Can you tell me how to get...how to get to...South Bend?

Sunny day...                      

I've spoken at length (and shown more than a few samples) ofthe artwork I drew for Dreamworks Animation Magazine. That was a fairly immediate project, where my publisher at Ape Entertainment asked me to whip up some drawings, and within days they were approved by Dreamworks, and within a month of that, they saw publication, with another issue with my work in it on the way. Well, I think I can now talk about another licensed property that I may be contributing to this year, one that's been in the works for quite a while...

Ape is going to produce a Sesame Street comic book. It was being whispered about over a year ago, and when I heard, I campaigned like mad to be a part of it. Everyone reading this knows I'm a Muppet fanatic, right? I really don't need to repeat my history with all things Jim Henson, do I? Didn't think so. Anyway, my publisher told me to submit some Sesame Street sketches to show I knew how to draw the characters. This is what I came up with:

I've since been told that Sesame Workshop approved me as an artist on the book. More recently, I was asked to send them some pitches for one-page comics featuring the Sesame Street characters. My editor at Ape seemed to like them, and I should know in a week or two what Sesame Workshop thinks. I'd just be one of several contributors if this all works out. But anyone who knows how deeply I care about Jim Henson and the Muppets will get how monumental working on this comic would be for me.

I kinda feel like Rudy...

Though I never aspired to play football for the Fightin' Irish, a cool opportunity has landed in my lap that will bring me to Notre Dame. The Snite Museum of Art at Notre Dame has asked me to do a presentation on my career in comics. My audience will be a select group of area children who are aspiring artists. While I've talked to kids about my career before, I've never gone out of state to do it, nor at such a lofty venue. I'm honored to be asked, and once again, I'm indebted to friend and cartoonist Dave Coverly for recommending me to the museum's curator of education. This will all go down on June 21st, a week from today. So I've got some serious preparing to do. That is, coupled with my monthly comic page quota for Ape, prepping for San Diego Comic Con....good gravy. What am I getting myself into...?

That's enough for now, I think. We'll see what's left of my frazzled brain next week, and if I can put words together in a coherent sentence enough to post a new update. Friends and followers, gimme strength.

--Jay