Hey gang! The 2008 San Francisco Zinefest is over, and I had a great time. Let me tell you all about it...
This year, the SFZinefest was in a new location: The County Fair Building at Golden Gate Park. Not a bad area, and convenient for me to get to. There were a few other changes made. F'rinstance, I had to file for a seller's permit for the first time. (The Governator wants his share!). Anyway, this year I shared a table with Amy Martin, a fellow member of the Cartoonist Conspiracy, and draws mini-comics like "Florrid" and "Florridian" (and no, she's not from Florida!). Got to see many familiar faces, and some new people in the field. Saw lots of great stuff! Not just 'zines, but stuffed objects, household goods, etc. The Cartoonist Conspiracy had their own tables behind me, and I participated in a few of their art jams. After the Zinefest ended on Sunday, I had dinner with some Conspiracy pals at a nearby restaurant. Can't wait for next year!

I'm currently at my sister Suzy's house for the week, celebrating my nephew Simon's birthday. We threw him a swell party today by the pool to celebrate. We inflated some pool toys and wiped down the patio furniture. We filled a plastic kiddie pool with ice and soda cans, and set up bowls with disposable baby bibs and swimming diapers. For the party, Suzy had baked dozens of cupcakes for the guests, plus one big one, a cake shaped like a cupcake, just for Simon.
The party guests started arriving around noon. It was a lively party, and lots of people brought their own babies and children. There must have been more than a dozen kids there! We brought in someone with a taco grill. He made soft tacos and quesadillas, and they were a big hit! Everyone had a good time, swimming and hanging out. Later on, we gave Simon his birthday cake, and everyone had cupcakes.
After most of the guests had gone, some of us stayed around and chatted. The taco man had left, and there was still a good amount of meat, tortillas and other things left over. We couldn't help but have a few more tacos. They were irresistible! Then Simon opened some presents. I gave him a little wooden elephant toy, with wheels and beads on a curving rod. Suzy and Brian gave him a Tickle Me Elmo TMX. I think Simon was scared by the Elmo, but he liked the toy I gave him. I couldn't help but feel some satisfaction there! Anyway, it was a big day for him, and for all of us as well!

Hope everyone had a nice Independence Day yesterday, those of you who celebrated. As for me, my celebration was good. Not ideal, but good.
I went to Fisherman's Wharf for the fireworks, like I usually do. I walked down, as I didn't buy a bus pass this month. I could use the exercise anyway. Anyway, I started at Ghirardelli Square, and made my way to Pier 39 as the evening went on. Had dinner at Hooters, and visited the Musee Mechanique. I saw this awesome artist who was making cityscapes using spray paint, some stencils and tools. She made a Golden Gate Bridge by scraping the shape into the paint.
Anyway, I saw the fireworks at Pier 39. Well, I couldn't see the whole show. It was a cold and foggy San Francisco night. The skies were overcast, so some of the fireworks got lost in the fog. Before the firework show started, some people around me wondered if it was going on, but we couldn't see it. We could hear booms, but saw nothing but dark and fog. When the show did start, it was an okay display. Half the time, it just looked like the fog was glowing. I was satisfied anyway. I walked home afterwards. It's a fairly long walk from Pier 39 to my place. But considering how trying to catch a bus is after a show like that, it was probably a good idea!

Current Mood: calm

I am proud to annouce the release of "New Allegory," written by James Owens and illustrated by me. For those of you to whom I haven't told about it, it's a collection of original fairy tales with a spiritual slant to them. There's been a lot of ups and downs in getting it published, and now it's available. You can buy it through the website of the publisher, Xlibris: http://www.xlibris.com/NewAllegory.html

I felt I should say a few words about someone the Bay Area comic community has lost recently. Rory Root, owner of Comic Relief in Berkeley, has passed away recently. He was a big name in comics, and a good friend to many local artists and other creative types. On a personal note, it was his shop, Comic Relief, best darn comic shop in the San Francisco Bay Area, that got me interested in comics. He was quite a character, and I'm glad to have known him. He will be sorely missed.

Current Mood: sad

Ever get so wrapped up in making art that you forget everything else? It's happened to me every so often. Usually, I lose track of time. But this morning, it caused an accident!
Here's what happened: I put a pot of water on the stove to boil and make coffee. Then I went to my drawing board to color some drawings. I got so wrapped up in my work that I forgot about the teapot. Only later did I remember it. When I got to the stove, I saw it smoking! Then the smoke alarm went off! My whole place had filled with smoke, and I didn't even realize it! I didn't know how to shut off the smoke alarm, to make things worse. So I turned off the circuit breaker that powered it. After that, I opened the windows, turned on some fans, and tried not to inhale too much smoke. Eventually, I got the smoke out. But I tell you, it was a pretty dumb mistake on my part!

Current Mood: embarrassed

I figured it was time to freshen up my journal, so I'll tell you about this...
My old school CCA was having its Career Expo in Friday. I went, and I had prepared. I had copies of my resume, and my portfolio was updated. Anyway, I went there. There were lots of booths around. However, there weren't a lot that were looking for illustrations. Mostly graphic designers and such. But I did make some contacts. I got information from the Chronicle Books table. They have a monthly portfolio review, so I'll submit some art for that. There were people from Pixar there, and the program said they were looking for illustrators! So I showed my portfolio. I figured I had nothing to lose by trying! Anyway, I was told they were looking for illustrators of a more 3D bent. Well, I did try, and that's all that matters. The best contact I made was at the table for Mattel, Inc. They were looking for full-time illustrators. So I showed my portfolio. Then the lady asked for my resume! So I'm glad I went. On the whole, it was a positive experience.

