The Middle Child

Still drawing, just not posting

2009-10-08T17:24:00.001-07:00

Hello all. Or those who still visit this ghost town. I thought I would let you know that I have been drawing and creating, I just haven't been posting anything. I recently started a comics group here in St.Louis, and we are working on a comic together. Here are two pages from my portion:

Matt Bryan is also involved in the comics group.

The Traveling Sketchbook

2009-09-03T19:32:00.000-07:00

I think I've been dealing with my experimental comic The Traveling Sketchbook for 4 or 5 years. I'll often mail it out, forget that it's in another city, then remember, track it down and have it mailed again. In fact I think it's been a year since I've even seen it live. There's also a list of artist wanting to draw in the book, if they haven't forgotten about it by now.
I also tend to neglect the blog I've set up for the pages already created inside. But, not today. Today my daughter, Lily, went to bed early and I'm updating The Traveling Sketchbook!

The Ballpoint Fiends Episode 2

2009-09-03T19:06:00.000-07:00

The Ballpoint Fiends are at it again.

2009-08-23T19:25:00.000-07:00

Many years ago Coconut Monkey (aka Mike Joyner) approached me about animating my comic Caveman/Spaceman. Without hesitation I gave my approval. Mike did a really awesome test animation and we discussed some things he was going to do, including add the voices, but then he got busy with film school, Hollywood, and working on his movie Dorm of the Dead. The final animation may never have been completed, but I still think the first test animation is pretty awesome. I've been sitting on it for a long time and thought it was time to share it with everyone.

The original comic:

2009-08-20T19:20:00.000-07:00

Jim Lujan, Randy Gentile, Justin Stewart, and myself are The Ballpoint Fiends. We just can't get enough of comic creators who inspire and awe us. In service to creating more fiends in the world we've created a podcast dedicated to informing the masses of the artists we love. You can listen here.

Bob Clarke...

2009-08-15T18:53:00.001-07:00

Bob Clarke is losing his hair because he's an asshole.

Exercise in Art

2009-08-03T06:56:00.000-07:00

A few years ago Dan Nichols and myself were drawing together. As usual I had nothing specific to draw, and instead had him name off his favorite albums, and I interpreted them in my own way. The little panels were done on a grocery bag with India Ink Pens.

I'm posing old art for two reasons. 1) to get back in the habit of updating the blog more regularly and 2) some of this stuff has never been posted and I thought it may be interesting for people to see. Hopefully new stuff will come soon.

Slowly, but surely...

2009-07-31T19:31:00.000-07:00

It's been too long. I'm sorry.

This blog has never had much in the way of actual blogging, because I'm not very good at writing. So, in an attempt to get myself back in swing with regular updates please appreciate these paintings I created a few years ago. Two are completed and the third looks like an idea trying to escape my brain.

Dear Readers,

2009-02-06T19:53:00.000-08:00

K10, my wife, and I have purchased our house today. Tomorrow we begin the process of inhabiting the home, which will take us through the next two weeks. Many other things are happening in this middle child's life that are making it increasingly difficult to maintain any kind of regular creative schedule. My Master's Degree should be completed by April, after I've completed the many extensive papers that I've been assigned. Our daughter, Danger, will be born in May. We couldn't be more excited, and now that we are in our home we can really begin to prepare for her arrival (including settling on a name other then Danger, which K10 will not allow me to put on the birth certificate.)
As a result I fear that it is you, my dear readers, who will suffer. With new content coming only sporadically what motivation will you have to return to the site? How can I keep you all happy? My greatest realization may come true, all 7 of you will stop visiting all together.
I must persevere through this! I must provide you all with the juvenile art and irrelevant daily humdrum you demand! Fear not my crazed fans, content will be uploaded when it is available, and I have a grand plan for the site that should come to fruition in the later part of the year.

Yours Always,
Jeff

What I Saw on February 3, 2009

2009-02-03T20:54:00.001-08:00

What I Saw on February 2, 2009

2009-02-02T20:46:00.000-08:00

The Wholemolii w/ the Conclusion!

