New Moves

(photo from R.Reeves at his insistence)

Wow! It's been a long time! Sorry folks, I am just not a blogger. So why have a blog? So's that we can make periodic updates about things comic related and unrelated. Like, I quit my job and moved from CO-lumbus, Georgia to Berkeley, California. It was an arduous five day journey where I and my car, Mildred, braved 100+ degree weather. We went through deserts and mountains and more deserts and farmfields and stockyards that had a 30 minute stench in both directions and raging thunderstorms in New Mexico and Mississippi and the general stench of Louisiana and the awfulness of Texas. Sorry to all of you out there who like Texas, but I just do'nt. It's true, there are really good parts that I've never been to and I should'nt just knock the whole state, but I'm knocking the whole state.
So far, the weather here has been pretty plush. I came from a place that was suffering from 100 and change with the requisite insufferable humidity which just raises the heat index and the tempers. Trying to pack your car in 106 degrees just flat out sucks.

Now I'm here and will make an update every once in a while because there are still very nice folks out there in the world who check up on us to see what's happening. Thanks again!

The Night on Blood Mountain

Sorry, I really did'nt spend the night on Blood mountain, although I did drive up and down the thing. Actually, I stayed at a place close to Rocky Mountain. It was at a camp with an organic farm, which I actually did not get to visit because there was a band of small children blocking my path. Remembering Lord of the Flies, and not being a fan of children, much less people, in general, I went in the opposite direction up to see a trout pond. The trout said nicer things to me than the children would have.
This was my vacation to North Georgia, in my modest attempts to get out of Central Georgia. I had to get back into the mountains again. To see rapid inclines and declinations...to see odd, oversized tourists with their jeans tucked into their cowboy boots...to see quaint, not-so-German-German villages in the high north of Georgia (which, thankfully, I drove through and did not exit my car). I do'nt do well with tourists, either. Which is why I ended up where I ended up.
There, I was able to start and ALMOST finish the novel Kornwolf by Tristan Egolf. Not great, but really enjoyable. A little filthy and anarchic and totally manic book. Recommended to only a few of you. If you like Chuck Palahniuk, you might like this. Over the top, outrageous, and good for my brain...which was totally hellbent (against my desires) to relax, not do any work, sketching, drawing, painting, THINKING, writing, planning, scheming, collecting, et cetera, ad infinitum.
So I hiked, drove around N.GA, slept in laaaaate, and read.
It was a great little vacation! I was able to get out on the Appalachian Trail and tromp around on some strenuous switchbacks. I even saw bearsigns. Me, by my lonesome coming across ground that has been upended with bear spoor in the trail is not the most pleasing of prospects. From the tracks left behind (paw prints sans any claw marks) and what appeared to be snout marks (!!!!), I determined that it was probably a small black bear that had been rooting around the trail sometime during the night or morning. You better believe I picked up a stick for walking and defense! Luckily, that was as close as I came to the bears.
I saw many odd little creatures on my walk. Dozens of tiny little white butterfies, one big fat squirrel, large millipedes (two varieties: one black with yellow markings, the other black with pink and white), very large trail snails, something green and slimy, a massive orange cup fungus which looked like a pumpkin that exploded, a halo of gnats and flies and one very tempestuous deerfly.
I was only up there for a couple of days, but it was worth it. I've been locked away in the studio in the couple days since my return. I've got a new series of large drawings (idioplasts, if you'll recall) that I've started. Once I get back to work, J. and I will get back to the CREAM. I know that sounds bad, and I meant it to be, but it really is'nt what you think it may be, dear perverts, but then if you're a regular, you'll know what it is that I speak of. Speaking of...which...the Carnage Creamatorium made me want to watch the Lord of the Rings trilogy again, as well as the Gormanghast series...
Being on the mountain has made me want to watch Valerie and Her Week of Wonders. Too much to do since I've been back! I still need to finish reading my damn book!
Oh bless me, I just sneezed.

Chewmeupagainintotinylittlepiecesbecausei'mfunnythatway

The Crab eats its way out of its shell

I found myself wandering along the coastline of Montana de Oro in the Year of Last. This happened during my first trip to California. Whilst on the beaches, I had a vision of finding a talking Crab who prophesied that I should "take it to the Mountain". Once up there, I would come across a grove of singing eucalyptus trees that would give me further instruction. It stopped there...and I was obviously not going to investigate the preposterous and utterly fantastic ramblings of my brain. I recognize imagination when I see it. I am usually neck deep in it.
So I took that basic premise and decided to turn it into a short comic. Four pages max. Well, it's funny how some of my comics seem to grow in size rather rapidly. Before long, two simple ideas expanded into ten and so on. Now, it will be a graphic novel. The story is practically written...in my mind. It's all there: beginning, middle, end, characters, new title, places, and scene studies. Everything except for words. No notes to speak of.
The page you see in this post is the very first, and quickly rejected, page out of this conceptual graphic novel. Some of you have seen the more proper test panel, which I will not post here because of content (it's an orgy)...and also because too many people have seen it. The showing was premature, but the reception has been excellent. I fear its approval has damaged me. Regardless, I give you the first and only panel of The Crab, as it was originally intended.

- Chew

Slums Part 2

This post is an extension of the last post. Remembering all of the crap that was floating around in my head while I was working on this book got me into a bit of a tangent. There was so much background info, that I continually got worked up over one thing or another. Many times, the ideas would not stop flowing, and one concept would lead into five more. Each one of these had to be explored and so on. This is why the thing took eleven years. Why, even at this very juncture, I am starting to salivate over the idea of restarting the the project. It might not be completely dead...but at this point, I liken it to having a very bad crush on someone. The kind where you ca'nt get them out of your head-no matter what. Even when you realize what it is and what it's doing to you. After my last REALLY bad crush, I decided that no matter what, I need to stay as far away from that girl (woman) as possible. Even if she wants me around (but does'nt really want me. you know?). It messes up my head. It is'nt fair to her, to those involved with her, or me.
I feel the same way about this particular comic. I am totally in love with an idea that has no use for me.
Another thing I want to mention about the slum, in the background is a large furnace. It is the centerpiece of a landfill that is supposed to burn non-recyclables. But because of corruption (and apathy), everything ends up getting burned. Including prisoners. Especially political prisoners. There is an even larger landfill to the south of Empire City that is located in present day Texas. Take all of the "Smoking Mountains" in the world (those larger than large landfills which contain whole communities of people) and you're still not even close to the size of it. There is another wall which separates the city from the fill, complete with gunners and guard towers and a no man's land. Many people deemed unworthy to live in the city (prisoners of all sorts who do'nt warrant immediate exceution, perverts, sick people...basically, anyone who can be thrown away) are set loose in The Fill.
This was to be a later chapter in the Mandarins saga.

- Chew