happyfreakshow

Making the Pirate Crew

Sun, 20 Sep 2009 06:20:15 GMT

Ahoy there, mateys! Did anyone here celebrate International Talk Like a Pirate Day today? There was a special event at the Cartoon Art Museum, not unlike the comic jams I've attended. For this event, the goal was to draw a hundred pictures of pirates. We used 8.5 x 11 sheets cut into quarters. My friend Brian organized it, and some cartoonist friends were with me. The event was open to anyone who visited the museum, and we did get some guests drawing pirates. There was one 15-year-old who was very talented, and his mother showed us his sketchbook. Brian also teaches cartooning to kids at the museum, and at one point, had to go teach his class. He came back with a brace of pictures contributed by his students. I myself cranked out nine pirate pictures. I even worked on a few personal projects in between. In the end, we made the goal of a hundred and then some! It was quite a bit of work, but I had a great time!

My Second Nephew Carter

Sun, 13 Sep 2009 03:45:22 GMT

Got some family news for you all. My sister had her second baby today. It's another boy, named Carter Donald Young, at eight pounds, fourteen and a half ounces. I'll be going down to visit her soon, and I can't wait to see my new nephew! I hope I can get a picture of myself with both Simon and Carter!

San Francisco Zinefest 2009

Tue, 25 Aug 2009 04:39:58 GMT

Well, gang, another San Francisco Zinefest has come and gone. Let me tell you about it...
The Zinefest weekend began on Friday night for me. The Cartoon Art Museum hosted a reading of autobiographical comics called "Look At Me!" It was a fun event, with readings by such artists as Joey Allison Sayers, Melaina Eller, Tessa Brunton and hostess Mari Naomi. The event was well attended! I'd have liked to have read something, though...
Saturday was the first day of the Zinefest. Things were pretty brisk that day. I was sharing my table with Louis Morton, who does a comic called "Pet Rock." And I was selling a lot of my comic, "Happy Freak Show." I managed to take a break and take in the sights at the Zinefest. I took my walk around. I made some trades. Didn't make many purchases, but one booth was selling cupcakes, and I couldn't help but get one. Afterwards, I had dinner with some friends at a local hofbrau called Pluto. Anyway, Saturday put a smile on my face. It put me in a good mood, and I was really looking forward to the next day.
Sunday was rather slower by comparison. I think it was about two hours before I made my first sale of the day. I figured things might pick up later in the day. They did, although not by much. I found that I wasn't the only one who made about half as much yesterday as I did the day before. Then there were some who actually did better on Sunday than they did on Saturday! Anyway, the slow business gave me time to do sketching, and think about stories for future projects. Some stories I hope to put in the next issue of "Happy Freak Show." Met some interesting people, a few familiar faces too. I even saw a fellow I went to art school with! In the end, I managed to make back what I spent on my table. Afterwards, I joined some friends for Indian food. It wasn't my best Zinefest, but I did better than last year!

Thu, 16 Jul 2009 06:46:20 GMT

Well, my friends, I've come back from Suzy's house. I went back to Hillsborough with my parents, then I'll go back to my place in San Francisco tomorrow.
Anyway, it was nice being at Suzy's. Mind you, it wasn't all rest and relaxation. My dad was putting in new shelves in the closets and a new garage door opener in the garage. So I was helping out there. The toughest thing was the garage door opener. When we tried to install that, we found it was too long and it went up against a beam on the ceiling. So Dad took it apart to shorten the long part. Then when we tried to put it back together, we had a problem with one little part. We had to push a spring down on a bolt, and keep it in place with a little kind of nut. That was too difficult for us! We finally gave up and put the old garage door opener back up.
As for Simon, we had a nice dinner on his proper birthday on Monday. Brian brought in a load of barbecue from a great New York-style place called Ribs On the Run. (Funny, I never associated New York City with barbecue!) Anyway, Suzy baked a birthday cake for Simon: a yellow cake with chocolate frosting and decorated with M&Ms. Simon got plenty of presents. A lot of them were "Thomas the Tank Engine" items. (He loves that show!) Mom gave him a few "Thomas: toy trains. I gave him a set of nesting and stacking alphabet blocks.
Anyway, I didn't really want to leave, but it's good to be back. Suzy will be having her second baby in September. Mom and Dad will be at the house for when the baby comes, and Brian said I was welcome to be there as well. If I'm free at that time, I'll be there!

