27 minutes left...

...happy valentine's day!


Thanks again to Josh Johnson for the use of his printing press.

With independents you are never alone.

It's been an incredible week. So many things seem to be coming into focus. I want to turn the focus from me for a moment and onto an artistic team that I feel is about to make a major and significant break through in the world of independent comics; Nik Havert, Paul Schultz and Nicole McClain. Their book SALEM, AZ will be one of two things. Either, the next big property to be snatched up by the majors and exploited making Nik, Paul and Nicole a small mint while the majors capitalize on their own limited vision and consumptive nature destroying what otherwise would be a pure example of artistic expression...or it will prove to be, overtime, the greatest independent comic since Eastman and Laird's TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES! Either way you will get to enjoy it and if you know what is good for you you will head toward the tallest mountain and shout, "THERE ARE TWO EYES IN 'INDEPENDENT COMICS' AND THEY'RE LOOKING OUT FOR YOU!"




I am lucky enough to know Paul (and Nik) personally and call them friends. Paul has blessed me with some tribute art incorporating my character Lucius into a portrait of the star of SALEM, AZ Kerry Connelly (Nicole McClain). Nicole, if we ever cross paths you must pose with Lucius yourself. (He's not a "cardboard cut out"! He's a two dimensional facsimile of an ethereal concept!!) Check out Paul's Blog (IF THEY MOVE...) and Nicole's Blog (All you need!) before you leave.

Baby Elephants

As many of you know, I am a big fan of Edward Gorey. I was definitly thinking of his influence when I slung this one. A friend told me that circus elephants are often chained when they are babies. They, of course, tug on the chain in attempt to escape. They soon learn that they are too small to break the big heavy chain, so, they stop trying. When they get older, the circus owners can then use a flimsy rope and a stake to keep the paceyderms in line. You see, as babies they learn that they are unable to break free. This is refered to as a learned or assumed restraint. And, being that elephants never forget, it is a perfect object lesson. I, of course, countered with the idea that every once in awhile you hear about the elephant that broke free and rampaged ten city blocks. As artists, we know a lot about assumed contraints. We also know about breaking chains. Thus, another illustration was born. Look closely...how many elephants do you see?