The Ups, Downs, and Hard Side Crashes of Life

I realize it has been a long time since I have posted, even for me, so here are a few things that have been happening since.

On Father's Day, I took my dad to see this huge rubber duckie that waddled into the Tacoma Harbor for a boat show that weekend.

Some of life's challenges during the year, have been a little rough on me the past few months, but some new challenges coming my way are exciting, and I am hoping they can lead me to something much better.

The aunt I wrote about in July, passed away last December.  We knew when we visited her, it may be the last time we saw her.  She was upbeat and happy that week we visited.  It seemed like there could be some tiny hope that things would turn around.  It was a very good visit, and I am very happy that I got to see my aunt one last time, before she lost her battle against cancer.

As I was traveling to Canada, a former classmate chatted with me online, and said how much she enjoyed my writing, and I think she mentioned that she thought highly of me in high school,  too.  It was very nice to hear, especially during that particular time in my life.  If she is reading this now, I want to truly thank her for her kind words.

For Christmas, I got tickets to go see the Yves Saint Laurent fashion exhibit at the SAM.  I had to wait and go at the last minute, because I got sick during the holidays.

When I finally got to go, it was amazing.  I might post more on that later.

In January, one of my favorite local cartoonists, Michael Jantze, liked a photo I took of a Top Pot Doughnut Shop, posted on Instagram.  I think the main reason I took the photo years ago, was not only did I think it was cool, but I believe I recognized it as a reference he used in one of his earlier strips.  I was just excited to see a landmark from the cartoon in real life!  I was even more excited when I saw he liked my photo!

Anyway, I left some comment about his work, he asked me to draw my version of "The Norm." I did a quick doodle at work on a Post-It from memory before leaving in my route.

When I got home, I looked up the strip and quickly sketched another from looking at one of his characters online.  I didn't think it turned out as well.  I know could have done better if I took more time, and used a pencil, but oh well.

In August, I went to my doctor.  I had some medical issues, and I found out I needed to change my diet and exercise more.  Luckily, I haven't had to totally eliminate anything food-wise, but I have cut back significantly on quite a few things.  I was recommended to take some specific vitamins and supplements.

 I started exercising immediately, kept with it for several months, till work became super busy.  I did manage to lose the weight suggested by the doctor to improve my health.  My co-workers thought it was strange that my doctor told me to lose weight, perhaps because they see me as slender already.   I have never been overweight, but I didn't like the weight I was at.  I wanted to lose the weight suggested, plus a bit more.  I was very happy when I reached their goal.  I plan on continuing to work at it, so I can reach my goal, and  stay as healthy as I can.

In January, I became an aunt again, this time to a nephew.  He is already a charmer.  Always seems happy.

My beautiful niece turned 4 this year, and always asks to Skype.  It is always fun talking to her.  She is trying new foods.  She likes the taste of hamburgers, but not the texture.  She hasn't tried pizza again since she was 3, but she didn't like it then.

I have been learning new things at work.  The supervisor over that department says I am doing very well.  I am really  happy about that.  My goal is to get away from driving, and improve on some new skills, more related to my degree.

Some things you just don't see coming, or once you do, it is too late, and you just got to do what you need to do to keep it from getting worse.  I had a few experiences this year do that to me.

One was my first major car accident on the job, that happened just recently.  It was awful.  It wasn't my personal car.  Once I knew what was happening, I did my best to avoid it, I am sure the other person probably did, too.  We were both cited.

Under the circumstances, I feel lucky to be alive, and not as injured as I could have been.  The other person is fine, too, and I am glad for that.  Things certainly could have been worse in so many ways.  I still hurt some, but feel as if I am improving every day.

My Book Report: The Books I Chose to Read In 2015

According to Goodreads, I read a total of 13 books last year.  That is 10 books less than the year previous.  The past year was an accomplishment, however, because I finally finished the 1,472 pages of the book, Gone with the Wind, which was a New Year's Resolution of mine for 2015.

Here is my review of it from Goodreads:

Book #1  Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell  My rating:  4 stars.

Wow. I cannot believe I finally finished this book! It is a long book, and I took my time to fully enjoy it.

