Par For the Course

Somebody was actually surprised by Xbox 360 glitches? In a Microsoft product? C'mon...

Morning Mantra

To be muttered furiously to the tune of "I Love Paris" while walking uphill in the cold wind.

I hate winter in the springtime,
I hate winter in the fall,
I hate winter in the summer when it sizzles,
I hate winter in the winter when it drizzles.
I hate winter,
Oh why oh why do I hate winter,
Because it's really cold.

Yes, I know it's not officially winter yet. Shuddup.

My Comic Education Continues

And in the category of how-to-make-your-webcomic, there's this "How To" article by the Dub This guys. And here's another good synopsis. I've spent a lot of time reading about and looking at webcomic publishing software, so now I'm down to the nitty-gritty of deciding whether to continue as I've been planning, sketching by hand and scanning in for clean-up, or attempting to scary world of digitally creating my webcomic from scratch. I shudder with terror.

It's not that I'm not handy with Photoshop and a computer in general, it's just that I'm clumsy with a mouse and reluctant to shell out money for a drawing tablet.

In the looking-for-a-Wordpress-theme category: finally, a Wordpress theme made for webcomics! Let the designing commence.

And in the webcomics-to-be-reading category, here's Copper. As for my more traditional print-comic education, see my previous post: I've been reading Maus and How to Read Superhero Comics and Why.

Merry Kitty-mas

Amy, Kali, this one's for you, babes. And your adventurous kitties.

Holes

I spent a lot of time today looking at dirt. We have to re-direct our sprinkler system and add a water line, so while Alex used a rented trencher to cut long lines 18" deep in our backyard, I dug out our three sprinkler heads. Luckily, the ground was pretty soft--our black clay can be hard as rock sometimes--so it wasn't hard, sweaty work, therefore I let my mind drift around a bit.

I spent some time thinking about the comic criticism I'm reading (see below). Its text reminds me that I enjoyed Dark Knight Returns, obligates me to read Watchmen, interests me in Marvels, and makes me eager to get my hands on Astro City.

Last night, we watched Sky High and Mr. & Mrs. Smith. I give the Smiths a solid 7 for a good popcorn movie, and Sky High an enjoyable 8, which I did not expect. It was not only genuinely funny, but often clever, and most astonishing of all, it wasn't heavy-handed with the "moral lesson for young people" in relation to the main character, which made it much more enjoyable from the adult perspective. I'm not saying it wasn't predictable, but it was also just fun, and best of all, it had an awesome comic-book-style opening and close. And a great mad scientist teacher--I wish I'd had to construct a ray gun in science class.

Currently Reading How to Read Superhero Comics and Why By Geoff Klock

Currently Watching Friends Season 9

Fan Stats!

Okay, now occasionally I realize that more than two of you (my husband being one of the two) are reading this blog, because I'll have a comment or two. But I recently signed up with Tracksy and was heartened to see that today's traffic alone had fourteen unique visitors!! Hooray! (And since I'm blocking the IPs I use, I'm not even included in that stat--how flattering is that?)

I think some people like me. Gee, shucks.

Visual Treats

• an interesting picture blog by a talented Portuguese illustrator
• a guide to Aeon Flux for the non-initiated (myself included)
• the referral site: a blog of other people's illustrations

These sites, particularly the Aeon Flux comic, made me think of the movie comic reviews that I've mentioned before, The Comic Critic and Joe Loves Crappy Movies. Gosh, I love those.

It makes me want to sit down and draw comics while watching movies. Or watch 8 episodes of Friends in a row--oh wait, that was how Alex and I spent yesterday evening. Heh, heh, the sheer gluttony of it all, made possible by Best Buy's extreme discounts on seasons 8, 9, and 10 last week. "We were on a break!"

I'm at the end of my work shift. And now, a little something I like to call, "Let's Celebrate the Fact that I Have Three Jobs and No Time to Cook by Getting Boston Market!" It's a good thing.

Oh, and in related news, I finished the last of the three murals at my client's house yesterday. Hooray for paychecks for creative work! (And hooray for a few days off from physical strain--seriously, painting's no desk job.)

O Tannenbaum

...So last Christmas saw my classic "slow-motion" moment--I had just finished putting up our 9-foot tree when it toppled completely over, bending the trunk. Tree Classics told us in October that they'd send us a new trunk to replace it, but when nothing showed up in the mail by Thanksgiving, I muttered darkly and put up our old 6-footer instead. However, they've restored themselves in my good graces today by providing us with a completely free, pre-lit tree as a replacement--apparently, they no longer make our previous tree. It's a foot shorter, but pre-lit--that saves me, what, an hour or so of untangling lights and dragging my footstool around the tree--works for me!

By the way, twelfth-century tradition or no, I happen to think that upside-down Christmas trees are a really silly idea. I particularly detest the way they're marketed--"Leaves more room on the floor for gifts!" Ugh, talk about blatant commercialism.

Random News: In the "way to stick it to the man" category: $70,000 worth of free flights in Canada.