things went smoothly

Since I, like everyone else with a computer and a wifi connection, use it so often to vent, I thought I would just say that this morning I had my drawing, I had to scan it, I was awake at 7:20 and I thought - argh if I go to Officeworks to scan it now, there'll be a massive queue or something, and when I come back I'll have lost my choice parking space right outside, but argh, I have to do it sooner rather than later or it'll haunt me, so, I went and hang the consequences. The consequences were: I got there, no-one was there waiting to use the scanners, I did the thing, I came back and got a parking space outside the flat, the traffic wasn't that bad, everything was straightforward. Worst issues: (1) the first scanner I tried wasn't working (or took too long to turn on; couldn't tell) (2) the sanitiser at Officeworks (called 'Mia') is kind of gummy and takes a long time to dry on your hands. 

Then I did the greys and some tweaking on the page and it is done. IT IS DONE.

The earlier version of this page was ugly and needlessly complicated, with a huge 'Later' banner across the middle and (as Laura pointed out) cushion buttons that looked like flowers floating in space. These were confusing especially as there were flowers in amongst the 'Later' and Aspic was eating a flower. As below, though this is the version where I had already started trying to grey out the black on the top-left frame, which is why it all looks weird around Grace's head. When I redrew I noticed that I had semi-repeated the word 'prepare' (third frame) and it was more nuanced for Grace to say 'I told her it was... TV' which is a good way to code it for the two adults talking although in fact she gave a fairly bad explanation. But looking at the below version I am really glad I redid the whole thing considering the (clearly, very badly fixed up though I don't remember from what) 'Judy Pinder doesn't know any- (BIG SNOUT BREAK) thing', the aforementioned repetition of 'prepared/prepare', the fifth frame which is supposed to be Sherman folding his arms in exasperation I guess but he looks like he's gone to sleep in a straightjacket and also the opportunity for him to spell out in greater detail what he thinks of the documentary. So this is my abandoned attempt to fix the previous version of the page:

If I was Robert Crumb or Carol Tyler or Lindsay Arnold or, indeed, any kind of competent cartoonist, I'dl have them doing other things while they were talking, cutting onions or smoking cigarettes or fucking or something but I'm not capable of making such busy frames and I suppose on some level I feel it gets in the way of the dialogue (in that regard perhaps I'm just wasting comics and I should be writing a bad play). I am well aware that people don't just stand around and talk to each other (although admittedly these two, with their history of fictional TV narratives, might be more inclined to do it than some others, and they are talking about something important). Anyway, I better stop thinking about this because I'm starting to become inclined to redraw the whole thing with Sherman cutting a diamond or something. 

Speaking of Lindsay Arnold, as mentioned above. I am a huge fan of that man and although I think the word 'underrated' is overrated, I am quite irritated that (for instance) in the Wikipedia page on Weirdo he is notably absent from the list of contributors despite being objectively far better than many of the rubbish Americans listed. I think sometime before the end of the year I should do a Lindsay Arnold wikipedia page, because bizarrely there isn't one (well there is, but it is for someone with the same name, a dancer I think). I remember enjoying his work in Weirdo (which I read religiously, bought every issue, even the bad ones when Crumb edited them - more fool me) and the shock I felt when I realised, via some offhand reference (not the one below - something more subtle) that he was Australian, and a Tasmanian no less. Then I went back and re-read all the work. He is a stunningly fine comic artist. 

I guess what I need to know is how someone can set up a panel like this to pack so much into it not least the ambience. That said, this is not a great example of why Lindsay Arnold is so good, but it's the only Weirdo I could find, it's #27. I have a copy of a whole comic book he did, somewhere, he's pretty amazing. That's someone who should have a documentary made about him.

By the way a couple more things that should be recorded, with no reference or relevance at all to the above. I walked Ferdie and Barry on Saturday morning, Ferdie's second day of freedom in his recovery from surgery.

In the afternoon I went to Sophie's birthday picnic in Edinburgh gardens. 

Naturally the EG was like Woodstock or something, although this picture doesn't really show how crowed it was. The most interesting thing that happened (apart from me being interesting) was this cheerleading flash mob:

Melbourne, so much to answer for.  What a vibrant and exciting city full of artistic people expressing themselves.