Digging Ben Hatke's Zita, Space Girl. Sort of a Calvin and Hobbs feel... I have been meaning to check this out for a long time, and now that I have read the web comics, I think I'll get the book!

Some Sketches

And now, how about a grungy, multi-layered Photoshop composite, British-style (i.e. Advanced Photoshop, Digital Arts, etc.)?

If I was a girl

Listening to Mogwai and signing up: twitter

I am a hipster after all???

Omnibus Edition Two

Now that the second edition of Omnibus is getting ready to be printed, I thought I would give an overview of the publication here, instead of relying on Facebook and word-of-mouth alone. Most of the proofing has been done on the individual stories and poems, and the covers, illustrations and layout are progressing nicely. This second edition has many new authors, and I think the quality of our writing has improved overall. (Not that the first one didn't have good stories too!) Here's a quick rundown of what Omnibus is all about:

The concept behind it began with a writing club I was part of last year with some friends. We were writing short stories from keywords or prompts for each meeting, as well as doing some free-writing, and a respectable amount of beer-drinking... After a while we thought it would be great to put together a collection of some of the better stories from these sessions, just to remember the fun and to have our work in tangible, printed form. The idea has progressed from there to what it is now: a quarterly digest of amateur fiction, (albeit, still in its infancy). Its mission is to be an avenue for authors of all types to see their work and the work of their friends published; the hope is that it will inspire more writers, generate interest and visibility, and most of all, simply be a good read. Of course this means that most of us---myself included---will be inexperienced and unused to seeing anything we have written published; and as none of us are professionals, this is truly a venture into the unknown... But the whole purpose is about challenge and fun; about seeing what we are made of as writers, and having a collection of stories to peruse that were written by our friends and others at the same stage of the game as we are. So don't be shy! Here's what Omnibus will consider for submissions:

General Fiction
Children's Stories
Science Fiction
Horror
Adventure
Drama
Poetry
Short Comics
Short Graphic Novels
Other? Surprise me.

We will also consider submissions for cover and interior artwork---send several B&W samples of any work you would like us to see, (via email or traditional mail) and if we like it, we will commission you to illustrate stories for the upcoming issue.

Subscriptions are accepted any time, and will be applied to the first available issue. You can order a single copy ($7) or a 1 year subscription ($25).

Please note: Because I am personally bearing the expensive of printing Omnibus, and the costs far outweigh what I am asking for subscriptions, I will not be able to send a copy to anyone who has not subscribed. This includes authors who have submitted work---in the future I hope we may have enough interest and subscriptions/donations to offer a free issue those who have written for it, but at 9 total current subscriptions, that is not possible. So please subscribe! Tell your friends, and don't miss out on this awesome project!


Teasers



-Illustration for In Dreams, Omnibus, Edition Two.

Here's a partial list of authors for the second edition of Omnibus:

Madeleine Pidel
Charles Atkinson
Rich Marotti
Darren Cools
Andrew Lang
Matt Newhall
Jane Sloan
Julia Higgs
Rose Gebken

My wife makes some mighty fine soap.

Check it out: Roots Soap Co

11 straight hours of design yesterday.

Brilliance

inventmarie.com has had a minor face-lift, and now sports a logo! Check out my recent projects, including Anna's new business, Roots Soap Co., and Omnibus, a subscription digest of fiction and poetry from friends and myself.

Please keep me in mind for any your design needs...

Wailing girls and the long morning drive

Now that I have a job I am forced to drive to, I have been listening to music again. So weird...it almost seems wrong to have a working car stereo and time to kick on an album.

I reveal myself here as having a weakness for overly-romantic, lonely, and---poppy?; yes, poppy---female singer/songwriters, but I have to say that I think Ingrid Michaelson is an incredible artist. Almost everything I've heard of hers I like, but this song in particular is just the right combo of creepy/disturbing, and really pretty...

I have had a lot of dreams lately about abandoned biuldings and suicides...

October in the Pacific Northwest

October is my favorite month. Movements feel slower, my favorite music elicits greater emotion, and creativity bubbles up stronger and louder than usual, demanding my recognition. Yellow and red leaves swirling in little patterns across the sidewalks and streets, and that pale quality the sun takes on when it is colder out. It doesn't matter what state or part of the country I am in, I love it all the same---though I must say that changing leaves and cool, crisp air is an important part of the experience. Fall is time for reading things like Gaiman's Graveyard Book, sipping on good coffee and watching the bicycles go by, or napping upstairs with the window open.

...not that I actually have time for any of these things!

Indeed, I am busier than ever. Autumn in Portland has brought many changes; GOOD changes.

After three terms at Portland Community College, I have finally landed that job I have so often dreamed about: I am a full-time, in-house graphic designer with a stable, profitable company! It has been such long, long road, getting to this point, but it was all worth it. I can finally quiet the insecurities and doubts about being back in school at nearly 30, attempting a 180-degree career switch with two two children and a mortgage...

Maybe I can even start thinking again about fixing up my old Volvo and going Autocrossing.

In the personal project realm, I have plunged ahead with an exciting, if rather ambitious project: the first edition of Omnibus, the collection of short fiction and poetry I have been assembling from the work of my friends and myself is due to be printed in less than two weeks. It should be a really fun read, and a good test of my design and editing skills. If you are interested in learning more about it, get in touch with me. It has ghost stories, science fiction, adventures, and more...

Goodbye to the short summer...

...find a lonely park bench and bring your book.