365DoT - Day 181

GOOD NEWS EVERYBODY! I just submitted comics to 8(!) newspapers for consideration. It's the first time in over 2 years that I've submitting a pack of my work and hopefully, editors will see that I have improved. Fingers crossed. I'll keep you posted.

365DoT - Day 138

The Jon Arbuckle of Leonard P. Dog is a guy named Bert Johnson. Bert has the distinction of being only character to be created twice. When I started Teddy the Bear in The STAR, I wanted a human character, so I brought back Bert's design. The only thing was that I did not remember what he was named so, I named him Bert Johnson. When I came back for the first break following Teddy's publication, I was shocked to find that Bert Johnson was what I called him when I first created him. Like I've said before, I like bringing things back because it's usually the second time that the character finds their true place in the world. Here is the original Bert and his subsequent re-creations.

365DoT - Day 105

It's the final day of Comic-Con (which is where I have been this weekend) and I sketched these on the ride back on the train. Wonderful weekend, can't wait for next year!

NOTE: The REAL Trevor dressed up as one of these characters during Comic Con (It was Ronald McDonald)

Trevor as The Crow

Trevor as Ronald McDonald

365DoT - Day 71

Here is the final A@L to appear in the University Times. Sadly, this is a re-post comic (though this is its first time in print). But still sad that it isn't original because I'm packing up shop after this quarter and gonna make my go at the big leagues. A@L has seen the last of its print life for a little while. But it will continue on through its various online outlets.

"Sometime things have to fall apart to make way for better things." - Ted Mosby

365DoT - Day 70

This guy is an old character I wanted to re-draw in my more "developed" style. His name is Farmer Brown and he was the first real attempt at creating something new outside of "Teddy the Bear," which even at an early age, was always the main focus of my artistic life. Here is the original (from 1997)

And here is the new version I drew today

ATM

No, not "ass to mouth" (at least that is what I think about when I see ATM because of a week of sifting through pornography at my old job at a video store), but rather, AT THE MOMENT.

I haven't posted to the blog in almost two months. That isn't to say that Teddy is on a hiatus. Just life (like it does for everyone's hobbies) has gotten in the way as of late. After going to Comic Con and talking to people there and past conversations, the importance of regular posting was always stressed. Now, I am wholly unaware of who reads this blog (especially since all the people I know read it when it is posted on my Facebook), but I would like to keep up on regular posting, even if it is to inform the unknown masses that there won't be a strip. Luckily, I have some backlogged stuff that very easily be put on the site (and will be).

AT THE MOMENT though, I am just kinda catching my breath from living these past few weeks, as well as attempting to break Teddy into a new form. There are plans for the future that need to get under way within the next two weeks, so posting may get in the way. But, with school beginning again, that means Teddy is gonna be back on a regular schedule in print, as well as online. But please, if you read the blog, if you are an unknown follower of the strip, please hold on. There are some long stories that are coming up.

With school ending this year for the last time (fingers crossed), the time is nearing for something to get moving with the strip, in some form. So, that means there are various projects that are underway to ensure that Teddy and company get to live on after the 2010-2011 school year. Please stay tuned and be aware that I ache when Teddy isn't updated in the timely manner that I promise.

Rejection.

I finally sent out Teddy to several newspapers. Got my first response from the Press Democrat (who already technically employs me through Four Colors). They said "no."

Not to sad. Rejection has to be a part of the game if you are going to succeed. So, I'm putting my head down and gonna continue on. Hopefully, there will be great news to report in the future.

The Score

I've been posting regularly since WonderCon and I've been filling the blog with plenty of content, but the majority of it has been older content that's basically been back logged from what I've been in doing in the past. Now that I have all my older stuff on the page, I think it is time to look forward. And that means regularly posting new strips on a certain day. And that brings us to today and what that means: Every Wednesday, there will be a new Teddy the Bear. For those of you who are my friends on Facebook, you know that I've been posting Teddy strips regularly on my page and I will be posting those still, but there needs to be a little bit more content on the Teddy page. So, with that, there is still a back log of strips to be posted, but they will be added in with the new stuff. Tell your friends!

PS. There is now a Teddy the Bear FAN PAGE on Facebook. Make sure to check it out

My Bio

I just created an account on the DC Source blog so I can comment on posts. My name is fourcolors and I wrote this Bio that I just really like and I feel like it is fairly accurate (and just funny)


"I enjoy the feeling I get after watching a good episode of VH1 Storytellers. If I could have a monkey, I would make him wear shoes like a civilized man, but they'd be Chuck Taylors so he can be Punk. I wish I enjoyed the films of Morris Chestnut. I also wish he would pay me the $34 he owes me. Maybe I could rent one of his movies if he wasn't a cheapskate. Are people more or less likely to think that I would use "password" as my actual password? In my dreams, I ride a pterodactyl. If I had that same dream in Russia, the pterodactyl would ride me. That's about it."