I was not expecting to like this book much, because I saw the movie years ago, and found the movie to be boring back then. The first time I fully watched it, I had a really bad sinus infection, so that might be part of the reason. I remember renting it again, and still finding it boring. Now, that I have read the book, I feel like giving the movie a 3rd chance. I thought the main actors chosen in the movie were great for their parts, at least.

I started this book years ago when my book club suggested it. I knew I wouldn't finish in a month, but I started the book, hoping it to be more interesting than the movie was. It started off well (but so does the movie). I was frustrated that it didn't have the text-to-speech feature, though - of all the books not to have that! I then became very busy at work, got distracted with life, other books, etc. I wound up putting the book down for a few years, and picking it back up because I really did want to finish what I started.

The book could have easily been a series of 5 books, and is actually broken into 5 separate parts, which I found interesting. It follows the life of Scarlett O'Hara and all the trials she goes through. There is also Rhett Butler, who appears in different stages of the book. Each character seems to develop, and reveal more about themselves with each section.

There were some surprises I didn't see coming, and some things I should have seen coming, but didn't. Reading this book was almost like watching a soap opera, set in the 1800s. Some parts made me laugh (which I didn't expect at all), some parts shocked me, other parts angered me, and some parts frustrated me - so many emotions on one book!

Even though the book is fiction, it gives some insight of how some people may have really thought of things back then, and how they interacted with each other over certain situations. There were some parts of the book that seemed irrelevant, which I feel could have been cut, but for the most part, I really enjoyed reading it.

Now I am just curious how the movie version will compare.

I borrowed the movie, giving it a 3rd chance.  I actually liked the movie this time.  I felt it did a pretty good job with the book, of course it had to omit several parts, but I remember overall liking it.  It seemed like the book helped me get a better understanding of what was going on in the movie, too.


Book #2  The Giver  by Lois Lowry.  My rating:  3 stars.  If you read this book, you probably liked it better than I did.

I decided to read this book because a reviewer wrote that one of the books I really liked, called "Matched," was "a total rip-off of 'The Giver.'" So, I expected this book to be just as good or better than the Matched series, that I like so much.

I felt "The Giver" had some good concepts, but I felt the plot was weak. I also felt the characters were underdeveloped, and their dialect was not very believable for their age group. I do understand that it is supposed to be a more advanced society, but still. Also, some horrific things happen, which I found fairly predictable.

There is an addition of magic that really doesn't make sense with the story. I overlooked the magic part, because maybe advanced technology could possibly create something that seems like magic in our time, but even so, it did not really seem to fit in well with the rest of the story.

I actually liked the ending, because it can be viewed in more than one way. I did not realize that this book in the series was going to end the story however, and there were some things brought up that were never explained, so it seemed pointless to even bring them up in the first place.

Matched may have been influenced by this book, there a few things that are the same, but overall, Matched is totally different, and a much better book.


Book #3  These Is My Words: The Diary of Sarah Agnes Prine, 1881-1901, Arizona Territories (Sarah Agnes Prine #1) by Nancy E. Turner. My rating:  5 stars.

I am so surprised how much I liked this book. I started to read it a long time ago for my book club, but never had time to get into it. It was just recently added to my library as an audio version, which makes it easier to get through, since I can listen while I work.

The first part of the audio version, the narrator, Amy Rubinate, sounded a bit stiff, and I was wondering if she was right for the reading of it, but later on, I felt like she did a really great job.

The book itself put me through many emotions. I was grossed out by some things so much, I almost decided to stop reading. I also wondered if it would be too much like "Follow the River," which was also a good book, but I really did not feel like reading something like that at this time.

Luckily, it has more going on than the "Follow the River" book had, and the plot is totally different, once you get through the first part.

"These Is My Words" has some really gross, graphic scenes, but it also has humor, sadness, frustration, romance, and more. It is a great read and/or listen.


Book #4  Fighting Invisible Tigers: Stress Management for Teens  by Earl Hipp.  My rating:  5 stars.

This book was written for a younger audience than me, but I still thought it had some great tips, even for adults. I wish I read this when I was a teenager, it may have helped. The book is wonderfully illustrated, and gives readers tips on how to be more calm, positive, and goal oriented.


Book #5  The Perfect Scent:  A Year Inside the Perfume Industry in Paris and New York by Chandler Burr.  My rating:  4 stars.