Simon's Second Birthday Party

Sun, 12 Jul 2009 06:38:49 GMT

Toda we celebrated my nephew Simon's second birthday party! We went to Zoomars Petting Zoo in San Juan Capistrano for the party. They gave us a nice picnic area. There were cowboy hats, bandannas and sheriff badges as party favors. Plus everyone got tokens for pony rides, train rides and carrot baskets. We brought trays of food, sandwiches, salads, fruits and vegetables. Plus, we had ordered tiny cupcakes decorated with farm animals and the digit 2. I helped decorate by blowing up balloons. So a lot of friends came, a lot of little kids. I got to see some of my cousins, and that was nice. There were plenty of animals there: ponies, goats, sheep, a cow, some llamas, emus, parakeets, geese, pigs, bunnies and guinea pigs. There were little baskets for feeding the animals, filled with carrot sticks, lettuce leaves, broccoli florets and diced apples. I want around giving tidbits to as many animals as I could. The emus were aggressive when it comes to getting food, the goats were even more so. So Simon enjoyed a few rides on the ponies and the little train. Eventually, we packed up and went back to the house. But we all had a great time!

Coming Up: Simon's Birthday

Thu, 09 Jul 2009 07:02:38 GMT

Hey gang! I'm at my sister's house in Laguna Hills now. My nephew Simon will be celebrating his second birthday this weekend. So I came down with my parents today. First, my dad picked me up at my place this morning. Then I was with my parents as we drove down in the afternoon. We decided to go later instead of the morning so we'd avoid the traffic going through San Jose and Los Angeles. We had a nice drive down, and we made pretty good time. I'm certainly looking forward to the party on Saturday!

Bazooko's Circus

Mon, 06 Jul 2009 05:32:02 GMT

Yesterday was the Fourth of July. Usually, I go to Fisherman's Wharf to catch the fireworks. But this year, I did something different. I'd found out about an event at Space Gallery on Polk St., so I went there. Space Gallery is an art gallery with a bar, like 111 Minna. Anyway, the event was called Bazooko's Circus. There were a lot of art on the walls with a circus theme. And there was a DJ, plus live entertainment. Burlesque clown Dottie Lux was the hostess, and she performed some of her sexy antics. One of the exhibiting artists, Hassan Said, showed a short film of his, "It's a Strange World", with live musical accompaniment. It was a nice change of pace, and I enjoyed myself!

They Sing From the Diaphragm a Looooot!

Thu, 02 Jul 2009 03:48:42 GMT

Last night, I went out and saw the musical "Spamalot"! When it came to San Francisco, I just had to see it, being the Monty Python fan that I am. I'd purchased my ticket already, and I went last night to the Golden Gate Theater where it was playing. So it was a great show, every bit as funny as I thought it would be. I liked that it wasn't just about "Monty Python and the Holy Grail," but had other Monty Python references as well. (F'rinstance, God was represented by two cutouts of that huge animated foot and the voice of John Cleese!) There were lots of great scenes, and if I had to pick a favorite, it would be the one with the Killer Rabbit. Best musical number was "You Won't Succeed On Broadway." I'm very glad I went!

My Brush With the U.S. Army

Thu, 11 Jun 2009 04:27:30 GMT

My search for employment has taken me here and there. Most recently, I applied for a clerical position with the U.S. Army Recruiting Center. I even got an interview today (my first one in a helluva long time!). But I found out I'd pretty much have to join up if I was to get the job. That includes basic training! Well, that didn't appeal to me at all. No member of my family was ever in the military, so why should I break tradition? The staff sergeant interviewing me did try to persuade me with some good arguments: a decent benefits package, job security, training for new skills, plus for someone my age, breaking into a new career won't be easy anywhere else. So I said I'd like some time to think about it. I got some brochures to look over, and was told to call back tomorrow morning with my decision. So I'll just tell him thanks but no thanks.

Powerless

Sat, 06 Jun 2009 07:39:52 GMT

Ever had a power outage at your house? How about having a power outage in your whole neighborhood? That happened to me today. I had been out shopping earlier today, and when I got home, there was no power in my building. The elevator wasn't working, there was no lights in the hallways, and no power in my apartment. I wanted to do the laundry, but as the washing machines didn't work, I had no choice but to wait. I caught up on some art while I waited. I couldn't turn my drawing table lamp on, but the sun hadn't gone down, so I had adequate light. After at least an hour, the power came back on. So I went right down to the laundry room to wash my clothes. In the laundry room, I found out what had happened. A transformer nearby had malfunctioned, and even started a fire. Anyway, I then went back up to my place. The power didn't stay on, unfortunately. It went out again. And I knew the washing machines were still running. Had to wait a bit longer. The power flickered a moment at a point or two. Finally, the power was restored. The machine holding my whites was still full of water. I had to wring them out before I could put them in the dryer. I remember when San Francisco had a huge city-wide power outage back in December of 1998. This incident reminded me of that!

Comic Jam!

Tue, 02 Jun 2009 05:35:59 GMT

Yesterday, I was part of a big artistic event. The San Francisco Cartoonist Conspiracy put on a big comics jam at the Cartoon art Museum. There were tables set up in the lobby right outside the bookstore, and it was open to anyone who wanted to join in. What we did was, we drew the panels on square Post-It notes and arranged them into a story on sheets of paper. There was more than one story going on, and we were super-productive! The comic jam I worked on had some bears from space invading a world of bees for honey to power their spaceship. I penciled my share of panels, then I ended up inking most of the pages on it. Afterwards, I went with some friends to see Up (which was excellent!).

