tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-107577712024-03-12T23:39:31.398-04:00Townie Bastard14 years and still blogging....when I feel like it.towniebastardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03129158923604362272noreply@blogger.comBlogger2089125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10757771.post-83790509691447687582023-06-08T22:21:00.000-04:002023-06-08T22:21:18.884-04:00Jury Duty<p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.656; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Jury summons tend to go a number of ways. A lot of times, you get the summons but then find out the court date has been cancelled. Other times you get the summons, but for various reasons, it might be impossible to attend as you won’t be in town that day. You contact the Sherriff’s office, let them know, and that’s that.</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><b id="docs-internal-guid-31dafe0a-7fff-3a8c-3f16-94907556dc82" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></b></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.656; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Then there are the times you find yourself in a hotel conference room with 100 other people waiting to hear if your randomly assigned number is going to be pulled from a hat. That happened to me last month. My number got called and I had to stand in front of a judge. He asked if I had a reason why I couldn't serve on the jury and I only had one answer I could honestly give.</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 12pt;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">"No, your Honour."</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 12pt;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">And with that, my two-week journey in the Nunavut criminal justice system began.</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 12pt;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I'm not going to get into a lot of details on the case. Nunatsiaq News has extensive coverage of the court case. And in case you're thinking, "Well, which jury trial was it?" to the best of our knowledge, it's the first jury trial in Iqaluit in over a decade. I can't swear on Bibles (or Affirm) to that, but I think that's right.</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 12pt;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">And I really, really can't get into what it was like in the jury room. What happened in there, the discussions we had, are confidential and it's critical to maintain that confidentiality. So I won't discuss it, and never bother asking me about it.</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 12pt;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">What I can say is this...it was a very important experience for me. I'm not going to use life-changing - a phrase I generally loathe as most experiences are life-changing - but I'm glad I did it. I'm glad I had that experience. I'm not saying it was easy. It wasn't. There were times when the jury was sent from the court when a witness broke down relating horrifying abuse. All I wanted to do was go outside and find a snowbank to bury my head in. There was a spin cycle I had going for my first few days sitting in court.</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 12pt;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">This is horrible to listen to --> The people testifying had it much, much worse. Suck it up --> Because they went through something horrible does not invalidate you feeling bad listening to it. --> The lawyers and other court officials have had to deal with this for longer. Suck it up --> Because they've been working on this case and dealing with this for longer does not invalidate you feeling bad.</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 12pt;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Spin. Rinse. Repeat.</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 12pt;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">At the end of the jury's work, we were given counselling information and the judge strongly encouraged us to take advantage of it. I've already made an appointment, and I hope the others will as well.</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 12pt;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">So why do this? I knew before I was called before the judge that this was going to be a challenging case to listen to. I could have come up with an excuse to get out of it. Prior knowledge of the case. Bias. Something.</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 12pt;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">But I've always wanted to serve on a jury. I wanted that experience and I'm glad I have it. But I've had something else rattling around in my head for a few years, and serving on this jury solidified it for me. It isn't a shocking revelation that public discourse has taken a beating in the age of social media. Things are getting angrier and scarier out there. And far too often, I hear people yell that their rights are being suppressed or stamped upon. But not nearly enough do I hear about taking their responsibilities as Canadian citizens seriously. The responsibilities part is equally important. It's why people who brag they don't vote make me nearly homicidal at times.</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Canadians are gifted with a staggering number of rights. Read the</span><a href="https://www.canada.ca/en/canadian-heritage/services/how-rights-protected/guide-canadian-charter-rights-freedoms.html" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #1155cc; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Charter</span></a><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> if you want a refresher. And these are your</span><a href="https://www.citizenshipcounts.ca/guide/rights/responsibilities-of-citizenship" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #1155cc; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">responsibilities</span></a><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">:</span></span></p><ul style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 12pt;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Obeying the law: Everyone must obey the law, even if they are in a high position</span></span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Taking responsibility for oneself and one's family: It is important to get a job, and take care of one's family, and to work hard. This helps to make Canada a strong country.</span></span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Serving on a jury: When a person is in court, a jury is a group of people who help the judge to make decisions about whether the person who is on trial is guilty or not guilty. If you get a letter asking you to serve on a jury, you must answer the letter, and serve on the jury if you are asked. </span></span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Voting in elections: You are responsible to vote in elections. There are three kinds of elections; federal elections (for the whole country), provincial or territorial elections, and local elections (for a municipality or city).</span></span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Helping others in the community: Canadian citizens often volunteer. This means that they work without pay to help people. It is a good way to gain useful skills, make friends and network for jobs. </span></span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Protecting and enjoying our heritage and environment. Every Canadian citizen needs to help protect Canada by avoiding waste and pollution. We want to keep Canada's nature beautiful, and not forget what our parents and grandparents taught us about our culture.</span></span></p></li></ul><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 12pt;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">These are not hard things to accomplish. For the number of rights you get as a Canadian, this is playing at the easy setting of life responsibilities. And yet, the first reaction of many when they get a jury summons is to figure out how they can get out of it. Don't. I understand sometimes it is simply inevitable that you can't serve. But try to find a way to work your life around serving on a jury rather than trying to figure out how to avoid it.</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 12pt;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Toward the end of the trial, I found myself writing. I wanted to say thanks to everyone at the court for their work and for taking care of the jury. I read it to my fellow jjurors and they all agreed with it, for which I'm grateful. With the judge's permission, I read it out in court. I confess, I was surprised by how emotional I got. I won't put the whole thing up here, but it's one of the best things I've written in a while. Particularly this paragraph.</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 12pt;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">"It has been a rare opportunity to see a side of justice that many Canadians do not experience and should. It has been an important reminder that, as Canadians, responsibilities come with our rights, and we are grateful for the chance to balance our scales. We have also had the opportunity to witness strength and perseverance that will stay with us for the rest of our lives."</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 12pt;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Not everything has to be awful when you're a juror on these cases. Sometimes....sometimes you can be astonished at what people can endure and still find the strength to speak. The least you can do is sit and listen. And sometimes even give them justice.</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p>towniebastardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03129158923604362272noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10757771.post-27383509265980590502023-01-17T22:57:00.001-05:002023-01-17T22:57:30.296-05:00Proof of Life: 53<p> </p><span id="docs-internal-guid-5a70ddca-7fff-8eb2-d9b7-fc0eb5e25e00"><div align="left" dir="ltr" style="margin-left: 0pt;"><table style="border-collapse: collapse; border: none;"><colgroup><col width="284"></col></colgroup><tbody><tr style="height: 250pt;"><td style="overflow-wrap: break-word; overflow: hidden; padding: 5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt; vertical-align: top;"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 11pt; margin-top: 0pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 0pt 18pt; text-align: center; text-indent: -18pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 320px; overflow: hidden; width: 271px;"><img height="320" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/VZQU5Fy9wi-I2V9PLwIsmYi9N7jNmlpgauedelfQ6M8qs4JuWkZUxEoXmcP5RUjd1do--IXRU0u7ugCvGoQz-HWosQ7ndjkMDqHzubzwwhogboikEokDzmB05cuZkbwOnCqyVWusF4gucMPbZZUa9aatk8VXAv8IhVhJN92wjfNwREITV7tBLIqszr0UTA=w270-h320" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="270" /></span></span></p></td></tr><tr style="height: 45.25pt;"><td style="overflow-wrap: break-word; overflow: hidden; padding: 5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt; vertical-align: top;"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 0pt 18pt; text-align: center; text-indent: -18pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">There were times last year when I wanted to</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 0pt 18pt; text-align: center; text-indent: -18pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">strangle these fluffy idiots, but they're far too</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 0pt 18pt; text-align: center; text-indent: -18pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">adorable to stay mad at for long.</span></p></td></tr></tbody></table></div><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.656; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I had a mild epiphany last week. It was while I was hobbling down a corridor, using a cane to get around, </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">because I sprained my ankle back in December. I was grumpy over that, a work thing, and I'd just looked in the mirror in the washroom and realized that Cathy's tease about my longer beard really bringing out the grey was accurate.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.656; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I understood then that I really was settling into becoming a cranky old man quite nicely. That was pretty inevitable. I've been accused of being a cranky old man since university. Now I was just beginning to look and feel the part. I actually felt better after that. There's something very zenning about realizing you're right on schedule for this kind of thing to happen.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.656; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">So yes, 53 will be the Year of Gumpy Old Man. Bring it on.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.656; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">As for 52, well, while most of 2022 was the Year of the Water Tiger by the Chinese calendar, it was very much the Year of the Dog for Cathy and I. We might have gotten the puppies in 2021, but 2022 was the year we spent making sure the puppies grew up to become good dogs. This was not always easy, as some very expensive vet bills show. There were three weeks this year that, between the two of them, were among the most stressful weeks we've had in years.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.656; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">They give big love, but sometimes with that big love comes big stresses, panic, and guilt as well. Iqaluit is in the middle of its usual January cold snap. Temps have been pushing -50C with windchill for a good chunk of the month, meaning it has been too cold to have them outside for more than a few minutes at a time, and certainly not long enough for their usual walks. Even with coats and booties, you don't mess around with temps like that. So they're getting a little binky. But honestly, they really are good dogs.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.656; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We are also, tentatively, trying to work out the logistics of taking them down south with us this summer. We'll see.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.656; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">What else happened during 52? It was nice to get out for a vacation. Never taking that for granted again. Always a delight to be bossed around by my 7-year-old niece for a week. Through a delightful bit of unplanned synchronicity, there was a gathering of my university friends in town, some of whom I've not seen in decades.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.656; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I went back to New York for the first time in seven years and attended my first comic con in 3.5 years. That was fun, but a little....odd. It was weird travelling solo again, and NYCC was great but very intense. It felt very much like everyone was going out to comic con for the first time in years, and it was urgent that it be the best con ever. There was an odd energy to it. Oh, and Reed Pop completely screwed the pooch on their mask mandate. 20% of attendees wore a mask. Maybe.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.656; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">As for the challenges, mom gave me a last minute freak out by breaking her hip. She's home, recovering and appears to be in good spirits, so I'll take that. I managed to sprain my ankle in December and I'm still getting over that. When something pops in your ankle, that's "bad." I probably have another 4-6 weeks of hobbling around before it's 'normal-ish.' Oh, and we both got COVID in August, which was delightful. It was a mild-ish case, and we 100% attribute that to having been vaccinated six weeks earlier. We just got our booster last week. Keep your shots up-to-date, kids.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.656; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">So what's the plan for 53?</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.656; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Whenever I get my ankle back to normal, I really do need to start getting back to the gym and getting healthier. Not just physically, but mentally. A few hours a week at the gym does wonders for me, and between the pandemic and illness, I haven't been able to get into any kind of routine.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.656; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Not strangle the dogs. I love them, but there are days.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.656; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The ongoing project of trying to be a better husband to Cathy. I did okay this year, but it's always a work in progress.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.656; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Keep writing. I understand the blog is relatively dormant, but I'm doing some writing for myself. Most of it is crap, but it makes me happy. Cathy introduced me to the idea that I could write and not publish or have to try and sell it. I can write just to make myself happy. Crazy-talk, but it works.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.656; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Although I did get a request to update the Moving to Iqaluit FAQ. That's fair, so I will do that this year.</span></p><div align="left" dir="ltr" style="margin-left: 0pt;"><table style="border-collapse: collapse; border: none;"><colgroup><col width="240"></col></colgroup><tbody><tr style="height: 250pt;"><td style="overflow-wrap: break-word; overflow: hidden; padding: 5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt; vertical-align: top;"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 11pt; margin-top: 0pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 0pt 18pt; text-align: center; text-indent: -18pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 320px; overflow: hidden; width: 227px;"><img height="320" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/qn6UKboFuCIzuVXOgOn2qzwIpslvrSZJ9lU6x4Puh9ayf-oXpRj3heJCHTc__QPhM_CAXHSeKSMsnYCMjeC2ekoP6d8H-Az_EWR-37ClxezH22hXxvRySzWdOzS_7RDtsXdKJSym2Og7Eqdh9f8LZNmDi2Omku_KE2BQc4IqAgD3LktNWQv5twzWopyswA" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="227" /></span></span></p></td></tr><tr style="height: 33.25pt;"><td style="overflow-wrap: break-word; overflow: hidden; padding: 5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt; vertical-align: top;"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 0pt 18pt; text-align: center; text-indent: -18pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Ms. Marvel by Arthur Adams. I still can't </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; text-indent: -18pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">believe I own this.</span></p></td></tr></tbody></table></div><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.656; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 12pt;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-65ec7d57-7fff-34c8-8a21-7ac609efa9c8"></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.656; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">I suspect this year will be one of geek reckoning. If you've ever wondered how long it will take to fill a room with books, art, Legos and toys, the answer is about 12 years. There's no more room for toys of Legos, and we're rapidly approaching the dreaded "a book has to go for every new one you bring in" stage of things. Art is a little different in that I've long since passed where I can display everything. That's why I have portfolios (like most comic art collectors). But I am going t adjust what I buy. I need to be much more strategic in my purchases.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.656; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">Having said that, I got an Art Adams commission this year. If you’re not a geek, that means nothing. If you are a geek, you’re probably going “coooool.” I’ve only been in love with his art since I was a teenager. Meeting him was a thrill. Having him hand this over to me was otherworldly.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Finally, the world outside is crazy and it's not likely to get any less crazy any time soon. I'm going to have to watch it again, because I know I missed things trying to figure out what was going on. But I think I will try and spend at least part of this, my 53rd year on this insane planet, following Waymond's wise advice. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">"The only thing I do know is that we have to be kind. Please, be kind. Especially when we don't know what's going on."</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">(Yes, you can be grumpy and kind. It's a big multiverse. Embrace contradictions....)</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Last Five</span></p><ol style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: decimal; margin-left: -18pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Dogs days are over - Florence and the Machine</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: decimal; margin-left: -18pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Honey, we can’t afford to look this cheap - White Stripes</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: decimal; margin-left: -18pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Cover me (live) - Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band*</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: decimal; margin-left: -18pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Dianne - Joanne Barker</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: decimal; margin-left: -18pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Stella Hurt - Elvis Costello and the Imposters</span></p></li></ol></span>towniebastardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03129158923604362272noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10757771.post-25667172692926122332022-11-28T16:33:00.000-05:002022-11-28T16:33:15.995-05:00Report Card: Sully and Wazowski<p>There's any number of days I can pick for puppy celebrations. We could pick their birthdays, or the day we picked them up. But I think on the one-year anniversary of their meeting each other for the first time, now is as good a time as any to give them their report card.