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1/1/2004 - Well, Happy New Years to you all. I hope you enjoyed last year (both your life, as well as Bruno). A few new things here.
First off is just some small re-designs. I tweaked this page here and there, including putting all of my links on a subpage. I may move them back, simply because nobody goes to sub-pages, and also I never update them there. Who knows. But they're there for now.
Also, as I mentioned before, I was thinking of going over to Bruno being only Monday-Thursday, and then posting sketchbook drawings on Friday (as you can see, I've added a link in left column for the "sketch archive"). And I know that four days a week simply is not six days (yes, i'm a wiz at math), but that's the way it's going to be at least for now. If I find that it's more difficult to "get into" the mind-frame to do the strip because of the three day lapse in-between, I may consider reinstating one or both of the days.
And I know how unexciting all this may sound to all of you, losing two days of Bruno, but for me, I'm thrilled. Not only every week do I have to do a non-Bruno drawing (which should keep my chops sharp and excited) but also I've been working on several other artistic projects, which feels good. I love Bruno, it's still really exciting to create and is fanatastic writing/drawing practice, but it doesn't define me. It's just one rabbit in my magic hat. So, will you see the fruits of my labor (aside from Little Dee which you previewed last August)? Hopefully. But all will be released if and when it is time to be released.
And the other thing, even though Bruno has become more and more intense and complex (at least in my head) in the last year, I've also been having some burn-outs with it. And I don't think it's because of a lack of enjoyment in creating Bruno, but I do think it's because Bruno is the only major thing I've been doing since 1996 (barring editing my novel). It should be a partner, working with me; and not a leash, holding me back. Hopefull this reduction will help with this. I have no intention of ending Bruno. I'm just trying new ways of fitting her into my life, as my life chnages and grows.
of course, the other way of looking at it, is that all of you will be happy that I'm taking care of myself, expanding myself, and that every Friday you'll be psyched because it'll be way-cool to see other stuff I've done. I hope that's the case.
And lastly, the Heifer Fundraiser. Thank you all so much for the support in this. Through this fundraiser I simply did some doodles, packaged some cards; but it's all of you who made this happen. Thank you. Regarding the final tally, I'm afraid I am out of state for a few days, but hopefully will have the final numbers sorted by the 7th or so, after I get back. I will post again when I have it all figured out.
(link: http://www.brunostrip.com/notes/200401.html#20040101)
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1/8/2004 - Yeah, that's Susan, she has merely cut her hair. And I'm just now back from a short jaunt to the East Coast. A very pleasant trip, although unfortunate that I didn't have time to see half the people I would have liked to (happy at least for the few i got to see). But I now have it all photo-sourced, and so drawing Bruno visiting out there should wear more easy on the eye. And the html quirks you may have noticed last week, I think they're all ironed out now, including a "links" link added in the left-hand column and an updated FAQ.
(link: http://www.brunostrip.com/notes/200401.html#20040108)
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1/9/2004 - I only put up some of the cookbook sketches last week, but should have posted them all. But here they are this week. So don't get all excited expecting this much work every week.
But this felt good. A couple hours working from photos i got at a flea market years ago. I think i drew Jean Merkel a bit more masculine than the photo, and even worse, is her disturbing resemblance to Kennedy. Ah well
(link: http://www.brunostrip.com/notes/200401.html#20040109)
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1/12/2004 - bruno's been wearing her winter knit cap and has hat-head. This amuses me greatly.
(link: http://www.brunostrip.com/notes/200401.html#20040112)
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1/13/2004 - I know some of you've been rootin' for me in my hopeless job searching, well, I finally got a job after over a month and a half. It's only a temp job for about a month, but at least it's work. And it's boring work, just filing and photocopying. It's slightly too intricate to think about anything else while doing it, but not complex enough to require any thinking. So yeah, not great, and temporary, but it's something.
But anyhow, this complaining is simply melonchalie, ignore it. Cartoonig stuff, if anything, funnily enough. But work, this is good news. Me work, maybe afford to put out Bruno book#9 before 2005. Happy you people. yay. See?
(link: http://www.brunostrip.com/notes/200401.html#20040113)
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1/15/2004 - So, I've been wanting to try news styles. Mainly I'm fiddling around with different comic-book/graphic-novel ideas, and if I do something different I want it to be different for me too, otherwise, there is no reason i shouldn't simply continue doing Bruno and nothing else.
So, these sketches were actually pretty quick. They're mostly un-penciled, just drawn straight-on. Plus I drew them with magic-marker, something i simply don't do, but was strangely satisfying. Modigliani I've always rather been drawn to, not sure why. Maybe everyone just looks so depressed, I tend to gravitate towards that sort of thing. Dylan Horrocks still is probably the largest inspiration for me in comics, and I also find his style, which has to grow on you, is very very satisfyingly simple and expressive. And Kyle Baker simply was fascinating in Why i Hate Saturn and The Cowboy Wally Show.
(link: http://www.brunostrip.com/notes/200401.html#20040115)
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1/19/2004 - Well, I tallied up the Heifer donations/sales which I received from all of you, and it came to $480.00. With this money, we bought three llamas and a gift of bees! And although it's true that I did put in some of my money and time, it's all of you who really pulled this through.
Thank you. Really.
(link: http://www.brunostrip.com/notes/200401.html#20040119)
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1/23/2004 - This week's sketchblog started with experimenting with different styles for a character I'm working on (side project) which is the top three you see, and the one sort-of in the middle on the bottom. The bottom left is Sara who is now my sort-of local drawing buddy, we sat around and doodled. Yay. And then just a sketch of my dad (poor representation of him I'm afraid) and to the left is Bethanne, looking rather stern and dark-haired I must say.
Been a low week here. Very productive, and good in points, and work has become a mindless system of work by now that my brain can drift elsewheres, but still, I am barely a shadow now. And that is just how it is.
(link: http://www.brunostrip.com/notes/200401.html#20040123)
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1/28/2004 - Are any of you, reading, editors of the comics page at any newspaper? OR do any of you out there work for a newspaper and know the person who does the comics page. I'm just ramping up (very very slowly, sigh) self-syndicating "Little Dee" and I have questions about billing, format, presentation, stuff like that. It would be really appreciated, any help anyone could offer.
(link: http://www.brunostrip.com/notes/200401.html#20040128)
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