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Monday, October 30, 2017

The Spidey Code


My friend Debbee and I were leaving a really lively SCBWI illustrator's crit group at BAM! last week. We were the last ones out of the store and we stepped out into a cold, wet, dark, empty parking lot. Some passing headlights glinted off what I thought was a flattened, bloody, rain-toad. With a weird combination of shock and recognition - I realized it was actually a flattened Spiderman action figure!

Squatting on the wet asphalt to photograph Spidey's tiny... corpse... I was overcome with sadness and the futility of striving for greatness.

I left the body there. Although I had the beginnings of a graphic novel forming in my head...

Last year, at CCS, we were challenged to use a popular film, and a randomly chosen theme, as the inspiration for our own graphic novel. I combined Maze Runner with Trailer Parks to create OSFO PARK. OSFO PARK is still in the Only-Partially-Formed-But-Potentially-a-Great-Story realm.

Looking at the corpse of Spiderman laid out so carefully on the ground - I had visions from Dan Brown's The DaVinci Code! Just as Saunière's body was laid out to form a clue... what is Spidey's body trying to tell us about his killer?!  The positioning, the hand gestures, the tilt of the head... Instead of the Brotherhood of Sion, we've got the Brotherhood of Avengers! And set in the world of Marvel and DC? You think the Bible is controversial - you ain't seen nothing yet!

Sunday, October 29, 2017

Gory Daze Parade in WRJ

The Gory Daze Parade in White River Junction has become a tradition for me and my daughter.


Walking around in the dark with a thousand other freaks - many who GLOW! - is my idea of the best halloween ever!

This weird musical instrument runs on FIRE!


It's very very dark tonight, but that suits the Huntress and the Bat!


Wish you were here with us? Take a look around:





And giant BUBBLES blown by Bubble Santa floating over everyone...







 Flaming pumpkins on the roof of the bar!



The T-Rex made us laugh so hard!


Next year I hope to make it to the "Ball" held after the parade!

Back to WRJ

Lilah and I lucked out with the first sunny day in a week as we headed up to White River Junction for a mini-escape.

We spent most of the day at the Montshire Museum of Science - there's a new exhibit about the engineering inside toys.


Before the sun disappeared, we hiked down to the waterfall which was a bit of a slippery challenge with wet leaves and mud. I was really surprised to see the lake was mostly empty, must be a dam somewhere? We could walk right out onto the lake bed!


I was mesmerized by this sand machine I found near the back wall. I spent about an hour adjusting the dials and watching the sand bubble up, then fall. It was like a volcano. I was trying to make the sand in the center fall in without taking all the side walls with it. I had it figured out when a kid walked up and started randomly turning the knob... AAAAHHHHH!


I really want one of these in my studio. I felt so calm... I wonder if there are instructions on YouTube. All I can figure out is it has different weights of sand granules, between two pieces of glass, lit from behind (just a strong spotlight in back) and the dial controls the flow of... water? air? that sends bubbles through the lighter sand.


I hope to get back up here again soon - and, fingers crossed, work on some more science kits for the museum!

Monday, October 2, 2017

It's that time of year again... RUN AWAY!



Sitting on this beach for an hour - or maybe longer (?) - the sounds of the ocean start to soothe me and wash the pain and fear out of my brain. I wanted someplace new - and yet familiar - to escape to.



 I've never been here before. In the past, I've run to Ogunquit and walked the Marginal Way until I felt at Peace and could return to the real world.


But the people walking on the Marginal Way were couples. Pairs. Holding hands. Foreign to me. If they even noticed me, we'd nod very slightly and walk on.


On THIS beach, there are a few older couples in beach chairs facing away from the water, towards the fading sun. Everyone else is on their own. Like me. Mostly women, around my age. With dogs.

Walking back and forth through the still warm waves, we smile at each other and laugh at the dogs - romping in the surf. "What a beautiful dog!" and "Ah! He licked my hand!?"


I don't have the greatest social skills, but I am quite sure if I tried to compliment the Marginal Way Ladies on THEIR companions, I'd get a black eye! "What a beautiful man!" and "Ah! He licked my hand!?"

A book by Lisa Scottoline just popped into my thoughts... "Why My Third Husband Will Be A Dog." I say - Why wait for number three? 

There is definitely something to it... 

A beautiful golden retriever was dashing up and down the beach chasing a tennis ball. Suddenly, he swerved and headed right for me. He skidded to a halt and dropped the ball right at my feet! He smiled at me (he DID!) until I picked up the juicy thing and threw it down the beach, towards his owner. A little while later, I felt water splashing me and he was back. Grinning. Plop. ThROOOOOOWWWW! Run run run. And repeat...

It's been a really long time since I've had a dog. I'm more of a cat person... but this one - out of the many dogs on the beach - really tugged at my heart. Friendly. Social. Beautiful. Joyful.

Someday - this will be me...


I will live in an unusual, pretty little Victorian cottage (with a tower!) on the cliffs over the ocean. My studio will have a happy cat, a joyful devoted dog, and HUGE windows looking at the sea. We will walk on the beach everyday and visit with our 2 and 4 legged friends and then draw late into the night.

And it will be Good.


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