2009-02-01T11:51:00.000-08:00

On May 1, 2008, My Alter Ego took a dramatic turn as it went from one experimental comic to a series of experimental comics with a common theme and story. This story was Skomolii. In the spirit of My Alter Ego it had a very loose structure and very rarely made any sense. One comic was created with no idea how the next would begin. The beginning of the story had no end in sight, it simply moved forward.
It has been some time since we've visited the Skomolii Saga, to find out the fate of Saltines Wilson, Dr.Cheese and his wife Maurice, and to finally find out what happens when a muderous vegetable is taken on by a little boy who prefers smarrots. I present to you now the entire Skomolii Saga, with its conclusion. Be prepared, though, this tale of a vegetable so delicious no child can stop eating it, for reasons beyond taste, is as strange as the mad scientist who started it all.

I had a good time creating the Skomolii mythos, and I think I could have taken it further given the time. However, it's time now for My Alter Ego to take a break and let What I Saw come to the forefront. I do plan to return to Skomolii in the future, perhaps creating a full length story that's a little more cohesive. I really enjoy the characters and the idea of a murderous vegetable. I look forward to hearing comments from all of you now that you can see the whole "story" together.

What I Saw on January 29, 2009

2009-01-29T20:04:00.001-08:00

What I Saw on January 28, 2009

2009-01-28T19:52:00.000-08:00

I've had the past two days off work because of the ice and snow. I have done nothing in that time. Nothing. I need to get back to work.

What I Saw on January 27, 2009

2009-01-27T22:56:00.001-08:00

On the playlist this first time:
Reel Big Fish
Langhorne Slim
The Beatles
The Aquabats
The Beastie Boys
and The Ramones

What I Saw on January 26, 2009

2009-01-27T22:40:00.001-08:00

What I Saw on January 25, 2009

2009-01-25T21:40:00.000-08:00

Two weeks until closing.

What I Saw on January 24, 2009

2009-01-25T20:48:00.000-08:00

I suck at Photoshop

2009-01-24T21:02:00.000-08:00

I do not know my way around Photoshop. I can do enough to get by with coloring my comics, but that's about all. So tonight I experimented a little and turned our cat, Meatball, into a tiger. I think it turned out pretty good.

Production Art

2009-01-24T05:12:00.000-08:00

More art I've done for William Mead's upcoming webisode film show.

What I Saw on January 23, 2009

2009-01-23T20:56:00.001-08:00

I also finally got the chance to buy Reel Big Fish's new album Fame, Fortune and Fornication. The album is 10 cover songs (Reel Big Fish does covers really well) including a great version of Poison's Talk Dirty To Me.

What I Saw on January 22, 2009

2009-01-22T21:25:00.001-08:00

What I Saw on January 21, 2009

2009-01-21T21:52:00.001-08:00

What I Saw on January 20, 2009

2009-01-20T20:50:00.001-08:00

What I Saw on January 19, 2009

2009-01-19T20:47:00.001-08:00

And...I'm back after a really nice weekend. I turned 30 this past Sunday, and so I didn't do any drawings of what I saw because I celebrated by being very lazy. It may have been the best weekend I've had in awhile. K10 and I also began the search for the perfect baby name for our little girl. We have a pretty good list now, but can't seem to agree on one.

And in other news, happy birthday to Shaun Snow.

What I Saw On January 16, 2009

2009-01-16T20:45:00.000-08:00

Great Music

2009-01-15T20:46:00.000-08:00

I'm currently listening to The Slackers' latest album, Self Medication. It is the perfect blend between ska, reggae, rocksteady and the blues. I highly recommend you click on the album name where I've provided a link and listen to a few of the sample tracks. The whole album is really good, but if you want recommendations then listen to Every Day is Sunday, Stars, and Don't Have To for a good sample of the full range of this band. The Slackers are easily one of my favorite bands, and if you ever get the chance to see them live I also recommend that.

What I Saw On January 15, 2009

2009-01-15T20:44:00.000-08:00

Drawing and coloring office supplies is no fun. And I forgot to draw in my paper clip holder, which I proudly stole from another office.