</p><p>This is what I wrote on Facebook a year ago. "After 5 hours of chasing each other, they've finally crashed. Here's hoping that continues tonight when we go to bed." </p><p>I can't recall if they stayed crashed, but based on our experience over the next couple of weeks, I would guess not.</p><p>Here's what they looked like then:</p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBzFuWO6vSKjQTkjuLne_IOmUrbpZ7ursGbTnl6JZbs2awa5_4p-pGItLO-oVtV_89JB7gzFSvgG-TpbBzTqmQQi7MmIiRC09U9VA2LOgBFbCAhiQ3TjrIP_1HN4Ffyr40YKShsBTZVCpl3wGjRC_BqG-yqTADTn3t3EWShGlPxVUjfcRec0E/s4032/IMG_9142.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBzFuWO6vSKjQTkjuLne_IOmUrbpZ7ursGbTnl6JZbs2awa5_4p-pGItLO-oVtV_89JB7gzFSvgG-TpbBzTqmQQi7MmIiRC09U9VA2LOgBFbCAhiQ3TjrIP_1HN4Ffyr40YKShsBTZVCpl3wGjRC_BqG-yqTADTn3t3EWShGlPxVUjfcRec0E/w400-h300/IMG_9142.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Worn out after trying to kill each other</td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>And here's what they look like now.</p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPslcSWUORyBoHCD70j-MetP9a2VubjbdKi5xR2QvRTVQlN8Ml_qf_ikuP55D_ZXnmxJAXJRoqg6WE8d3VHPhUHdKVgnThsyzCKsT5anH5Ozda7rPSSBm0rBxnIcAlm8DVbkenmm0Wl3nKS-2CHc4TpX4T35dwh1aT4chlGKtu2Bgj2h8iIXc/s4032/IMG_1239.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPslcSWUORyBoHCD70j-MetP9a2VubjbdKi5xR2QvRTVQlN8Ml_qf_ikuP55D_ZXnmxJAXJRoqg6WE8d3VHPhUHdKVgnThsyzCKsT5anH5Ozda7rPSSBm0rBxnIcAlm8DVbkenmm0Wl3nKS-2CHc4TpX4T35dwh1aT4chlGKtu2Bgj2h8iIXc/w400-h300/IMG_1239.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A year later, still trying to kill each other.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>So are they good dogs? Well, to quote We Rate Dogs "They're all good dogs, Bront."</p><p>Over the last year we've been through the highs ("Oh God, you're the best puppies ever.") to the lows, when we thought for sure that we'd fucked up and killed them. The joy they will give you is impossible to measure, just as the despair you feel when you're not sure they will make it is bottomless. We went through the latter twice this year. The infamous <a href="https://towniebastard.blogspot.com/2022/05/lucky-floof.html">Advil incident</a> with Wazowski and in October Sully ate something on a walk that so badly distressed her stomach we weren't sure what would happen. That lasted for almost two weeks. To make things worse, there's no longer a vet in town.</p><p><i>Stress</i> is not quite an accurate enough word for those occasions. It's enough to make you question the wisdom of getting them if you can't care for them properly. We've had serious conversations about moving simply because we can't have reasonable vet care in town any longer nor is there a time frame for it. If it's serious, we must fly them to Ottawa and hope for the best. Again, there isn't a word in the English language for putting your beloved dog on a plane, when they're sick and scared, and sending them away and hoping for the best.</p><p>And yet, last night I watched a football game with Wazowski lying on my feet and Sully curled up next to me with her head resting on my lap. I can't put a price on the peace and zen that comes from that.</p><p>Just please, please, please less stress in the future.</p><p>So how are they? Let's look at their report cards.</p><p><b>Wazowski: (14/10. Heckin' good foofer. Impish)</b></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOwMTeYMI_1Z-GqOZLYoqHatf-XAuDkFGA_1mu1MMD3jq3FI-KGyVWByaONWcpohXPfSmECoaKpOMBYGF-dMGK_PKg6uZe1dQ6BcnNB61Bqu8SF63DPN8w3UgkvxbsaC0m3jIW6RJ6LbEMkcTvhR_dLDspAUfxRcCaEkW3E-I6XuyfoNUpLW4/s2732/IMG_1219.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2732" data-original-width="2518" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOwMTeYMI_1Z-GqOZLYoqHatf-XAuDkFGA_1mu1MMD3jq3FI-KGyVWByaONWcpohXPfSmECoaKpOMBYGF-dMGK_PKg6uZe1dQ6BcnNB61Bqu8SF63DPN8w3UgkvxbsaC0m3jIW6RJ6LbEMkcTvhR_dLDspAUfxRcCaEkW3E-I6XuyfoNUpLW4/s320/IMG_1219.jpeg" width="295" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Waz, pushing the edges of where he's allowed,<br /> but charming enough to get away with it.</td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p>Is he exactly like Mike Wazowski? Sorta? He's the brains of the outfit, and imp and sneaky. His ability to pounce on anything edible that lands on the floor before I can pick it up defies physics.</p><p>He's also had the hardest legacy to live up to. We loved Boo, our previous Coton de Tulear, so much and our hearts were broken when we lost him last year. We didn't expect to get another Coton quite so soon. And yet, he's his own pup. His coat is different, and his personality is different. He's more feisty, playful and a bit bossy. When he wants to play he will often throw a toy at our feet and sit there with a "Well, what are you waiting for, human?" look on his face.</p><p>He's also a huge cuddle bug. Cathy requently wakes up in the middle of the night with Wazowski either curled up next to her head or lying on top of her.</p><p>Also, mercifully, he's learned to stand up for himself. Sully can be a handful when she wants to play. We were worried that she was just going to use him as a dishrag for the rest of their lives. Instead, he'll snap back when she's playing too rough.</p><p>He's also the first to settle down a bit. He's 15 months old and while he still has puppy moments, he's a dog now so some of his more aggravating habits (chewing everything) are finally easing up.</p><p><br /></p><p><b>Sully: (14/10. Heckin' good foofer. Galoot)</b></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj-6Ug5PZKxz57iwNhPzusW8QI7xN52QcQk11r-qi0_Y-Ot99_KrnkoAfmII3yCRdku0L4xtPKekqvLsdCqx3csM3JpKo8Vm9i1uKNLQXVafnZstNKljd2G8sU2Wl5uESb-dJB_5mcMxELSown6kpS7SGOb_uU0l4gK3CZIhJo1rFkSULLDqs/s3515/IMG_1202.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3515" data-original-width="2990" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj-6Ug5PZKxz57iwNhPzusW8QI7xN52QcQk11r-qi0_Y-Ot99_KrnkoAfmII3yCRdku0L4xtPKekqvLsdCqx3csM3JpKo8Vm9i1uKNLQXVafnZstNKljd2G8sU2Wl5uESb-dJB_5mcMxELSown6kpS7SGOb_uU0l4gK3CZIhJo1rFkSULLDqs/s320/IMG_1202.jpeg" width="272" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sully at sunset.</td></tr></tbody></table><p>I'm sure somewhere out there are Goldendoodles that are graceful dogs. Sully is not one of those dogs. When we were looking at getting a puppy we were told that female F1B Goldendoodles (the most hypoallergenic) normally reach 50-55 pounds. We estimate she's around 70 pounds now. The last time a vet saw her she commented "wow, is she ever tall for her breed." She's all legs and awkwardness. Watching her chase after a ball down the hall and trying to hit the brakes should be it's on a YouTube channel. She can take up most of the king-sized bed when she lies on it. We're convinced that along with Poodle and Golden Retriever there's some giraffe mixed in there.</p><p>And yet, she remains completely oblivious to her size. As far as she's concerned she's the same size as Wazowski. She is constantly trying to cuddle and, my god, cuddles from her should be bottled and sold over the counter. She has also finally begun to utilize the Golden Retriever's ability to manipulate you just by using her eyes. No dog has endured greater hardship in the history of dogs than her. Just ask. She'll tell you.</p><p>So is she a perfect dog? Well, she still had some things we hope she'll settle down on. She's not as mature as Wazowski so we're hoping she'll ease up a bit more on the bullying over toys. And man, she really doesn't like other dogs. I don't think she'll attack them, but I've seen her bang her paws against the living room window when she sees a dog walking up the street. And god help Cathy or I if we're out walking them and they spot a stray dog. One of us is going to have our arm ripped clean off because she lunges that hard.</p><p>Again, hopefully, she'll ease up. We've tried everything we know. If we were in Ottawa, we could probably get her to a trainer to take care of that, but that's certainly not happening up here.</p><p><br /></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyj84HzYmHBvfhNWC3uB3JnFERvoEZAviZ_CvMUNXNEKybs469CLSySmmIvZfyL722602vJsat9-N_9_83Zntb60eqOu2AFEt7t9v7Pnb1qxF79jhc5dTzkLTS-XwFh9dS0gEA3hfRFWjfVWeT4njPpGVgWtQEyr6MwBSCo7lSUCbHaIuCz1o/s4032/IMG_1122.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyj84HzYmHBvfhNWC3uB3JnFERvoEZAviZ_CvMUNXNEKybs469CLSySmmIvZfyL722602vJsat9-N_9_83Zntb60eqOu2AFEt7t9v7Pnb1qxF79jhc5dTzkLTS-XwFh9dS0gEA3hfRFWjfVWeT4njPpGVgWtQEyr6MwBSCo7lSUCbHaIuCz1o/w300-h400/IMG_1122.jpeg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Keeping an eye out for trouble.</td></tr></tbody></table><p>When we told people we were getting two puppies at roughly the same time, we got looks and the occasional questioning of our sanity. And look, those people weren't <i>wrong</i>....I mentioned the highs and lows, well in between was when we were ready to give them away for a sandwich. Two puppies are challenging and require patience that maybe we didn't always have in reserve. But we're a year in with them now and we simply can't imagine our lives without them. They are integral parts of our mental health and sanity. They might drive us crazy, but there are worse alternatives.</p><p>Hopefully, most of our friends and family will get to meet them. They really are good pups....</p><p> </p><p><b>Last Five</b></p><p>1. Two night - Lykke Li</p><p>2. Bros - Wolf Alice*</p><p>3.Magick - Ryan Adams and the Cardinals</p><p>4. Straight to hell - The Clash</p><p>5. Alternative girlfriend - Barenaked Ladies</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>towniebastardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03129158923604362272noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10757771.post-36359200939417255412022-05-09T18:22:00.000-04:002022-05-09T18:22:00.238-04:00Lucky floof<p><br />If you've been following my social media feeds you've probably been bombarded with pictures of the two latest additions to our family. Sully, a F1B Goldendoodle, who can best be described as a "galoot" and Wazowski, a Coton de Tulear, who is an imp-and-a-half. </p><p>Here's a picture of the furry fuckwits looking adorable and innocent.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPGLfKEx7DVYLckLT60_E5xL0h2zPj-iUFuoHYQ2gNfmVa_n6Q3goGlnuwwaUe5o_3ywfHFSfaQUXbJPNrP0_58JJhKBQa26fQaT-uWmOc0R2F0Z0GE30E9q5fwmPiuRGjZrQlQ0fVe6jGDf6HCDsO6dqsyMr-qIB1z3BlcFJ5A829SHaOOJ8/s4032/8D8EE22B-946A-4AE0-B461-352DEB279341.heic" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPGLfKEx7DVYLckLT60_E5xL0h2zPj-iUFuoHYQ2gNfmVa_n6Q3goGlnuwwaUe5o_3ywfHFSfaQUXbJPNrP0_58JJhKBQa26fQaT-uWmOc0R2F0Z0GE30E9q5fwmPiuRGjZrQlQ0fVe6jGDf6HCDsO6dqsyMr-qIB1z3BlcFJ5A829SHaOOJ8/s320/8D8EE22B-946A-4AE0-B461-352DEB279341.heic" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sully and Wazowski being cute,<br />not evil.</td></tr></tbody></table></p><p>Since we got the two of them last fall our lives have immeasurably improved. They're a delight to have around the house, even when we want to strangle them. Remember, for all their playfulness, energy and cuddliness, they're still <i>puppies</i>. For example, I have no idea why, after ignoring it for weeks Wazowski woke up one morning and decided that volumes 2 and 3 of the Complete Calvin and Hobbes needed to die, but he did his best, and now a very expensive and much-beloved hardcover is toast.</p><p>I'm not thrilled about it. I'm not saying I didn't momentarily consider shoving him an express envelope and sending him back to his breeder in Nova Scotia, but this is the price you pay with puppies. You love them and they love you. But they will also fuck up your shit because that's what they feel like doing at that moment.</p><p>They're coming out of most of their destructive phase now (I wrote this a couple of days ago. Since then Sully destroyed a pair of prescription sunglasses that were on a ledge over 5 feet off the floor). Sully is 7 months old, and Wazowsk is 8 months old. I think they're settling into being great dogs. </p><p>That doesn't mean they're there yet.</p><p>Allow me to tell you a story of the past week involving the floofs.</p><p>Two of the lingering problems we have with them I don't think are going to be solved anytime soon. Sully is a jumper and has also discovered that she can access pretty much any flat surface in the house. The latter she won't do while we're home, but we have returned after work to find things in the hallway and utter the phrase "how the fuck?" before collecting picking it up. We now have to keep most flat surfaces meticulously clean and free of temptation.</p><p>Wazowski could have been named Roomba. I know some little dogs are garbage guts, but Wazowski operates at a whole other scale. That little dog has puked up some truly terrifying things in the six months we've had him. Again, we're doing better at this, but the two of them are a tag team now. Sully finds something on a counter, knocks it over, and then Wazowski finds out if he can eat it.</p><p>Last Monday I joked that it was a miracle he hadn't ended up at the vet yet. Then I knocked on wood.</p><p>Turns out knocking on wood doesn't actually work.</p><p>On Tuesday morning, Cathy and I were scrambling a bit to get out the door in the morning. Just one of those mornings where we weren't firing on all cylinders. It happens. And in our haste to get out the front door, we forgot to close all the doors in the house. We left one open. Normally, they have the run of the living room, kitchen and hallway. Plenty of room for them. Previously, if we've left a bedroom or bathroom door open, the worst we've suffered for our sin of negligence is dirty laundry in the hall, a chewed roll of toilet paper, a gnawed on shoe or perhaps some cardboard that got eaten.</p><p>When we came home at lunch, Sully greeted us at the door, but not Wazowski. Which was weird. Then I glanced down the hall and noticed a completely destroyed pill bottle. I scooped it up. There was nothing on the bottle to say what it had been. I looked back at Cathy and we both said the same thing at the same time.</p><p>"Oh fuck."</p><p>I went down the hall and entered the living room to find Wazowski there.</p><p><i><b>Now, let's flashback here a minute.</b></i></p><p>What we think happened is that we forgot to close the bathroom door. You have to understand the next few hours are pretty blurry. Normally not a problem. The worse Sully would find on the counter would be some toothpaste or deodorant. But the night before Cathy had a headache. And as we all do, went into the bathroom, popped out a couple of Advil, swallowed them and went on her way. But she didn't put the bottle away. Normally, not a big deal.</p><p>Except for Tuesday morning, we didn't close the bathroom door. And Sully decided to check out what might be found to chew on and found a plastic toy that makes noise. She took it out in the living room and chewed on it until the contents spilled out. Sully has the redemptive quality of being the least food motivated Goldendoodle in history. She probably tased one of the pills, decided it wasn't to her liking and spat it out.</p><p>As we've established, Wazowski is a garbage gut. He ate every single pill in the bottle. <i>Every...single....one. </i>And there were dozens of pills in that bottle. We can't be sure how many. It wasn't a full bottle. But it was also far from empty.</p><p>If you're a dog owner, your hands are probably on your mouth right now and you're going "oh holy fuck". Which is what we were doing at that moment.</p><p>If you're not a dog owner, allow me to clarify for you....Advil is really fucking bad for dogs. There are two components that make it bad. One will accelerate the dog's heart rate for about 12 hours. That's treatable. The other is ibuprofen. Dogs can't metabolize this well and it can severely damage the liver and kidneys. Eat enough and it can put the dog in toxic shock.</p><p>A single pill contains 200 mg of ibuprofen. For a dog Sully's size, she probably could have to consume as many as eight pills before she would be in serious trouble. Wazowski currently weighs about 7 kg. One pill would be bad for him.</p><p><i>He ate all the fucking pills in the bottle.</i></p><p>So when I turned the corner and looked in the living room, Wazowski was sitting there, panting, eyes dilated surrounded by piles of vomit.</p><p>This is when the freaking out began. This is where things begin moving fast.</p><p>We tried to clean up the mess and quickly Googled how bad this was. We discovered that this was really, really bad. Phone calls were made. We spoke to an animal poison control in the US who gave us some advice, but as we couldn't say how much was consumed or when (sometime between 8 am and noon is not helpful), there were limits to what they could suggest.</p><p>We have a local vet, but they close at lunch. Also, we weren't sure they were open Tuesday. They keep odd hours. But at 12:55 I scooped up Wazowski, drove to the vet clinic and hoped for the best. Fortunately, they were just coming back from lunch, knew and loved Wazowski and quickly admitted him and said they would do their best.</p><p>At 2:25 I was sitting back at my desk at the office, trying to work when the vet calls. They'd given him activated charcoal and started an IV on him. But there were limits to what they could do. He needs 24 hour monitoring and they closed at 4 and didn't reopen until 8 the next morning. He couldn't stay there overnight. The best they could offer was to take him back the next morning and continue treatment.</p><p>I spoke to Cathy and we quickly decided to take a chance. We decided to fly him to Ottawa so he could be treated at Alta Vista Animal Hospital, where he could receive 24-hour care. We decided that there was no way we were going to look at each other and ask did we do everything possible to save the little idiot. The risk was we might never see him again.</p><p>More scrambling. Alta Vista agreed to take him. A pet taxi was arranged to transport him from the airport to the vet. Canadian North graciously agreed to cut us some serious slack on the deadline for dropping off pets for the late afternoon flight. At one point while running around I glanced at the spedometer of my car and noticed I was doing 70. You have to work to do that in Iqaluit. Then again, I really wasn't completely in my right mind at that point. </p><p>Wazowski got on the plane and arrived at the vet in Ottawa by 9:30.</p><p>They had to give him two doses of sedatives to get his heart rate back to normal. They hooked him up to an IV and continued to flush out his system. Initial bloodwork came back and showed normal kidney function and slightly elevated liver function. But that was the baseline test. It can take 24 hours for the real damage to kick in. They'd have to wait for the next one on Wednesday afternoon to see if was going to be ok.</p><p>So we sat and waited. Sully got some serious love. Throughout all of this, Sully was incredibly chill. She didn't misbehave and was very cuddly. I think she knew her humans were freaking out and needed love. I was concerned without Wazowski around to burn off excess energy she might get destructive, but no, she was a happy, playful dog. She also showed no signs of having consumed any of the Advil. A huge, lucky break.</p><p>We were beginning to think maybe we caught another break. On Wednesday morning the vet told us she'd only call back if he took a turn for the worse. She was off at at 8 pm, if we didn't hear from her, assume he was stable. Cathy was very deliberately trying not to get her hopes up. I was trying to be positive because he had clearly vomited up a lot of the pills. Hopefully, it was enough, even if a little voice inside me was saying that they clearly had some impact or he wouldn't have been panting the way he had.</p><p>The vet didn't call back by 8 pm. When we called to check in, the assistant couldn't talk about the bloodwork, but said Wazowski was doing fine, but being a bit stubborn about where he would eat his food. He would only do it out of his kennel.</p><p>So when the vet called back on Thursday morning she said his latest bloodwork remained unchanged. Normal kidney function, slightly elevated liver function, but within norms. She said Wazowski would have been discharged Thursday afternoon, but recognized we needed to make arrangements to fly him back. Which we did at noon on Friday we picked up a very confused and tired puppy. His stomach was upset on Friday, but he's pretty much back to normal as of Saturday. He still had meds to help with his stomach until Tuesday and we have to do a follow-up with our local vet to make sure nothing else crops up. But Alta Vista thinks he's free and clear.</p><p>At no point should you ask us how much this all cost. No, we don't have pet insurance. But we're hugely fortunate to have good jobs and a decent cash reserve for emergencies. I will say that the cheapest part was flying him to Ottawa and back, weirdly enough. But also our local vet, Canadian North, EmBark Pet Transport, and Alta Vista are all rock stars. I am convinced he's not here without their efforts. We're profoundly grateful to them.</p><p>So, to sum up, Wazowski consumed and vomited enough toxic drugs to fuck up and kill a dog 10 times his size and has walked away unscathed.</p><p>He is the Keith Richards of Coton de Tulears.