As promised...more illustrations.
The beginning illustration for Food Chase. Donny setting the condiments and getting the near empty ketchup bottle.
Opening illustration for Fluffy.
Opening illustration for The Cupid Effect.
Opening for Playing with Slugs.
Opening for Flushed!
Opening for Time Marches On
From Playing with Slugs is game show host Ray Slugberg.
The figurine from Crazy Slumber Parties.
I have a few more to add. It's coming along. Be good to yourselves.
I have been diligently working on illustrations for my
short story compilation. Because I'm excited by them, I will begin
sharing them here. These will be placed in the interior of the book, so
once the book is published they will only be in greyscale. I did make
many of them in color, so I will post them here in color. By the way,
my 9-year-old editorial adviser hated the book's original title, The
Snowball Files. So, I have changed it to Crazy Adventures: Preteen
Stories and Fantasies. Since this is a book for readers his age, I
didn't want to just brush him aside. So, here is a prototype of the new
front cover:
Here's something from Suzie and the Little Man:
One from The Snowball that Ate Recess:
This is the beginning scene to Those Youngling Varmints; I will probably pick the second since the staircase is more complete. But, I wanted to show off Bella. That's the best dog I've ever drawn:
Here's right near the beginning of Crazy Slumber Parties:
Now, I've said in the past I can't draw. Well, I don't draw well enough for a large scale picture book, but for illustrations in a book with mainly text narration, I think it's doable. Friday, and I will post even if it's late at night, I will show off more.
Be good to yourselves.
I must get this off my chest. I'm not a real big fan of commercials, but some are better than others. So, here are some current commercials that I really hate.
- The "How do you KFC" commercial is by far one of the most obnoxious. Not one of the people in the commercials seem to have suffered the consequences from eating too much of that fried chicken Suddenly, commercial campaigns give a faux YouTube close up of some smug annoying person claiming they are so smart due to whatever they're selling. Anyone who falls for this commercial is truly lacking in critical thinking skills. Look, I do eat KFC and enjoy their food...sometimes. Bring back the Colonel, even in animation form. These commercials make me hate KFC. Don't do that.
- There was I think a Cadillac commercial aired during the coverage of the Opening Ceremony of the Sochi Olympics. It had this guy rambling that Americans enjoy working so much because we can buy stuff. This is what makes us great? Having barely anytime to spend with your family so we can have stuff? This is not what makes us great. What used to make Americans great was an optimistic outlook towards the future and that there wasn't any obstacle we couldn't overcome. We used to take the time to appreciate being American...to be thankful for what we have. It was Thanksgiving, but now we work that day, too or shop as the case may be.
- I'm having a hard time thinking of more because the first two are foremost in my mind.
Okay, well, this wasn't as long of a list as I hoped. Oh, yeah. Happy Valentine's Day!
Take a look at some prototype front covers for the collection of middle-grade short stories.
Okay, I call it The Snowball Files, even though there is only one story with any kind of winter theme. And, they're fantasy and adventure stories, but I wanted to keep the subtitle with as little words as possible. I'm looking at doing a basic cover--nothing fancy. I know--people judge books by the cover. I'm bucking that trend with this book. Now I just need to think about the back. My preference is the second one. This Friday, I'm going to write a list of my top, most hated commercials currently running on TV and throughout the Internet.
I can't wait for me to finish getting this all edited and to get the layout all set. Well, bye for now. Be good to yourselves.
Since I'm so busy revising and writing, I keep neglecting this blog. I will write more short stories soon. A break I must take. So...I will spend time complaining about stuff. Why complain? Everybody does it. The news media encourages all of us to be complainers. One of our local news channels features anchors and co-anchors who have to give their two cents on the weather. Look...winter weather isn't everyone's favorite, but it isn't the end of the world (except in Atlanta, Georgia). However, those local news anchors moan and whine as if everyone has to feel terrible about the weather. We live where it snows in the winter...deal with it.
I'm sorry, but I found that whole polar vortex thing exhilarating. I went out in it and I survived because I dressed for it. Although I am running out of places to put the snow that falls on my driveway, I think it's impressive. I long for spring, but in the meantime, I'll just admire the snow while it's here. Anyone who loses power or heat during the winter...okay, complain then.
So, since I can't stop all that whining and complaining by the news media, I might as well join in the game. Here's my list of complaints for today.
- The snow...I think it's never gonna stop and it'll be here forever.
- People with All-wheel drive or 4x4 who drive like everyone else has it
- People who don't know how to drive in the snow, but should know. People in the South aren't use to it, so they're forgiven (although, all of us in the North and snow states have laughed at their expense).
- I'm sick of the darkness in the morning and evening. It's my least favorite aspect about winter.
- Why isn't time travel possible, especially to the past?
- What is wrong with people?
- Why can't the Detroit Lions ever go to the Super Bowl?
- Why can't I move objects telekinetically?
- Why don't I have more complaints for today?
Well, that's all the complaining I have. I will have more as they arise.
