St. Brigid

Good morning y'all,

It's... whoa, been since October that I've written? What's up with that? Hmm... I continue to blame Facebook, plus I've been doing some freelance work at Guru.com, so there you have it.

A couple of years ago I wrote a fun note on celebrating St. Brigid's Day (today) and you can check it out here, if you like. St. Brigid's Day is on old Celtic celebration, called "Imbolc", and somehow has survived even in our modern world. Weird! Yet cool ;-)

Life has been going along not too badly. We somehow made it through January; a month plagued by deep-freeze temperatures, big, hulking piles of snow, and an extraordinarily inconvenient bus strike that, after 51 **ckin days, finally curled up its toes last week and died. The buses won't all be functioning for long unexplained weeks to come, so it means, I'll still be driving the Boy to work and picking him up again. One link in the bus chain is all it would've taken to set our world back in some kind've motioned order (the #116), but no, no order for us.

But, with the dawn of a new month, fresh, bright and crisp, and my wee car functioning ok (thanks to a $250 trip to Midas *sigh*), we sally forth. Possibilities seem to open like so many lotos blooms at the beginning of anything... it's like, after about the 3rd week of a month, you figure "what the hell" and throw your arms in the air with defeat and impatience. At the start of the month, everything seems new and actually do-able. I know, days are days, and there really isn't any discernable difference. (Why should everyone hate Monday, and love Friday for instance? Purely psychological.. yes, I am a Monday-hater, and truly cherish my weekends.. *grin*) But ultimately, each day has the same 24 hours in it, sliced up neatly into apportioned minutes and seconds, each of which holds the pure potential of the doing, or the not-doing, or the simply lounging (depending on whether or not you are a procrastinator par extraordinaire...)

This month, I aim to finish up my outstanding projects and get paid (finally).. which'll be nice. Then I can link to all the fun freelanced stuff I've been semi-labouring over. It'll be exciting starting a couple of new illustration projects as well. Once I get that ball rolling, I am going to wrap up the bits and pieces left dangling around my upcoming book, and finally send the bulk of files off to a P.O.D. place, so you can all get your excited mitts on "96 Hours", my 4 successful 24 hour comics, all in one brand-spanking new format. Hurray!

Whew...
Ok, I think I'm pretty much done.
Cheerio, and good luck to you as you try and thrust your way through the chaos and organize life, the universe and your sock drawers.

Suz.

PS Here is one of the illustrations for the upcoming book from Swordfish Toys called Alphabet Madness by Simon Fish, illustrated by Suzanne Marsden. Hurray!

October 17th - 18th 2008 24 Hour Comics Day Party!

If you read too many blogs, you could end up like the people in the above pic. Barring that...read on!

I was talking with Westin the other day; Westin, the dude who is getting married (to fiancée Nadine!)Sept 17th, and for whom I am donning a tux and being the 'Best Ma'am'(just finished writing my speech this morning--yay!).

I said; 'buddy, wish we could get together to draw, but I know you're busy with your wedding coming up and all'. And he said 'Sue--what about next month?'
'Next month?'
'Yeah!'
'Hey I think Nat'l 24 Hour Comics Day is in October sometime... Wanna do it?'
'Sure!'
'What, are we insane?'
'Probably!'
'Still, if I only complete 1 comic a year...'
(SFX swelling of orchestral music)

(And now a cheat-repost from October 2007 [abridged])

With the event [a little over a month] away, folks must be getting excited and stoked for the exhausting, illuminating and one-of-a-kind experience ONLY this kind've gathering can evoke. I know that I am! And it is not too late to take part. Simply contact me with your interest and questions, or sign on to the Facebook group and request to be included on the event list. You will receive maps, and can participate in a carpool or shuttle bus to DragonHead Studio's cozy locale in Urban Kanata.

Ample drawing, painting & comic-creating material will be provided, along with a selection of caffeinated beverages ;-) [NOT coffee-beer though; man that was gross last year :-P] and foods. We do support vegetarians; just let us know your needs. We also have a large collection of animals living with us, so if you need it, prep your system with anti-allergy medication. DragonHead has a secure area if you wish to bring a tent and camp. We also will be providing up to eight places for people to sleep, should they require napping during the event, or cannot complete their comic projects and must sleep.

