Blammo! Screwed!

Walked outside to go to lunch on Monday to find my front-right tire had gone flat. Called AAA and they dispatched a guy to help me out fairly quickly (by the way, a AAA membership is without a doubt the best money you'll ever spend. If you haven't done it, do it).

The AAA guy climbed out of his tow truck and shot me a look like I'd forgotten to flush or something, which was puzzling. (Dude, my tire is flat. You don't think it was caused by some sort of drugged-out behavior on my part, do you?) It quickly became obvious that he was one of those blue collar guys who has The Answer to Everything and it's just such a shame that he's been placed on this earth amidst a sea of morons.

He took the tire off and displayed the culprit: a screw, neatly embedded, dead middle of the tire tread.

So, yesterday, I took my poor tire to a Goodyear shop and had it patched. Got some ilustration work done in the waiting room, but I was forced to endure an hour of Jerry Springer on the waiting room TV. (Two obese women were fighting over something and had taken their tops off for some reason).

In the end... ah...

Well, bugger all. What an inane post. It just occurred to me that this story is about as exciting as watching paint dry.

Sorry.
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So, if you're reading this, be a dove and head on over to www.thegreateststorynevertold.com and have a look at the Flash animator's competition. Some beautiful stuff and my good buddy Kirk Millett's web cartoon "Souvenir" is a finalist. Do him a favor and toss him a vote, eh? He's got a lovely style, arse-loads of talent, and the prizes are utterly top-notch, so he could use some support.

Whoops.

Just received a call from command central - can't show box art for Future Tactics: The Uprising before the game's release. So, if you've already seen it... uh, try to wash the image from your brain or something.

In the meantime, I've replaced the homepage 'What's New' image from the box art to a preview shot from the big Graphic Novel-ish project I'm cooking up. The story deals with the Spanish Inquisition (thus my recent fixation with 15th century Spain). Pictured is one of the main characters (possibly the leading character... I dunno yet), Tomas de Torquemada, the most infamous of the Grand Inquisitors. Hope you dig.

Take heed, office donuts: this is war.

First, here's something that's been a long time coming. Pictured at the right is the fabled Playstation 2 game I've been yammering about. Clickety-click for an enlarged view. Whammo! (***Note: This image will be temporarily disabled pending the game's release.***)

It being mid-February and all, I thought it might be time to replace the Christmas card link on the homepage and this seemed as good a candidate as any. (Strangely, I'm still getting emails from folks just seeing it for the first time this week. There's still a link to it on my portfolio page. Just look for the picture of the black cat under the "Digital" section and enjoy the yuletide madness.)
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Listen up, donuts. I know your game.

Oh, you think you're clever, don't you? Admit it. Your little sprinkles and your tasty glaze, you think you're so friggin' special. Just sitting there, pretty as a picture, in your faggoty pink pastry box, right there in the office kitchenette. "Eat me! Maybe just one! Maybe just a half! Kirk brought these in for everyone! It was a kind gesture! Aren't you hungry? Wouldn't I just hit the spot?"

No, donuts. No. As far as I'm concerned, you can go to hell.

I will not be broken by fattening pastry! It's been two weeks without sugar and I will persevere! I haven't felt this good in years, frankly, and I'm well rid of that tooth-rotting, jelly-bellying nuisance!

I will not be beaten.

I WILL NOT BE BEATEN.
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To celebrate the coming of their In Utero offspring, dear chums Gary and Jennie Underwood have set up a website. Pictures! Movie clips! Devotionals! Calendars of events! A 'blog!

If anyone needs a website, it's Gary Underwood. That man has far too much happening in his brain to not share the chaos with the world. Congratulations, Gar. And Jennie. And young, peanut-sized Allison, still chillin' umbilical-style.

Take a look and feel the love.
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More and more and more cool work happening all the time. Just finished a spot illustration for Toys 'R' Us. Hah.
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So, finally, at long last, it's over. After battle on battle on battle, I'm able to receive incoming calls on my cellphone. So, call away: 562-432-8370.

I won't go into the horrid drama that getting that phone number (which you might, if you're a client, recognize as my business line) ported into my cellphone turned out to be. Thankfully now, though, it works.

What this means to me and the dear folks I do my damndest to serve is that I can now take business calls throughout the entire week. Previously, I was really only available on Tuesdays and Fridays, but no more. Anytime, anywhere, any reason... give me a jingle.
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What else. Um. I'm currently driving the wife stark-staring buggo with all I've been finding out recently about 15th century Spain. It's become an obsession of sorts and it's all research for a big, sweeping story I'm going to write later this year.

And, of course, it'll all be illustrated. This will be an enormous job in every possible sense.

But, then, I can't remember the last time I've had this amount of passion for a single story.

More to come.
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Oh, God, I wish I could have a donut.

Ooh, Sugar Sugar...

So, I've made a commitment: because I'm not getting any thinner and because I'm beginning to notice a difference in how I feel now vs. how I felt in high school... AND because, by God, I must start somewhere... I've decided to modify my diet.

My comitment: for two weeks, no sugar.

No desserts, no candy, no soft drinks. No sugary cereal, no sweetened tea or coffee. No office donuts. No carrot cake that Carey baked the other day and will now have to be thrown out (because Carey's decided she's on board as well). Also, Carey informed me that white breads and bread products convert immediately to sugar, so I'm limiting those too.

The two weeks could extend to a month, should I so choose. We'll see. The main thing is, I want to see if a diet change makes a whit of difference in my day-to-day.

And, obviously, I can't cut out all sugar. Fruit is fine, for example. I've also decided that it's okay if sugar is an ingredient in something, as long as it's not that something's raison d'etre. For example, Cocoa Puffs are out, but Raisin Bran is still okay. Yeah, Raisin Bran has some sugar added, but come on. (Though last night, I did have some instant oatmeal and I think that may have been closer to the line than I'd like to stay).

But, hey, look at me with the diet change. What am I, responsible?

I've been at it for a few days and, to be honest, it's not been that hard. We'll see.
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I really don't feel as if I've changed all that much in the last five or six years. I'm still sort of funny, still a drab dresser, still registered Independent with conservative leanings, still read comics for cripe's sake... But sometimes it takes a visit from an old friend will cause me to stop and take inventory.

Dave and Johanna Matheny dropped in on their way to and from Hawaii. Both are dear chums from college and it was a delight to spend the better part of a day with them. We showed them the town... well, Long Beach... well, our section of Long Beach... well, our house... they gave us News from Back Home and they stayed just long enough to make us miss Ohio, just a little.

And, sure as eggs is eggs, we found ourselves discussing God and Faith and The World and the Human Condition on into the the early morning. I won't post the content of the conversation, nor will I post my current philosophies on the matter... frankly, I haven't even decided what my current philosophies are... suffice it to say that both Dave and Jo were very understanding and they actually bothered to listen, which is something that most Christians, myself included, never stop to do.
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Kirk Millett, a good friend and ridiculously talented colleague, has recently completed a web cartoon called "Souvenir" and it's way too gorgeous to be the work of one man. Designed, illustrated, animated, produced, and scored by Kirk, I think it's the best stuff he's done.

Take a look.

If you like it, drop him a note and tell him I sent you. He'd really appreciate it. And, come on: he's earned it.
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Oh, and in the spirit of Valentine's Day here are some Valentine's Day eCards that, I think, capture the true spirit of the season. (Unless you're reading this and your name happens to be Carey Bear, in which case I think this site is horrible and sad. I mean, don't people understand romance these days? Honestly!)