Chicken Hearted

I find parenting stressful. Very stressful. I can't always tell when I'm stressed, unless the lower eyelid of my left eye starts to quiver. It's extremely annoying and there's nothing to be done about it except wait it out. It eventually goes away for awhile. Until the next crisis, that is.

Beware the First Snowfall

Usually, the first snowfall is romantic and beautiful, but this  year, stuff was falling down all over the place! Our neighbor lost a ton of branches and we saw a big tree that had fallen over and just missed a car! Huge clumps of heavy wet snow were crashing down, so walking was treacherous and electrical lines were snapping all over the place. And we thought tornadoes were scary!

Photo Ops

You've Got Mail

Go Google Yourself

The Early Years: Reasons (#4 In Color!!!)

 

And here's the inked versions if you're interested:

The Early Years: Reasons (#4)

 

I feel a little guilty posting Sunday's comic when it's still in sketch form, but I really wanted to give you something and I will post when I actually ink and color this comic! I'm hoping seeing the pencil version will be a little interesting. It's so different once it's inked and colored, sometimes not for the better I think! Anyway, I hope you'll forgive me for posting a "half done" comic and find it enjoyable to read and look at anyway! Thanks, as always, for reading my comics!!!!

Special

 

Hey, just a bit of Minnesota trivia... I included a Minneapolis landmark in my comic this week! See if you can figure out what it is. If you just can't figure it out, the answer is HERE!

I've seen it in person a couple of times and all I can think of is how fun it would be to climb on it, but you get arrested if you do that, so....

Phil Talks to the Animals

Sketches and Notes

For today, I decided to post a few sketches of some comics that I've posted here. If you are interested in the process of creating comics, maybe you'll enjoy seeing these. I always carry either a sketch book or a small clip board with drawing paper in the bag that I take with me everywhere. I always have a pencil, eraser, small ruler, and a couple of my rapidograph pens in a little zipper pocket so I'm ready to go wherever I am. I try to draw whenever I have a couple of minutes... waiting at the doctors office, picking up kids at school, at church... whatever. That way I can keep track of any ideas I might have and practice drawing every day. I just really love to draw. I love the way the pencil feels against the paper. Maybe I'm weird, but that's how it is.

Anyway, here's a few sketches from my little clipboard.

 

This is a sketch of Phil at a gig.

T

 And here's the sketch I did of a comic I posted a couple of days ago. When I think of an idea, it usually appears to me pretty complete. I think in metaphors a lot...  because I'm a visual person. I could tell you that I think like I'm in a fog, but you get a better idea when I draw the fog and then the thoughts are little rockets that I can't catch.

That's it for this lovely Friday... see you soon with some new comics!

Brain Fog Disorder

A couple of months ago, I went through a psychological evaluation to find out if I had A.D.D. It was pretty grueling as tests go, I was there for almost 5 hours and was interviewed as well as taking a battery of tests. One thing I found out is that I'm a monster processor... my processing speed is manic, but sadly, my working memory falls far below that. So, I often feel like my brain is speeding, but I can't grasp and hang on to whatever thought is flashing through. It's really frustrating. Sometimes I find myself wandering in some other world, unable to focus in on any one thing. Time becomes irrelevant during these little forays into my imagination. I've spent valuable minutes/hours day dreaming!

Then there's this thing called "executive functioning". That's the ability to organize your life, keep track of your things, categorize, make decisions, be prompt, be able to follow through, manage your time wisely... an ability that's massively impaired when you have A.D.D.

I've spent my whole life trying to function, going to school, working, managing my home and family, but struggling in a kind of fog. Finally, I have an answer as to why it takes me so long and why it is so much of an effort to do things that seem to be easy for most people. I have a brain that doesn't fire very efficiently. I'm so relieved to find that there is something that can help me. It doesn't solve all my problems, but it clears out the fog and enables me to be productive. I'm not the type of person to say that all you need is a magic pill, but if there is something that helps, then by all means, take it. I can testify that my life has improved many times over now that I've found something that helps me think.

Ham Emancipation

Only You! Can Prevent Cooking Fires

I can cook pretty well, but for some reason, I seem to create a smoky atmosphere sometimes. 

I don't get it... 

And hamburgers are the worst.

Rosie Steps In

I can't say enough good things about my girl, Rosie. She's my best friend, my daughter and amazing. Yeah, I'm biased. Get over it :-)

A Mother of a Beast

The Early Years: 2nd Thoughts

Thanks for being so patient! I have been swamped with family stuff for the last week and a half! But I'm glad to have this comic done and sent out into the etherworld! Thanks for stopping by and reading... you make my day!!!

Gourd-zilla attacks my hometown!

This is so crazy you have to come look at it.... right here. It's really begging for a cartoon and maybe I'll have time to do one, but at the very least, you should go look at the world's biggest pumpkin. No kidding. It weighs almost a ton. And it's not very pretty. Happy Autumn anyway!

Sunday comic is coming... The Early Years: 2nd Thoughts

Checking in with my peeps...

Hey! I just wanted to check in with you all since I haven't posted in a week! I've been a little under the weather AND super busy with stuff at home. You might not know this, but I Homeschool my daughter, I'm starting to teach a few students this year (piano lessons!) and I have four kids that all need stuff so my life feels a little out of control at times. On the positive side, the weather has been gorgeous and that makes for a good mood. I'm still drawing and working on the latest Sunday comic that I missed last week... It's coming soon, I promise!

Take care, y'all! I miss you!

La-De-Da

Today's comic is just a silly thing that happened at breakfast yesterday.

