I want to start this week's update by sharing a very special
experience that I had. On Easter, my wife and I had brunch at my grandma's, on
as beautiful a day as one could hope for. During a post-meal conversation with
my cousins at the dinner table, I looked out the window, and saw a cluster of
chubby bubbles float into my view. I immediately bolted out the back door and
reveled in the scene--my aunt Karen and my young cousins Kayte and Spence,
waving bubble wands into the gusty wind. I took my turn with the wand, and felt
the pure bliss of a dollar store novelty as I danced around the yard, waving
bubbles into existence. The four of us were laughing, and marveling at the wild
ones that wafted high above the rooftops. I realized that I was euphoric, that
I was in the presence of real magic. I could see it, touch it, breathe it in.
Childhood memories came to mind, but this was more than nostalgia. This was me
tuning in to a part of myself that I didn't realize had been absent. It was
whimsy and beauty and comfort, and it restored my belief in simple joys.
Perfect moments don't come along often, but I'll always remember this one, it
all its light, fragile, soapy wonder.
COMMISSIONS
Over the past couple months, I've been doing some work with
Hemmeter Elementary School in Saginaw, Michigan. After their annual SPARK Day
(an event that brings presenters in art and science to the school) where I
taught some of the classes how to draw famous cartoon characters (teaching them
to draw Popeye was an especially proud moment for me), I was further
commissioned to draw a poster commemorating the event. The artwork below will
hang in the school for years to come, and I'm very proud to have contributed to
such a wonderful event.
GUEST ARTIST
As I previously mentioned, I had been asked to contribute a
guest strip to artist Denver Brubaker's fantastic web comic, "Tales of a Checkered Man". My guest strip just ran yesterday, and I'm thrilled that
Denver allowed me to play in his creative sandbox. You can view the comic at
the link above, and can also see it below.
BODIE TROLL
After posting my Bodie Troll pages last week, I received
some very enthusiastic feedback from friends and followers. This prompted me to
do something I've never done before with one of my creations--I'm taking on a
collaborator. Though my usual working method finds me being very possessive of
my work and the creative process, Bodie is a very special project for me,
something new and different from what I've created before. As such, I want a
colorist who can enhance my work in ways beyond my own capabilities.
Fortunately, I'm very close friends with a talented artist who's perfect for
the job--cartoonist Evan Shaner, whose work has been seen in Archaia's "TheStoryteller" graphic novel and in the Dark Horse series, "Dark Horse
Presents". Besides being a whiz-bang illustrator, Evan is a deft hand at
coloring, and he's agreed to color the four-page Bodie promo that I'm putting
together. Evan has colored my work before to fantastic results, which only
strengthened my resolve to get him for this. When we have something to show,
you can bet I'll post it here. In the meantime, you can see one of our
previous collaborations below (and one of my favorites):
DEAD DUCK
If you've been following Dead Duck online (and why the hell
WOULDN'T you?!), you'll see that I just wrapped up the previous storyline,
"Gangs of New Scotland, or Quebec to the Future". On Thursday April
12th, we begin the next storyline, "One Toy Soldier Rides Away",
which is an homage to the great 80's toys I grew up with. Bookmark the link
above and follow the story over the coming weeks--it's one of my top favorites,
and a HUGE fan favorite as well!
TUMBLR
I'm such a lemming. Just as I did with Facebook and Twitter,
I followed the rest of my online brethren over the cliff and into the latest social
network craze, creating my own Tumbr account. Unlike this blog, which focuses
on news of my career told at great length, my Tumblr--tenatively called
"Unrefined Foz"--will feature random sketches and doodles. My
scribbly side deserves some recognition. So visit the link above and get to
recognizing, folks!
My last chunk of update is that, for the past couple months,
I've taken literal steps towards a healthier me. I've been walking an hour a
day, and even began wearing a digital monitor to keep track of my steps. To
date, I've lost at least five pounds, and an inch off my stomach. I've also
worked to change my eating habits, making room for more fruits and vegetables.
Tomatoes and sweet potatoes have been pleasant discoveries in my meals, while
kiwi is a fruit I wish I'd begun eating a long time ago. It's been nice to have
a goal outside of my artistic ambitions, and I'm pleased with the progress I'm
making. Here's to more progress in the months to come!
That's it for this week. take care, my friends!
--Jay
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