I would have never picked up this book to read, except it was suggested for book club. I don't often wear fragrance because most female fragrances give me a terrible headache (which runs in my family, on my father's side).

I found this book to be fascinating. I really never thought about what makes a fragrance, or how it is made, but is explained as a piece of art that tells a story. After reading this book, it totally makes sense.

I wound up switching from the hardback book to the audio edition in order to get through the book faster. Mel Foster does the narration. His voice sounds smooth, and a bit clinical.

Foster's voice is a good match for the book, but I looked up Chandler Burr, who wrote the book, and wondered why he did not narrate it. Burr's voice is more animated, and I think he could have added more passion to his own story.

Nevertheless, I thought the book was interesting, and sometimes funny. I did zone out on some of the more technical aspects that were mentioned, however. I did not care to listen to the long list of compounds mentioned. I would have quickly skimmed the compound part if I were actually reading the words. The audio helped with the pronunciation of some of the words I did not know (there are a few words in French), and other complicated sounding brands such Hemès, which I was familiar.

It seems like it would be helpful to have an imagination while reading this book, because some scents described (like specific flowers), you may not necessarily know what they smell like. Some of the author's descriptions are downright hilarious, he doesn't sugar coat anything.

My favorite part of the book is Chandler's first meeting with Sarah Jessica Parker. She adds a cheerful lightness to the story, and I found her thoughts intriguing.

I wasn't sure I should go to Book Club, the week they had it on this book. The woman who suggested the book had a whole bunch of fragrances that she said we could smell and try on. I was worried about getting a bad headache.

I decided to go anyway, and found that most of the fragrances did not cause any problems. I really liked the "Lovely" fragrance. When upon hearing how much I liked it, the owner gave it to me as a gift to take home! I have even worn it a few times since then, I still really like it. It really smells lovely!

So whether you like fragrance, or are just curious about the process, this is a good book to listen to!

Book #6  The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky.  My rating:  4 stars.

I really liked this book, but I felt like it had so much sexual reference, drugs and abuse, that it overshadowed the main really good parts of the book. Some of it was essential to the plot, but I just felt it was overdone. It also seemed to make light of things that really should be seen as more serious.

I loved the format of the book. The letters really draw the reader in, and makes you feel like a character in the book, yourself. I felt I understood Charlie, even though most of his actions are so different from how I would act. I still found him relatable, despite our differences.

Most books I either feel happy or relieved when I finish them. This one I felt a little sad about finishing. That is all I will say.


Book #7  Stones Into Schools:  Promoting Peace with Books, Not Bombs, in Afghanistan and Pakistan by Greg Mortenson, Atossa Leoni.  My rating:  2 stars.

This was another book I started for book club a long time ago, but never finished. I just couldn't get into it.

When I saw it as an audio-book, recently, I decided to get through it that way. I liked the dialog parts, but only seemed to last about 25% of the entire story, in the center section. The narrator, Atossa Leoni, really added life to those parts. The rest of it made me zone in and out frequently. Every once in awhile I thought it would pick up, but then it didn't for me. It was mostly depressing, too. It was not a bad book, it just wasn't my cup of tea (pun intended).


Book #8  The Manga Japanese Cookbook:  Japanese Bento Boxes, Main Dishes and More!  (International Edition) The Manga University Culinary Institute, Chihiro Hattori (Illustrator).
My rating:  4 stars.

This is a very cute cookbook. I borrowed it from the library mainly because I wanted to know what dango had in it after watching Clannad. The book makes some references to other anime and manga between recipes.

The recipes look interesting and tasty. Maybe someday I will try them!

I was influenced by this book to put a bit of sugar in my omelets.  I think they taste so much better now!


Book #9  Lost Cat:  A True Story of Love, Desperation, and GPS Technology by Caroline Paul, Wendy MacNaughton (Illustrations).  My rating:  5 stars.

This is a book about a woman obsessed with the goings on of her cat. It is humorous and entertaining, but it also made me cry. The illustrations are delightful! It makes a nice, quick-read for those who like cats.

Book #10  The Rules:  A Guide for People Owned by Cats by Max Thompson.  My rating:  3 stars.