What I Saw On January 14, 2009

2009-01-14T21:40:00.001-08:00

What I Saw On January 13, 2009

2009-01-13T21:57:00.001-08:00

Since I was young I've been a fan of the newspaper comic strips. Unfortunatly due to limited space, over censorship, creators and comic strips that need to retire, and the advent of online comics (among other things) the funny papers aren't very good anymore. Luckily I've found The Comics Curmudgeon, which has made reading the funnies funny again.

What I Saw On January 12, 2009

2009-01-12T20:40:00.000-08:00

What I Saw on January 11, 2009

2009-01-11T21:19:00.000-08:00

What I Saw on January 10, 2009

2009-01-10T20:41:00.001-08:00

As you can see, I'm still trying to find a format for this segment. I also think it needs a new name. Any suggestions?

Your Alter Ego Contest

2009-01-10T11:01:00.000-08:00

Despite Lord Spathington's decree that I declare everyone a winner, I am posting all of the entries that I received for the Your Alter Ego Contest I had created many months ago, and I am picking a winner. The rest are posted in the order I received them.

Shawn kicked things off. I later found out this was based on a true event, which makes it even better.

Leslee Stewart is seriously one of my favorite people.

Kara "the" Wall gets an honorable mention for including bug guts on her alter ego.

Kim Pesek took some time one boring night while we were hanging out to do this comic.

Brian Spath got ambitious and sent me two alter egos.

Matt Bryan shows off what an amazing artist he is.

And the winner is: Mike McCubbins! I felt his alter ego really got the spirit of the experiment that is My Alter Ego.

Everybody did a really great job. I got more responses then I thought I would and all of them pleased me very much. Thank you.

The Traveling Comic

2009-01-10T10:59:00.000-08:00

I'm also going to try and get back on track with The Traveling Comic. A new page is posted now.

What I Saw On January 9, 2009

2009-01-09T19:54:00.000-08:00

What I saw on January 8, 2009

2009-01-08T21:18:00.000-08:00

In an attempt to better relax before bed, to improve my drawing skills, and to satisfy my urge to chronicle my life through comics, I have decided to attempt to each night draw one thing I saw that day that I found interesting, weird, or got my eye. This doesn't mean I've given up on My Alter Ego, and yes we will see the end to the Skomolii saga, but with all that is going on I need a new outlet that allows me to draw while still accomplishing everything I need to accomplish. One panel is easier then multiple panels. Hopefully this will also provide fresh material to the site more frequently.

Why don't you post more frequently?

2009-01-05T12:28:00.000-08:00

This has been an exciting few months. Lots of new things have been happening. New and very exciting things. As a result I haven't had much time to complete the Skomolii saga, or just draw in general. But, the trade off is pretty good.

Let's start here:

I now own this.

Then there's this:

I've labeled the top photo for easy reference (since ultrasounds are hard to look at) and as you can see IT'S A GIRL!

Production Art

2008-12-29T19:36:00.000-08:00

This is some art I did for William Mead's upcoming website. I'll post more when the site is up.

Some Recent Class Notes

2008-12-08T19:55:00.000-08:00

3 week winter break! Take some time to relax. We'll resume our learning in January.

My Alter Ego #52

2008-12-06T13:52:00.001-08:00

Influence

2008-11-16T19:14:00.000-08:00

Let me tell you about Jeff Kinney. 1) His first name is really great. 2) He's currently writing and drawing the bestselling, every kid has to read, makes you laugh-out-loud book series Diary of a Wimpy Kid.

If you haven't read these books yet, I can understand. You may have felt some hesitation. Maybe you thought to yourself, "I'm an adult. Could something as simple as a child's book really entertain me?" YES! Yes it can! And if you haven't even heard of this book consider yourself out of touch.

Every child I work with, and know, has read this book. Mostly likely several times. There's a reason it's in such high demand. It's brilliant! The story is about Greg Heffley, who one day gets a diary (or as he prefers journal) one day from his mom and decides to give it a try. He goes on to document his daily life with his bully brother, nerdy friend (Rowley), adventures at school (like chasing kids with a worm on a stick) and all the stuff he's forced to do instead of playing video games. As it turns out Greg isn't really a wimp. He's kind of a jerk.

