A detail from YNK Book II

Her Chocolate Opera Cake - almost

My sister Ginia is here visiting and October is her birthday month. (My sister often shows up cameo style in my comics.) So I got her one of those exquisite and expensive Chocolate Opera cakes from a local awesome bakery. Made with liquor and worth about 1000 calories from heaven with each bite!

I know this one says Terry. This is not my sister's cake. My camera isn't transferring pictures right, so here is a picture of the cake off the web -- followed by a picture of her from my files of an insanely fun cake I made her a few years ago.You have to put the two together in your mind. Only add one person abstaining from the ice cream, two men ready for generous slices and three dieters wanting 'half that size'. Also, three dogs begging.

Sorry. Hopefully the camera will be working again soon. And I added my daughter's opera cake from May. I guess we like this kind for birthdays around here.

Don Donahue

Sad to hear the news about Don Donahue's passing. Prostate cancer stopped him. But in the beginning of the underground comix movement, Don was there to help kick-start the party. That I've come to know.

I wasn't around back then. I met him later, in the 1980s, through my association with San Francisco & the Bay Area comics scene, Weirdo, Ron Turner, Aline and Robert C. I always found him to be soft-spoken and attentive. A really nice guy.

I got to know him more through Dori Seda. And when she passed away, Don was  . . . well I can tell you that it was so very tough on him -- he was so sad. We all were. And here I am this evening back in that same place with sad thoughts of Don & (I can't help it) Dori.

Rest-in-peace, Don Donahue. Thanks for your contributions.

Will Eisner Video

Yesterday I played a video documentary about Will Eisner for my students. This was the official video that they were giving out at the Awards dinner at the San Diego Comics Con, 2010. It's one more reason why students believe me when I say that pen-dipping is a noble trade.
I highly recommend it. Everyone doing/loving/learning about comics should watch it and then go spend time with Will's work. Then you will understand why they call it the "Eisner" Awards.

Name of Documentary: Will Eisner: Portrait of a Sequential Artist.

Dad's Official Army Photo

Dad in 1942. Age 23.

Attention Trainiacs! Cinci has a train museum!

Stumbled upon this last night when driving through Latonia, Kentucky. Didn't know it existed. I'm a 'Trainiac' from way back, so this is exciting.

http://cincirailmuseum.org/

She scores!

Thrift Store scores of the week

Hooray for Publisher's Weekly

YNK II gets a Starred Review

You'll Never Know: A Graphic Memoir--Book Two: Collateral Damage
Carol Tyler, Fantagraphics, $29.99 (104p) ISBN 978-1-60699-418-4
In the first volume of Tyler's planned trilogy of graphic memoirs, she dug into the eruptive, violent memories of her father's WWII experiences while simultaneously dealing with a husband who decided to go find himself and leave her with a daughter to raise. This second volume is no less rich and overwhelming. Tyler gets back to the business of detailing her father's war stories--difficult given that he is "one of those guys who closed it off and never talked about it"--as well as coming to terms with her already touchy parents' increasingly ornery attitudes. Closing the circle somewhat is Tyler's concern over her daughter's troubled nature, which seems to mirror her own wild past. While the language of Chicago-raised and Cincinnati-based Tyler has a winningly self-deprecating Midwestern spareness to it, her art is a lavishly prepared kaleidoscope of watercolors and finely etched drawings, all composed to look like the greatest family photo album of all time. The story's honest self-revelations and humane evocations of family dramas are tremendously moving. Tyler's book could well leave readers simultaneously eager to see the third volume, but also nervous about the traumas, home front and war front, that it might contain. 

Tools of the Trade

Pencil Pusher

As for the discussion about pencils:

I like a point. Mechanical leads have edges. Don't like. Besides, 20 years ago, R. Crumb told me to get over pencil preciousness. So I use yellow pencils. But I do have a slight preciousness preference:  I prefer Ticonderoga Soft 1.5.

I bought 5 boxes (12 in a box) and sharpened them up all at once. Put them in a big cup, point up. When they get dull, I put them back in the cup face down until I need to sharpen them all again. On a classic hand cranker by Chicago.

I got into the cup method from when I taught First Grade. To eliminate that constant 'he took my pencil' bickering and/or 'Look-at-me-I'm-out-of-my-seat-to-go-to-the-sharpener' drama, on a little table in the center of the room, I provided a cup of fresh, newly pointed pencils every morning. Then when they broke the leads or they wore them down, in the cup face down.

pit & chips

It's a crisp, sunny fall afternoon. I walked 2 miles to the college where I teach a class. I'm feeling kinda 'I wish I could lay down and take a nap' while waiting for the slow elevator. Doors open. There in a strapless dress and cowboy boots staring straight forward is this young woman deliberately chomping on a bag of chips. Miss 'dirty blond, off-center haircut, ignoring/scowling/barely tolerating me with that wicked lanyard key chain around her neck' and I ride up to the 6th floor -- chomp, chomp, chomp (attitude, attitude) chomp. Written all over her aura: 'F*ing why they let these old people in here.'

Honey you made my day!!

Shrink This!

"You'll Never Know" was mentioned in an article in Psychology Today.

http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-literary-life/201010/going-graphic

Nice Interview

Thanks to Aiesha Little for the awesomely fabulous interview:
http://fangirlsdelight.wordpress.com/

Two dogs on the summer front porch

Come visit as often as you like!

OK friends. You are invited to come sit on my screened in porch. This is my new blog. I am slipping out of the overcrowded classroom/gymnasium (Facebook) into this lovely, quieter space.
I'm not technically proficient even with blogger, so have patience while I improve.