Current Mood: content

Hey everybody! It's WonderCon again this weekend. Today, I was volunteering again for the Cartoon Art Museum. I went to Moscone Center yesterday afternoon to pick up my exhibitor's badge. There was a bit of a mix-up, though. They couldn't find my name on the list of Cartoon Art Museum volunteers. But the lady said she remembered seeing my name somewhere, so she figured I was supposed to be there anyway. I was allowed to write my name on a blank badge, and that would get me in. And it was a pro's badge, good for all three days! Now that's a good deal! Of course, I had to take advantage of this stroke of good luck by taking a quick look around the convention floor, just to get a taste. And it was quite a show!
Today, I went early in the morning. I read that exhibitor check-in started at nine. So I thought I should get there early. I had my badge, so I just went in. But the convention itself didn't open until ten. There was a huge line of people waiting to get in. Fortunately, my pro's badge allowed me to get inside sooner than the rest of the crowd. I got to the Cartoon Art Museum's booth, and set my burden down. It was a fun time. In the morning, Dan Piraro, who draws Bizarro, was in the booth. He signed copies of his book, and also drew sketches for people who donated to the museum. He managed to get us a good many donations! In the afternoon, it was Mike Cappazolla, who draws Cheap City, who sat with us. He had a few of his comics and paraphernalia to sell.
I didn't have to sit at the booth all day. I did take my breaks. Margaret, a girl who was also volunteering, commented there were two breaks: the lunch break, and the "buy stuff" break. During the first break, I mostly navigated the Artist's Alley. I said hello to some friends and acquaintances. I had hoped to see one old DeviantArt friend, who said he'd be in Artist's Alley with a friend of his. I didn't see him, though. During the second break, I took a more thorough tour of the area. I wasn't much in a buying mood. I just got two packs of trading cards: Garbage Pail Kids, series 7, and Wacky Packages, the Flashback series. Also got to see the celebrities. This year's biggest star: Lou Ferrigno.
Anyway, I had a good time. Getting home wasn't so easy. The Chinese New Year's Parade was happening, which made it tough to get a bus. I wound up walking home in damp weather. Just the same, I'm glad I made it to this year's WonderCon!

It's been a busy week so far! I've been looking for a job recently. Since the beginning of the year, I've been trying to find a job, mostly through ads at Craig's List. I try to do at least three a day, fifteen a week. It may just pay off! One of those ads got me an interview at a Ford-Mercury dealership about a week ago. But I managed to get two interviews this week!
The first one was yesterday morning, at Everest College. I'd applied for an admin position at the Admissions department. First, they had me fill out an application. Then I had to wait to be interviewed. It took at least half an hour, as the man who was supposed to interview me was in a meeting with the corporate heads. I wound up being interviewed by a woman below him. The interview went quite well! The lady I spoke to said they would call me to make another appointment.
After I got home, I got a call on my cell phone. I thought it was the people at Everest calling already. But it was from another business, a financial company called Mongoose Capital. I'd applied for a data entry position there. The caller offered me an interview. Since nothing was final at Everest yet, I agreed to come in.
My interview at Mongoose was late this afternoon. I went in and talked to the boss. It was a pretty small office, with just three people working. That interview went well, too. This job is just part-time, requiring that I'd only come in one day a week. But I'd rather have something full-time, preferably with benefits.
Anyway, it boosts my confidence when I get a job interview based on my own strengths. I'm hoping something comes my way soon!

Current Mood: thankful

Hey all! Hope everyone had a good Christmas Day yesterday! Mine was a pretty good one. Here's the details...
We started off with a fancy breakfast. It was bacon and eggs, with gourmet flatbread. Not long after that, we set out some snacks for the guests to come. We had both sweet and savory appetizers. Suzy made a great pumpkin dip, it tasted like pumpkin pie without the crust. The first guests to come were Brian's sister Kim, her husband Frank, and Brian's cousin Jeff. A bit later, Brian's parents came, with Ray's mother. So we had some snacks, then opened presents. I got two books: Bob Newhart's memoir "I Shouldn't Even Be Doing This!", and Tom Shippey's "The Road To Middle-Earth". That book tells about J.R.R. Tolkien, and the inspiration behind his books. I also got two gift cards, for Target and Borders. Finally, I got a framed photo of Simon. Nice gifts, but nothing that topped the iHome.
Later on, more guests came. I figure there were about fifteen of us in the house. Everyone loved seeing the new baby! Suzy's poodle Joey liked seeing the people too. Molly the papillon kept her distance. She's not as social as Joey.
We had our Christmas dinner. With so many people, we couldn't all sit at the table inside. Some of us sat on the patio, by the pool. I had my dinner inside. We had ham, turkey breast, mashed potatoes, vegetable casserole, salad, cranberry sauce and biscuits. As for dessert, Suzy baked two big Dutch apple pies. One of the guests brought a pecan pie. And Brian's mother, Kiyo, brought a platter of cookies, that included meringues, fudge and peanut brittle. So we all had enough to eat, and then some!
Anyway, I'm really happy to celebrate at my sister's place again, since we didn't make it last year. I may have stuffed myself, but I wouldn't have it any other way!