And for those of you that like to peruse the details: Phil's arm looks like it's sinking right into the table. Hmmmmm.... a little off on the perspective there.

On another subject entirely:

I've been checking out Andrew at Shmerious Blog (which you should too... lots of cool art, comics, illustrations and shtuff) and he posted a very cool book that he made. So, I thought I would follow suit and post a similar book that I made earlier this summer. The cover is book board decoupaged with vintage repro paper, blank pages all sewn together with hemp. Fun!

Eat Dessert First

Let's Get Logical

It seems like I am always the one who is coming up with these great ideas and Phil who does the research to figure out if it's going to work. I guess that makes us a good couple, but it also drives me crazy sometimes (even though I see his wisdom) because I like to get started when I have good idea. Because, dang it, I have good ideas. Really good ideas.

Phil also has good ideas, but he has the patience to figure out how it's going to work before he jumps in. Then again, he doesn't have A.D.D.

It's Just a Number... Right?

Today's comic was drawn in the car while I was waiting to pick up kids at school and finished at home right now, before I crash into bed... My kids are both cruel and wonderful all in the same moment. Why, just today, I asked one of my kids if he was interested in any girls at school. His reply? Why would you want to know? Because I love you and I'm interested in your life. Well don't be.

Okay, fine.

Survivor: Beautiful (Part 3)

The Early Years: an Idea I Had

Yes, folks, that's a mullet and I have a perm. That dates us pretty much doesn't it??? But my hub is a musician and a lot of them had mullets in those days. This is my new Sunday series, "The Early Years". There were some interesting things that happened in those early days and tho I can't always remember the exact conversation, I remember very well the emotion and sentiment, so I'm doing my best to make these comics true to the original event. This is the story of our first child, Riley, and with his permission, I'm going to tell his story to the best of my ability.

Oh, and just for fun, I made an Influence Map showing which comics inspired me to make my own comics! There were many more, but these are probably the ones that I loved the best. Of course, "Maus" was the most influential and almost life changing. If you haven't read it yet, you should. It's a classic.  I didn't add Garfield, because I was embarrassed to admit I read Garfield. I also had a pretty decent collection of MAD Magazines too. I was the only girl I knew that read those. That makes me pretty geeky I'm thinking.

1. Eyebeam by Sam Hurt (these were published in the University of Texas newspaper when I went to school there.
2. Maus by Art Speigelman. A classic tale of survival in World War II
3. Lynda Barry. I LOVE HER.
4. Peanuts. Well, duh. What's not to love?
5. Matt Groening's Life in Hell. 
6. Farside
The rest are just the comic books I read as a child.

If you'd like to make your own Influence Map, you can find a template here: http://fox-orian.deviantart.com/art/Influence-Map-Template-174550753 . I'd love to see what you all come up with!

Survivor: Askew (Part 2)

Survivor: The Challenge (part 1)

I'm sharing the gift of my mom today: send Mary the love!

Loveable Geek Part 3

Okay, okay. I've learned my lesson.

Loveable Geek Part 2

This happens more than should be allowed. You would think I would learn. Well, I guess I have, but I'm the eternal optimist. You can't blame a girl for trying.

Loveable Geek

The Daily Quota

I make no excuses for the excessively precious nature of this cartoon. I also will not apologize for my pleasantly pollyanna-ish personality. Nor my sophomoric use of alliteration. Or my penchant for vapid displays of my extensive vocabulary. 

Haha. I jest. I so funny.

Flashes Before Your Eyes

I was not so brave as Riley. I didn't go on any rides, but I did eat alligator nuggets (think chicken nuggets with sauce, but made of alligator). It tasted pretty good, but was tough as a boot.

You're So Sexy

Now that I've posted this comic, I see how gruesome Homer Simpson's head looks sitting up there. It's supposed to be Homer drooling over some doughnut or slab of pork chop, but instead it looks like someone chopped off his head and he's bleeding from the mouth. And that makes no sense at all. I apologize for the weirdness of that image. Not to mention that Phil looks like he's wearing lipstick in the last panel, which he almost never does. So, dang.

My Cartooning Injury

Yes indeed. You must be careful when drawing comics because if you aren't, your Rapidograph pen might somehow slip forcefully out of your hand, fly like Superman and impale you in the eyelid. And if that should happen, you will be left with a black ink spot on your eyelid that is unremoveable. My own little tattoo. And it's not a very pretty tattoo. 

 Okay, it doesn't look all that big in this picture, but it is about an 8th of an inch long and black. 

When I was 5 years old, my dad told me to get him a pen. Instead I got him a pencil. We got into a little argument. He said Pen! I said Pencil! and then I jabbed the pencil into my knee for emphasis. That mark is still there to this day. 

Now, I don't mind too much having a pencil lead mark in my knee, but I'm not very happy about having a black mark on my face. Any ideas on how to get rid of it? Do you think I'll have to visit a tatto place and have it removed that way? Or should I just live with it? I was thinking of getting a tattoo for my birthday, but this is not what I had in mind.

 

What Does It All Mean?

My apologies to all Dylan fans.

Have I Just Made My Blog Obnoxious???

Hi-- sorry to be annoying, but I felt it was time for a change. If you find my new blog layout obnoxious or lovely, please let me know in the comments section. I aim to please... so, yeah. Just be nice about it okay?

Nasal Spelunking

I had to bribe Nate to let me post this cartoon. He's a good sport and it only cost me 5 bucks.

A Heinous Crime

To Kill An Appetite

Who's Whose Minion?

Down the Hatch

Sorry for the awful puns. I tried to avoid them, but then gave in. Please don't hold it against me and I'll try to do better in the future.