Teddy the Bear: Rebirth

So, I just got back from WonderCon in San Francisco and it was FANTASTIC. I have never been to a comic book convention, but now, I am completely addicted to it. It is something that I will remember for a long time, mostly because of how intensely it made me want to have a booth of my own one day.

Just the fact that I have this blog is a testament to how much I want to do "Teddy the Bear" for a living. I don't care that newspapers are falling apart. I want it and I want it badly. I think that my creation can do that for me. I've been struggling to find a distinct voice for Teddy since I was six and drew him and Tweety Bird at my friend Scott's house and now I feel like I have found that voice, but fear is keeping me from doing anything about it. I've been slowly making plans to submit to newspapers, but I have been dragging my feet, probably to protect myself or because I'm just lazy.

I don't want to do that. I have too many wonderful ideas to let Teddy be a doodle in my notebook or a tiny strip in the paper. Teddy was meant to be a big name. Truly, I believe that. I think that I've tapped into something with this character that I could do something with him. That's not to boost my own ego, just that there must be something said about how easy it was for me to start drawing again like I did when I was a kid. I don't pay attention in class because I want to draw and this is after literally not drawing through the entire duration of high school and junior college. Roughly six years without picking up a pencil to draw Teddy and he comes back like I didn't miss a beat.

This creation has plans and I need to honor that by not allowing my own failings and weaknesses to stop me. And so, I plan on being much more active with this blog and Teddy. I will be committed to making Teddy the best he can be because I owe that to him. Drawing Teddy (and just drawing in general) has been such a blessing for me that I should try and do something with it. There will be much more "Teddy the Bear" from now on. There will be updates on what I am doing with the strip. There will be other works that have been inspired by the strip. There will be videos (maybe. I just need to learn how to use flash animation). But the general gist of what I am saying is that I need to start following my passions and that has always started with Teddy the Bear. He's basically me and I feel like I haven't being doing myself justice for a while.
Be on the lookout. Teddy the Bear is about to start and, God willing, I get to be even the slightest bit successful, wouldn't it be cool for my (seven) blog readers to have been on the ground floor? (And........... I'm just stroking my ego at this point :P)

Stay tuned!

Beat me senseless

So, I'm in this class about the writers of the Beat Generation. Being in this class, hearing and reading their words have been an almost religious experience for me. I've been doing a lot of doodles in this class. Sorta like spontaneous prose but just sketches of sayings and thoughts that crop up. I have a longer, poetic piece that will eventually be put up here, but as for now, I have these. The first one is just Teddy as Abbie Hoffman. Chances are you know who Abbie Hoffman is if they name doesn't do anything. He had a huge white guy fro and wore an American flag shirt. The girl bear (who is named Luann, but I am the only one who knows that cause she hasn't appeared in any strips yet) is just a hippie flower girl. The second drawing is from a quote from William Burroughs. He was a Beat writer, whose works include "Junkie" (which he was) and "Naked Lunch". The quote in the corner is from a documentary called "The Source" about the Beats and hippies and it just struck me about how much truth there is in that. Drama works so well when you can either feel exactly what the writer is feeling or you can pull from your own life and make the reading that much more powerful.

"A bad experience for one person can be a good one for a writer."

And then this last one. This is my favorite picture because of how much is resonates with me. There is a stigma to being a person of impact. It is a two fold problem: 1. Your life has to be littered with emotional and physical problems and 2. You have to die young. The Beats just threw themselves into life. Whether this was an ideal life is up for debate, but they did not let up until it was done. Some were lost to drugs, some were just burned away by the lifestyles. A few got lucky and lived to a natural death, but most aren't lucky. But they live on and their message continues to inspire people. So what is the cost. Immortality in exchange for your short life? And that life is one of some sort of torment. At what temperature do we burn up? I get anxious about the thought of giving up my life for something like that. If I was Kerouac or Cassady, would I have lived with that same abandon or can I hope to in my own life? These guys viewed life in such a way that it gets me excited. Just seeing life as this truly beautiful thing and something that should be viewed as precious. Their words are the words of holy scripture and I become a born again with every reading. But then I worry about the fire and pull back my hand.

A Message to those in power...

This message is true. While the presentation could be considered tasteless by some, it is something that we need to be considering with all the cuts to budgets and schools. In my opinion, the cuts to art in school is tragic. For myself, being creative is such a great outlet to whatever if getting me down or whatever is lifting me up. Some people aren't mean to be creative, but to think that those who are meant for that life are never given the opportunity makes me sad. So, I make a Hitler joke.