But I wanted to see what it was all about and get a feel for what people are doing. Plus it was fun to drive into the city, park downtown and walk around on the fancy streets.
$20.00 for each of us to get in, and we immediately started passing grown men and women dressed as Darth Vader, and Spiderman, Xena and Wonder-Woman. And let me tell you - some of these people should NOT have been wearing spandex. Nope...not a good look for a paunchy middle aged comic lunatic. But I started feeling the fun also, and that was good.
As you might know - I took a comic class about 1 year ago and loved it. And I've been working on getting Miss Em into comic book format all year, redrawing all the individual stories that I have and putting them onto the paper that they use for comics. I have about 39 pages finished, with more in my head. But for some reason, that's where they've stayed - in my head. I've been feeling constricted by the format and constricted by the do's and don't of traditional comic layout and production. I've stopped drawing ! I was with a friend the other day who's in the midst of writing a children's book and we talked alot about format, and breaking out of the mold. And I've been thinking about how to move forward with this project, as I miss my little Miss Em -
Anyway - walking around that convention center - meeting and talking to people got me excited again. And, all of the worry about the do's and don'ts fell away. I realized that the tried and true methods of comic book production are for mass production, Superman and all that. I have absolutely no interest in doing a daily Miss Em comic strip - or worrying about production, or book series. I met a few interesting women who do comics on the side and have day jobs - and their comics are self published and fun. Colorful, and no superhero's to be seen. I met a writer from New York who's working on a comic series with a buddy that he met in camp 30 years ago. Lot's of people telling their life stories in comics. There is a group in Boston that gets together and does critique and discussion - I'm going to try to meet up with them. I want to get more feedback on different formats - and might be asking for volunteers from my loyal reading crowd (that means you!) to look at two different formats and give me feedback.
All in all it was a good day. I feel energized about organizing my work and getting something going again - which is what I was hoping for.
So, I hope it's the end of the stress bowls for awhile... but I thought I'd show you the latest two little ones, aren't they cute? I like the deep colors, but like the shape of the other little one better. I might keep trying just a little bit.....
It's a gorgeous day again here - and I'm thinking bicycles.....
13 comments:
What an exciting day for you! Just the thing to get your juices flowing and ideas forming! I bet those Ms EM panels just pour forth now in the format YOU decide is best suited for her. Do you have a Ms Em costume to wear to the next convention? And NO I have never ever thought of you as a Geek!
A geekete maybe, but never a geek!
;-) Happy Sunday!
cute bowls, what are these made of?
And Libby and Grapes send their love.
Nothing like going to see someone elses Art works to get the juices flowing again. I love going to Art shows for this purpose. Sounds like it got things straight in your head. Look forward to your work now. Those bowls look like they are carved out of wood. Nice job.:)
I hope this means we will soon see the return of Miss Em. I really like her! I like the bowls too ... but am not so keen on seeing more if underlying their creation is your life feeling so stressed the whole time.
Recently Trev & I went to a fancy dress party. We went as astronauts which involved wearing what looked like aluminium foil jumpsuits. I just hadn't the heart to mention his paunch which was rather too accentuated by the outfit. I figured at a 50th bash we weren't likely to meet that many lithe astronauts ... I was right. Hope you enjoy the bike ride. xx Jos
Ah glad you're re-enthused and don't sweat it, some of my best friends are geeks . . most of them actually.
What a fun day! You never know, you may have the next Miss Em/Cathy comic strip in the works. It's good to get out and mingle with others in your field. At any rate, you learned some things.
oh happy day!
xo
Great news Mim, more Miss em!
20 each to get in? Entry should have come with a costume! Yipes!
Comic book convention. Wowsie. Sounds stimulating for sure. Fun to be among others who love comics. What costume did you wear, LOL. And you made contact with a support group. fabulous. Love these two little bowls.
yay you for going!! Isn't it wonderful when other artists and writers get your juices flowing again? I was hoping for that in Maine, but no galleries :(
I love the little bowls.
Bring on Miss Em! We all miss her.♥
This sounds encouraging - because you went there (sans costume) and because you met some people with like minds! I don't know a lot about comics art - but - I do know when something moves me - and Miss Em really does! GO FOR THIS!
Love,
♥ Robin ♥
What you wrote about people who shouldn't be seen in Spandex reminded me of a bald, pudgy, skinny-legged, upper middle-aged man I knew who legally changed his name to Thor. How do you pull off calling such a man by such a name without laughing?
Nothing like breaking out of the mold and getting the muse fired up. No bowls for awhile...
You know those people who give advice but you just know they don't take their own advice?
Well, I'm one of those, so I will say nothing about your writer's block except that I sympathise!
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