</p><p><br /></p><p><b>Last Five</b></p><p></p><ol style="text-align: left;"><li>Blacklisted (live) - Neko Case*</li><li>She's thunderstorms - Arctic Monkeys</li><li>Let's fall in love (live) - Diana Krall</li><li>Midnight to Stevens - The Clash</li><li>Sonny got caught in the moonlight - Robbie Robertson</li></ol><p></p><p><br /></p><p><i><br /></i></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>towniebastardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03129158923604362272noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10757771.post-80768487108410989022022-01-23T22:39:00.002-05:002022-01-23T23:42:47.748-05:00Proof of Life: 52 (Plus a few days)<p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhA_HWC7MOm6b55cnqUg7nv4NtepXN8p4hVvWtpnU3T4IlYg1y3-Xb1zGeklGsvEK2Mm2-__6rSs2a98WOplAAFFxlb53Ugc_vS7GLgWB4n5x-gEvbWKLV-frvrQUL9w4PuQ1Gy7p3qjRec_E1tXFf6ru5ooPO4lqC_faYBECU-AuG8H6IdbzY=s4032" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhA_HWC7MOm6b55cnqUg7nv4NtepXN8p4hVvWtpnU3T4IlYg1y3-Xb1zGeklGsvEK2Mm2-__6rSs2a98WOplAAFFxlb53Ugc_vS7GLgWB4n5x-gEvbWKLV-frvrQUL9w4PuQ1Gy7p3qjRec_E1tXFf6ru5ooPO4lqC_faYBECU-AuG8H6IdbzY=s320" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me at 52.The Godzilla hockey jersey and Snoopy<br />at the typewriter were birthday gifts from Cathy.<br />The Bluetooth mechanical keyboard and iPad are<br />how I write lately. I love it.</td></tr></tbody></table>Look, when you have two high-energy puppies, sometimes finding the time and the mental energy to sit down and write eludes you. Plus, I've been nitpicking at this for days. Time to get it out the door.</p><p>First of all, thank you to everyone who left kind words on my Facebook wall wishing me a happy birthday. There are many, many evils to Facebook, but it's always nice on my birthday to have friends and family take a few seconds to reach out and wish me well. My apologies for taking so long to say thanks.</p><p>I didn't do one of these last year, but perhaps because we kicked off my birthday weekend by putting our dog to sleep, I wasn't exactly in the best frame of mind that weekend.</p><p>But I'm in a better head space now. So how was 51?</p><p>Earlier the year, there was a meme where people were asked to post how they would rate their pandemic so far. A "1" meant things had gone really, really well. A "10" meant that something had gone pretty catastrophic for you.</p><p><br />Cathy and I thought about it, and we'd honestly have to give it a "3" for us. We've been hugely fortunate. Iqaluit has been mostly spared the worst of the pandemic*. Yes, there have been times we've had to work from home and take preventative measures, but I've rarely felt like I was taking my life into my hands if I wanted to buy groceries. We've been able to get our vaccinations and booster with no problem, frequently ahead of older family members. There have been work disruptions, but we're doing fine.</p><p>And just as importantly, close friends and family all appear to be doing ok. If anyone has gotten COVID, they don't seem to have got a severe case (Then again, they've almost all been uniformly smart enough to get vaccinated as quickly as possible). </p><p>We could even get a trip back to Newfoundland and see people. I can't begin to emphasize what a recharge that was. There was a moment sitting on Cathy's father's front deck at dusk when I heard this amazing, relaxing noise, and it took a moment to process what it was....it was the wind blowing through the leaves on the trees. It had been almost two years since I last heard it. Once I stopped laughing, I marvelled at just how good that simple sound made me feel.</p><p>So yes, hugely fortunate. And yet, there were times when we really struggled this year. When we'd get depressed or disproportionately aggravated at something. I genuinely feared for my sanity a couple of times when I listened to anti-vaxers. And that's just part of the pandemic mental health process. If we struggled at times when we have it relatively easy, I could only begin to imagine what medical professionals are going through. Or people in the service industry.</p><p>And that's the see-saw that we, and I suspect many others, went through - "Well, we have it much better than many, so I shouldn't feel bad." Then you still feel bad anyway, then you feel guilty about feeling bad. Spin, rinse, repeat.</p><p>But we had each other, and I think Cathy and I have levelled up in our communicating experience. You have to in these times. We got the puppies (more on them in my next blog post) which were a massive boost at the end of the year, even when we wanted to strangle them. And I did a lot of writing, which helped a lot.</p><p>(No, it wasn't blog posting. Blogging is, unfortunately, a very limiting way for me to write these days. I did other kinds of writing. No, you'll never read it, but it made me happy and that's the important thing).</p><p>So what's the plan for 52? As always, continue the work of being a better husband and friend to Cathy. I'm happy with how the writing went last year, so I'd like to keep the momentum going on that. Continue to work towards finding my zen in a world determined to shake it. And seriously, if the dogs don't get me moving a lot in the coming months, then I'm going to have to start getting serious about the gym.</p><p>There's no real international travel planned for this year. We're still trying to figure out what we're going to do. Plans range from renting a cottage in Ontario for a few weeks, to the slidely madder idea of renting a camper fan and driving back to Newfoundland. It's a little harder to travel with a less-than-year-old Goldendoodle and Coton de Tulear, and flying with them out of Ottawa is likely impossible.</p><p>And, if the fates allow, I'd really like to get to New York and go to a Comic-Con. I haven't been to one since Seattle in 2019. If I got to do that this year, I'd be pretty happy.</p><p>So, modest plans for 52. But until things get sane again, I think modest is the way to roll.</p><p><i>* Iqaluit is finding many interesting ways to harm us other than the occasional COVID outbreak. There's frequent power failures, rabid animals, weeks of no fresh food at the stores, and, oh yes, the charm of being able to light our drinking water on fire. We're currently on our second water advisory. We're getting through, but again, hugely fortunate that we have resources some others don't.</i></p><p><b>Last Five</b></p><p></p><ol style="text-align: left;"><li>Friendamine - Josh Ritter</li><li>Space dog - Tori Amos</li><li>East bound and down - Me First and the Gimmie Gimmies</li><li>Leaning on you - Haim</li><li>Seven Nation Army - Post Modern Jukebox (ft. Haley Reinhart)*</li></ol><p></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>towniebastardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03129158923604362272noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10757771.post-40260801055127241592021-11-06T19:39:00.001-04:002021-11-09T23:45:17.449-05:00Twenty years ago...<p> It was the late show. My friends Susy, Erin and I decided to go see Monsters Inc. which had opened the previous weekend. I recall them being insistent on it seeing it on a Tuesday, even though it was a terrible night for me. I was assistant editor of The Express and we put the paper to bed on Tuesday nights. That meant I had to stay until the press started to run, normally around 7 pm.</p><p>Plus, Nov. 6 is my mother's birthday. So I hadn't seen her yet either as Tuesdays were nuts at the paper. So I finished at the paper, drove to Shoppers to see mom who was, of course, working on her birthday. Then I picked up Susy and we headed to the theatres.</p><p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlPii2laCOjJV6uISsYDVybXt80y6dNouno3bIPmuzVPceDiVeEJ5ZcGhJ8GRMksIOSmCPofqg5HTFQMmQpi2pywDixon_W2zRLoqnaGyqaIjjWOEvkaeI47bC2ufMO01cegMSOw/s640/CRAIG+AND+CATHY.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlPii2laCOjJV6uISsYDVybXt80y6dNouno3bIPmuzVPceDiVeEJ5ZcGhJ8GRMksIOSmCPofqg5HTFQMmQpi2pywDixon_W2zRLoqnaGyqaIjjWOEvkaeI47bC2ufMO01cegMSOw/s320/CRAIG+AND+CATHY.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of the earliest photos I have of us, from <br />2002. We'd been dating a few months. I think <br />it was Andrea's house on Signal Hill on St.<br />Patrick's Day.</td></tr></tbody></table>I'm not saying I was in a crooked mood, although that wouldn't have been surprising. I was crooked a lot in those days. I am saying I was probably very tired and probably not in the mood to catch a movie just because it was cheap night at the theatres.</p><p>Still, Susy was insistent. And trying to say no to an insistent Susy is never a good idea for your long-term mental health.</p><p>When we got to the mall, we then had to wait, because Erin was being picked up by another friend who was coming along last minute. Susy had just forgotten to mention it. This likely made me more cranky.</p><p>In 2001 I was a pretty decent journalist. I'd won awards and I thought my star was a bit on the rise. I'd taken on the job of associate editor of the Express a few months earlier. So I'm going to choose to blame the fact it was at the end of a long day and I was tired that I missed the obvious set-up that was going on.</p><p>Erin and their friend showed up. I'm not going to say it was love at first sight when I saw Cathy. But I wasn't so blind or punchy as to not notice that Susy and Erin's friend was really cute.</p><p>There are three things I remember from that movie:</p><p>1. Susy absolutely lost her shit laughing during the opening cartoon "For the Birds". She was laughing so loud and hard that others in the theatre turned to look at her and started laughing too.</p><p>2. At some point, Cathy dropped some popcorn and it landed on her chest. Instead of using her hands to pick up the wayward kernels, she bent her head down and ate them off her chest, laughing while she did it. And I very distinctly remember having this thought: "Clearly this is a woman I need to get to know better."</p><p>3. At the end of the movie, I mentioned that a group of us were going to see Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone on opening night the following Friday. Would she like to come along? She said she'd love to.</p><p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJfS_xGCVTPc7kp2xLD65FaXLHNYYVrKGGJFxV83K-MLLbXg4iOfuuND6r2qNTs1DrPLwGpMfsvox9hrJ_meNM5A1qSYi8ZrVKxG6GHPgR8-OoFrAa6KaHnH-SEvd0a_Tx4pR7Ww/s2048/IMG_1592.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1539" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJfS_xGCVTPc7kp2xLD65FaXLHNYYVrKGGJFxV83K-MLLbXg4iOfuuND6r2qNTs1DrPLwGpMfsvox9hrJ_meNM5A1qSYi8ZrVKxG6GHPgR8-OoFrAa6KaHnH-SEvd0a_Tx4pR7Ww/s320/IMG_1592.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lisbon, 2017. Where I learned it was dangerous<br />to say "Just one more pic" to a hungry wife.</td></tr></tbody></table>And that, as they say, is that. Not that there weren't a few early hiccups. I nearly didn't sit next to her at the Harry Potter movie. Afterwards, we all went to the Duke (which still allowed smoking at the time) to dissect the movie and she waited around for several hours in the smoke, with allergies, and was in the process of leaving before Susy punched me and said "For God sake, she's been waiting for you to ask her out again. Go!"</p><p>I asked her to go see the only thing that came to my mind at that moment - Voices of Avalon, a touring show featuring Pamela Morgan, Vicki Hynes, Anita Best and Colleen Power. I said I had reviewer tickets. She said she'd love to go.</p><p>In fact, I didn't have tickets. So I was sweating a bit at the Arts and Culture Centre box office the next morning.</p><p>There's one more element to this story. Yes, it was a blind date. It was a set-up. But it was one that had been planned by some of our friends for <i>at least two years</i>. We were perfect for each other, but according to them, we weren't perfect for each other <i>yet</i>. Cathy had to dump a boyfriend and get some things out of her system (that would be going to Ireland and being drunk for six months). I had to ease up on the sarcastic asshole thing that I still, somehow, thought was charming even though I was 31.</p><p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuvgy0nURx2ims7QsIg7YT0ULenQ5H8-zOp-3VxjkeYsUu2R9vWX-sGDotX2O2jk1Zf-EzqZbES17ks432dlLu88VfYSo8SMdammv2BWAbrMRktgKXKotyy2fRQHxc60pKu_72Bw/s3088/IMG_8793.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3088" data-original-width="2316" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuvgy0nURx2ims7QsIg7YT0ULenQ5H8-zOp-3VxjkeYsUu2R9vWX-sGDotX2O2jk1Zf-EzqZbES17ks432dlLu88VfYSo8SMdammv2BWAbrMRktgKXKotyy2fRQHxc60pKu_72Bw/s320/IMG_8793.jpeg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Apex Beach, last month.</td></tr></tbody></table>This used to drive me nuts. Susy and Erin dangled this mystery woman like a carrot, to the point where I was going to kill them. I recall venting to my friend Lori about this. She then spoke to Susy. Lori came back to me and said, "They're right, they know what they're doing. Suck it up. It'll be worth it."</p><p>It's absolutely been worth it. Every moment of the story for the past 20 years. There are ups and downs in any relationship over 20 years, but there have been far more ups than downs. I am a better man now than I was then, and she deserves no small amount of the credit for that. Anybody who knew me during my Muse days and who knows me now will say that.</p><p>In return, I've tried to be a rock for her, especially the last couple of years. The person that's always there when she needs them. I think I've done that. I hope I have.</p><p>I hope to write the sequel to this post in 20 years' time. And another one 20 years after that. I still have a lot more of the story I want to write with Cathy.</p><p>Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go make some popcorn for my wife. Because some things never get old, no matter how many times you see it happen....<br /><br /><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>towniebastardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03129158923604362272noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10757771.post-60210575017919304532021-10-16T00:00:00.000-04:002021-10-16T00:00:00.496-04:00Water water <p>Apparently, the post about Boo took the good out of me, because I've gone 10 months without writing anything else here. And I only just noticed a bunch of comments that were waiting for approval. So, sorry about that.</p><p>I am coming out of semi-blogger retirement because we've got a lot of texts and calls asking if we're ok after Iqaluit's water woes went international. For the latest update as of this writing, try reading <a href="https://nunatsiaq.com/stories/article/fuel-confirmed-in-iqaluits-water-supply/">this</a>.</p><p>So, short answer, we're fine. </p><p>The longer answer, it's a bit of a mess.</p><p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic8p7h0ij0HKlQhP0qP2yS8IAeX2QbSrXeO0sm51Q4SwcZOm5P_yTyaDjVrtCmbO0X8lZiGAufnLXKnuD8dU4lojBvYuBmrpqjcY3evGqW4GOU4vyE7m837GCQlRu2F_b0N0RYEg/s2048/1BA0EFAB-E879-47F3-A730-D6F762901143.heic" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic8p7h0ij0HKlQhP0qP2yS8IAeX2QbSrXeO0sm51Q4SwcZOm5P_yTyaDjVrtCmbO0X8lZiGAufnLXKnuD8dU4lojBvYuBmrpqjcY3evGqW4GOU4vyE7m837GCQlRu2F_b0N0RYEg/w400-h300/1BA0EFAB-E879-47F3-A730-D6F762901143.heic" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">From earlier on Friday, people lining up waiting for<br />bottled water to be delivered.<br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br />So what happened? Sometimes earlier this month a high concentration of fuel managed to get into a water storage area of the city's water treatment plant. Depending on where you lived, you either didn't notice it, or it was like bathing in unleaded gas if you were trying to get a shower. Some residents have been complaining about it for weeks, but today they finally got confirmation that they were right. So steps are being taken to fix the problem, flush out the pipes and get things back to normal. I'd say at the earliest it'll be next weekend before all residents will be able to drink tap water.</p><p>So were we affected? No. I don't think so.</p><p>Why? Well, there are two ways you can get water in Iqaluit. You can be on the utilidor and have normal water and sewer services through underground pipes, pretty much like most houses in any city in Canada.</p><p>Except Iqaluit isn't a normal Canadian city. At least a third of the houses are on truck water and sewer. A truck comes to our neighbourhood once a day and delivers water if we need it. Another truck comes every day and takes away the gray water. Our house gets trucked water and sewer.</p><p>If that seems inconvenient, it's really not. We prefer it that way. Some parts of town have been hit with boil orders over the years, but not us. Some have had their pipes freeze, which can be frustrating, time-consuming and expensive. The worst we had was some moderate flooding when the water tank over-filled due to a contractor's neglegence.</p><p>Anyway, so far as I can tell, we haven't had any contaminated water delivered. I've stuck my head in the water tanks and don't smell anything odd. Cathy has sensitive skin, and I figure if there was petroleum in our water, her skin would explode; it hasn't. And we've recently acquired an aquarium with fish. We changed their water last Sunday. They're still alive. So I think we're good.</p><p>Right now, we drained most of the "old" water out of our tanks as recommended, and the city has delivered water from Sylvia Grinnel River, which is just outside of town. The river is clean and many Inuit prefer to get their water from the river rather than the treated water from the plant. The worst we're going to have to deal with is probably hiring someone to come in and clean our water tanks once this all settles down. It's been four years so they should probably get cleaned anyway.</p><p>Now, if you're on regular water and sewer, it is more inconvenient. And, of course, the further down the socio-economic ladder you are, the harder this gets. If you have a house and a car, it's annoying, but fine. You can't drink the tap water and, if you're pregnant or have kids, it's a challenge. But the city is flying in tens of thousands of litres of water, plus you can get river water if you provide your own jug. You might have to line up and wait, but that's a manageable annoyance.</p><p>But not everyone has a jug (more were being flown in, but the city is sold out currently, I think). Or a car. Or the money to get a taxi to one of the refill stations or water distribution points. There has been some tremendous volunteer outreach to help people in these situations, but still, you can imagine having to walk a kilometre or two, pick up some water, carry it home, and then wonder if you have enough for everyone in your apartment to last until the next day.</p><p>All of this and just about everyone is aware that the inconvenience that we are going through, which will last a few weeks at worst and will likely have no long term health effects for most residents, is nothing compared to the hassles that too many First Nations have to go through with their drinking water.</p><p>So this is a long and rambling way of saying, we're good, but thanks for worrying about us.</p><p><br /></p><p><b>Last Five</b></p><ol style="text-align: left;"><li>Rollin' and Tumblin' - Bob Dylan</li><li>Every little thing - The Black Keys</li><li>Romeo and Juliet (live) - Dire Straits*</li><li>White City - The Pogues</li><li>Halfway to the Halfway House - Gorillaz</li></ol><p></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>towniebastardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03129158923604362272noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10757771.post-29294119646850162552021-01-15T23:32:00.001-05:002021-01-15T23:32:43.822-05:00Farewell to a majestic floof <p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcEhH03XD7Vj__076piL95ZDeLvH7c5k2cHK3RDtPpJvKb_SQmPCxRaUpxWzMpblSEPlTo_QI-YKR4qIdKHa9f9CPE7JKtFQtfUi2YcbLUZNVrIzi_i3XVxnh2svPr4BIoCvrViA/s4032/IMG_7857.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcEhH03XD7Vj__076piL95ZDeLvH7c5k2cHK3RDtPpJvKb_SQmPCxRaUpxWzMpblSEPlTo_QI-YKR4qIdKHa9f9CPE7JKtFQtfUi2YcbLUZNVrIzi_i3XVxnh2svPr4BIoCvrViA/w320-h240/IMG_7857.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>Boo's birthday was May 20 and I still remember when Corinna sent us the first pictures of our newborn puppy back in 2006. Corinna was a bit crazy in the way only the best dog breeders are....she wanted to make sure her baby was going to a good home and was very determined to make sure Cathy and I would be good parents. The whole "taking the dog to Nunavut" thing worried her a bit. But we reassured her we would take good care of him.<p></p><p>Never mind that the apartment we were living at that time didn't allow pets and that our request for a new place hadn't gone through yet. Details.</p><p>But it all worked out. We got a new place. Boo arrived and changed our lives. More than once I wondered if we would have stayed in Nunavut if it wasn't for him.</p><p>I am of an age now where myself, family and friends will look back and go "no, that was yesterday." The 50th anniversary of an influential record. I have friends who are horrified to learn they've known me for 30 years. Later this year people are going to deeply freak out when they realize that the Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings movies are going to celebrate their 20th anniversaries.</p><p>And I sit here this evening in our very quiet house and wonder where 14 and a half years have gone. Poof.</p><p>This is at least my third draft of writing this. The others were just filled with too much rage and anger. That it wasn't <i>goddamn fair</i> that Boo, that majestic piece of floof as a friend called him today, was going to leave us. He was too good a dog. This wasn't right. Not when we still needed him so much.