This book was just okay for me. I guess my main problem, is that it felt inconsistent. Starting with the cover. I like the cover, it is a beautiful illustration. The illustrations inside really don't correspond. They seem amateurish compared to the cover. They could also be seen as quirky and fun, but the cover suggests otherwise.

The content is all very tongue-in-cheek. Is it supposed to be written (and illustrated) by a cat or a human? It seems to be one or the other at different times in the book. It has humor, but sometimes you wonder if the author is trying to convince you of things you should not do. Other times, it seems important that you should do what the author suggests.

There were some things that definitely made me laugh out loud, but overall, I was disappointed in this book.


Book #11  No More Bad Decisions by Sydney Finkelstein.  My rating:  3 stars.

This book made some good points, but I wished it was longer.

Book #12  The Mystery of the Green Cat by Phyllis A. Whitney.  My rating:  5 stars.

My 3rd grade teacher read this to our class, and I absolutely loved it then. This book, and a picture on the back cover of a little cat, inspired me to make a little ceramic cat in college that I still have.

I haven't probably read the book since 3rd grade, but I still found it intriguing today. Some things and phrases are quite dated, yet it still stands the test of time. I am surprised I could not borrow this book from the library. It is quite a classic.

(My Dad saw this book, sitting on my lamp table during the Christmas holiday.  He read it, and also really enjoyed it.  He thought it gave a great description of San Francisco.)


Book #13  Exploring Calvin and Hobbes:  An Exhibition Catalog by Bill Watterson.  
My rating:  5 stars.

I haven't even reviewed this book on Goodreads yet, but I absolutely loved this book!  When I read it, I felt like it was written just for me!  Of course, I knew it wasn't, but it was a very satisfying read.  In "Exploring Calvin and Hobbes...", there was a nice, long interview of Bill Watterson with smart questions about his cartooning, as well as some of his personal life.  He also included some favorite comics from other cartoonists, pointing out what he liked about them.  Watterson comes across as very intelligent and kind, which is probably explains why he doesn't want to hang around just anybody.  The artist showed off a little of his photography and painting as well.  He is obviously incredibly talented and continues to grow.  Most of his answers did not surprise me, except for the fact that he has a brother.  I guess I just figured he was an only child.  I wish he did answer the question of what the little gadget with holes in it was.  I have one of those, and I used it during cartooning class on one setting only.  I have no idea what it is called.  I guess if Bill Watterson doesn't know, it really doesn't matter.

I Knew I Should Have Got Up Earlier...

Today was Free Comic Book Day!  Despite the beautiful, sunny day outside, I was having trouble getting out of my apartment.  My motivation was to find the free Doctor Who comic book (they were going to have in select stores for free today among others).

Looking online, I noticed the comic book store I went to for this event the last time was closed.  Not all comic book stores participate, either.  I wound up going to a new comic book store at the Factoria Mall, called Mighty Moose Comics.  It is a small store, but nice, and the people there are really friendly.  They also carry Sailor Moon manga, which is a plus in my book (the ones with the new covers, though I prefer the original covers).

This year, I was able to bring home 5 different comic books for free!  I think that is pretty awesome.  I have one that is a 10 Year Celebration (a comic book day special) that has a sample of several comics over the years, I have a Teen Titans one that is combined with a Scooby Doo one that teams up with the Justice League, one that is called Gronk (it looks cute, and has monsters and cats in it), Sonic the Hedgehog combined with Mega Man, and one with the Simpson's.

If I had gone earlier, I would have chosen the Doctor Who comic, and one called March Grand Prix (which looked really cute).  Overall, I am happy with the books I chose, and the fact that it forced me outside today.

You Make a Great Musical, Charlie Brown!

Earlier, in month of November, I traveled over to my hometown to go see "You're a Good Man Charlie Brown."  I have always wanted to see the musical since I first heard of it a few years ago.  Apparently, this particular musical has been around since 1968, which I had not realized.

 I just happened to ask my friend Julie what has she has been doing for awhile, and she said she was playing piano for this musical, "You're a Good Man Charlie Brown."

I had missed an opportunity to see the production of the musical awhile back, when someone in my church had played Charlie Brown at a local high school here.  I am sure he was perfect for the role, too.  I really felt like I missed out, so I did not want to miss seeing the musical again, despite the fact that it was a long drive, I didn't know any of the students cast in the show.