You have nothin' to lose by giving this a try! You will discover creative depths in your heart you didn't know existed! If you are experiencing artist's or writer's block, this event will kick the hell out of it. You will amaze yourself by what bubbles up in the middle of the night... Go for it!

To get a feel for what others have experienced during previous events, check out YouTube. There are tons of clips showing comic artists and even a couple of interviews with the inventor of the 24 Hour Comic, Scott McCloud!

Contact me via my website, The 24 Hour Comics Day at DragonHead Studio Group on Facebook, or by calling 613-323-3377 and leaving a detailed voice message.

Cheers and all best
Suzanne.

PS -- For detailed information regarding the 24 Hour Comic and what it is exactly, refer to Scott McCloud's web page. Here, he explains what it is, how he came up with it and shows copious pages of completed 24 Hour Comics. Inspiring!

[PPS-- check out 24 Hour comics Day participants from last year's successful event at DragonHead Studio! Westin Church's "Harry Hotdog and the Land of Linguini", and Suzanne Marsden's "The Magic Cauldron!"]

PPPS--NEWSFLASH - Randy Kelly, noted filmmaker, is planning to document the event at DragonHead Studio October 17th - 18th!

Git your game on!!

I looked at the image above on my Facebook profile and it hit home. There are only THREE DAYS AND EIGHTEEN HOURS left until the exciting 24 Hour Comics Day Event at my place (DragonHead Studio.)

So, email me, join the Facebook Group and request to be added to the Event and come out to enjoy the fun, horrifying, exciting, excruciating challenge. There will be home-made poppycock. Seriously :-)

Suzanne.

613-836-7821
sue.clay@rogers.com

Yes, we're online... and there is still time to sign up!

Nat Gertler sent me a notice regarding the 24 Hour Comics Day Event, stating that the International start time list had been completed. The list includes DragonHead Studio's event, the ONLY host near the Nation's Capital (the next one out is The Artel in Kingston, then Hairy Tarantula West in Toronto!) This comprises 82 Events scheduled in 15 countries, 29 US states and 3 Canadian provinces! Check out the map here :-D

With the event less than two weeks away, folks must be getting excited and stoked for the exhausting, illuminating and one-of-a-kind experience ONLY this kind've gathering can evoke. I know that I am! And it is not too late to take part. Simply contact me with your interest and questions, or sign on to the Facebook group and request to be included on the event list. You will receive maps, and can participate in a carpool or shuttle bus to DragonHead Studio's cozy locale in Urban Kanata.

Ample drawing, painting & comic creating materials will be provided, along with a selection of caffeinated beverages ;-) and foods. We do support vegetarian-friendly food; just let us know your needs. We have a large collection of animals living with us, so prepare your system with anti-allergy medication (if you need it.) DragonHead has a secure area if you wish to bring a tent and camp. We also will be providing up to eight places for people to sleep, should they require napping during the event, or cannot complete their comic projects and must sleep.

You have nothin' to lose by giving this a try! You will discover creative depths in your heart you didn't know existed! If you are experiencing artist's or writer's block, this event will kick the hell out of it. You will amaze yourself by what bubbles up in the middle of the night... Go for it!

To get a feel for what others have experienced during previous events, check out YouTube. There are tons of clips showing comic artists and even a couple of interviews with the inventor of the 24 Hour Comic, Scott McCloud!

Contact me via my website, The 24 Hour Comic Book Day at DragonHead Studio Group on Facebook, or by calling 613-323-3377 and leaving a detailed voice message.

Cheers and all best
Suzanne.

PS--Happy Thanksgiving!
PPS -- For detailed information regarding the 24 Hour Comic and what it is exactly, refer to Scott McCloud's web page. Here he explains what it is, how he came up with it and shows copious pages of completed 24 Hour Comics. Inspiring!
PPPS -- Here's a funny image detailing ways to keep awake while doing the 24 HCD.