The books have me laughing out loud very frequently, mostly because Greg is so oblivious to the consequences of his actions, and often times terrible things happen to him. Yet he perseveres.

The books are also great tools for introducing reluctant readers to the world of books, since the story is told both through words and short comics. It's a fairly easy read, with plenty of breaks for the weary mind. This is a typical page in a Wimpy Kid book:

For me, Kinney's art is wonderfully simple. As you can see from the samples I've posted, his art is basic shapes and design. He doesn't bog the story down with unneeded detail, and it works to make you laugh even harder. He is also an inspiration since he began running Wimpy Kid on the website Funbrain.com and was able to turn it into a betselling book within 6 years of developing the concept.

Please, do yourself a favor and read these books. We all need to smile and laugh and these books are a great way to get that started.

Some Old Work Notes

2008-11-13T19:33:00.000-08:00

When I need to concentrate really hard, especially on the phone, I have to keep myself occupied. When I'm on a wireless phone I can pace. When I'm grounded I have to draw. I found this work note in a stack of papers that have been on my desk at work for 3 years.

Some Recent Class Notes

2008-11-12T18:09:00.000-08:00

One more week and my internships are complete. One more semester and my Master's Degree is complete. What will you people do for an education after that?

My Alter Ego #51

2008-10-28T21:06:00.001-07:00

Influence

2008-10-28T20:04:00.000-07:00

The work of Syd Hoff continues my articles on my artistic influences.

Children's books have played a big role in my life. Beginning with my mom reading stories to me when I was young, to learning to read, to going through my undergraduate degree in Elementary Education, to my job now working with children, and continuing with the anticipation of my own child's birth in May, I have never lost my enthusiasm and excitement for a really good kid's book. They're fun to read, and the art is often top notch.

Syd Hoff made a career out of teaching kids how to read through the 60+ volumes in the HarperCollins "I Can Read" series for beginning readers beginning in the '50s. These books stand out in my mind as some of my favorites when I was young. Most likely because they featured talking animals, or cavemen, or dinosaurs, or other characters I found of interest (and still do.)

Hoff's art is so amazing in its simplicity. With only a few lines he is able to convey so much. I also enjoy how fluid his art is, with almost no harsh or jagged lines. You can almost see his brush moving across the page. All of this works together to create a very clean, happy and energetic page. You can't help but smile when you read a book by Syd.

Hoff was also a cartoonist for The New Yorker, who published his work when he was only 18. Hoff worked in the single panel structure, and as you can see in the two panels I have posted below (which feature no captions here), his art can say so much even without words. As mentioned I do not have the captions to go along with these panels, but I highly recommend you visit Syd Hoff's site, which features these panels as well as many more. You can also learn quiet a bit more about the man who helped so many kids learn to read.

Some Recent Class Notes

2008-10-27T19:11:00.000-07:00

Is it apparent that my mind wanders in class?

Get Out and Vote!

2008-10-26T06:03:00.000-07:00

This amazing smear campaign urging us all to vote Smarrots was brought to you by the incorrigable Phillip Ginn.

Influence

2008-10-23T19:12:00.000-07:00

Since I'm currently in the most labor-intensive semester of my Master's degree (1 week = 40 hours work, 10+ hours interning at elementary school, 16 hours on weekends at hospital's psych unit) I haven't found much time to work on My Alter Ego. The ending to the Skomolii saga is coming, just probably not until mid-December. So I thought I would take a small break and instead post some semi-regular articles on my artistic influences.

Let's begin with the great Charles M. Schulz.

Schulz's big break was a small comic strip called Peanuts. Beginning in 1950 and running until 2000, the strip explored the isolation, depression, and just plain mean spirit of childhood. Schulz, himself, has said the strip was about unrequited love. Charlie Brown could never speak to the little red head girl, Schroeder would never return Lucy's affection, and the kid's baseball team could never win a game. If these things were to happen, the strip would no longer be funny.

Schulz may have been the hardest working cartoonist. He never took a day off in 50 years of drawing the comic strip, excepting in 1999 when he was placed in the hospital after being diagnosed with colon cancer. Shortly after receiving treatment Schulz was back at the drawing table, however, with a shakier drawing hand. In the end the comic strip would outlive its creator by one day. A symbolic ending for a man who loved what he did, and dedicated his life to perfecting his art.