My friend, who is an excellent pianist, said that the music was quite challenging to play.  There are many different styles, and one song is particularly fast-paced.

The musical was real fun.  Before the play, images of the Peanuts gang showed on a screen just above the stage. 

The sets were beautifully done, and colorful.  The costumes were great.  I especially enjoyed the Snoopy costume.  Normally, the play has a type of hood with ears for the Snoopy character, but since Snoopy was being played by a girl, she had her hair up into short pigtails, which actually looked more like dog ears.  It made the costume more convincing, because it was part of the young actress herself, looking less like just a person in a dog costume.

The acting was very good, too.  I really think all the students did well on that.  My mom complained that the girl who played Lucy did not have black hair, but there was a disclaimer at the beginning of the program that the actors won't necessarily look like the original characters.  I thought her acting skills held up to make her look like Lucy anyway.

The actress who played Sally seemed to steal the show.  For one, she sounded just like the cartoon character does!  She also had some of the best lines.

It is truly unfortunate that I neglected to bring my camera with me.  My other device that I often use as a back-up, is sadly not holding a charge well.  Visually, I don't think the play could be much better.  I have looked up other plays, and they do a good job, but this one really got my attention - with the bright colored sets, and the fun props.

My only small complaint of the entire show was that many of the singers performances sounded a bit flat.  However, it was not enough to keep me from enjoying the musical.  Overall, it was a good time.

The next day, I decided to look up the music online for "You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown."  If you have Amazon Prime, you can listen to the "New Broadway Cast Recording 1999)" album for free.  Kristen Chenoweth sings the part of Sally in it.  She does a great job, along with the rest of the cast.  It was enjoyable to listen to a different version of the play, while still visualizing the play I had seen already in my head.  I am really glad I was able to see the play in person, first.  There is a lot more to this musical than just music!

Once I returned home, I found out some more exciting news about the Peanuts gang.  Peanuts is going to hit the movie theaters in 3D!  I am really excited about this.  Unfortunately, It is going to be a whole year before it comes out.  Scheduled to hit theaters not this Christmas, but NEXT Christmas in the year of 2015.  It is a long time from now, but I think it will be worth the wait.  

Exciting Things

Some exciting things have been happening the past few months.  I started to grow some flowers in April.  Bill Watterson collaborated with Stephan Pastis in June for one week on his comic strip, "Pearls Before Swine."  Sailor Moon has been redone into a new series, and is available to watch online on Hulu.  The Wonder Years has finally come out on DVD!

Back in April, my mom gave me some seedlings that came in three Easter egg shaped planters.  On the bottom, it said what each plant would grow into.Three eggs that contained soil, and different seeds per egg: impatiens, marigold, and a snapdragon.

Being the brown thumb that I am, I was a little nervous about starting the flowers, and at first, I did not know how to start them, because the directions were not visible.  Each egg was wrapped tightly in plastic.  After a few weeks, I decided to tear off the plastic, and figure the thing out.  There were some real basic instructions, folded on a little circular foldout on the bottom.  I followed what few instructions there were, and hoped for the best.

After maybe a week, some little sprouts came out of each eggshell.  I kept religiously watering them, with just a bit of water each day.  I was worried when I had a long weekend and I was going to head out of town.  I watered them pretty thoroughly, but worried that they would die by the time I got back.  When I got home, each plant appeared wilted, but not dead.  I then gave them more water, and they sprung back to life.  I have continued to take care of them, and they have done so well, that I have had to re-pot them twice already.  Every day I look at them, wondering if I am doing okay.  It is pretty exciting every time I see growth or a little progress in each one.

The snapdragon is the most difficult one because it grows tall, without enough support to hold itself up.  I had to use a couple of chopsticks to keep it standing and healthy.  The marigold is doing well, it has some definite buds starting to form.  The impatiens are growing extremely fast, and has no sign of flowers whatsoever.  It seems like it needs re-potting again, but I have already re-potted it twice, so I don't really want to.  I hope my stubbornness does not cause my plant trouble.  I really enjoy looking at them every day.

