Writing writing writing

I’ve been vomiting ideas for three weeks now. I have a pile of word documents sitting on my little green flash drive waiting to be refined. But two of them seem so awesome, I can’t quite get my head around them yet.

The first concerns Finnegan, the ghost strip. I’m trying to figure out what I can do with a strip about a ghost while there are so many tv shows about ghost hunters. There is so much material there, I don’t know where to start.

The second is with Moe. During this past Christmas season, I was trying to think of seasonal ideas. Trying desperately to avoid cliches, I struggled with an angle. Then it hit me…

Since both of my children stopped believing in Santa Claus very young and very easily (I’m sure they inherited my genetic disposition towards skepticism,) I would have Moe not believe in Santa. But…since parents like to prolong a kid’s innocence as long as possible, I would have them persisting in perpetuating the Santa myth.

Moe doesn’t tell her parents she doesn’t believe in Santa because she believes her parents still believe in Santa Claus. So every Christmas, I can write about how Moe does whatever she can to not spoil her parents’ belief in Santa. And her parents try to maintain her belief in Santa Claus.

Again…this is an inspired idea. Now what the hell do I do with it?

On a side note: GO STEELERS!

What the hell?

Okay. So It’s been 9 months since I wrote anything here. I’ll remedy that with a detailed entry of recent events.

I suck.

There you go.

But I’m going to try to suck less. Much less, as a matter of fact. Christmas break is upon me, so I have some free time to give to my yellow legal pad and drawing table. Maybe this will give me something to write about on this blog. Who knows.

One of my hangups is my reticence towards being too confessional. I’m afraid the things I want to write about are too emotionally worthless to people other than myself. And I don’t wan’t to write crap that is only important to me. Therefore, if I have nothing to say that qualifies, I don’t say anything at all.

Even though I might have something to say.

Blogs shouldn’t be diaries. Diaries and personal and private communiques to one’s self. Blogs are available to anyone on the friggin’ planet. That’s not too private. And I believe that the world needs more editors and filters right about now. Just because a thought pops into someone’s head does NOT mean it should be sent out into the world.

But even now, I’m afraid this post is swerving into the ditch of irrelevance. And it’s not funny. So let’s get back to the idea of writing and drawing comic strips.

I have five different strip concepts to play with: Hard Knox, Moe, Finnegan, Man on Street and That’s Just Wrong.

Hard Knox is about a cynical teacher, Mr. Knox, whose daughter attends the school at which he’s employed. It’s awkward for everybody, especially Knox’s bartender.

Moe is about the tomboy and her confused friend Spike as they try to figure out how to fit in and her odd family.

Finnegan is about a ghost who lives with a boy and his dad. Finnegan, the ghost, has a zest for life and loves sucking the marrow out of life, while the boy is resigned to the futility of existence. The dad just wants Finnegan to stop drinking all of his beer.

Man on Street is a concept strip that deals with current events and trends by posing a question to which the “average man/woman” answers in a satirical and (hopefully) funny way. It’s a play on the old tv news feature.

And finally, That’s So Wrong is where I draw and write the ideas that would have gotten me slapped by my mom when I was twelve. If it’s horribly inappropriate, then it goes here.

So there’ll be a rotating cast of strips. My goal is to post at least 2 strips a week. I know that doesn’t sound like a lot, but between teaching and parenting, this will still be a triumph.

3/28/10: I’m a real cartoonist now

I would like to congratulate Creator’s Syndicate for winning the “First to reject Moe” contest. Their rejection arrived yesterday at approximately 1:00 pm.

For being the first rejection letter, Creator’s Syndicate’s letter will win an all expense paid trip to a $3.00 picture frame from Target.

But that doesn’t mean you other syndicates should quit. Let’s see who rejects me next.

Stay tuned to RejectionWatch 2010.

3/6/10: Finnegan’s getting started.

So I’m in the process of starting the strip, right? My problem…I have too many ways to start the strip.

And I only get one first strip, so I don’t want to blow it. So, as usual I’m over thinking it.

They choice is to just jump right in and let the reader figure out the situation (a ghost is living with a family, not haunting it) or take the time to develop the situation in a more clearly defined way.

