A whole lotta shakin' going on...

Okay, there's not a whole lot... just one good significant jolt. We just had a decent-sized earthquake here in Southern Cal. It was a 5.4 centered around Chino Hills (east of LA/Orange counties). I was just working here at the desk and watching the news as we all started movin'. I headed for a doorway as my ukulele took a dive off my top shelf. (Ukulele is okay – and still in tune.) Anyway... just thought I'd update.

New piece & ComicCon 2008...

Hi all! First off, here is a new piece I've done. This educational show, by Rocco Natale, tackles the topic of smoking in a humorous and inventive way. It will tour New York public schools starting soon. I've also posted it on my website. (Click here to get to my "Illustrative Design" page and click on "Recent Work.") If you haven't checked it out in a while, you might take a gander at the new look of the Squigs' Ink site. I'm still feeling good about that accomplishment.

I returned last night from a trip to San Diego to attend a couple days of ComicCon 2008. It was my first time. Now I know that I'm pretty much a geek when it comes to a lot of things. I embrace that. But I was still secretly happy to know that my geekiness is a rather mild case compared to some others. This was mostly made evident by the insane costumes. I thought about posting some photos, but the one I really wanted to post might prompt you all to think I was insensitive to weight-challenged crocheters. Anyway... I really enjoyed myself and walked my feet off. I really loved experiencing the panel discussions, the huge studio displays, and the random personalities sitting for autographs (Elvira, Richard Hatch, and Lou Ferrigno anyone?). But I think my favorite section was the small press area where artists showed off their own work. There was some really amazing stuff and I got a few ideas for how I might be able to put my own pen to use. Really fun weekend.

In other news, I'm going to be taking part in a reading of a new musical next month. Vrooom! is loosely based on Viva Las Vegas and I'll be playing Cardoc, one of the harmony-singing Grease Monkeys. Should be fun. Well, that's all for now. Take care, all! Peace and love.

More projects...

I've got work to do. I'm toiling away on a show logo and a few personal projects, and I'm looking ahead to some projects on the horizon as well. Just thought I'd toss out a little update.

If you haven't taken a look yet, please peek at my new website design. Click here.

Well, enough procrastination. Back to work. Peace and love, y'all!

[new sketch]

Remember when I said I was happy to have nothing popping up to keep me from the final stages of my website redesign work? Well, something popped up as I was nearing completion. But this time I was so glad it did. My Wichita Forum cohort Ed Watts' girlfriend Heidi and friends were headed for the Broadway opening of their show [title of show] and Ed wanted to commemorate it with a sketch. We came up with this (see upper right). The sketch included many tributes – to the [tos] family, show references, fans (tossers), gifts received, celebrity visitors, and inside jokes – and I hear the presentation went over very well.

AND I was able to finish the website to boot. This was in thanks primarily to my Vista family, the Breners, who hosted me on a little surprise drop-in working vacation. Thanks, Nancy and Aaron! I owe you!

There's more art on the horizon too. I have a couple of logo projects in the works and some other "back-burner" projects making their way onto the desk. So keep an eye out. Take care, y'all! Peace and love.

At last...

Click here to witness the brand spankin' new design of the Squigs' Ink Illustration website. I can't express how amazing it feels to finally get it done. I'm sure I'll continue to futz with it for a while, but it's up and runnin' and I love how it looks.

Also keep an eye out here for a link to a new piece of art that just might be presented later today. Until then... take care, y'all! Peace and love.

In the zone.

I was in the zone today. I was a whirling dervish of a web design whirlwind. (It's about time.) I made major strides today on the overall look of the site and (where the rubber meets the road...) all the crazy busy work. I anticipate launching the redesign as early as next week, and I'm so thrilled. Doesn't it just stick in your craw when you have a project on the back burner with the full intent and desire to get it done and other things keep popping up? That's been my world. Now once this is done, I'll have to go back to that ol' back burner for the next project. It's never ending, but exhilarating when things actually get done.

So, to get my eyes uncrossed and celebrate the progress a bit, I headed over the hill to Largo (the new location at the old Coronet Theatre) and caught Sara and Sean Watkins in the little room. Even more than at the original Largo, this room makes you feel like you're in their den and they're just jammin' with pals. It was mostly just them this evening, but Willie Watson from Old Crow Medicine Show sat in on three tunes. Such a great intimate show!

Other than that, a couple enjoyable recent discoveries have been the movie Kung Fu Panda and the Seattle band, Fleet Foxes. Just a couple random recommendations. Anyway... now I'm back to the computer. Tomorrow, I may take the web design on the road for some variety. We'll see. But until next time... take care. Peace and love y'all!

Oregon reveries.

I'm back home after my lovely trip to Oregon. It was so lovely to see the folks, the sis and her family, Aunts Sandi and Pam, and especially Grandma who is recovering extremely well from surgery. There was also much relief after my brother gave us quite a scare all the way from Minnesota with his run-in with West Nile Virus and a few trips to the ER. It all was the best kind of drama – the kind that ends quickly and with a positive outcome.

As I've written about previously, I spent some wonderful time out at the coast. Such rejuvenation! And then as I headed up to Grandma's yesterday, I decided to schedule a trip to The Enchanted Forest. This roadside whimsical theme park was such a part of my younger years. As a wee one, I was certain that it was an extension of Disneyland, mainly because my imagination was often allowed to take flight in crazy ways in both places. I enjoyed paying homage to favorite sites as the little castle (which seemed so huge when I was five), the summer theatre stage (where I'm sure my love for theatre was spurred on), Humpty Dumpty, the Crooked Man's House, The Old Woman's Shoe (wherein you boarded a slide that would send you plummeting down the hill on a little green rug), the old western village Tofteville, and the Old Witch's Head (seen in the photo above). But the attraction I revisited with a bit of trepidation was the Haunted House... I remember that as a kid, I was absolutely freaked out by this thing, but I usually had someone to cower against. In fact, one legendary family story found my Grandpa, cousin, and I making our final exit from the place, one kid wrapped tightly around his head and the other wrapped around his ankles after nearly pulling down his pants. Every visit required a trip through this evil place, but I treated it like ripping off a band-aid... a long, slow, meandering tearing of skin.

But it couldn't have been as scary as I remembered it. Right? I bought my tickets and mounted the steps... Okay, who was the sadist who created this torture chamber in the middle of a kids' theme park? Granted, I was sans cowering buddy, but this place was FREAKY – all sorts of things popping out of the darkness and jets of compressed air. There were little whimsical-ish scenes along the way too, but the path between these breathers was horrifying! I emerged from that revered exit door actually sweating and SO relieved to be seeing the sunlight once again. I breathed a sigh as I half-jogged to the theatre where the panto-inspired, unchanging schtick style was slated to tell us the tale of Cinderella. Much more my cup o' tea!

So that's a little recent adventure for you. Now I'm back home and getting set to tackle some work that has been simmering on the back burner for a while. Take care, y'all. Peace and love!