</p><p>But that's not how these things work. We've known for awhile that the clock was ticking very loudly for Boo. Coton de Tulear's (Fourteen years and his breed name has never not sounded silly to me) live between 14 and 16 years. And yes, his sight and hearing had gotten severely compromised. But he was still so strong, energetic and playful. He still loved going for walks. He was still taking short ones a week ago. Up until Christmas if you caught in the right mood he'd do one of his zoomies, where he'd run around the living room like a lunatic barking joyfully at his humans.</p><p>But his personality began to change. He became more nervous and dependent on Cathy. That escalated through the fall and fell off a cliff right after Christmas. We had to leave lights on around the house at night, even in our bedroom while we slept, otherwise he'd start to panic. He began shaking and panting for no reason and it would take hours for Cathy to get him to calm him down. And it just kept worse. I looked in his eyes on Tuesday and our Boo wasn't there anymore, just a very scared little dog that didn't know what was happening anymore. And we were helpless. We couldn't make it better.</p><p>So we made the hard choice that anyone who has lived with a dog and who truly love them eventually have to make. It was the right decision, but god today was hard.</p><p>I said my first drafts of this were filled with anger. I started writing this on Tuesday when I knew Friday was likely our last day. And then Cathy and I posted up on Facebook that Boo was gone and the outpouring of grief and sympathy was overwhelming. I likely will never thank all of you individually - I tend to cry whenever I do - but if you dropped a line of condolence then thank you. From the bottom of our hearts, thank you.</p><p>But it helped ease away my anger and bitterness. It helped that if you met Boo you knew what an awesome dog he was. If you have or had a dog, you know how hard this is. But many of you never met Boo. It occurs to me that he was, of all things, a dog born at the start of the social media boom. Every now and then Boo would show up and light up your Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. This little white fluffball. The majestic floof. He was a good looking dog. I suspect it was to Corinna's frustration that we never bred him. But whatever his looks, his personality and love were enormous. We could not ask for a better friend and companion all these years. Whenever things might have gotten rough, Boo was there. The sadness will end, eventually. Then, hopefully, just the love remains.</p><p>I end with this story. Two years ago we came back from Christmas in Newfoundland just shellshocked. We'd been there for the holidays and to be with Cathy's mom, who was seriously ill. And then she passed suddenly. It was just a hard, hard Christmas.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPmLXhV8M5Hwhlvo48UFXUY6GgDnd-kM8OiII0EHleJ0bm7sJSGF7A07WLOSI_P6qXG1JaVq6qicbh7dI05PcPDsHBXnyjktuBYQ8mwEmIvx5hqmmPXIT8JKKkaHlKRnBD_865VA/s2048/IMG_0750.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPmLXhV8M5Hwhlvo48UFXUY6GgDnd-kM8OiII0EHleJ0bm7sJSGF7A07WLOSI_P6qXG1JaVq6qicbh7dI05PcPDsHBXnyjktuBYQ8mwEmIvx5hqmmPXIT8JKKkaHlKRnBD_865VA/s320/IMG_0750.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>So when we came back to Iqaluit I was genuinely worried Cathy might squish Boo to death. Cathy had gone back to Newfoundland in mid-November to be with her mom and hadn't seen him in almost two months. She just needed her dog and Boo, being Boo, was just happy to see his humans. But particularly the human who spoiled him the most. There was much wagging of tails and jumping on his back paws to say hello.<p></p><p>Later that night, after Cathy went to bed, I took Boo aside and had a chat. "Look, little buddy," I said, "I know this might get rough for you because you're getting up there, but I need at least two more years, ok? You just can't go anywhere yet. She needs you too much.</p><p>"You have to stay."</p><p>And he did. He was a Good Boy.<br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><p></p>towniebastardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03129158923604362272noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10757771.post-50502598503904114702020-12-21T20:25:00.001-05:002020-12-21T20:25:58.873-05:00Maybe, sometimes, comics will keep your heart going<p>I'm not on Facebook as much these days. That, combined with Facebook's truly messed up algorithm, means I didn't find out that Jason Conway died on December 17 until today. Which meant I spent most of this morning absolutely floored. </p><p>For many people in St. John's they knew him as the guy who ran Downtown Comics. My first encounter with Jason was in high school. Jason and I didn't run in the same crowds. I didn't have many friends my first couple of years at Booth and Jason tended to run with the recreational pharmaceutical crowd. But we did share one class together....Grade 11 math.</p><p>For dignity's sake, I won't name the teacher. Sometimes you get the teacher that inspires you to be better. Sometimes you get teachers that are meh. And sometimes you get one's who are clearly only doing this for the summer's off and punching the clock until retirement. Welcome to my Grade 11 math class.</p><p>It should have been intolerable. He was actively bad at teaching math. But several times a week, this slow, drawing voice would call out from the back of the class...."Sir, should x=3 and not 7?" Or, "Sir, doesn't 50 plus 33 equal 83 and not 88?"</p><p>The teacher <i>hated</i> Jason. The rest of the class found it hilarious and we were grateful for the break. Honestly, Jason could have taught that class and I would bet solid money my grade would have been better.</p><p>Somehow, through that, Jason and I discovered we were both huge comic book geeks. This was the late 80s so right around when Timemasters opened. And thank God, because the only other place in town to buy new comics was from a bookstore out on Topsail Road run by a real piece of work. But we talked comics, and I sometimes bought books from him because he had an amazing collection. (He grumbled for years about selling me Iron Fist #14, which featured the first appearance of Sabretooth, and Iron Man #55, which featured the first appearance of Thanos).</p><p>And that's how it went for a few years...running into each other on and off. Eventually, we also both had the same bright idea....that people would sometimes dump really valuable comics at used bookstores around town (this was when the 90s comic speculator market was insane). Someone would dump a Spawn #1 at Afterwards on Duckworth Street and get a dime for it. Afterwards would sell it for 50 cents (45 cents for me and my student discount card), and then you could go into the Avalon Mall flea market and sell the same comic for $5 or $10.</p><p>This was a good racket. We decided to pool resources and share a few tables at the Avalon Mall flea market and for 2-3 years we were in there most Sundays selling comics. We called ourselves Mercs, for our mercenary habit of hunting comics at used bookstores. I had a lot of fun weekends at that flea market. Jason had a dry, laconic sense of humour, and was insanely knowledgeable about comics.</p><p>In '96, with the comic book speculator market crashing and me wanting to try and do something to jump start my life, I went to South Korea to teach English. When I came back 9 months later, Jason had opened Downtown Comics in the basement of a building next to Fred's Record's on Duckworth Street. Of the two of us, he made the better choice by far. Although no one saw it that way at the time. Timemasters was just down the road and ruled the roost for comics in town. But Jason saw an opportunity and went for it.</p><p>I bought my comics from him until 2005 when Cathy and I moved to Nunavut. But every time I was in town I dropped in to see how he was doing, if he was around, and buy something.</p><p>I don't think it's a secret that Jason had mental health issues. And comics can be hard on you. One of the most famous artists in the business, Jack Kirby, is once alleged to have given the following advice to an artist - "Don't do comics, kid. Comics will break your heart."</p><p>Running a comic book store is not an easy gig. There's competition from others stores. The market changes all the time. Back issues used to be huge, but trade paperbacks and digital did a number on that. You're competing with big chains when it comes to toys. And I can't imagine what it was like keeping things going this pandemic year. There was a couple of months this year when major publishers simply didn't put out anything for stores' like Jason's to sell. Keeping that store opened for 23 years was a goddamn miracle.</p><p>And yet, the outpouring of grief on the Downtown Comics Facebook page is immense. Hundreds of people expressing sympathy to his daughter and to Wallace Ryan, who has been helping Jason at the store for years now. Many are sharing stories about how Jason sold them their first comic or helped shape their lives by his love of comics.</p><p>My first comic book was at a drug store at the Avalon Mall. But for 23 years, kids have walked into that store and that's been their first comic book experience. It must have been overwhelming, seeing so many comics, so many toys and all their heroes in one place. I bet more than one kid was dragged out of there by parents before they had to buy the whole store.</p><p>I don't think you do that gig for 23 years just to make a living. There are easier ways of doing things. Sometimes, comics will break your heart, but you keep on loving it anyway. And maybe it loves you back in ways you never expect.</p><p>Rest in peace, my friend....</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p> </p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>towniebastardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03129158923604362272noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10757771.post-161303721000798672020-05-18T11:43:00.000-04:002020-05-18T11:43:23.678-04:00Comic Art Collection 12: Champions<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCU5Ki8dKtc1Nem1jW4QLwU-4E0YwdF9WzGPiLdoLMvhmMc51TXcbgpGwQ9gTBbgPhR1lmVJkVOtI-aFK8NZ93ReZW1lc8I8ln4_uMZfcHuiUbYY5X-cC2iJFggmq6jQO5AIij6w/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2550" data-original-width="1650" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCU5Ki8dKtc1Nem1jW4QLwU-4E0YwdF9WzGPiLdoLMvhmMc51TXcbgpGwQ9gTBbgPhR1lmVJkVOtI-aFK8NZ93ReZW1lc8I8ln4_uMZfcHuiUbYY5X-cC2iJFggmq6jQO5AIij6w/w414-h640/Champions+page.jpg" width="414" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Champions #25, page 23. Art by Max Dunbar.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">So, let's keep it rolling, shall we?</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The page above is from an issue of Champions and, among other characters, features Amak Aliyah who is an Inuk super hero called <a href="https://marvel.fandom.com/wiki/Amka_Aliyak_(Earth-616)">Snowguard</a>. The reason I'm writing about it now is there was a little social media blip about her recently, courtesy of this tweet:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgofbjtIFO68H-EesW1kDoMXa9fekL-Z_TgcPvJm_ryx5l3gX2DbccR3wi7KeTE9na_4zFvkZKNDvTquxxtwDgBCcCrTVVRBI-uDyqhc15jSVyB8H6U9gZAQ6JDuTlyFPr46IjnGw/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="701" data-original-width="750" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgofbjtIFO68H-EesW1kDoMXa9fekL-Z_TgcPvJm_ryx5l3gX2DbccR3wi7KeTE9na_4zFvkZKNDvTquxxtwDgBCcCrTVVRBI-uDyqhc15jSVyB8H6U9gZAQ6JDuTlyFPr46IjnGw/s320/IMG_7373.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Anna Lambe is a promising young actress who starred in the made-in-Nunavut movie <i>The Grizzlies </i>and a lot of people think would be a good fit for the new Avatar, the Last Airbender series that is gearing up on Netflix. I don't know much about that franchise, so I can't say one way or another if she would be. But she would make a great Snowguard. I'm not the only one who thinks so, based on the number of reactions that tweet got. Including from Snowguard's creators Jim Zub, Nyla Innuksuk, and Sean Iszaake.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">However, up until recently I would have said the odds of Snowguard making the leap from pages to the screen was small. She is still a new character with maybe 2 dozen appearances. But Simu Liu was politely teasing Marvel about casting him as Shang Chi, which they then did. Plus, Disney/Marvel clearly have plans for their younger heroes on the Disney+ streaming service. There's a <a href="https://marvel.fandom.com/wiki/Kamala_Khan">Ms. Marvel</a> show debuting next year and rumours exploded a couple of weeks ago that there's an <a href="https://marvel.fandom.com/wiki/Riri_Williams_(Earth-616)">Ironheart</a> show in the work on the service. That's a chunk of the Champions team right there. So who knows? Maybe she gets a call from Marvel. I certainly hope so.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">As for this page, ever since Snowguard debuted I'd been looking to get a page of art with her on it. Just one problem. A lot of the artists on the book during that first year were working digitally. I would have bought a page from her first story arc, but Sean is a digital artist. There was an annual featuring Snowguard returning to Pangnirtung by Toronto artist Marcus To. Except he also switched from pencil to digital a few years ago.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">However, last year (or possibly 10 years ago. Time is fluid) when I was at Emerald City Comic Con I got the chance to meet Jim Zub and get a bunch of books signed, including a over a dozen copies of the Champions annual signed and personalized for Cathy's Grade 5 class that year (I just found out via Twitter it's also Jim's birthday today, so this is good timing. And Happy Birthday). Sitting next to him was BC-based artist Max Dunbar. Jim and Max share a massive love of all things Dungeons & Dragons and the previous year there was a Champions story arc where the characters get thrown into an alternate dimension (it happens) where they also change personalities and become people who closely resemble the type of characters you might play in Dungeons & Dragons.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">It's a fun story arc, but what caught my eye was Max Dunbar. It was the kind of art that makes you wonder who the hell is this guy and where did he come from. Great detail, lots of energy, not afraid of big, complex action sequences and putting ridiculous effort into splash pages. I knew he was going to be at the con, and that he would have pages for sale. It took me all of about 30 seconds to settle on this page. Amak with a big ass hammer, a cool looking Ms. Marvel...it was a no brainer.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I don't pretend to know Max well, but he appears very generous with his art. I remember he gifted Jim with a stunning two-page spread from that Champions run. He recently gave away a stunning piece of Marvel mash-up art....all you had to do was prove you donated to a charity or that you were a first responder for a chance to enter the contest. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-1KO_MdlVJql47og6TGeRvSwIBncQ5Cm7y_BP9CGWJXxRm8r8VYbukfogz2Nza6MfT1YxkKCjazlUqusWYLndnpXgB0wq4UkeFEC77a8_Rxq8lrF_Ycj0PUkwJImY4CP49YmLQg/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1035" data-original-width="1600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-1KO_MdlVJql47og6TGeRvSwIBncQ5Cm7y_BP9CGWJXxRm8r8VYbukfogz2Nza6MfT1YxkKCjazlUqusWYLndnpXgB0wq4UkeFEC77a8_Rxq8lrF_Ycj0PUkwJImY4CP49YmLQg/s320/Marvel_Mashup_resized.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Seriously, just look at this thing....<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">He quoted me a price for that page that was more than fair, and then added "But if you think that's too much, I can come down a bit." Jim and his partner Stacy were at the table next to him. I swear one of them was going to go over and shake him before I said "I don't haggle with artists. That's a great price."</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I actually own another piece of Max's art, but that's for another day. That Champions page currently is hanging near my cubicle at work.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b>Last Five</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">1. Meeting in the aisle - Radiohead</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">2. Blue skies over bad lands - Matthew Good</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">3. While we were hunting rabbits - Matthew Good*</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">4. Restless - Alison Krauss and Union Station</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">5. My time is coming - The Hives</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div></div>towniebastardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03129158923604362272noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10757771.post-60987843731557564172020-05-16T23:59:00.002-04:002020-05-17T15:26:45.397-04:00Bubbles within bubbles<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">Two months ago today Cathy and I were just starting to walk to work because our car was not behaving and couldn't be trusted. I felt my work phone buzz and was told my manager to turn around, head home and send a message out to all the staff. The office was now closed. All staff were to work from home.</div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">There have been two things I've tried not to keep track of over the last couple of months. The first, oddly enough, is how long the self-quarantine has been going on, but it kind of leaped out at me a couple of days ago. But as a rule, I haven't been paying attention. I don't think it'll do my head any good.</div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">The other is the death toll and infection rates. Again, I don't think it does my head any good to dwell on those numbers. Also, I don't think they accurately reflect the reality. I think the infection rates, especially in the United States, are grossly underreported. The same with death rates. And as I've read, the other effects of the disease is also underreported and terrifying.</div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">It's a fine line to walk between being informed enough to protect yourself and not wanting to curl up in a ball in your closet for the next two years. For the most part, I think Cathy and I have managed. So, what's been happening the last two months?</div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
1. Still zero cases of COVID-19 in Nunavut. We had one scare a few weeks back, but it was a false positive. The Government of Nunavut is going to roll out it's plan to reduce self-isolation rules next week, which should be fascinating. I titled this post 'Bubbles within bubbles" because that's where Cathy and I are. Canada is a bubble (except for Quebec) when compared to the madness that is the US. Nunavut is in the fortunate position of having no cases. In Iqaluit, social distancing has been.....erratic....at best. Downtown Iqaluit....not so much, except at places where it's enforced like stores or the post office. But we live away from downtown, so other than people walking their dogs, we hardly see anyone.</div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">We've been sticking to our house pretty closely. Once a week, maybe twice, I'll head out and get groceries and pick up the mail. That's about it.</div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br /></div><br /><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">2. Like everyone, there have been scrapping of plans. I had planned to take a couple of months off this summer and travel. That plan has absolutely been scrapped. The fallback was that we would go out for two weeks, do a sealift and maybe get back to Newfoundland and see some family. That plan is about 95% scrapped as well.</div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">I've been saying that anyone who thinks they can predict what's going to happen over the next two years is basically writing fan fiction. <i>No one</i> knows what's going to happen next. There's too many balls in the air. I've been mentally bracing myself for things getting back to a semblance of safe ("normal" is something else entirely) in 2022. But I absolutely will not be surprised if Nunavut keeps its quarantine rules in place indefinitely, meaning you can certainly leave, but you have to self-isolate for two weeks in Ottawa or other centres first.</div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">Why would they lift it? They know the effect COVID-19 will have on Nunavut communities. They got phenomenally lucky that no cases came in before they restricted travel. The territory is being resupplied with only some hiccups. I'm sure some might grumble about not being able to travel back and forth with ease, but welcome to the new reality. Nothing is easy.</div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">I'm also not blowing two weeks vacation so I can sit in a hotel room in Ottawa. So yeah, I think we're going to be in Iqaluit for quite awhile.</div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">3. I'm continuing to work, which is good. Work is not discussed on this blog, but it keeps me busy for several hours a day, which is good. Cathy has done as much as she can with the school at this point. It's cancelled until September. So she's trying to keep busy as best she can.</div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">Honestly, we're well built mentally to handle this kind of thing. We don't have kids (cranky old dogs don't count), we're introverts and we genuinely like each other's company. We wouldn't want to do this for years, but we haven't been fighting or snapping at each other over the last couple of months. We're handling it well.</div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">We had a small bit of drama the week when a culvert got blocked up on the street behind our house. The water found an alternative route that involved coming down the hill and pouring down under our house. It's Iqaluit, so the house is on pylons. But it was washing out our driveway and making a mess of things. So we had an hour or so of fun trying to find ways to divert the water around our house while waiting for city council workers to deal with the situation.</div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">That's literally been the most excitement we've had the last two months.</div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">4. If there's been one source of stress it's been our car. Our good and faithful Equinox, which we've had for nine years, had a very bad start to this year, making some weird noses. This was attributed to the block heater not working, which we overpaid for and replaced at garage #1. After that the car was still having problems and no longer trusting Garage #1, we made an appointment at Garage #2, which we had to wait two weeks for.</div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