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It had been a tremendously rough few weeks, ending with a trip to the hospital, when a friend sent me a link to an article Stephan Pastis wrote.  In the article, Pastis wrote that Bill Watterson had secretly been collaborating with him, on a week-long "Pearls Before Swine" feature.  Bill Watterson did not want his name revealed before the strip had fully run.

"Pearls Before Swine" by Stephan Pastis, and "The Norm" by Michael Jantze, were the two main comic strips I started reading avidly after Bill Watterson retired from "Calvin & Hobbes," so to hear the news of a Pastis/Watterson collaboration was a real treat for me.  I looked at each panel in marvel, just thinking how great it was to see Bill Watterson's artwork again.  Watterson worked in a slightly different style, making it less obvious to the readers that it was indeed his work.  It was interesting what some of the comments below had to say about the strip that week, before knowing about Watterson's involvement in the strip.  Some comments thought that Stephan Pastis' drawing had improved, and they liked the change.  Some hated the fact that it changed at all, and why was he trying to ruin the original strip?  Some guessed that it was Watterson that worked on the strip.  Some pointed out why they thought it was Watterson.  Others said that if Watterson did do work on the strip, his art skills had gone way down.  When it was discovered he had drawn the strip, there were a few "told you so's," and more positive remarks.

Bill Watterson's artwork has remained great.  If he wanted to draw Calvin & Hobbes again, in the same style and quality again, he could.  I personally really liked the style Bill Watterson chose for the collaboration, but I also like the simplistic stick-figure type style that Stephan Pastis uses as well.  Something about them are so endearing.  Watterson's current artwork seemed to be influenced by some of his past favorite comics, like Pogo, and more obviously Archie.  He also had his own style wrapped in the mix.  It was really great to see the comics and read the article on how it came to be.  The news really made my day.

I was a little nervous when I heard they were remaking Sailor Moon.  Being a huge fan of the original series, including both Japanese and English dubbed versions, and the books, I wondered how the new series would hold up.  The answer is - very well so far.  Every other week a new episode of "Sailor Moon Crystal" is released on Hulu.  The artwork is great.  It is closer to the style of the manga series, which makes it stand out from other anime shows.  It is interesting how sometimes the story-line is exactly the same, and sometimes it is completely different than the original television series.  I believe it is probably closer to the manga, but since it has been so long since I have read them, I am not completely sure on that.  The new series seems more grown-up.  I have been watching the new series with the same excitement I used to have for the old series.  At first, I was not sure what I thought of the new intro music of the new series, but now I find it quite catchy, almost as much as the old series.  The Sailor Moon Crystal series has released 6 episodes so far.  Hulu also has the original Japanese version for viewing as well.  It is very exciting to see Sailor Moon making a comeback.

After decades of waiting, my absolute favorite T.V. show of all time, has finally come out on DVD.  The reason it has taken so long, is because the original series had a ton of great music from the 60's and 70's era.  Many of the songs had copyright restrictions.  Somehow, they have managed to get most of the original music (300 songs) on the DVDs, including the original theme song, "With a Little Help From My Friends" as sung by Joe Cocker.  Netflix and Amazon were both allowing streaming of the show at an earlier date, but the theme song, at that time, was replaced by a song in a country twang that did not suit the series at all.  The original song has made it back for the DVDs.

It is evident that the producers of the DVDs, tried their best to match music that would fit the episodes almost as well, to replace the songs they could not obtain the rights to.  Because I am such a big fan of the series, I have noticed some of the music changes so far (such as the theme song from "Romeo & Juliet" - it was changed to something that could have come from the same movie from the same orchestra).  Even though the changes seem pretty obvious to me, I honestly don't think the average watcher (or even a casual fan), would really notice a difference.

The Wonder Years mainly focuses on a boy, coming of age in the late 60's to early 70's, and his relationship with his friends and parents during that time.  The show is timeless, because the challenges, the complexity, and the humor of the show is still very relatable, even in this generation.  The series had an excellent cast, and many guest appearances by people who have become famous since the time they went on the show.  The original cast members have all moved on, and have continued to be successful in their current careers.

I was so excited when I saw that my DVDs arrived on Wednesday, just a few days before my upcoming birthday (October 11).  Excellent timing. It almost seemed like The Wonder Years planned it, just for me!  Even if that isn't the case, I am truly grateful.  It is a great birthday present for myself.  Thank you, Wonder Years!