A wonderful autobiography, Schulz and Peanuts, came out last year. I recommend it for anyone interested in reading more about Schulz's life and his own battle with depression. Fantagraphics is also reprinting all of the old Peanuts strips into really great box sets. In my opinion, nobody is able to draw the innocence of childhood as honestly and accurately as Schulz.

Having dealt with a great deal of anxiety and isolation in my own youth I connect with Schulz's comic on a personal level. Charlie Brown makes me feel not so alone. So much so that he's been tattooed on my right calf. I've also said that K10 and I are what would have happened if Charlie Brown and Lucy Van Pelt grew up and got married.

My Alter Ego #50

2008-10-15T20:18:00.000-07:00

Some Recent Class Notes

2008-10-04T10:32:00.000-07:00

I should charge tution...

The Traveling Comic

2008-09-28T12:51:00.001-07:00

Page 4 of The Traveling Comic is now available for viewing.

My Alter Ego #49 and 1/2

2008-09-24T20:58:00.001-07:00

My good pal, Brian Spath, was very interested in entering the Your Alter Ego Contest. However, he seemed to hit a creative block. So tonight through text messaging and email we worked simultaneously to each complete an Alter Ego Comic within a given time period. This is the strip I created. Brian's will be seen when I post the entries.

There's still time for you to enter the contest. Click the link above for contest rules and details. Deadline is before My Alter Ego #50.

J-Stew!

2008-09-23T20:54:00.001-07:00

Justin Stewart is such a nice guy. He's so considerate he even thought to include Dr.Cheese's wife, Maurice, in this pin-up. Doesn't she look beautiful?

Justin's page in the Traveling Comic is also available for viewing.

The Story Thus Far...

2008-09-20T19:25:00.001-07:00

Crabmolii

2008-09-16T20:16:00.000-07:00

The murderous vegetable looks even more dangerous in this pin-up by Matt Leong.

Your Alter Ego Contest

2008-09-14T19:56:00.001-07:00

My Alter Ego is quickly nearing #50, which means the Your Alter Ego Contest deadline is also nearing. You don't need anything more than a piece of paper and a pen (or pencil.) The rules are also very simple:

1. Draw a square:

2. Put something in it:

3. Draw another square, next to the first one:

4. Put something in that square:

5. Repeat these steps until you have a complete comic story.
6. Full rules can be found at the original Your Alter Ego Contest post from May.

So get to drawing! I could be drawing My Alter Ego #50 any day now! Hurry!

The Traveling Comic

2008-09-14T17:37:00.000-07:00

Page 2 of The Traveling Comic is now available for viewing.

Flooded

2008-09-14T10:00:00.000-07:00

Well, it looks like I won't be going anywhere today.

K10 and I had packed up Buddy and Sinatra, two of our cats, for their yearly check up at the vet. When we got to the bottom of our complex's drive we saw this:

It may be important to give a St.Louis geography lesson at this point. K10 and I live next to The River Des Peres, a small river that functions as a sewer drain. Glamorous. The "River" is primarily dry year round, except during the rainy season when it takes on the waters from surrounding rivers to prevent flooding. Again, "river" may be questionable.So it was surprising to find, this morning that our street was flooded, but the river remained mostly dry.

Some idiot thought he could make it through.

Open for buisness?

Part of me expected the atmoshpere among the tenents in our complex to turn into The Monsters Are Due On Maple Street from The Twilight Zone.

Oh well, we had planned on a lazy Sunday anyway.

All Hail!

2008-09-13T16:41:00.001-07:00

This is the second pin-up in a series of Skomolii related art. This beautiful rendition is by Jim Lujan.

Up In My Grill

2008-09-11T05:30:00.000-07:00

This is a pin-up I did for Jim Lujan of his character Rage Dogg . Jim is an accomplished cartoonist, who has appeared in many places including Spike and Mike's Twisted Animated Theatre.

Jim is a good friend, and I was more then happy when he requested I draw Rage Dogg for him, since Rage appears in my favorite cartoon by Jim.

