It’s been a really, really long time, hasn’t it?

Well, I continue to get kind, encouraging notes and emails from lots of different people, so I thought I’d check in, although it’s still going to be irregular for a while.

First and foremost, the above: I’m drawing again! How I find time for this, I don’t know, but it’s partly due to the enormous amount of air travel I’m doing at the moment.  I’m dividing my time between three states and two countries, and have been for the past year or more.  But a friend of mine, also a talented writer, agreed to collaborate with me on a graphic novella in a very unique style, and the above is a little preview of what we’ve been working on.  It’s a noir mystery thriller featuring muppets.  Yes, you have that right.

Well, not muppets exactly, but definitely cartoony people.  My mother, one of the few to have seen my work over the holidays, calls them “the weird nose people.”  Well, okay.  But it’s the first serious bit of art I’ve been able to engross myself in for nearly two years, so it’s not nothing.

Okay, so, second, I will NOT be going to SPX this year.  I’d been hoping to use it as a venue to resume 6-Commando and the above project in print, finally, but alas it was not to be.  But still, it was worth a try.

And as for 6-Commando, I’m still not ready to come back to it, for a number of reasons.  I will come back, I think, but a number of experiences I had a few years ago – death, arguments, quarrels over stupid things, and, now, the disappearance of people I know and love into war and violence, have not left me in a position to continue this story with a fair mind to the characters in it or to the story that I intended to play out.  And instead of changing the story to match my mood (which would be unfair and probably petulant and capricious) I’m giving the whole thing a very long and continuing rest.  It’s not done, and it’s not over, but I’m not ready for it yet.

In the meantime, my thanks to everyone who’s given me support as I’ve sorted myself out.  Things are happening.  They may not be what I wanted or expected, but they are happening nevertheless.

Also – if anyone is a colorist and is interested at taking a stab at a very unconventional comic, let me know.  No guarantees as it’s early days yet, but I’d be interested to talk at least.