One Big Hangup!

Tue, 19 May 2009 03:15:09 GMT

I've been having cell phone trouble recently. And I hadn't had it but a few months! I plugged it in to be charged on Friday night, and it seemed to malfunction. When I tried to turn it on Saturday morning, it wouldn't go on. So I took it to an AT&T Store, but that location was closed. (That particular location was downstairs from some stockbrokers' offices, so it wasn't going to be open on weekends.) I didn't even think to try a different location, which was just a few blocks away! Anyway, when I told Mom about it, she suggested a different location. I went to the one she recommended yesterday. So the salesmen there tested my phone, and found it wasn't working. They gave me a number to call. So when I got home, I called it. The woman I talked to had me go through a troubleshooting routine to see if I could get it working again. But it didn't work. So she suggested I go to another location to exchange my old phone for a new one. I didn't feel like going out again then and there, so I decided I'd do that today. So today, I went to the AT&T location I'd been given, at a kiosk at a shopping mall. The clerk there thought my phone just needed a new battery. He called around to see if he could find one. Then told me to go to a nearby location to see if I could get this mess fixed. So I finally went there. I explained the situation. The problem was I wouldn't be able to get a new phone in the city, it would have to come from one of their larger customer centers. So I called that number again at the store. Had to go through the whole troubleshooting routine again. Anyway, the woman I talked to said she'd have a new phone sent to me through the mail. It'll take a few days, though. It's all so frustrating!

No One Mourns the Wicked

Thu, 19 Mar 2009 03:23:30 GMT

Last night, I saw a stage musical, "Wicked." Since the show is back in San Francisco, I wanted to see it, since I enjoyed the book. I had gotten my ticket two weeks before. Anyway, last night, I first treated myself to dinner at Chevy's. And after that, I went to the Orpheum Theater, where "Wicked" was playing. I'd gotten a side balcony seat, and it had a decent view of the stage. It was a very enjoyable show! I suppose my favorite character would have to be Galinda/Glinda. The best number would have to be "Defying Gravity." I had already known the musical would be different from the book, and I didn't mind much. I thought they got creative here and there. All in all, I'm glad I went to see the show!

Pin It Up, Babycakes!

Sat, 07 Feb 2009 06:43:00 GMT

Last night I went to this wild and crazy gallery reception! The gallery was 111 Minna, and the show was "Pin It Up, Babycakes!" The art on display was inspired by pin-up and burlesque art. So there was a lot of sexy paintings and photography. And some of the artists were burlesque performers themselves. I'd found out about the opening from a fellow cartoonist's E-mail. So I met him there, plus two other friends. At nine o'clock, they had a burlesque show. Plenty of women hit the stage and stripped down to pasties and panties! And the audience showed their rowdy appreciation! At the end of the show, there was a hard-rockin' all-girl band called the Merry Widows. I went home with my eardrums in shock, but it was definitely a great experience!

Ennio!

Thu, 25 Dec 2008 04:57:34 GMT

Hey gang! Writing from my parents' house, as I'll be here for Christmas. We won't be going to my sister's house in Laguna Hills this year, because my dad was called for jury duty. And I was really looking forward to the trip too! :(
Well, thankfully there was something special that happened today. I went with my parents to see Ennio Marchetto at the Berkeley Rep. If you don't know who he is, he's an Italian comedian/performance artist who does amazing things with paper costumes. Here's a taste of his act: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QERUjf8fbII I've seen his act before at San Francisco's Theater on the Square, and loved it. So when my folks were getting tickets, I just had to tag along! And he gave quite a show! So while I did miss out on going to Laguna Hills, at least I caught a great show!
And one more thing...Merry Christmas!

Season's Greetings

Tue, 23 Dec 2008 06:50:09 GMT

To all my Livejournal friends,
Thank you for your friendship and support during the past year. I just want to wish you and yours all my best for this holiday season, and hope for good things to come in the future. Have a good one!

SFZinefest 2008

Tue, 22 Jul 2008 05:12:25 GMT

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!

Tacos and Cupcakes

Mon, 14 Jul 2008 04:16:52 GMT

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!

My Foggy Fourth

Sun, 06 Jul 2008 05:43:06 GMT

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!

Now Available: New Allegory

Tue, 03 Jun 2008 06:01:15 GMT

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

Rory Root RIP

Wed, 21 May 2008 06:10:59 GMT

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.

Where There's Smoke...

Fri, 11 Apr 2008 22:05:16 GMT

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!

I Showed My Portfolio To Pixar!

Tue, 01 Apr 2008 04:52:45 GMT

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.

WonderCon 2008

Sun, 24 Feb 2008 05:51:46 GMT

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!

Two Intrviews In One Week!

Thu, 14 Feb 2008 07:48:15 GMT

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!