Some Recent Class Notes

2008-09-08T19:54:00.000-07:00

Medium: Bic pen in Mead notebook

This one got kind of weird kind of fast.

Idaho Avenue Film Festival

2008-09-08T10:48:00.000-07:00

Come on out to the Idaho Avenue Film Festival, in South City this Saturday night. The event is hosted by Brian Spath and is a great way to see local film makers' work. Brian is screening a few films I had a part in creating.

The Traveling Comic

2008-09-07T08:48:00.000-07:00

A project I had started a few years ago, The Traveling Comic, where I mailed a sketchbook around the contry having artists contribute one page at a time to the storyline, is now online. You can visit it here, and learn how you can be a part.

My Alter Ego #49

2008-09-04T21:11:00.001-07:00

Dr.Cheese Pin-Up

2008-08-31T19:48:00.000-07:00

By Shaun Snow

My Alter Ego #48

2008-08-22T21:08:00.001-07:00

Whatmolii?

2008-08-06T16:39:00.001-07:00

It appears I've caused a sizeable amount of confusion with My Alter Ego #47 (because everything else has made sense until now?). I can see where I went wrong. This is a classic case of trying to fit too much story into too little of a space. Really I should have stretched the concept out to 2 comics instead of just the one, but I want to wrap Skomolii up by #50...so you got the train wreck of #47.

Skomolii has been an interesting experiment in storytelling using the rules of My Alter Ego. Literally I had no idea this whole thing would end with a kid named Saltines, nor did I even know Skomolii was going to kill children. In the case of #47 what happened was I knew what event I wanted to have happen (Dr.Cheese and Saltines meet.) I also knew I wanted to reuse some of the themes that have been recurring throughout the whole story, like a Dr.Cheese location that is labeled as "secret" in downtown St.Louis. It's fun to draw that panel, including new things each time. I also knew I wanted to include the Army's plan for conquest over Skomolii, which involves Saltines. However, what often happens with a My Alter Ego comic is there just isn't the room you think you're going to have. A good example of this is the very short note pinned to Saltines, that note could have said so much more, and possibly not created confusion.

THE EXPLANATION!
The Army has sent Saltines to Dr.Cheese's secret hideout with the proposal that Saltines stay the night, if he is alive by morning then Dr.Cheese must hand over the antidote for Skomolii, if he dies then he is free to continue farming Skomolii. The Army is assuming that Dr.Cheese will assume Saltines has already eaten Skomolii, therefore if he does not feed Saltines Skomolii then he will explode, throw up his own skeleton, melt, have kittens burst out from his stomach (My Alter Ego #46) and etc. The form of death must be Skomolii.

My Alter Ego #47

2008-08-03T20:36:00.000-07:00

My Alter Ego #46

2008-07-27T10:55:00.000-07:00

Hairy Monster

2008-07-22T17:43:00.000-07:00

K10 is a very imaginative person. She also enjoys giving me gifts. Here are some pictures of my most recent present from her. Medium: cat hair, dry erase markers

I love her very much.

Some Recent Class Notes

2008-07-17T20:22:00.001-07:00

It's like getting an education, but not actually having to go to class.

Your Alter Ego

2008-07-13T19:42:00.001-07:00

There's still lots of time left to get in Your Alter Ego for the contest! The rules are simple. Sit down with a blank piece of paper, a blank mind, and a pen and create a comic strip.

I'm finding that many people are a little intimidated by the idea of creating a comic strip in such a carefree way. After some thought, I think I've narrowed it down to a few reasons people might have trouble with letting their alter ego out.

1. Too much concerns for the finished product, art or story.
2. Too much concern about the next panel, or end of the story.
3. Way too much planning.

I thought it may help to give an example first panel and describe my process some. (Thank you to Kara Wall for emailing me and spurring on this idea.)

Below you will find the panel that we are going to refer to.

Now when I created this panel I began by drawing a square. I had no idea who or what would eventually be in that square. I then drew an eye, and decided that the character would have two eyes. So, I drew a second eye, deciding it would be spaced far from the other eye. This process of quick decisions continued until I had the blue bird you now see. The bird then needed a catalyst for action. As a result the fly was added.