Then the pandemic hit, so the parts they needed took a month to get here.<br />
<br />
When we finally got her back on Tuesday, and after spending another couple of thousand dollars, we found out that basically the engine had been significantly damaged and was going to stop working.....soonish. Could be a couple of weeks, could be a year. But it was coming. The car also acquired a delightful rattle, meaning that even if I wanted to be an unethical dick and sell it, she makes so much noise that no one in their right mind would buy it. It's basically good for parts at this point.<br /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">Which means a new car.</div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">We had planned to get a new one next year. We really wanted one more year for the Equinox. Fortunately, as we're not travelling anywhere, all that money we had budgeted for vacation can now go towards the car! Yay!</div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><i>sigh</i></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><i><br /></i></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">The mildly frustrating thing is that I was looking forward to properly shopping for a new car. I've never really done it before. I've had used cars, and one on a lease. Cathy bought one 20 years ago which involved walking onto a dealership lot and saying "give me that one." So yeah, I wanted to hit a few dealerships. Test drive a few cars. See what the best deal was going to be.</div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">Instead, we contacted Subaru and said "give us that one" and we now have a new Subaru CrossTrek en route to us. The dealership dropped it off to our shipping company last week. They'll transport it to Montreal. And assuming all goes well, sometime in mid-July we should have our new car.</div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">Mildly anti-climatic. Here's hoping she works out because ideally we'd like her to last until we leave in about 10 years time. Guess we'll see.</div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">And that's it. Tune in next month for another update.</div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><b>Last Five</b></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">1. Elephant (live) - Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit*</div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">2. Picadilly sand farewell - Ron Hynes</div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">3. Songs for teenagers - Gaslight Anthem</div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">4. Spark man - Mark Bragg</div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">5. In California (live) - Neko Case</div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br /></div>
towniebastardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03129158923604362272noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10757771.post-59999393406690654462020-04-23T23:45:00.001-04:002020-04-23T23:45:38.404-04:00On a slightly weird week....<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
So, that got a little weird in a hurry.<br />
<br />
By now most of you know that mom celebrated working 40 years at Shoppers Drug Mart last Saturday. That's because, in a first for this blog, the post went viral.<br />
<br />
How viral? Well, let's put it in some perspective. The previous three posts had the following amount of traffic.<br />
<br />
Comic Art Collection: Thor - 45 clicks.<br />
Comic Art Collection: Supergirl and Batgirl - 46 clicks<br />
Settling in (how things are going up here) - 93 clicks<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7oZJqrmK0zHXfboff_kA-MH7apbexReuBwf1dbO7e1Dj6LwvdnDwGsOb8oSvkElO64sTA_fSyZcPESNc0Am8b6kB8HFhPH54T8XMznpFLsjZHlZEaDuUT4oDew_VMLbmgexs_Nw/s1600/57551860_10218778161982411_5725004729109446656_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="1024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7oZJqrmK0zHXfboff_kA-MH7apbexReuBwf1dbO7e1Dj6LwvdnDwGsOb8oSvkElO64sTA_fSyZcPESNc0Am8b6kB8HFhPH54T8XMznpFLsjZHlZEaDuUT4oDew_VMLbmgexs_Nw/s320/57551860_10218778161982411_5725004729109446656_o.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The top picture is from opening day 1980 with her former <br />boss John. The bottom two are from 2019.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The post on mom's anniversary? - <i>10,250 clicks. </i>And it's still climbing, although at a much slower rate. There were 8,000 page view on Sunday alone.<br />
<i><br /></i>
The previous best for the past three years was my last update to the Moving to Iqaluit FAQ back in 2017 (which reminds me, I need to do that again), and it had 4,061.<br />
<br />
But the numbers for all of this are astounding. Yes, my blog experienced a massive spike in traffic, but that's only part of it. NTV reporter Jodi Cooke put out a congratulatory <a href="https://twitter.com/Jodicookeskis/status/1251604006503436288">tweet</a> on April 18. It has 28 retweets, 73 comments, and 642 likes. Then I got an email from CBC's Krissy Holmes asking if we'd like to appear on the Morning Show. I think mom was a bit nervous, but it was fun. All I had to do was remember I was the sidekick and let mom do her thing, which she always does.<br />
<br />
You can listen to the whole thing <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/listen/live-radio/1-56-st-johns-morning-show/clip/15772262-celebrating-40-years-at-shoppers?fbclid=IwAR2Ny3s_fMQab3YaE7pFm1s3FhKJ-rRtSm-PxUYdJov2jp-nitmw8z1n6EU">here</a>. Or read the story <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/40-years-shoppers-drug-mart-beauty-1.5541451">here</a>.<br />
<br />
And how was the reaction to the CBC story? The story was shared 84 times, with over 1,300 likes and 234 people commented on it.<br />
<br />
Two sitting MPs extending congrats to her. And after the story she told about Danny Williams' mom I'm half surprised a new car hasn't shown up in her driveway.<br />
<br />
On top of that mom said she's had a lot of people wave at her at Shoppers and congratulate her on her anniversary. She's threaten to put me up for adoption because of all the attention, which is a nice blast from the past....she hasn't threatened me with that since I was 16. But she loves it. I know she does.<br />
<br />
But here's the thing that truly blows my mind. I haven't read all the comments and tweets, but I've read a lot of them. <i>Nobody said anything bad.</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
Not one snarky comment. No one from PETA coming out of the woodwork and bashing the cosmetics industry. No one with a "bad" customer experience coming to correct everyone. Everything was positive. They congratulated her. They told happy stories about their interaction with mom. They talked about what an important part of their lives she's been over the years (One 53-year-old woman said she's been buying make-up from mom since she was 15). They said how much they loved her.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO1yldQ8hzQtZsiWDYqpbTC4h3Re-SdhprgAWBFDVE0S-rfsdPmYwDgs05SHOX53douforOR3abcdymGKMXdRjvhyphenhyphen_PrLVsPTLmnlOf6LyC3blUs1wgaa2wmHHCLtIEAqh6uPt8Q/s1600/73370526_10220400404257454_3135083748190584832_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1316" data-original-width="640" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO1yldQ8hzQtZsiWDYqpbTC4h3Re-SdhprgAWBFDVE0S-rfsdPmYwDgs05SHOX53douforOR3abcdymGKMXdRjvhyphenhyphen_PrLVsPTLmnlOf6LyC3blUs1wgaa2wmHHCLtIEAqh6uPt8Q/s320/73370526_10220400404257454_3135083748190584832_o.jpg" width="155" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">If you bring a wee dog into the <br />store, mom has to say hi.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I'm not one to idly throw around the word "miraculous" but in this day of instant outrage and anger on social media, this is as close to one as you will find.<br />
<br />
But it's mom....I am utterly unsurprised.<br />
<br />
But the nice thing isn't just the numbers and the outpouring of love....it's that mom can get to see it all. It occurred to me that this kind of thing often happens....after the person is no longer around to hear it. Mom's going to be around for a long time yet, but it's nice that she can see all of this. It's one thing to know you're good at your job and for people to compliment you, but this kind of wave of adoration it is a rare thing. I really hope she's soaking it in and enjoying it.<br />
<br />
And now, one last mom story. Because I'm kicking myself for not putting it in the original post, and because it's honestly hilarious to me.<br />
<br />
It's not just that mom's been working at Shoppers for 40 years, she's also worked Christmas Eve for every single year she's been with Shoppers. Hell, from mid-November to Christmas she rarely takes a day off because it's so busy.<br />
<br />
But my favourite thing about her working Christmas Eve is that every year, <i>every year</i>, there's a group of men who discover around 4 pm that it's Christmas (funny how that can just sneak up on you) and maybe they should buy something for their wives. I think the record for someone coming into the store was at 4:55 on Christmas Eve when they close at 5.<br />
<br />
If you're a woman who lives in the East End and you've ever received a suspiciously nice bottle of perfume for Christmas....well, odds are your husband was at Shoppers 20 minutes before close the day before.<br />
<br />
I know it amuses mom, although she never takes advantage of them or tries to oversell them. She tries to find out what their wife likes, and if she's ever shopped there before, and tries to find the best thing for them....all before the store closes in a few minutes.<br />
<br />
I've said that mom should get an award for the number of marriages she's saved. Hell, she's probably prevented a few murders.<br />
<br />
So there you go....the last Daphne story....for now.<br />
<br />
Man, it's going to be hard to top this for Mother's Day next month....<br />
<br />
<b>Last Five</b><br />
1. Heart to heart with Lionel - Joel Plaskett Emergency<br />
2. Slow disco - St. Vincent<br />
3. Battlefords - Hawksley Workman*<br />
4. Making a noise - Robbie Robertson<br />
5. Growin' up (live) - Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band</div>
towniebastardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03129158923604362272noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10757771.post-73963682714311460882020-04-18T12:16:00.001-04:002020-04-18T12:16:50.170-04:0040 years at Shoppers<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
My record for longest stint at a job is the one I'm currently in. This June it will mark eight years. And if you throw in the 16 months I did earlier, went away, and then came back to the job, I have a little over nine years at this gig. It marks an almost unheard of level of job stability for me. Previously, I've tended to bounce around. I think if you ask most people my age or younger, the number of people who have spent decades at a job are relatively rare.<br />
<br />
And even if you do spend a few decades at a job, you normally retire. Teachers tend to go at 30 years, for example.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAtzmZhFXjLyT2yy_uY-4-F_5jKOvStwBe4GyXuxcYEWAfaGS6BKY3k7-qk_J2AukC1Oldo_GJvM76AKwxdIjBZ_-i1bbbJHB3mthmD787zZypP8Monw4wm5xsNiU2HzJ5j3hEDw/s1600/F0F426F3-7BAB-497F-8FF3-D28C3F16B252.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAtzmZhFXjLyT2yy_uY-4-F_5jKOvStwBe4GyXuxcYEWAfaGS6BKY3k7-qk_J2AukC1Oldo_GJvM76AKwxdIjBZ_-i1bbbJHB3mthmD787zZypP8Monw4wm5xsNiU2HzJ5j3hEDw/s320/F0F426F3-7BAB-497F-8FF3-D28C3F16B252.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mom and I, Christmas 2012 at Shoppers.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Then there's my mom. Today marks her 40th anniversary working for Shoppers Drug Mart on Torbay Road. Hell, if you toss in her time at the Zellers that used to be in that mall, she's spent 45 years on that parking lot. If there was ever a demand for a history of the Torbay Road Mall, it begins and ends with my mom.<br />
<br />
I have a vague recollection of mom starting at Shoppers. The store was opening in the mall (Zellers was on one end, Dominion on the other, in-between was a CIBC, Shoppers, a doctor's office, a Chinese restaurant, and several smaller stores) and it was a big deal. First one on the east end of town. She'd been working at Zellers for years and was excited about not just getting a new job, but also becoming head cosmetician. It was a big deal for her.<br />
<br />
And it's still a big deal for her. Mom <i>loves</i> her job. Odds are you've never loved a job the way my mom loves hers. Lord knows she doesn't do it for the money. She just loves people. She loves helping people and chatting with them. I've spoken to mom more times than I can count at 11 pm after she's just finished an eight hours shift and she's fine. She normally hangs up to go and get her cup of coffee. And then she's back to work for a 10 am shift the next morning.<br />
<br />
That's not something she did years ago. That's something she probably did this week.<br />
<br />
Yeah, she's still working. I've asked her to stop working during the COVID-19 crisis, but she keeps going in. She's not selling make-up right now; she's just helping out around the store, trying to be useful. It makes me nervous as hell, but she keeps working. Because it's what she loves doing. Working and being helpful.<br />
<br />
If you've walked into that Shoppers and talked to my mom, odds are you have a story about her. If you've talked to her for more than a few minutes, odds are you know something about me (I've long since given up asking her to not do that). She's sold makeup to news anchors, make-up artists on film/TV productions, and others. One of her absolutely favourite customers was Danny Williams' mom. She got a kick out of that and always took good care of her.<br />
<br />
Then again, she always takes good care of everyone.<br />
<br />
She's outlasted everyone in the store. The original owner retired years ago. I wouldn't place a bet against her outlasting the current owner. And the one after him. I'm not giving up here age here, but she shows no signs of retiring. I imagine I'll be updating this in 10 years time when we celebrate her 50th anniversary at the store.<br />
<br />
My favourite mom story? This would have been around 2012. I was back in Newfoundland for Christmas and discovered, to my horror, that mom was working Christmas Day. I asked her why, as she obviously had the seniority to get that day off.<br />
<br />
"Well, most of the rest of the cosmetics staff have young ones or young family and they should spend Christmas morning with them rather than being in here. And you're old enough to not need me there Christmas morning and I knew you'd understand. So that's why."<br />
<br />
The photo above is from me going in that morning and spending an hour or so with her in the store, before she shooed me home out of it. Which has always been the way when I visit her at the store. She's happy to see me and chat, but if there's a customer who looks like they need help, she'll stop mid-conversation to go over and take care of them.<br />
<br />
Odds are she's not celebrating this day the way she wanted. She's been looking forward to this day for a long time. It likely won't be the celebration she wanted, but I hope they do lots for her anyway. I've always thought Shoppers has never appreciated her the way she deserves.<br />
<br />
For years, I've had some variant of this conversation:<br />
<br />
"Well, I'm never sure how much longer I'll get to do this, Craig. I'm not sure how long they'll want someone my age in cosmetics."<br />
<br />
"Mom, the number of women you bring into that store who want to know the secret of how you look so good at your age should mean you get to stay there forever."<br />
<br />
And she does. Mom has consistently looked 10-15 younger than she actually is. She has, on occasion, passed me off as her younger brother. Which amuses her, and makes me roll my eyes, but whatever. It gives her a laugh.<br />
<br />
And women do come in and ask her secret. And she's happy to sell them some moisturizer she uses, or some other products. And they go away happy. But she never tells them the real reason why she looks so young.<br />
<br />
Just love what you do for 40 years and be a kind and amazing person. Works every time.<br />
<br />
Happy 40 years, mom. Here's to at least another 10.<br />
<br />
<br /></div>
towniebastardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03129158923604362272noreply@blogger.com25tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10757771.post-43783131203805851582020-04-13T13:54:00.000-04:002020-04-13T13:54:47.105-04:00Comic Art Collection 11 - Thor<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrTfap8H0aHRMqhaIW5W0OIsm4qU5M2EINWfwwt9Gtn8yJfIbhTL_xouUdRhepaf3QS9LrABad-2xKug2EIAJW0s0ir4B4x_vWc6HRGwxXg5MPdIupnj1QQLVbvyMPdDV04CKSLg/s1600/100B0C2E-6F98-405D-9683-7B41C74DCB4E_1_201_a.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1240" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrTfap8H0aHRMqhaIW5W0OIsm4qU5M2EINWfwwt9Gtn8yJfIbhTL_xouUdRhepaf3QS9LrABad-2xKug2EIAJW0s0ir4B4x_vWc6HRGwxXg5MPdIupnj1QQLVbvyMPdDV04CKSLg/s400/100B0C2E-6F98-405D-9683-7B41C74DCB4E_1_201_a.jpeg" width="310" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Thor by Walt Simonson, 9 x 12</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
I can still remember how excited I was to get this sketch. It was at New York Comic Con in 2008, which as I've said before was my first con. Most of those days were kind of stumbling around Artist Alley getting random sketches from artists. I was perfectly happy doing that. But at some point I made my way to the Hero Initiative booth and realized that Walt Simonson was going to do a commission session.<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh50tL9W4bi82or2Rwa5WJRou_Z03DYrhDXJQfto67ISiSOoJmZBzXiTYe-BZC8Ek93Uxr2t3A_Un-6ohgsKJSgdjhGUJTs_EPIOC0IiIZY6wAD2Rj0xS0T5J0iv7Dktrb55po93g/s1600/64daf7c2be29cd6b65827f42508f82d8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1237" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh50tL9W4bi82or2Rwa5WJRou_Z03DYrhDXJQfto67ISiSOoJmZBzXiTYe-BZC8Ek93Uxr2t3A_Un-6ohgsKJSgdjhGUJTs_EPIOC0IiIZY6wAD2Rj0xS0T5J0iv7Dktrb55po93g/s320/64daf7c2be29cd6b65827f42508f82d8.jpg" width="247" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">From one of the best issues in<br />
Simonson's run on the series</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
So, two things. First, for those of you who don't know, Walt Simonson is one of <i>the</i> legends of the comic book industry. His run on Thor in the 1980s is cited by pretty much everyone as one of the greatest and most important runs on the character. I'm not saying he saved the character for Marvel, but no one has been particularly excited by him in quite some time. Then Simonson came on board, doing both story and art, and everything changed. There was energy, dynamic storytelling, beautiful sound effects (Simonson is a master at cool looking sound effects in comics) and more. There's always so much energy on a Simonson page, even when it's characters talking. It just feels like something big is about to happen, just as soon as you turn the page.<br />
<br />
Second, he was doing this for <a href="https://www.heroinitiative.org/">Hero Initiative</a>, an amazing organization that should not need to exist. Who are they? Well, this is straight from their website:<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="background-color: white; font-size: 16px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">The Hero Initiative creates a financial safety net for comic creators who may need emergency medical aid, financial support for essentials of life, and an avenue back into paying work. Since inception, the Hero Initiative has been fortunate enough to benefit creators with more than $1 million worth of much-needed aid, fueled by your contributions! It’s a chance for all of us to give back something to the people who have given us so much enjoyment.</span></span></blockquote>
<br />
It's one of the most aggravating things about the comic industry. Creators who have worked for decades, who have created characters or storylines that have made movie studios millions, often are left struggling. Especially as they near retirement age and comic book companies become less interested in their work. Or that many creators still working can get into trouble so quickly if they have the slightest personal or health emergency.<br />
<br />
I fear Hero Initiative is going to be overwhelmed in the coming months.<br />
<br />
Anyway, in this case I saw that Simonson was going to be doing sketches for the organization. In over two hours.<br />
<br />