I tend to need to introduce characters in a very clear way. I need back stories and context to establish a situation. But I can overdo it to the point of narrative story telling like a Funky Winkerbean type of deal, where every strip is connected to the day before.

I just want it to be funny.

Oh well.

2/11/10: Decision has been made

After much input form many trusted friends, family, colleagues, and students, the name of the ghost will be…

FINNEGAN.

And every time I have to letter that huge name, I will regret listening to them.

2/10/10: What’s in a name?

I spent two hours and a glass of Bushmills trying to come up with names for the strip. Here they are: (Remember, the ghost’s name will be Oscar or Finnegan, so some of the titles reflect that choice)

Finnegan
Finnegan’s Awake
Oscar
Shuffle Off
In Good Spirits
In Limbo

My lovely concubine and her best friend like “In Good Spirits.” But that doesn’t have the snap I’m listening for.

I’m intrigued by the Limbo idea. I’ll work with that some more.

2/9/10: Decisions, Decisions

I’m taking a short break from drawing to write about two major decisions I have to make for the ghost strip: Names and shapes. Hopefully, the writing process will help make that decision.

I’m torn between two names for the ghost: Oscar and Finnegan. Oscar is after Oscar Peterson, the jazz pianist. (Is there an Oscar Peterson, the hip hop pianist?) Finnegan is a reference to Joyce’s Finnegan’s Wake. Since the character of Finnegan is dead, hence the wake, that would be a perfect name for a ghost.

Plus it’s Irish.

Oscar Peterson is, well….Oscar Peterson. Listen to him play and you’ll know why the piano was invented. In 1709, someone asked Bartolomeo Cristofori, “Hey, Bart. What the hell are you making?” And Mr. Cristofori replied, “Ask me in about 240 years. There’s gonna be this black Canadian guy who will know what to do with it.”

On the other hand, Finnegan is literary. And as an English major, I have to give a shout out to my lit peeps. It also fits with the character of a ghost, since Finnegan is a dead guy. And while I’m not the biggest James Joyce fan, I do loves me some Irishmen. So Finnegan wins on two counts. But Finnegan is a long name, and comic strips have limited space. Point for Oscar.

And dead black jazz pianists will always be cooler than dead drunk Irish writers. However, Finnegan can be shortened to Finn. But Finn doesn’t dance off the tongue like Finnegan.

After this written dialog to myself, I am no closer to a decision. Crap.

Which leads me to my second decision: the shape of the eyes. Oval vs. circles. I’m staring at both, but both look good to me. Moira likes the oval. But she’s only 9. What does she know?

And I still have to figure out what the kid and his parents will look like. And I don’t even have a title for the strip yet.

A cartoonist’s work is never done.

ghost sketches

Here are some very…VERY early ideas for the ghost.

new strip progress

Tag line: “Finally…death is funny again.”

Character design is proving tricky. Don’t want him to look cliche, but I need the ghost to be flexible enough to play with. Will be posting sketches soon.

Need a name for the ghost and the strip. Open to suggestions.

Back from the dead

An apropos headline considering my post topic: a new strip idea–a ghost that lives with a family. And yes, I used the word “live” ironically on purpose.

I sat down in my new and unfurnished drawing room (I’m out of the kitchen, finally) to work on Moe. And as is usually the case, I began doodling to warm up the ol’ noodle. Well, my recent discovery of the comic book “The Goon” must have dripped out of my subconscious because zombies began rising from the dead white paper in front of me.

Then ghosts.

Then the idea for a strip based on the notion of a ghost that isn’t “haunting” a family, as much as he’s moved in with them. Or, more precisely, they moved in with him.

So far, I know this…he’s a bit of a drinker, we don’t know when he died, but he loves Jazz and knows all of the cool ghosts. He’ll be sort of an uncle to the family’s young son, who is a depressed little kid. NOT EMO depressed. But more like a person who is acutely aware of the harsh realities of life that he will inevitably face when he grows up.

I don’t know what the name of the strip is or the name of the ghost. In fact I’m working on the character designs right now. I’m moving towards a very flexible and rubbery feel for the ghost, that way I can get extremely exaggerated and cartoony with him.

I’ll post sketches soon.

In the meantime, enjoy this little bit of nonsensical wonder