In a usual My Alter Ego I would then draw another square and decide what happens between the two elements I introduced in the first panel. I would not be concerned what happens beyond the panel I am working on at the moment. However, what usually happens is that by the time I have completed the second panel the story has played out in my head and I am working on pacing the rest of the panels. I often do not have the story fully paced out as I begin the third panel, and all other panels after that. This is acceptable by the rules, since it is still a creative challenge to allow the story to play out in such a small space. The key is to just keep drawing, and allow little actual thought beyond your imagination playing.

I hope this helps some people. Use the beginning panel above as practice. Take the bird and fly on many adventures, but don't decide on the adventure until it's almost completed.

AND...there's no limit to how many times you can enter the contest, so let your alter egos out.

My Alter Ego #45

2008-07-10T21:45:00.001-07:00

My Alter Ego #44

2008-07-09T20:40:00.001-07:00

The return of Skomolii, and the saga is nearing a close...

My Alter Ego #43

2008-07-06T20:38:00.000-07:00

Here's a symbolic comic...

Some Recent Class Notes

2008-06-19T20:17:00.000-07:00

Occassionally I like to share my education with you...my readers. These are some notes from tonight's class.

Music is My Girlfriend...

2008-06-17T17:38:00.000-07:00

Well, this is odd. It is very rare for me to create a type written post. However, recently I began my 360 hours of interning I must do to complete my schooling, which has left me with little time, and energy, to draw. I do promise Skomolii will come to an epic conclusion, but I do not know when. On the plus side this gives all of you more time to turn in Your Alter Egos for the contest. I have submissions pouring in…not really, but I would love that.

I also have an obligation to Uncle Monsterface to fulfill, so I thought I would do a posting about music to keep you happy until Skomolii continues.

Recently Uncle Monsterface (http://www.unclemonsterface.com/) offered their latest album for free download on their site, with the understanding that if you downloaded the album you would write about it. Since I'm always looking for new music, I couldn't pass this opportunity up. The album is called This is an Adventure! and it's one of the more enjoyable albums I've listened to in awhile. What I mean by this is that Uncle Monsterface is fun! Musically I'm not sure what genre most people would pigeon hole these guys into, but I guess their kind of nerd/indy/rock. Or in other words it's another one of those bands people will use to say I listen to some odd music. But how can I not listen to this album over and over again? In fact, I'm listening to it right now! With songs like Mashed Potato vs. Vampire, and lyrics like "I met a monkey made of pine, his best friend was a little girl, she had no legs but she had both arms..." I can't stop smiling. Really it's a shame that they've already taken the album down from the site, because you need to have this music in your life. They are available on iTunes, and they have 2 music videos on their site so you can sample the wares, but I guarantee you'll be in love. Another cool note, they'll be in St.Louis in August...I think i'll be there.

Hey, have I told you about Justin Stewart? I haven't? Well, he's just about the best friend from Kentucky a guy could have. Check J-Stew's art out at www.popstewcomics.com and his blog at http://justin3000.blogspot.com/ Justin is an accomplished artist, and is getting some great work in the comic world, including coloring everything you see from Jim Mahfood. What does this have to do with music? Well, let me tell you. In 1996 Justin was one of the founding members of the band Boo Boo Bunny. The band was voted the most offensive band in Murfreesboro,TN. Justin recently caved in to my years of begging for a Boo Boo Bunny CD and sent me the 2 albums he played drums on, Kids Luv It and the live Guitar Case of Porn. My first listen to Kids Luv It was at 7:00 in the morning, on my way to my internship at the hospital (psych unit to be exact.) This set the tone for the rest of the day. You couldn't get me down, I was smiling all day. What a kick ass CD! Filthy lyrics, great vocals, competant musicians, and a variety of music styles on the CD really made this one of my top 10 favorite albums that I now own. I found their song Charlie Brown at http://www.garageband.com/artist/boo_boo_bunny (I'm partial to this song. It's not their best, although it is good, but I have an affection for Charlie Brown that made this song particularly appealing.) Give it a listen. They also have a MySpace page, but Justin isn't drumming for them anymore so I'm not going to post that link.