My Review of the DVD "Dear Mr. Watterson," and a Rare Look at Some of My Own Personal Artwork from the Past

On Christmas day, I purchased a DVD bundle with my Christmas bonus money, called "Dear Mr. Watterson."  It is a documentary about how various fans and cartoonists were affected by the classic syndicated comic "Calvin & Hobbes."  I started to worry after a few weeks when my DVD had not arrived in the mail.  I mostly order things from Amazon, and those items ship real quick.  The DVD, "Dear Mr. Watterson," was a purchase from another online company.  I was beginning to think I got ripped off, when, suddenly, my stuff arrived last Thursday!  I was so excited!

I was not disappointed, either.  The documentary has several cartoonists I admire, expressing their opinions and some of their interactions on the very private Bill Watterson, who drew and wrote the legendary comic strip.  I did not always agree with some of their opinions, but it was nice to hear them, nevertheless.  A few of them showed how they they get inspired to draw their own strips.  I found that particularly fascinating.  Being someone who has studied art particularly in the field of cartooning, and read every syndicated comic in our paper since I was very young, to the point I was having to ask my parents what certain words meant, I may have found the documentary more interesting than others.

There was a time when I did publish some of my own cartoons for a brief while.  It was for a newsletter about sheep.  Many of those particular cartoons have been compared to Gary Larson who drew "The Far Side."

I guess if sheep are standing and talking, then Gary Larson is the first person they think of.  I may have been a little influenced by him, but Sandra Boynton also drew standing and talking animals before before I discovered Gary Larson in the comic pages, so I feel like my influence was more from her, at least to begin with.  Peanuts influenced me as well, being my first absolute favorite of the comics.

In college, I would look at Bill Watterson's work to figure out how to adapt some of the facial expressions to my work.  I think I may have read somewhere that he would make faces in the mirror to capture an expression... or that could have been some other cartoonist I read about, that said that.  It was a long time ago.  I found that the advice helped.

There were a number of occasions I would take my work to Kinko's, for an art project for school, and they would almost not copy my work for me because they thought it was not my original artwork!  They thought I was in copyright violation of my own drawings!  I would pull out my I.D. to show them that I indeed was the illustrator to my own signed work, and then they would then make the copies.  One of the workers compared my artwork to South Park.  I had not heard or even seen any of that cartoon at the time.  I think I even asked, "What's that?"

In the "Dear Mr. Watterson" documentary, cartoonists talk about some of the challenges that come up when writing and merchandising their strips.  Merchandising sounds like a particular nightmare.  I can definitely understand why Mr. Watterson would not want to merchandise his product for the most part.  He did merchandise his books, obviously, but he also merchandised calendars as well, which featured his comics from the newspapers on a once-a-month glossy page.  I really enjoyed flipping to a new month to see which strip would be featured for the next 28-31 days.

The one thing I wished the documentary had was at least a short interview of Bill Watterson himself.  I am sure everybody would have loved that.  However, the man is a very private person, which I can totally empathize with.  I fondly remember seeing interviews on T.V. from the cartoonist, Charles Schulz (Sparky).  He reminded me of my grandfather.  In some ways, he was like a grandfather to me - just one I was not related to, and never met.  Bill Watterson is more of a mystery.

I am not disappointed that Mr. Watterson wants his privacy.  I think most of us, who are fans of the comic strip, would just like to have an idea of what he is like in real life.  I think "Dear Mr. Watterson" does help satisfy some of the fans curiosity, and I am glad to have it as part of my collection.

Halloween & November

This month, one of my Polyvore groups came up with an interesting contest, with some set rules - to create a series of sets in a journal-like form.  Only 3 sets can be entered in the contest, but you can make more sets on your own.  It was kind of a fun thing to do.  Here are my entries:

November 4, 2013 by jackie-s-eyeslikeacat featuring wooden window treatments

Distressed t shirt / Dana Buchman black trousers / Qupid mid calf flat boots / Red ruffle scarf, $13 / Old Navy stretch glove / Smythson Jump For Joy textured-leather notebook / Wooden window treatment / Wall art / Black home decor / ferm LIVING home decor, $115 / Autumn photo - Scattered by the wind digital file - Autumn leaves -... / Percy & Reed Dry Shampoo 150ml, $19 / Infinity - Birds - Temporary Tattoo (Set of 2)

