual festival showcasing comics from all over the world, and I'd like to try to get a piece of my work featured in the festival! It's still an uphill battle, but at least a bar I figure is possible to clear, unlike the impossible castle in Spain that was the residency. Unfortunately, I have no idea how to submit and all the materials I can find are either in French or don't say anything about it. I have zero idea on how to take off from here. So, if anyone knows where I can find even remotely official submission guidelines/information, please let me know.

I don't even know what I'd submit yet. Maybe I could even submit I Wish You Were A Dog. Maybe I'd have to make something new. I don't know. But I wish I could even just see what my options are.