That's all for reviews, but here's a quick list of other music I've been enjoying.

Weezer - Weezer (The Red Album)
MC Chris - MC Chris is Dead
Bomb the Music Industry - Get Warmer (this band offers all of their albums for free download on their site http://bombthemusicindustry.com/)
Bob Schneider - Any time he comes into town. If he's playing in your town GO! He's one of the best live shows I've ever seen. http://www.bobschneidermusic.com/
And just about anything else that passes by my ears...

Skomolii to be continued...

My Alter Ego #42

2008-06-02T21:02:00.001-07:00

My Alter Ego #41

2008-05-27T21:34:00.003-07:00

Who Loves SKOMOLII!?

2008-05-25T09:19:00.000-07:00

My Alter Ego #40

2008-05-21T21:31:00.001-07:00

Your Alter Ego Contest

2008-05-16T21:15:00.000-07:00

It's time to let YOUR alter ego shine! With My Alter Ego #50 approaching quick I thought I would run a contest to see what other people's alter egos look like. You've been following mine, now let yours out. The contest is simple: Create a My Alter Ego comic and submit it to me for judging.

The rules of creating a My Alter Ego comic strip are simple. Follow them and you're guaranteed a spot in the semi-finals.
1) No pencils or rulers allowed. Pens are all that may be used when creating a My Alter Ego Comic.
2) Not much planning may go into the strip. Your alter ego shows itself better when you work with a loose plot and work panel to panel.
3) The whole concept of the comic must be contained in the one strip.
4) Layout of the comic is up to you, but the title "My Alter Ego" and By: Your Name must be contained somewhere on the page.
5) Colors are optional. They are something I have only just been allowing myself to use on the strips.
6) Deadline is before #50 hits.
7) Winner will appear in an upcoming My Alter Ego comics strip by Jeff.

Submit all questions and entries to jeffelden@yahoo.com

Good luck, and let your alter ego out today!

My Alter Ego #39

2008-05-16T21:06:00.000-07:00

My Alter Ego #38

2008-05-06T21:34:00.001-07:00

My Alter Ego #37

2008-05-04T13:25:00.000-07:00

My Alter Ego #36

2008-05-02T21:48:00.000-07:00

My Alter Ego #35

2008-05-01T21:45:00.001-07:00

My Alter Ego #34

2008-04-29T21:11:00.001-07:00

2008-04-28T18:29:00.000-07:00

New start, old stuff...

2008-04-28T17:54:00.000-07:00

Hello. Thank you for coming by. For old fans thank you for coming back, for anyone who just found me Thank You! And let me give a brief description of what this is all about.

My name is Jeff Elden, social worker and part time cartoonist. I have a wife named K10. We own 3 cats. I grow a beard for 4 months out of the year. I will let you know when the beard season starts. Please join me.

What you will find on this site is a collection of my comics works. Some comics, like CavemanSpaceman and Vicious Robot Tuesday (both featured immediatly below), are short comic works. Then there is My Alter Ego, the comic you see most often. My Alter Ego is an excercise in drawing. Each strip is completed without using any pencils, rulers, or technical stuff. Only ink is allowed. Sometimes I color them. I post these as often as I get time (which, for my past fans, has been about 2 months since there has been fresh material. School has taken a lot of my time.)

I don't like typical Blog formats, so you won't see much text on the site. I also have more to say through comics then I do with type.

What is currently up on the site is stuff from my last site, www.jeffelden.wordpress.com , which I had to abandon when my computer stopped communicating with the site. I'm not tech savvy so it may be some time before I fully understand how this site works.

Please leave comments to let me know what you think. I appreciate the feedback. You can also always contact me at jeffelden@yahoo.com

Thank you,
Jeff

2008-04-26T15:09:00.000-07:00

2008-04-24T21:06:00.000-07:00

2008-04-24T20:55:00.000-07:00

2008-04-24T20:52:00.000-07:00

2008-04-24T20:35:00.000-07:00

2008-01-27T08:53:00.001-08:00

2008-01-27T08:51:00.000-08:00

2008-01-27T08:49:00.001-08:00

2008-01-27T08:48:00.000-08:00