You have to make that call sometimes at comic cons. I want this thing, but I'm going to have to line up for hours, and how much other cool things could I do during that time? In this case, it was a pretty simple call. I got in line. I was #2. By the time Simonson started sketching, there were about 30-40 people in line, which meant most were going to be disappointed.<br />
<br />
I was nervous because I figured everyone was going to ask for Thor and you can never be 100% sure how an artist will react to being asked to draw the same character over and over again. Fortunately, the guy in front of me wanted Batman. So I was the first person to ask for, and get, Thor.<br />
<br />
That sketch took about 20 minutes or so. I happily paid my money to Hero Initiative. I got a great sketch from a legend comic artist and I helped to support a great cause. I've done it several more times since. If Hero Initiative is at a comic con, I always go there, sometimes multiple times, and get a sketch.<br />
<br />
I'm not saying this is the sketch that got me hooked on collecting comic art, but it might have been the one to seal the deal. I'd had a blast wandering around Artist Alley that con, getting fun stuff. But the notion I could get something from an artist of Simonson's stature....that this was a thing that I could do....that was probably the final nail in the coffin.<br />
<br />
<i>You can read all of Simonson's Thor issues via Comixology or if you want the Omnibus is still available. It is pricy, however, going for around $150.</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<b>Last Five</b><br />
1. We don't deserve love - Arcade Fire<br />
2. Helpless - k.d. lang*<br />
3. Conversation piece - Kings of Leon<br />
4. Selkie - Tori Amos<br />
5. The skies will break - Corinne Bailey Rae</div>
towniebastardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03129158923604362272noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10757771.post-88566685765919738822020-03-30T20:52:00.000-04:002020-03-30T20:52:28.249-04:00Comic Art Collection 10: Supergirl and Batgirl<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUwx6f2L7D9N2Yb58NO9egkFhsNu63kwCCfuTi5E4BAC4Vvj1zxRFZRC3-5Pp7i1oTn0yIeM3MW8G9WWvuPWV24l9lRCIZoNgNRhegK0tE3NMniQ0y6so_JZHIpir_3sogAJkoJA/s1600/5C714459-6845-453B-B6B3-2D1E7290D398_1_201_a.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1208" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUwx6f2L7D9N2Yb58NO9egkFhsNu63kwCCfuTi5E4BAC4Vvj1zxRFZRC3-5Pp7i1oTn0yIeM3MW8G9WWvuPWV24l9lRCIZoNgNRhegK0tE3NMniQ0y6so_JZHIpir_3sogAJkoJA/s400/5C714459-6845-453B-B6B3-2D1E7290D398_1_201_a.jpeg" width="301" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3MiCnCvvAlxAoXiz-Nxjh6Md6YOn5c3wZ3jLwWP6DU2iR4T4hV1DUUTS87wA8E4QSeNZY8Sfu7B4cniTBJ9eJPiZfP4qXfd1KoaMyQBvegJEqOqo-ZSkdb4nXHR-RlqUv4CyaMw/s1600/E3E5FC11-C63E-4B4F-B857-F6722F9D59C5_1_201_a.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1304" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3MiCnCvvAlxAoXiz-Nxjh6Md6YOn5c3wZ3jLwWP6DU2iR4T4hV1DUUTS87wA8E4QSeNZY8Sfu7B4cniTBJ9eJPiZfP4qXfd1KoaMyQBvegJEqOqo-ZSkdb4nXHR-RlqUv4CyaMw/s400/E3E5FC11-C63E-4B4F-B857-F6722F9D59C5_1_201_a.jpeg" width="325" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Supergirl and Batgirl by Mike Maihack. 9x12<br />Top: Original pencil and ink<br />Bottom: Digitally coloured print</td></tr>
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<br />Sometimes, publishers hate making money. Case in point - Mike Maihack.<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I'm pretty sure I came across Mike's artwork via Tumblr. And it was probably one of his delightful Supergirl and Batgirl strips. He does these strips infrequently, sometimes only once a year, but they're always fantastic when he does. The strips are basically an exasperated Batgirl trying to deal with her best friend, a very high energy Supergirl. Through good luck, he put one out this week dealing with our twin heroes being stuck in doors while "Joker Gas" is endangering Gotham City residents. It's showed up a lot in my social media feeds by friends of mine who like knitting.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
There's a lot more examples on his <a href="http://adencecomicart.com/search.php?searchType=whatsNew">website</a>, where you can buy prints.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPPFQQlJbSamqvRrMyhGKb8VGNi7DlVPU9RwtCvSgXotMhh9sHUtib8ot3DhkoIQ5zfm7Fz1hmhTZZNP63oNO0PUligIrW_6QYmeEZE-WyCoq-5Ld32RC1H5Z6UO5IArXzg91Z1A/s1600/91422987_641434576431753_3476792162304131072_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPPFQQlJbSamqvRrMyhGKb8VGNi7DlVPU9RwtCvSgXotMhh9sHUtib8ot3DhkoIQ5zfm7Fz1hmhTZZNP63oNO0PUligIrW_6QYmeEZE-WyCoq-5Ld32RC1H5Z6UO5IArXzg91Z1A/s320/91422987_641434576431753_3476792162304131072_n.jpg" width="196" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The most recent Supergirl/Batgirl<br />strip</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
They're so much fun that it's genuinely baffling to me that DC never came to him and said "Hey, how would you like to do do a 100 page graphic novel based on their adventures?" I would buy it in a heartbeat and given the speed at which these comics spread online, so would a lot of others.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Part of the reason this might not have happened is that Mike's been busy the last seven or eight years with his <a href="https://mikemaihack.bigcartel.com/cleopatra-in-space-series"><i>Cleopatra in Space</i> graphic novel series </a>through Scholastic. It's the story of <i>the</i> Cleopatra who as a kid accidentally gets tossed across time and space and finds herself in the far future. She also discovers that she's a prophesied saviour of the galaxy. And if that's not bad enough she still has to go to school, and most of the professors are cats. It's a huge amount of fun.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Cathy has a set of the books in her classroom and it's perfect for elementary school kids. Or, you know, big kids like me.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
As for the piece above, I believe it came about when Mike put out a call that he was taking commissions and I quickly jumped at it. This was the first piece of art I bought from Mike, but not the last. I have at least three others which will make their debuts at some point in the coming months. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
And one day I hope to meet him at a con. I'd like to be able to thank him in person for how much enjoyment I get out of his work. And, you know, maybe get him to draw something in my sketchbook.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
But what I like about this is he through in the digitally coloured print for free. I just thought I was getting pencil and ink sketch, so the print was nice. They're also framed side by side so when you look at them you can really see the difference colour makes to the art.</div>
<div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmIGVeuqDSCE4Dl5vrbdoSJCnuoDtpFRf2z0Zull9f9nO446_V_3MRUj8Ijl8hbxH0gThWNLp8VGBNXJ5g08_KqckBTuxewF0yuWsurUNEGkOdioQamRrIyk7-Wbl-dc8aDpMc2Q/s1600/71iTMm16FTL.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmIGVeuqDSCE4Dl5vrbdoSJCnuoDtpFRf2z0Zull9f9nO446_V_3MRUj8Ijl8hbxH0gThWNLp8VGBNXJ5g08_KqckBTuxewF0yuWsurUNEGkOdioQamRrIyk7-Wbl-dc8aDpMc2Q/s320/71iTMm16FTL.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The last <i>Cleo </i>book (boooo) coming out<br />in late July/early August,</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div>
As for why I like Mike's art so much, it's just fun. It's been interesting watching him grow as a visual storyteller in <i>Cleo</i>. There's a huge difference between the first book and the fifth. He's much more confident, polished and willing to try bigger and more complex scenes and action pieces. I look forward to reading his stuff for some time to come.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
And DC? The last <i>Cleopatra in Space</i> book is coming out this summer. It's not too late to throw some money at Mike to get him to do a Supergirl/Batgirl book. Just sayin'....<br /><br />
<b>Last Five</b><br />
1. Bones of ribbon - London Grammar<br />
2. Desire - Ryan Adams*<br />
3. Snow angel - Ron Sexsmith<br />
4. Execution day - The New Pornographers<br />
5. Hard to tell - Young Galaxy</div>
</div>
towniebastardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03129158923604362272noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10757771.post-16782926889589592972020-03-27T22:48:00.000-04:002020-03-27T22:48:26.857-04:00Settling in<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjizS8KI64aNNxdnwXp6tYdqwfdO3CO1sWP2LNQc8qxWqKlOT6O8kvJ1Okl9ga3fwI9M4R1fXILYyXNxv_44eCRWwR7QW2pMoh8xK2Gor5Q_ZbP-ZoCf4MWcSJ30Fn4_ZPVZHkLmA/s1600/5723659F-6DD2-40DA-89F1-3814E57BE5CC.heic" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1203" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjizS8KI64aNNxdnwXp6tYdqwfdO3CO1sWP2LNQc8qxWqKlOT6O8kvJ1Okl9ga3fwI9M4R1fXILYyXNxv_44eCRWwR7QW2pMoh8xK2Gor5Q_ZbP-ZoCf4MWcSJ30Fn4_ZPVZHkLmA/s400/5723659F-6DD2-40DA-89F1-3814E57BE5CC.heic" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Proof of life, March 27, 2020</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
So, somehow, I now seem to live in one of the safest places on Earth.<br />
<br />
That might be the scariest sentence I've typed in my life. I'm just superstitious enough to wonder if I haven't just jinxed things up here. If you think that's nuts, and things don't work like that, keep in mind that no one who uses Twitter in Iqaluit will say the name of the world's largest company for fear that they will stop shipping for free up here.<br />
<br />
So no cases so far. There's still a bit of a backlog of tests, so we still might get something jumping out at us. But right now we're ok. And this week, the territorial government brought in some of the strictest travel rules in Canada about who is and isn't allowed into the territory. You want in? You have to:<br />
<br />
- Be a Nunavut resident. If you want to come here, you need to have an address here.<br />
- Be a critical care worker.<br />
- Sit in quarantine for two weeks at government monitor buildings in Ottawa, Winnipeg, Edmonton and Yellowknife.<br />
<br />
And that's it. You can't drive here and, for at least another three months, you can't sail here. Those rules kicked in on the 24th, so theoretically by April 8 (give or take a few days) and if there are no cases, we might be in good shape.<br />
<br />
There's any number of reasons to hope it never comes here. This <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2020/03/27/nunavut-far-north-canada-coronavirus-152570">Politico</a> story touches on some of them. If/when it gets here, it could rip through some of the smaller communities and do severe harm. Or, for that matter, Iqaluit. We're around 8,500 people these days. Politicians and the health officer are begging people to go home and practicing social distancing. But with no cases here, I think compliance is half-hearted at best. One of our neighbours has a hockey rink built by the side of his house and we've walked past with 10 kids playing together in close quarters.<br />
<br />
Today was my weekly trip out of the neighbourhood to do a mail run and pick up some groceries. Cases or not, we take it seriously. I get the mail, get groceries, come home and then toss everything I'm wearing in the washer and get a shower. And it's just a little weird out in town. It's quieter. The flashes of friendliness between residents seems rarer and when you do see them it makes you worry if they're being careful enough.<br />
<br />
Weird days.<br />
<br />
As for Cathy and I, we've settled into our routines in the house. This was always going to be easier for us than many others. The lack of kids, for one thing. Plus, we're used to spending a lot of time with each other anyway. Before all of this most of our days consisted of going to work, coming home, having supper and hanging out together (reading, watching tv, playing games, talking). It's not that hard a shift for us. I tend to be busiest at work in the morning so Cathy gives me a little more space.<br />
<br />
I find I'm writing more, which is nice. I read an actual, honest to god, <i>book</i> this week. You know, the kind without art in it. It was <i>Magic for Liars</i> by Sarah Gailey, in case you're wondering. A pretty solid Potter-noir story, where a Muggle PI investigates a murder at Hogwarts, er, Osthorne Academy. The mystery was a bit too easy to solve, but the characters are fun and the world building is pretty good.<br />
<br />
So we're good. We're in a safe place, being careful, and still have our jobs. NorthMart was fully stocked when I went out today, so groceries are no problem at the moment. And honestly, the next 6 weeks are the best time of the year to live in Iqaluit. The temperatures warm up, so that's it's cold, but more than manageable. The daylight is normal - not too much or too little. The light on the bay when the sun is out is not easily described or captured by camera, but "magical" is about right. And at night you can still catch the Northern Lights.<br />
<br />
And right now, that's all I need. It's more than enough.<br />
<br />
<b>Last Five</b><br />
1. Ms. Behave - Rosie and the Riveters*<br />
2. Paradise by the 'C' (Live) - Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band<br />
3. We both go down together (Live) - The Decemberists<br />
4. Little shadow - Yeah Yeah Yeahs<br />
5. Throw your arms around me (Live) - Crowded House</div>
towniebastardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03129158923604362272noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10757771.post-71329625956491719102020-03-23T07:30:00.000-04:002020-03-23T07:30:07.264-04:00Comic Art Collection 9: Hellboy and Mermaid<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge6OBAf4KJ9CvnPudVCHtSX23TH2jSLiEbiWwbXuUi4wps04bJ6rqwEoRYKcsBfw-h4hi362ASJa_2Opt_OvgexYWV8cTHQeGCwBLlxEFLFztV-hEvD5z6gMD7fcDRbwdXKnEDWQ/s1600/Hellboy+-+Templeton.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge6OBAf4KJ9CvnPudVCHtSX23TH2jSLiEbiWwbXuUi4wps04bJ6rqwEoRYKcsBfw-h4hi362ASJa_2Opt_OvgexYWV8cTHQeGCwBLlxEFLFztV-hEvD5z6gMD7fcDRbwdXKnEDWQ/s640/Hellboy+-+Templeton.jpg" width="494" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hellboy and mermaid by Ben Templesmith, 8.5x11</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Social media is eventually going to bankrupt me, I'm sure.<br />
<br />
Once upon a time, if you wanted comic book art you had to go to conventions, or maybe find a store that sold a few pages. Or perhaps write to the artist and beg for a page. Comic book art, famously, for many decades, wasn't worth squat. There are terrifying stories about pages being thrown out, drawn over, or used for colour practice.<br />
<br />
Now, it's really easy to find comic art if you want. Artist websites, eBay, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and more. (<a href="https://comicarttracker.com/">Comic Art Tracker</a> is currently the most dangerous tab open on my browser). In fact, in our days of global pandemic, a lot of artists are hurting. In comics, many of them count on comic cons to make extra money, or look for more work. Major publishers haven't started scaling back....yet. But I wouldn't be surprised if that happens. If you like art...or comic art, poke around and see if there's something you can buy. A few prints or stickers can help sometimes.<br />
<br />
Anyway, this lovely Hellboy came about because I was on Twitter at the right time.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLKkBIYIIIAZzjLLnybjN7xpRSmrdkquxabKhX3kLG2JWZfGVR_mmWSN2MNeb5k0HnaUc7rDmN9m9GbMpJaiXdvIWaKfOX1BhuJgAC5cTU1RuXgNEx4tzIVXaoH_PfCzztgdmM9Q/s1600/734034645442f7115e2bf140fe752df8._SX1280_QL80_TTD_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLKkBIYIIIAZzjLLnybjN7xpRSmrdkquxabKhX3kLG2JWZfGVR_mmWSN2MNeb5k0HnaUc7rDmN9m9GbMpJaiXdvIWaKfOX1BhuJgAC5cTU1RuXgNEx4tzIVXaoH_PfCzztgdmM9Q/s400/734034645442f7115e2bf140fe752df8._SX1280_QL80_TTD_.jpg" width="260" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A page from <i>Fell,</i> issue #2</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<a href="http://www.78squid.ink/">Ben Templesmith</a> got his big break illustrating a book with Steve Niles called <i>30 Days of Night. </i>It's a vampire story set in the remote community of Barrows, Alaska which gets attacked by vampires during the 30 days of the year when there's no sun. It was later adapted into a movie. It's a concept so genius that I'm convinced half the comic book writers and artists in the world smacked their heads off desks in frustration for not thinking of the idea first.<br />
<br />
I liked his artwork, but I'm not the biggest horror fan. But Templesmith did a book called <i><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fell_(comics)">Fell</a></i> with Warren Ellis. It was a wonderfully creepy book about Detective Richard Fell, who is transferred to a failed city called Snowton. It's smartly written, atmospheric as hell, and frustratingly incomplete. Delays meant the story wasn't finished. The last issue came out in 2008, so barring a miracle, it will probably never be completed.<br />
<br />
But I was following Templesmith on Twitter back in 2011, at least partially to see what he would do next, and hoping that the next thing would be more <i>Fell</i>. Instead, one day in December he popped online and said he was taking a handful of commissions so he could buy some Christmas gifts. His commission list was open a grand total of 30 minutes before he closed it due to all the interest.<br />
<br />
Guess who was on Twitter during that 30 minute window.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL_BeRWsWPT_glXDn6NQj9DAWXBO3OpietiIt3aVGnIhB1udqehZH7hCe9UrnRmsW6Fl68ZajVvZdQeQrl2BYB0Yd6IslvPehE_T5ud1jl7MUSy-Z8QKAq5Sww56h53AybTpil1Q/s1600/RCO051_1496631163.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL_BeRWsWPT_glXDn6NQj9DAWXBO3OpietiIt3aVGnIhB1udqehZH7hCe9UrnRmsW6Fl68ZajVvZdQeQrl2BYB0Yd6IslvPehE_T5ud1jl7MUSy-Z8QKAq5Sww56h53AybTpil1Q/s320/RCO051_1496631163.jpg" width="208" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hellboy: The Third Wish #2</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I can't really recall where the idea of getting him to draw Hellboy came from, but it was a bloody genius one. He draws a near perfect Hellboy, so good I'm astonished he's never been asked to draw the book. The idea of a mermaid came from a Hellboy story I had read a few months earlier where he gets trapped in the ocean and has to deal with three mermaid sisters (It's Hellboy. It happens).<br />
<br />
When I mentioned the idea to Templesmith via email he loved the idea, but was baffled by one of my conditions. I told him the mermaid couldn't be naked. Which meant explaining Cathy's "No nudity, no graphic violence" rule for art. He was amused, but had no problem with it.<br />
<br />
What he sent to me has long been one of my favourite comic book pieces. The weary resignation of Hellboy, who appears to be utterly unsurprised to be underwater. Not sure what good the gun is going to do, but it's a fun touch. And I love the mermaid wrapped around him in that way is a clever way around the no nudity rule. It's also...nicer. I like the intimacy of it. I like it more than if he was fighting the mermaid. The angry fish swimming by are a little detail I love too.<br />
<br />
This also has the rare privilege of being one of the pieces on my wall that Cathy really likes. She often doesn't get why I like something or occasionally shakes her head at a piece. But she loves this one. It makes her smile.<br />
<br />
<b>Last Five</b><br />
1. Hi-Rise - The New Pornographers<br />
2. The trip to Pirate's Cove - Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers<br />
3. Happy pills - Norah Jones<br />
4. Futurism - Deerhunter<br />
5. Battery Kinzie - Fleet Foxes*</div>
towniebastardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03129158923604362272noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10757771.post-90881247775614723202020-03-18T23:21:00.001-04:002020-03-18T23:21:25.587-04:00Nunavut update<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I've had a few people ask how we're doing in Iqaluit. The answer, like for most of us, is so far, so good.<br />
<br />
The three territories remains - and I feel like I should knock on every piece of wooden furniture in the house and then go outside, turn around three times and spit - free of any reported cases of COVID-19. Nunavut ramped things up in a serious way <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/north/public-health-emergency-nunavut-1.5501903">today</a>, which is good to see. I should also note that it may already be here. COVID-19 testing in the Nunavut has been slow so far.<br />
<br />
Nunavut might get either very lucky, or very, very unlucky in all of this. It's winter so there are no boats coming in. Only four major airports service the territory - Yellowknife, Winnipeg, Ottawa and Montreal (The mine sites are a whole other thing that I'm not knowledgable enough to get into). With some precautions and travel becoming more restricted, <i>maybe</i> the territory can dodge the worst of it.<br />
<br />
Because if we get unlucky and it lands here in a big way, well, I'm trying to think positive thoughts these days. But it won't be good. You're already seeing some communities telling people not to visit or come back. Some are packing up and going out on the land to winter camps or cabins, rather than staying in town.<br />
<br />
As for Cathy and I....the schools all closed as of Monday, so Cathy is rattling around the house. She's making lists of things to do, which is good. She needs to keep herself occupied. Sitting on the couch all day isn't her thing. And given her asthma we're trying very hard to be careful.<br />
<br />
I'm working from home, so I've got things to keep me busy.<br />
<br />
