One of the websites I've been watching the longest (20 years or so) announced a contest this morning. What they're looking for is designs for a new series of woodblock prints that involve cats and a list of eight depictions that are traditional in ukiyo-e. One of them is night rain, and since I did an image of Tamino in the rain recently, this seemed kind of perfect. So far, all one has to do is submit a rough sketch which I've done. Then I inked it, because. That's what's here. I won't win, but I might have a chance to have my work seen. And it's a sign that I haven't given up, which is important to some people, including me.

Used my Memorial Day fairly well. Started off cleaning the bathroom and kitchen, which doesn't need images. Then I sat down and started and finished another Ghiroy page. Then I napped. Played some Zelda, made dinner and am now writing this. The comic's coming along. I wish it could go even faster. I only feel this way as I recently watched a fantasy cartoon series on Netflix, got through the whole first season in two days, and wished I had an 'instant' story like that. Yes, I know that a whole group of people worked for years to make that, it's just there's this pressure to have something in a huge chunk RIGHT NOW these days. I'm not sure an audience is patient enough for bits and pieces. There's enough evidence of this in the comics world. Hell, that's how I read my comics. An issue at a time is for chumps. When did we become so greedy? I'm just as guilty as anyone else. But I want a whole story, not a piece of it and I'm sure anyone I'd want to read this or any comic by me would want the same thing. So I get it. And, as fast as I can be with Ghiroy, I can't be fast enough. Maybe around page 100 or so, I'll get some attention. Only 90 pages to go to reach that milestone. :"D

Been awhile since I did a page of this. Some of it was various visits and surgeries, some of it was likely laziness and distraction. That being said, I do like this comic. I like making it, I like the characters. I only wish it took even less time to make. I'd love it if it were already 100 pages on or so. Seeing as I can get a new page done in generally just a day, start to finish, I shouldn't complain.

Took some time to enter a little contest. "Tales of Alethrion" is a web animation series I helped kickstart a few years ago. They're trying for a season two the same way, and I certainly hope they make it. In any case, they started a character design contest where you could try posting a pair of characters that, if you won and if they make it to season two, would show up in the show. So I repurposed Digby, mashing him up with the early design of Crow from "Ghiroy," gave him Mikilo as a partner in crime, giving the elf blue skin and Estarion's beard and tried out a version of the style they use for the cartoon. The style was surprisingly fun to draw in. Like I need another one of those. Still, Procreate to the rescue again. Here's hoping.

Second eye surgery seems successful. Also had a vacation in Boston right before. Both of those things together means that I don't do any art. Which might be fine in that I'm losing a lot of faith in Art in general. Too much to go into here and would be a total rant. That being said, might become a practice that I do self portraits when I just can't say what I want. Sure, this isn't the spitting image, but I don't really care. It expresses what I want it to and there's a surface resemblance. And it made my hand feel good to draw.

Another quickie on the iPad. Smatt is getting nastier looking all the time. I can totally see this style being used for a short comic. And it's fun to do.

Two quick Procreate sketches today, same style different approaches. I think I like the rougher Smatt better than the slicker, more 'realistic' Terry but that's ok. Both were fun to do and I got some art done. Also did another episode of the podcast. We approach our 50th episode which is kind of crazy. Means we've been at this for almost a year. I do feel good about that.

A quick before work sketch of the skater mice. The current sub-style works well for some characters, less well for others. The monkey doesn't really work with this but Digby and the mice seem to. Just a simple image to see how they'd work. They really lend themselves to be rendered in a much rougher fashion.