November 3, 2013 by jackie-s-eyeslikeacat featuring a fig tree

Long sleeve t shirt / A.N.A peplum top / Topshop skirt / Mama.licious black tight, $37 / Vintage style brooch / Smythson Jump For Joy textured-leather notebook / Gold home decor / Alessi home decor, $37 / Doodle Kittens With Pen, $4.67 / Fig tree / Apple iPod Touch 32GB MP3 Player (5th Generation)- Black (MD723LL/A) / Realistic Stuffed Tuxedo Cat 11 Inch Plush Animal by Aurora at Stuffed... / Celestial the Stuffed Unicorn by Aurora At Stuffed Safari / Playforever Mini Speedy Le Mans by Julian Meagher, $35 / TY Toys 'Rainbow Dash' Beanie Baby Blue One Size / Green Toys Recycling Truck

November 2, 2013 by jackie-s-eyeslikeacat featuring a black scoop neck tee

Black scoop neck tee / Plus size tee / Boot cut jeans / Striped socks / Paul Smith umbrella, $160 / Smythson Jump For Joy textured-leather notebook

As mentioned above, I got a Sailor Moon action figure in the mail that I am really excited about!  I had been looking at it for awhile, and showed a link of it to my sister over the Internet.  My sister bought hers first, and I was feeling a little envious about it, so I wound up getting one too!  It is actually really cool, even though I haven't taken it out of the box yet.

Also, just before November started, my office decided have a costume contest for Halloween, I decided to dress up as Wonder Woman.  I wasn't sure if I wanted to dress up at all - but it turned out to be fun.

DC Comics Wonder Woman Glitter Juniors Red V-neck Cape Tee (found at Amazon.com), Headpiece and Gauntlets (found at a Spirit Halloween store), "The Golden Lasso of Truth" (not called that in the store, was found at Home Depot), round red earrings (by Avon, years ago).

There were many great costumes, at my office that day.  There was a Whoopee Cushion, a Bad Tooth Fairy, a couple of hippies, a pirate, a witch, Minnie Mouse, Avril Lavine, The 13th Fan/Man (who was a cross between the "Ghost Face" from "Scream" and a Seahawks fan, with skeleton hands), a Reindeer, and Superman too!

I did not win, someone who dressed up as a convict stole the prize!  (Pun intended - yeah... I know, boooooo).

Free Comics Are Cool

I first discovered about "Free Comic Book Day" a few years ago while I was sitting in Twede's Cafe in North Bend (you know, that is the one that was featured in the T.V. series, "Twin Peaks?").

Inside that cafe, they have little books, and sometimes comic books to read while you wait for your food (I recommend their cherry pie a la mode, it is very good). I noticed on the comic book I was reading that it said "Free Comic Book Day" on it. Hmm... I never heard of it. Then I read on some one's blog last year (or the year before) when it was, but I had missed it.

I found out this morning that today was the day. So I drove out to one of the participating stores and was able to pick up a few ones that I liked from the "free" table. I feel like I picked up a nice variety. I really like DC Kids "Tiny Titans." It's funny. It's cute. Very kid friendly. It was actually a "Tiny Titans" comic that I read in Twede's. So it brought back memories. This one was a different issue though.

Another comic book I picked up was done in Manga, by Shonen Jump called "Karakuridôji Ultimo." It was made to be read from the back to the front. The book did not finish the story though. It said I could read the rest online, and I get the feeling it is a continuing series. Famous comic book writer, Stan Lee contributed to the original concept of this book, while Hiroyuki Takei worked on the story and art. It was pretty interesting.

Another one, had a flip cover. One side of it really stood out. It had in big, bold letters, "FREE COMIC BOOK DAY," with a background in red (one of my favorite colors), and a bunch of "Emily the Strange" characters on the bottom of it (as well as some other comic characters on top), which I think is really neat.

The last comic book I picked up has tips on how to draw comic books. It is called "Impact University." It is really cool as well. It had some big names from the comic book industry share a tip or two on how to create your own comic. Very nice.

For more information on "Free Comic Book Day," you can go to this site: http://www.freecomicbookday.com