We also finally could take a breath because both our fathers finally got their asses out of Florida and back into Canada (Cathy's dad caught a flight. My dad is driving back and crossed the boarder this evening). They will now get to enjoy self-quarantine for the next couple of weeks. But as I suspect Florida is going to resemble a Mad Max movie in a month's time, I think the minor annoyance is better than the alternative.<br />
<br />
Courtesy of the sealift and my recent trip to Ottawa in early February, we're about as well supplied as you can get. So there will be no mad dashes for Lysol wipes or toilet paper. The toilet paper thing is beyond bizarre. And no kidding, now is absolutely the time you should buy a <a href="https://www.amazon.ca/GoldBidet-Nozzle-Fresh-Bidet-Design/dp/B082HLXWQ8/ref=sr_1_6?keywords=bidet&qid=1584586368&sr=8-6">bidet</a>. They're more hygienic and better for the environment.<br />
<br />
But yeah, we're pretty well set. Canned items we're good for months. What's in the freezer will probably keep us until mid-May. We figure that once a week, during a quiet time of the day, I'll either walk or cab downtown to get our mail and pick up any groceries. Supplies are still coming in fine, so that's good.<br />
<br />
It's also nice that there is a culture of sharing in Nunavut, especially during difficult times. So hopefully means we won't see some of the binge shopping and hording that's happened elsewhere.<br />
<br />
I mentioned walking or taking a taxi. About that....our car has been struggling all winter. At first I blamed a faulty block heater and an incompetent garage. But we took her to a new garage last Friday. On Saturday, when taking her out for a test run, they could barely get her back to the shop. So she's down for the count until they can get parts in.<br />
<br />
The parts they need come from the United States. Yeah. So we'll see when she's up and running again. Might be in a couple of weeks. Might be a couple of months.<br />
<br />
Over all, we're in good shape. Through a bit of geographic luck, we don't have any cases so far and we're well stocked for awhile. Our incomes are secure and there is no imminent financial worries (probably best not to think about our retirement plans). Our vacation plans for this summer are probably thermo nuked, but really, it's three months away. I'm not even thinking about it seriously for awhile yet. And even if they are toast....there are bigger worries in the world.<br />
<br />
I'll probably do weekly updates. I suspect I'll be doing a lot more writing on the blog in the coming weeks. Nothing like a global pandemic to break some writer's block.<br />
<br />
Take care, stay safe....and keep in touch. I think a lot of us are going to be very isolated in the coming weeks. A few minutes checking in with someone either by text, email or....<i>gasp</i>...a phone call, might make all the difference. Any of my friends or family who want to give me a shout, please do so. And I'll try and be a better friend and keep in touch.<br />
<br />
<b>Last Five</b><br />
1. Our House - Madness<br />
2. The reason why - Ron Sexsmith<br />
3. Na na song - Colleen Power*<br />
4. Los Ageless - St. Vincent<br />
5. Rise up with fists! - Jenny Lewis<br />
<br /></div>
towniebastardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03129158923604362272noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10757771.post-5054648203298727032020-03-16T07:05:00.000-04:002020-03-16T07:05:11.519-04:00Comic Art Collection 8: Amelia Rules<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwcbxOceneuTPihGHk6OyvmtDIwWAYlp01v4fe1otum9zaPrMM6hifRx7YlZ5-Rf8PgdZPl3YZQ6Zl6hzie3MCThgkpATkjUUiSCMw3z4sVJwq5P1P2gy1i6aAxl8SpEvnfsWBew/s1600/285EC47F-3797-470D-ACB9-A230BA7B4789_1_201_a.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1254" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwcbxOceneuTPihGHk6OyvmtDIwWAYlp01v4fe1otum9zaPrMM6hifRx7YlZ5-Rf8PgdZPl3YZQ6Zl6hzie3MCThgkpATkjUUiSCMw3z4sVJwq5P1P2gy1i6aAxl8SpEvnfsWBew/s640/285EC47F-3797-470D-ACB9-A230BA7B4789_1_201_a.jpeg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cover to Amelia Rules: True Things (Adults Don't Want Kids to Know) by Jimmy Gownley, 11 x 14</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
(Yes, I know things are bad out there, but allow me the distraction to write about something that makes me happy.)<br />
<br />
It's not an exact science, but there's a pecking order to how expensive a page of comic art will go for. Interior pages with no major characters and lots of panels tend to be the cheapest. Pages where major heroes appear and fight scenes are further up the pecking ladder. Dramatic splash pages can get big bucks.<br />
<br />
At the top of that pecking order tends to be covers. It's not exact, but covers to even obscure indy comics can go for hundreds. Covers for a Marvel/DC comic go for over $1,000. Covers by a recognized name artist on one of those books can go for over $2,000. And the major artists, can get $5,000 or more. For example, <a href="https://paperfilms.com/store-2/supergirl-22-cover/">this Supergirl cover </a>by Amanda Conner, which I adore, is a little out of my budget range.<br />
<br />
I own three covers. To reassure Cathy none of them come close to $1,000, let alone what the higher end ones go for.<br />
<br />
(I showed Cathy an auction the other day for a Bill Sienkiewicz cover from his New Mutants issues, one of my all-time favourite comic runs. It was at $16,000 with two days left. I have no doubt it went for north of $20,000. I thought she was going to have a stroke when I jokingly asked if I could get it.)<br />
<br />
I'm pretty sure this is the first cover I bought. Amelia Rules is one of those comics I bizarrely fell in love with even though I am clearly not the target demographic. I think I first found the comic in a Free Comic Book Day issue I picked up when I hit a comic book store during a trip to Edmonton in 2004.<br />
<br />
I was blown away with just how great the book was. It had the rare ability to be funny to both kids and adults. But at the same time writer/artist Jimmy Gownley was also touching on some topics that would resonate with kids. The lead character is Amelia McBride, whose parents have recently divorced. She and her mom have moved from New York to rural Pennsylvania to live with her aunt, who used to be a semi-famous pop star (Gownley based "Aunt Tanner" on Liz Phair) before she quit the music business under mysterious circumstances.<br />
<br />
The books deal with the fallout of the divorce, trying to make new friends, dealing with school, handling scary moments (one of her friend's dad serves overseas and gets injured), and being occasionally too smart or clever for her own good (she's quick, which means she sometimes says cutting things she regrets later. I can empathize). They're also hilarious.<br />
<br />
For years I recommended the books to everyone. Cathy has a complete set in her classroom. This page is one of several pieces I have from the series, including a sketch from meeting Gownley at NYCC in 2008. This page was acquired simply by emailing him, gushing over how much I loved the book and asking if he had any pages for sale. This cover was one of the options, which I snapped up.<br />
<br />
There's actually one last curious thing about the cover. Here's how it looks in colour when it was published.<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvAtSLv4YzJzrDRgFo8KrjL01Fde0NJ7DB4lELfp6sNC9TimlOs72GADX7mi1Tht8Gw0_AvtP3p7PHuFLLbsr6nmciMwO7JCDxHp1B3TH1N5iC3SFC23u-7bxY11T_XHj2t4SjkA/s1600/1150219.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="908" data-original-width="600" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvAtSLv4YzJzrDRgFo8KrjL01Fde0NJ7DB4lELfp6sNC9TimlOs72GADX7mi1Tht8Gw0_AvtP3p7PHuFLLbsr6nmciMwO7JCDxHp1B3TH1N5iC3SFC23u-7bxY11T_XHj2t4SjkA/s640/1150219.jpg" width="422" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />
You may notice that some characters were removed, and at least one was shifted. I'm guessing they wanted more of the focus on Amelia and for the background to be a little less busy. Either way, I have a pretty cool cover, to a great book. It's one of the centrepieces on my wall.<br />
<br />
<b>Last Five</b><br />
1. Bleeding heart - Regina Spektor<br />
2. Through the morning, through the night - Robert Plant and Allison Krauss*<br />
3. Believe reprise - Sloan<br />
4. New Scotland blues - Joel Plaskett<br />
5. Keep your heart - TV on the Radio</div>
towniebastardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03129158923604362272noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10757771.post-23314267639326896592020-03-09T22:52:00.000-04:002020-03-09T22:52:00.954-04:00Comic Art Collection 7: The Exhilarating Emeralda<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisN5lVvvqwr2KOVzCmvsta3mQEPtzhwYOM_KrsG9__qW9net5wp6GBT6h_sje5p043KOWOpEJWUiV7xEo4t7MJnnlVVBnosu3O9oJYrbmqyAoPSRYaA9TMviL4KSi3Psv2FG8Hew/s1600/ECCC+Monsters+and+Dames.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1036" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisN5lVvvqwr2KOVzCmvsta3mQEPtzhwYOM_KrsG9__qW9net5wp6GBT6h_sje5p043KOWOpEJWUiV7xEo4t7MJnnlVVBnosu3O9oJYrbmqyAoPSRYaA9TMviL4KSi3Psv2FG8Hew/s640/ECCC+Monsters+and+Dames.jpg" width="414" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Exhilarating Emeralda by Ryan Fisher from the Monsters and Dames<br />book, 11 x 17</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
While I've been to five major comic cons, they've only been in two cities - New York and Seattle. New York Comic Con is a....thing. It's expanded massively since my first one in 2008. Back then, about 85,000 attended over three and a half days. In 2021, when renovations are finished at the Javtis Center I won't be surprised if that surges past 200,000. Its focus can be as much on celebrities, video games and tv/movies as it is on comics. But it's still one of the major events on the comic con calendar and artists desperately try to get a booth there because even with the expense of being in New York, you can make serious money there. It's also one of the best networking opportunities going.<br />
<br />
But I have a huge soft spot for Emerald City Comic Con in Seattle. I first went in 2017 and returned in 2019. The con is in the middle of downtown Seattle which means you're surrounded by hotels and restaurants. The con is spread over six floors, with lots of family friendly programming. There's a huge number of artists on the west coast who never bother to go east. There are some celebrities, but the focus is on comics. The artist alley takes up the entire 6th floor and the show organizers are committed to bringing in diverse artists. So it's not just white dudes. <i>Everybody</i> is there. It's perhaps my favourite artist alley.<br />
<br />
Funko's headquarters is also nearby, for good or ill. Depends on how you feel about those little figures.<br />
<br />
So it broke my heart a bit to see ECCC have to be <a href="https://www.comicsbeat.com/eccc-2020-postponed/">postponed on Friday</a>. Seattle is in the middle of the COVID-19 outbreak. And as that's gotten worse, there was increased pressure on the show organizers, ReedPop, to cancel or delay the event. Artists were cancelling and vendors were pulling out. The event was to start this Thursday, so they cut it close.<br />
<br />
It was the right call. If I was going this year instead of last year, I would have cancelled. ECCC is one of the four largest cons in North America. Take 100,000+ geeks flying in from around the world, throw them in a convention centre and, I say this love, some of my fellow geeks do not have the best hygiene habits, and it was a disaster waiting to happen. The last thing I needed was to bring that flu back to Nunavut.<br />
<br />
Still, there's an element of fandom outraged at the cancellation as it's "only a flu". Honestly, the American reaction to this flu is going to lead to a lot of people dying needlessly. <a href="https://www.kuow.org/stories/the-days-leading-up-to-the-outbreak-at-life-care-center-in-kirkland">Some already have</a>.<br />
<br />
It's the right call, but still a hard one. Even with show organizers rescheduling and offering refunds (they can handle the hit. ReedPop is the largest con organizer in the business), a lot of artist and vendors are out money. I hope the con and all the artists bounce back quickly.<br />
<br />
All of which is a long lead in to the piece above. If you don't recognize the character, don't worry about it.....this is her only appearance.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzETMFFr5TLAPSkOxCJ2TFC97SxYbZNwGBdG-MOWXhA0xzutSZBV3Bn0D-ilCHx4Xf7MEyVlwhKBG9ylhLuESlo-V0CBANvYGc4JosRTOs2NAQ3maflwX1-M6z_3wf-NKYbDxVQg/s1600/ECCC-Monsters-and-Dames-2019-Cover-by-Joy-Ang.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="681" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzETMFFr5TLAPSkOxCJ2TFC97SxYbZNwGBdG-MOWXhA0xzutSZBV3Bn0D-ilCHx4Xf7MEyVlwhKBG9ylhLuESlo-V0CBANvYGc4JosRTOs2NAQ3maflwX1-M6z_3wf-NKYbDxVQg/s320/ECCC-Monsters-and-Dames-2019-Cover-by-Joy-Ang.jpg" width="217" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cover of 2019 Monsters and Dames</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
One of the absolutely fun things ECCC does every year is create a book called Monsters and Dames. It's a limited edition (my copy from 2019 is 306 of 750) and proceeds from the book's sale go to a local children's hospital. Competition to get into the book is fierce. What I've done, and many other do, is take the book and walk around Artist Alley and get each page signed. There was about 90 pieces in the book, so it can take awhile.<br />
<br />
But it's fun. You get to talk to artists you might ordinarily walk by. Sometimes I picked up a little something, but it's not expected. And a kind word about how much you liked their art is appreciated, I think.<br />
<br />
In this case, <a href="https://ryanfisherdesigns.com/">Ryan</a> was one of the last tables I got to. It was Saturday morning and I was desperately trying to finish getting my book signed because trying to do that during Saturday madness is a bad idea.<br />
<br />
When I got to his table he was a nice guy. I was chatting with him when I noticed that the original piece of art that was reprinted in the book was on his table. The conversation went something like this.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaQrbPiScx8L9-fJ8QZ2BksGixlbTLGMpCPfoQv3sWoVQZpzJ7wwXUt7Xnp5DSMYHEScWJaxgudF46h-FT27BFekO-IBxRNkX_OJDjkBVTk4TE2EvNW4lYNSg2stS7d7X5ld-ONA/s1600/CE397D00-7657-43B7-8713-C5C15C7FE014.heic" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaQrbPiScx8L9-fJ8QZ2BksGixlbTLGMpCPfoQv3sWoVQZpzJ7wwXUt7Xnp5DSMYHEScWJaxgudF46h-FT27BFekO-IBxRNkX_OJDjkBVTk4TE2EvNW4lYNSg2stS7d7X5ld-ONA/s320/CE397D00-7657-43B7-8713-C5C15C7FE014.heic" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">What the page looks like coloured. Likely<br />scanned and done digitally.</td></tr>
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Me: Oh cool, it's the piece from the book.<br />
Ryan: Yeah, it's for sale if you're interested.<br />
Me: (Preparing the "It's really nice but out of my budget" line, because by Saturday I'm normally deep into my reserves). How much are you asking?<br />
Ryan: $60.<br />
Me: (blinks). No. Seriously.<br />
Ryan: Seriously. It's $60 if you want it.<br />
Me: Sold. How the hell did no one get this before me?<br />
Ryan: It's been there since Thursday. I'm just glad someone wanted it.<br />
<br />
Pricing art, when you're starting out, is hard. You want people to buy your stuff, but you should also get value for the amount of work you put into it. Getting your art in the Monsters and Dames book is a big deal for ECCC. It's 11x17 so it's not small. He put a lot of hours into that piece, especially when you consider he probably coloured it as well. Later that evening, at the charity art auction, I saw other pieces from the book, not as nice as his if I'm being honest, go for north of $200.<br />
<br />
So yeah, I got a great deal, which is hanging on my wall. I hope he did well the rest of the con...and I notice from his website he's supposed to have a new book coming out, which I'll have to give a look.<br />
<br />
As for why I like it, well, I always have a soft spot for magicians in fishnets (see Zatanna). And I really do like the concept of the piece. Finally, Ryan's a solid artist. I think the monster is a touch murky and could have been better done, but I might be nitpicking.<br />
<br />
<b>Last Five</b><br />
1. Killer Queen - Queen<br />
2. 24 Frames (live) - Jason Isbell and the 40 Unit*<br />
3. New York State of Mind - Billy Joel<br />
4. Doing it- Charli XCX<br />
5. Porchlight - Neko Case<br />
</div>
towniebastardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03129158923604362272noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10757771.post-6066434283437088242020-03-02T18:04:00.000-05:002020-03-02T18:04:11.123-05:00Comic Art Collection 6: Red Sonja<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJxe-45GpMb8ognj60diEi2UUtLAH9Zy2wHv6B6QYfaG3LE8e4QQdPX5Y8MMw0YD8J5Aew_LxHXdMk1PlSOa0CKniKkSRMOkSeM7X9sQuHNvScvVlzjl8q-LOnD4QFdfaC0cHwwA/s1600/C61536D9-7EE7-47D6-B2F2-F02C9FE9CA42_1_201_a.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1176" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJxe-45GpMb8ognj60diEi2UUtLAH9Zy2wHv6B6QYfaG3LE8e4QQdPX5Y8MMw0YD8J5Aew_LxHXdMk1PlSOa0CKniKkSRMOkSeM7X9sQuHNvScvVlzjl8q-LOnD4QFdfaC0cHwwA/s640/C61536D9-7EE7-47D6-B2F2-F02C9FE9CA42_1_201_a.jpeg" width="468" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Red Sonja by Stephanie Buscema, 9 x 12</td></tr>
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<br />
A few things about this piece....<br />
<br />
1. Cathy has only two rules about the art hanging on my wall. Nothing sexually explicit and nothing graphically violent. Those are pretty understandable and easy to follow rules and I abide by them. I mention them because this piece is about as close as I come to breaking that rule. I think I get away with it in this case (and Cathy has never mentioned having a problem with this piece) because it's cartoon-ish enough to not be a problem.<br />
<br />
2. For years I never really cared for Red Sonja. Sword and sorcery was never really my thing. And Red Sonja was always too far into the T&A side of things. Plus, there is some truly horrific elements to her origin which just made her unpalatable for me to read.<br />
<br />
Which goes to show that the right writer working on a character can do wonders. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gail_Simone">Gail Simone</a> took over the book in 2013 (with artist Walter Geovani on interiors) and transformed the character, purging the really troubling elements of her origin, giving her much more agency. And for a woman who runs around in a chainmail bikini Simone did a reasonable enough job of explaining why. She also introduced a real delightful sense of humour to the series. Sonja's growing frustration in one story arc about not being able to get laid because she simply doesn't understand the fuss about needing a bath first is maybe crude, but it's hilarious crude. The entire run can be found in <a href="https://www.amazon.ca/Complete-Gail-Simone-Sonja-Oversized/dp/1524112615/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=complete+gail+simone+red+sonja&qid=1583120527&sr=8-1">one collected hardcover</a>.<br />
<br />
By the way, if you're not following Simone on <a href="https://twitter.com/GailSimone">Twitter</a> you are depriving yourself of one the most genuine sources of joy on social media. She is a remarkable presence.<br />
<br />
3. So why did I get this piece? During Simone's run her publisher, Dynamite Comics did <i>a lot</i> of variant covers for each issue, often featuring some of the best women artists in the business. Covers like this.<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRBpDJFARzdLRP80VatFK-xgKfUzf210CgeAnYtvzod7vXz9NQAO-fKAyC8J2wUzTNE4-JqMzODiG78vR2sqd0gnk4gYjnlafVSz-kl92c3kwpuYtihnUAxa9teQzJp_QZCT3DsQ/s1600/large-DCD636646.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="850" data-original-width="567" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRBpDJFARzdLRP80VatFK-xgKfUzf210CgeAnYtvzod7vXz9NQAO-fKAyC8J2wUzTNE4-JqMzODiG78vR2sqd0gnk4gYjnlafVSz-kl92c3kwpuYtihnUAxa9teQzJp_QZCT3DsQ/s320/large-DCD636646.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
Like most art, I don't know why I like it, I just do. So I tracked down the artist, <a href="https://www.stephaniebuscema.com/">Stephanie Buscema</a>. She's not doing a lot of comic book work at the moment as far as I can tell, focusing on her own designs, many of them Hallowe'en themed. But at the time she was putting a few pieces up her site. The piece above wasn't one my first choice, but that got snapped up before I could ask about it. But I'm really happy with this one.<br />
<br />
I also faced another challenge....Buscema was reluctant to ship to Canada. Which sounds silly, but shipping art from the United States to Canada can be a nuisance. The shipping and insurance costs can add an extra heft to the cost. And it can be a nuisance for artists to deal with FedEx or UPS. I know a couple that won't do it. However, she agreed to try this one time, mostly as an experiment to see how big a nuisance it would be.<br />
<br />
It's been a few years since I bought this, but she said she wouldn't be doing it again after the above piece. I don't know if she's changed her mind recently, but I'm glad she made the exception for me.<br />
<br />
Also, I notice the price of her original artwork has gone up significantly in recent years. Good for her. I'm glad I was able to get one beforehand, where it hangs on my wall.<br />
<br />
<b>Last Five</b><br />
1. Just breathe - Pearl Jam*<br />
2. Slow down Jo - Monsters of Folk<br />
3. You let me down - Joel Plaskett<br />
4. Human wheels - John Mellencamp<br />
5. Don't forget me - Neil Diamond</div>
towniebastardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03129158923604362272noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10757771.post-30659805866458485442020-02-19T07:42:00.000-05:002020-02-19T07:42:00.181-05:00Comic Art Collection 5: Huntress<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZiPFqPorp_zpkGryggv_QDsLaeZtKJ9-cX6e-vH6_YPFy1IW6M3csCjjwaUM-GVT_pav05EfDXfi34JifmMUervo5BePt8tpl4yUhUdT8XEeL_njGa_do6Bm0O5AzjQP0W31Xbw/s1600/Huntress+-+Sketchbook.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1082" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZiPFqPorp_zpkGryggv_QDsLaeZtKJ9-cX6e-vH6_YPFy1IW6M3csCjjwaUM-GVT_pav05EfDXfi34JifmMUervo5BePt8tpl4yUhUdT8XEeL_njGa_do6Bm0O5AzjQP0W31Xbw/s640/Huntress+-+Sketchbook.jpeg" width="432" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Huntress by Matthew Clark. Art 8 x 11.5 inches</td></tr>
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<br />
Continuing with our Birds of Prey trend....<br />
<br />
There's a tip I picked up during comic cons. When you start off a new sketchbook, find the best artist you can to do the first sketch in the book. Artists are always curious what else you have in your book and will likely flip through it. And also being competitive, they'll try and top it.<br />
<br />
It's a good theory, although it doesn't always play out in practice. How much money you're giving them to draw it will likely play into how good the piece is too.<br />
<br />
(It can also backfire. I had one artist last year in Seattle reluctant to follow a <a href="http://chodrawings.blogspot.com/">Michael Cho </a>sketch I got. I heard a story about how someone managed to get the legendary <a href="http://berniewrightson.com/galleries/">Bernie Wrightson</a> to do a sketch in his book, and no artist would draw in the book afterwards.)<br />
<br />
When I went to my first con in 2008 I went with a cheap $20 sketchbook I got from Staples. At the end of that con I vowed I was going to have a snazzy new sketchbook. I found the perfect one during my trip to Italy in 2009. Fortunately, you don't have to go to Italy to buy one, you can get it online <a href="https://www.rivoaltus.it/">here</a><br />
<br />
So off I go to NYCC in 2012 with my new sketchbook in hand, determined to get a great first sketch to christen the book.<br />
<br />
The sketch above is <i>not</i> that sketch.<br />
<br />
Don't get me wrong...that first sketch is perfectly lovely by an artist I like featuring a character I love. I was pretty happy with it. And then I wandered past <a href="https://www.facebook.com/matthewclarkartist/">Matthew Clark</a>'s table. I knew of his art, of course. He wasn't on my list of artists I was looking to get a sketch from. But he was a hell of a nice guy to talk to and the price he was quoting was more than reasonable. I'm not 100% sure why I asked for <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Huntress_(Helena_Bertinelli)">the Huntress</a>. He's drawn the character before, so perhaps I simply liked what I saw.<br />
<br />
The one catch is that he wanted to take my sketchbook back to his hotel so he could work on it from there because he wouldn't have time at the con that day. It was the first time someone asked me to do that, although it's not unheard of. I'm not sure I would do it now....I have way too many sketches in that book and if the artist had it stolen or something....well....<br />
<br />
I said sure. The next morning I swung back to his table and this is what I got. I was absolutely floored. I have routinely thought about cutting the first sketch out of the book is this is the first one you see. Or that it's that good I would cut it out, frame it, and hang it on my wall. For how much I paid for it, it's absolutely amazing.<br />
<br />
I also learned, regrettably, that while my new sketchbook is lovely, the paper they used is a bit on the thin side. His inks bled through several pages. Since then I've had to put a piece of cardboard behind the page. And no watercolours (although I've still done it). I could cut the pages out, but it would be noticeable. Artists tend to be twitchy about people who go to cons, get a sketch and then turn around and sell them at a mark-up on eBay. I don't want anyone thinking I do that.<br />
<br />
But yeah, it's lovely work.<br />
<br />
Finally, I got to see Harley Quinn: Birds of Prey (or whatever they're calling in now), when I was in Ottawa last week. No idea why that movie is "under-performing". It's a hell of a lot of fun, great action sequences and is just weird enough for my liking. It's the best movie based on DC characters since The Dark Knight in 2008. I'm also not really qualified to say what is or isn't feminist, but it certainly felt more empowering than Wonder Woman or Captain Marvel. I hope they get to do more...<br />
<br />
<b>Last Five</b><br />
1. Dreamlike and on the rush - The New Pornographers<br />
2. Afterglow - Garbage*<br />
3. Don't deconstruct - Rilo Kiely<br />
4. Right as rain (live) - Adele<br />
5. Never miss a beat- Kaiser Chiefs<br />
<br />
<br /></div>
towniebastardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03129158923604362272noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10757771.post-58051591552885407932020-02-10T19:20:00.000-05:002020-02-10T19:20:22.696-05:00Comic Art Collection 4: Harley and Ivy<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsFg202oJVPSAcKIC2Nop03cT8TBjc7HZ49-sY1JjFlVsx8cgakmq95HZFaGF4rki1TAY7wfKfFFZqDcdJv3gTO8wVi57eJaDmpljNHFvNYIY5Ieua88e7PVmbx5vJIYlwgBkBYw/s1600/Harley+Ivy+Commiss.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1036" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsFg202oJVPSAcKIC2Nop03cT8TBjc7HZ49-sY1JjFlVsx8cgakmq95HZFaGF4rki1TAY7wfKfFFZqDcdJv3gTO8wVi57eJaDmpljNHFvNYIY5Ieua88e7PVmbx5vJIYlwgBkBYw/s640/Harley+Ivy+Commiss.jpg" width="412" /></a></div>
<br />
Birds of Prey opened this weekend, and it just so happens that I have artwork for a lot of the characters who appeared in the movie. So the next couple of weeks I'll run some of the pieces I have. But let's start with one of my favourites - Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy.<br />
<br />
I love this piece. Cathy, who is at best ambivalent towards my art collection, really likes this piece as well. It's bright, vibrant, and playful. The characters themselves are now gay icons. They were once a villain sidekick and a cliched Batman seductress. Now they're someone who has dealt with an abusive relationship and a radical environmental activist who happen to be crazy for each other.<br />
<br />
A lot of comic book fans would recognize the names of some of the artists I have, but most would probably be a little hard pressed to know the name <a href="https://www.michellesciuto.com/">Michelle Sciuto</a>. To my knowledge she hasn't been hired by any of the major publishers and most of her work is commission based. I found her on <a href="https://m-sciuto.tumblr.com/">Tumblr</a>, when Tumblr was still a useful thing. Someone reposted her art, I liked it, started following her and then one day she put out a call letting people know she was doing commissions.<br />
<br />
To this day, it's probably the best interaction I've had with an artist online. Often you ask for a piece (I want Batman". "Ok") and a few weeks/months/years (only once with the years) you get the piece. With Michelle it was a lovely back and forth. It went something like this:<br />
<br />
Me: I'd like either a Harley and Ivy sketch or one with the Birds of Prey. Do you have a preference?<br />
<br />
Michelle: Oh, I'd love to do Harley and Ivy.<br />
<br />
Me: Cool. I'd like them in retro/pin-up style outfits (I'd yet to discover DC's Bombshells line, which has becomes a small obsession). Is that ok?<br />
<br />
Michelle: No problem at all.<br />
<br />
A few days later, I got digital scans. Rough pencils for three different outfits for each character, and three different poses for each. I was so wowed I asked if I could buy the rough drafts, but she included them at no charge. Here they are:<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdexip9cIaNuBPNA3_z4IEq2TBqZ7voNLYxl9N1vw5XKvLEAFqj8lv4CpsWd-HWbL91qTVFIylYyul92QtLLWgjuu7XBHsmEeHSiZGug0oSf5ZRaHl09lWkfbIqLae0J1AZjHhfQ/s1600/714606E4-A98E-4E87-B1AA-7EF4DAF8C47C_1_201_a.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1071" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdexip9cIaNuBPNA3_z4IEq2TBqZ7voNLYxl9N1vw5XKvLEAFqj8lv4CpsWd-HWbL91qTVFIylYyul92QtLLWgjuu7XBHsmEeHSiZGug0oSf5ZRaHl09lWkfbIqLae0J1AZjHhfQ/s400/714606E4-A98E-4E87-B1AA-7EF4DAF8C47C_1_201_a.jpeg" width="267" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
It was actually a pretty easy process. The other poses are fun, but the one with the Ivy and her hungry plant, and Harley and her hyenas was a clear winner. The outfits in lingerie and swimwear were fun, but I felt pushed the boundaries of one of Cathy's rule regarding art on my walls....nothing obviously sexual. Besides the dress and capri outfits look fantastic.<br />
<br />
I believe the response when Michelle posted the final picture to her Tumblr the response was so strong she was flooded with requests for a print, which she ran for years. Which is cool; I don't deny artists any ways they can make money. And I still think she undercharged me for this.<br />
<br />
You'll see more of Michelle's work in the coming months. But this is my first piece from her, and my favourite.<br />
<br />
<b>Last Five</b><br />
1. Ruins (live) - First Aid Kit<br />
2, Rose-coloured glasses - Blue Rodeo<br />
3. Ice cream colours - Corinne Bailey Rae<br />
4. One way street - Bruce Springsteen<br />
5. Light on - Maggie Rogers*</div>
towniebastardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03129158923604362272noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10757771.post-892323460912002372020-02-03T07:42:00.000-05:002020-02-03T07:42:58.497-05:00Comic Art Collection 3 - Red #3, page 17<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirWf9e6tbo18vc5tAYzTLBBzUGUfBbMbBwWsZFuM9Iq6HljSGbohyphenhyphennsrfc4bWNB_0XMjQAJLH8nM4mKfNRL2V0ckRQtpvuYm1sDBwcNFCsTNk7sKMnSUIlKO1iJr7N-_boc1lcXQ/s1600/801DF581-BC7E-4163-9BF2-122127365E8B_1_201_a.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1036" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirWf9e6tbo18vc5tAYzTLBBzUGUfBbMbBwWsZFuM9Iq6HljSGbohyphenhyphennsrfc4bWNB_0XMjQAJLH8nM4mKfNRL2V0ckRQtpvuYm1sDBwcNFCsTNk7sKMnSUIlKO1iJr7N-_boc1lcXQ/s400/801DF581-BC7E-4163-9BF2-122127365E8B_1_201_a.jpeg" width="258" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A page from the series Red, words by<br />Warren Ellis, art by Cully Hamner.</td></tr>
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<br />
Some of you might recall the movie Red, with an all-star cast of older Hollywood stars. Bruce Willis might have been the lead, but anytime you want to give me a movie with Helen Mirren being fun and scary, I'm there for it. It's about assassins coming out of retirement when one of them is threatened. I quite like it. It's nothing earth-shattering, but it's fun and the sequel was good too. I'm sorry they didn't get to do a third one.<br />
<br />
Perhaps a lesser know fact is that it's also based on a mini-series by Warren Ellis and Cully Hamner. The two bear only a passing resemblance to one another. As I recall, Ellis wrote at the time that if they did a direct adaptation of their series, it would be about 20 minutes long.<br />
<br />
Fair enough. The series is a a tightly packed thriller. Three issues and done. Retired assassin Paul Moses lives quietly, talking only to the woman who handles his pension checks, and tries very, very hard to forget the horrors he's committed. That's fine until a new CIA director sees his file, freaks out, and sends a team to take care of him. Moses decides to show the CIA why he was so scary.<br />
<br />
It's a little different than the quirky hijinks and romance from the movie.<br />
<br />
Ellis is one of my favourite writers. It's still bizarre to me that this is the thing of his that's been adapted. Not Global Frequency. Not Transmetropolitan. Not Planetary.<br />
<br />
And Hamner, look, he's a really good artist, but he's a bloody great storyteller. This page is a masterclass in how to tell a story. You could take out the word balloons and still absolutely know what's going on here. Ellis, very wisely, stays out of the way for most of the book and just lets Hamner do his thing.<br />
<br />
So far I've shown a sketch from my sketchbook, a commission, and this is a page of art I bought. Just to give an idea of the different things I have. Comic pages have become quite the hot thing in recent years. The right artists can get thousands. A cover or a splash page can also go for thousands. But there's still something about just a well crafted page of storytelling that works too, especially if you're on a budget. To reassure Cathy if she's reading this, thousands were not spent.<br />
<br />
This page doesn't have a dramatic story, but there are a few amusing highlights. Hamner put this and a few other pages from Red for sale online through his broker <a href="https://www.essentialsequential.com/">Essential Sequential</a>. I freaked out because I love the book and figured the art was long since gone. I managed to snag this page. But through a bit of good timing Hamner and the company were going to be at Emerald City Comic Con when I was going to be there. So I was able to get the page without paying shipping.<br />
<br />
When I picked it up I spoke to Hamner and expressed amazement that there were any pages left.<br />
<br />
"Oh yeah, I was cleaning out my closet and I found this bunch of pages buried back there so I just threw them online."<br />
<br />
<i>Artists...</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
Fair enough, I guess. Not every page is worth something. I've been to shows where some comic artists have had pages stacked on their table like pamphlets. They <i>can</i> be big money. Or they can just be taking up space. It's why a lot of artists are moving to digital these days. It's faster for repetitive tasks and you can fix mistakes quickly. And if you're not a big name artist on a big name book, the speed you can work offsets any money you might make selling pages.<br />
<br />
The only other thing to mention is that during the con, when I would pull out my portfolio to slip a page, poster or something, the artist would often ask to see what else I had. Without fail they stopped on this page.<br />
<br />
"Just look at the skill in that," one artist said. "I can't believe you got a page of this."<br />
<br />
"He found them when digging out his closet," I said.<br />
<br />
The artist laughed. "Ok. That I can believe....."<br />
<br />
<b>Last Five</b><br />
1. Neighbourhood #2 (Laika) - The Arcade Fire<br />
2. Repetition - TV on the Radio<br />
3. Vertigo - U2<br />
4. Carly Ray - Mark Bragg<br />
5. Drive my car - The Beatles*</div>
towniebastardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03129158923604362272noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10757771.post-14892580378609806912020-01-27T07:33:00.000-05:002020-01-27T07:33:43.312-05:00Comic Art Collection 2 - Acroyear<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQLYukeZzWHjpblAWux9gsiY8NjsGj2FEgx-OfEatE_ZGffcOLKLKGigqWFk7N98CrOaxZ6rr_eKcManR0pLrclBdUQbalk7Nkl-VW8XdpuMdWjdzKrgm2a_nh26EcP0YLWwHHwA/s1600/CC983931-AE68-47BD-B9C0-353A36B36684_1_201_a.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1203" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQLYukeZzWHjpblAWux9gsiY8NjsGj2FEgx-OfEatE_ZGffcOLKLKGigqWFk7N98CrOaxZ6rr_eKcManR0pLrclBdUQbalk7Nkl-VW8XdpuMdWjdzKrgm2a_nh26EcP0YLWwHHwA/s320/CC983931-AE68-47BD-B9C0-353A36B36684_1_201_a.jpeg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Acroyear of the Micronauts.</td></tr>
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<br />
Who?<br />
<br />
Well folks, let's take a walk back to when I was a kid. When I was really young, I was given Archie digests and some marvellous digests called "UFOs and Other Stories" where I learned all about planes disappearing in the Bermuda Triangle and that aliens have a fascination with doing terrible things to cattle.<br />
<br />
But after that I started buying comics from Marvel. And the big five for me starting out were Godzilla, Shogun Warriors, Battlestar Galactica, Fantastic Four and....Micronauts.<br />
<br />
If you're so interested, here's the link to the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Micronauts_(comics)">Wikipedia article</a> giving some of the history. They started off as toys, but later debuted as a comic in 1979. If a team of galactic rebels (an explorer returning home to a world that has changed for the worse, a rebel princess, a deposed warrior king, a quippy arachnid, and two feisty robots) fighting a power mad tyrant in cool black armour welding massive mystical/technological powers seems oddly familiar, well, there were a lot of people trying to make a buck copying Star Wars at the time.<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWn83sltIrbbxldHXP7KH8Wb72Ih0kemPIk9D-NmGFDzgsk-RBQ3hK0BRJ89GhZYyhdu2qgoNC5rr4do8koxhOhmA_BWgso2ex3Rd78ebuxvKstYUtW39ISvFt5RDqGM4D9FfvOg/s1600/d417cde62302b7650980436736f613b2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="695" data-original-width="474" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWn83sltIrbbxldHXP7KH8Wb72Ih0kemPIk9D-NmGFDzgsk-RBQ3hK0BRJ89GhZYyhdu2qgoNC5rr4do8koxhOhmA_BWgso2ex3Rd78ebuxvKstYUtW39ISvFt5RDqGM4D9FfvOg/s320/d417cde62302b7650980436736f613b2.jpg" width="218" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pretty sure this was the first issue<br />I bought. I though it was cool<br />because of the toys, plus I had<br />been to Daytona Beach.</td></tr>
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Oddly, Marvel was printing the Star Wars comic at the same time as Micronauts, but I never had any time for it. I liked Micronauts. Writer Bill Mantlo (truly a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Mantlo">tragic figure</a> in the comic industry) put together a book that had action and some surprisingly mature themes for a series based on a toy. The villain, Baron Karza, was effectively immortal and controlled the population with his "Body Banks", where the poor could gamble their body parts and organs for a longshot chance at immortality. The rich merely bought what they need to remain ageless. As long as they remained loyal.<br />
<br />
It's a hell of a dark think to put in a comic. If the dialogue was occasionally a bit much to swallow (Mantlo was known as the guy you went to at Marvel if you needed a story turned around quick because someone missed a deadline), the rest was fantastic stuff. I still maintain the first 12 issues are some of Marvel's best comics from that time. In particular #9-11. I read those issues to death and stalked my local corner store waiting for the next issues to come out.<br />
<br />
But it was Michael Golden's artwork that captured me. Even now I can't exactly explain why I like the art so much. It was just dynamic, bursting with energy and style. When he eventually left the series interior art around issue #13 the series never really fully recovered.<br />
<br />
Frustratingly, I mostly only have memories of the comics. My original issues are in storage and due to complicated copyright issues, Marvel has never collected the issues in paperback or hardcover. Nor are they available digitally through any legal means.<br />
<br />
So getting to meet Michael Golden at a Comic Con would obviously be a big deal for me....if I knew he was there.<br />
<br />
When I went to New York Comic Con in 2015 I was a "veteran" of these cons now. I had a plan of attack. For weeks leading up to it I carefully planned which artist tables I would hit first to get sketches before their lists filled up. I had my budget. I had my overflow budget. I was all set. And for the first two hours I was at the con I stuck to that plan. I hit all the tables I needed to, was disappointed that some weren't doing sketches (but I had planned for that too).<br />
<br />
And then I discovered that Golden was there and <i>I hadn't known</i>.<br />
<br />
I was horrified. Both because I figured his commission list was surely full by now, and that what he would ask would be beyond my budget.<br />
<br />
I was forlornly looking at some prints at his table when he started talking to me. I tried very hard to not gush over how much I'd love Micronauts as a kid, something I'm sure he heard all the time. Then I explained I was quite sad I hadn't noticed his table sooner because I was sure his commission list was full by now.<br />
<br />
"Actually, I haven't had a single request yet. What would you like?"<br />
<br />
And we were off.....<br />
<br />
I briefly considered getting Dr. Strange, which he also drew, until he told me he'd have to charge me more because he hated drawing the cape. Fair enough. That made Acroyear an easy choice. Noble warrior king from the planet Spartak, deposed from his throne by his evil brother. I might tease Mantlo's dialogue, but he always gave the best melodramatic lines to Acroyear ("Come. Betrayer of worlds." Corny. Don't care. Loved it when I was 9). Plus the armour and sword are spectacularly cool looking.<br />
<br />
I commissioned him on Thursday afternoon and he had this ready for me by Saturday afternoon. I'm not saying he spent two straight days on it, but every time I walked past his table he was hunched over it. Golden was never the fastest artist, which is why he later switched to covers or very short runs.<br />
<br />
So yeah, I love this piece. I love all the detail he put into it. And I love that when I look at it on my wall it's an easy reminder to when I was 9-years-old, getting obsessed with sci-fi and a comic about rebels from a microscopic universe who were, coincidentally, the size of action figures when they came to Earth made absolute sense.<br />
<br />
<b>Last Five</b><br />
1. I will survive - Me First and the Gimmie Gimmies<br />
2. Fireside - Arctic Monkeys<br />
3. Marry Song - Band of Horses<br />
4. Supersonic - Pearl Jam*<br />
5. Please do not let me go (live) - Ryan Adams<br />
<br />
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towniebastardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03129158923604362272noreply@blogger.com0