It's been about a year since my last post, and what a year it's a been. Without going into too much detail, I've been through some art classes (the bulk of the works produced in those classes that I feel like sharing are up in my gallery). I've illustrated my first serious attempt at a comic book (colors and letters forthcoming) which I plan on printing, because, damnit I want to see it printed. I've done some freelance illustrator work (which unfortunately I can't yet share on here) and can say with a smidgen of authenticity that I am, in fact, an illustrator. I should be working on some of that right now, in fact, but here I am posting this. Whoops! I started listening to (and love love love LOVE LOVE) some great podcasts about art and illustration. (Big Illustration Party Time, Ninja Mountain, Art and Story, Art and Story Alive!, Art and Story EXTREME!!, Chris Oatley ArtCast... Chris is actually here on deviant art. Check him and his awesomeness out. All available through iTunes, too.)

I moved in with my girlfriend. I am close to convincing her that we need a cat (maybe). I got hired full time (and I mean fuuuuuuull time, 50 hrs a week) at my day job, which pays nice but isn't art, so won't be forever. I've started running at least three times a week. I have real running shoes with insoles that I invested lots of money in so I would feel too guilty to not run. I sleep about five or six hours a night. Someday soon I will get a new computer. Someday soon I'll make some other large purchase that are frequently in my thoughts these days.

I have read lots of philosophy. I have talked lots of philosophy. I have made four new very good friends, lots of acquaintances, a plan that I will not stick to, a plan that I must stick to, and I've decided (as per the advice of one of the podcasters/acquaintances) to start putting myself, my art work, and my words out here on the internets.

I love comic books. Not so much the Marvel and DC stuff specifically (it's good, it's bad, it comes, it goes, but they make 'em so fast people hardly have any time to think about story telling, panel composition, etc). Just comics in general. And making comic books. If anybody out there just wants to talk comics or illustration, hit me up. If you feel nervous about the breadth of your knowledge, I gotta tell ya, I don't care one way or the other how much you know. I just wanna talk some comics with somebody who loves 'em. If you know tons and tons and tons and think you might be able to spare an ounce of time or advice, that's awesome, 'cause I just wanna talk some comics. If your brother won't stop doing terrible crayon doodle stories on everything you own even though he's forty two and you wanna vent about it, that's great, because that's close enough to talkin' comics for me.

What are you ideas? (You don't have to be too specific, if I were spouting to a virtual stranger I wouldn't wanna give my stories away to someone who might take 'em, but I love to chat about ideas for, you guessed it, comics.) What do you love to draw? Who are your influences? Put up some links! What do you want to learn about? Do you like drawing stories, other people's stories, your own stories? Do you want to start? What are you wondering about? Think I should work on something in my artwork? Tell me!

I hereby solemnly promise to respond to every person who responds to this, to strike up a dialogue, to look at every link you post (unless, y'know it's spam or a virus or something), and to just talk some shop. If that sounds like your cup o' tea, then post away. If not, post anyway. You'll find I'm reasonably likable, mostly well-meaning, and that I'm a complete dork for comics.