Somewhere over the Rainbow

"Somewhere Over The Rainbow"
Music by Harold Arlen and lyrics by E.Y. Harburg

Somewhere over the rainbow
Way up high,
There's a land that I heard of
Once in a lullaby.

Somewhere over the rainbow
Skies are blue,
And the dreams that you dare to dream
Really do come true.

Someday I'll wish upon a star
And wake up where the clouds are far
Behind me.
Where troubles melt like lemon drops
Away above the chimney tops
That's where you'll find me.

Somewhere over the rainbow
Bluebirds fly.
Birds fly over the rainbow.
Why then, oh why can't I?

If happy little bluebirds fly
Beyond the rainbow
Why, oh why can't I?

I keep pinching myself, and realize it's not a dream, or a poppy-induced hallucination, or even (occasionally) a psychotic episode. I'm free. A limited pass, acknowledged, but for the time being (May 14 - July 6th) my personal leave from Stats is in place, signed in triplicate by various people (some of whom I have not met) and approved.

56 days.

Why do I feel as if they will fly by as quickly as any weekend, a mimeographed blur of sweet May winds, balmy 22 degree C. temperatures, cheap hops in bottles, dandelions bobbing egg-yolk heads as I trip and waltz over cracked asphalt. It will flit like rods in blurry video-images. It will dash and gaily blurt beep! beep! even as I spin and blink bewildered Wiley Eyes.

Until I learn to Stop Time. Or bend and fold time like a balky empty cardboard box, flexing in trembling arms, collapsing into a resisting accordion. Now You Will Slow Down For Me. My days will slow down. I order this; command that trickling minutes be transformed into piles and piles of seconds; bumping one another and asking why the line won't move?

My Spring's end, my Summer's beginning. My sweet, silent, time of memory, reflection, beauty, freedom and art. A mere trickle of days gathered like precious fallen leaves in supplicant's folded hands, ever grateful for specks of time.

So; what happened?

I got an offer I couldn't refuse to do some freelance animation, something I haven't done in a few years. Of course, I spent some time trying to figure out what the hell to do. As usual, most of my rumination and self-induced stress pushed me in several directions at once. But, for once, I didn't wait for the easy road to unfold like a squeezed up cellophane ball. I said: Self, if you let this baby slide by, then you're not allowed to complain about Stats ever again. Got it? You'll have to march in grey jumpsuited delirium until you drop dead or retire and you wont' be allowed to whine about it.

Actually I think Clay said that and I agreed soberly.



I'm currently helping my friend Nick work on Storyboards for Nelvana's animated show Wayside, based on the popular kid's books by Louis Sachar. Nick roughs the boards and I get to clean them up. And it is SO GOOD to be drawing again; it is like when you have dealt with having pain for so long (like an irksome toothache) that it's second nature and then suddenly, it's gone. Gone. And you bite down on a carrot and it doesn't send a nail of pain puncturing your frontal lobe. Drawing = no pain. Wow.

I didn't know I could get leave from a job. Correction; a gov't job. But, yes, you can apply and you can go and do whatever the heck it is you need to do(maternity, going to school, traveling in the Alps, becoming a joint Producer and/or Owner of a failing animation company... ehhh...) and come back to your job. I think all I have to pay back is my pension. Man! Any other job from my past the answer you'd get to a proposition of a need for some time off would be: "Sure, enjoy your time off.. Don't come back." (Followed by the waving of a cheery pink slip.)

So, I will report more when there is more to report. I have been negligent of my poor Blogs, sorry. I got sucked into Facebook :-O I will post a funny drawing I manipulated for a Facebook Group called the Super Hero Secret Identity Network. (S.H.S.I.N.) Usually I can do better PhotoShop drawings, but for some reason my colour is really off. I probably have screwed up a setting on it or something!

Oh, and the intro pic at the top of the post is a drawing I made for the Care2 site's Suicide Intervention group, started by my friend Heidi Thomson. Check it out if you are feeling blue and need to talk.

Cheers all!
xx-oo
Suzanne.

I Dominate evil-doers with my patented Brom-inator cudgel. It runs off a car battery. YAY!