The movers are coming on Monday and everything’s a mess at our apartment. It’s a crazy whirlwind of things to do as our time in Halifax winds down. Even with the extra time we’ve had before the move, I still feel like it’s breathing down our necks.

In the last newsletter when I talked about heading to Toronto for my Dad’s 60th birthday, I didn’t get a chance to mention a neat encounter I had on the flight. While I flew into town (in the midst of a freezing rain storm) I had a good conversation with the guy sitting next to me on the plane. He was headed to Toronto for extra training in Aikido.

Aikido is a martial art that involves defensive maneuvers, holds and the use of your opponent’s momentum instead of the typical kicking and punching involved in most other forms of self defense. Gal had mentioned to me when we first decided that we were moving to Halifax that she wanted to take Tai Chi or Aikido at some point if they had it at the University. When I mentioned this to the gentleman (who’s name is Lee), he was quite pleased and we talked about all sorts of things for the remainder of the flight.

How this all ties into my current newsletter is simple: Lee invited Gal and I to attend an Aikido session on Thursday night. Even though we’re leaving, he thought it would be great for us to see how it worked first hand. If we liked it, he could put us in touch with the teachers and dojo in Toronto. So, off we went.

I thought we would be standing and watching people train and practice, but they were really happy to have us involved as full participants in the class. Obviously, they went quite easy on us, but it was a really cool experience learning from them first hand and trying some maneuvers.

Everyone at the Dojo was extremely kind and very easy to get along with. It was an odd spread of people too: everyone from a young 12-13 year old who was a brown belt (just under black belt) all the way to a school principal and Lee himself who does financial planning for the Royal Bank. The teacher was really nice, polite and extremely willing to help and offer advice without seeming harsh or overly disciplined.

The work out was good for us, and even though it’s Saturday and my muscles are still a bit sore, it was well worth doing. Gal’s very intrigued and wants to look at the possibility of signing up in Toronto. I’m open to the possibility as well, but with everything else heaped on my plate this summer I know that it’ll be hard to find the time. Still, we could both use the exercise, so anything’s possible.

Meanwhile, we’ve been sectioning everything in our apartment into ‘Storage’ and ‘Useable’ piles to try and make it easy for us to label and put in the right place once it arrives in Toronto. Strange combinations of food have entered our diet as we attempt to finish off the majority of food in our cupboards: there’s nothing quite like leftover pizza, cooked sausage, salad and toast for breakfast.

A last minute spree of drawing and a flurry of e-mails will probably take up the rest of my time before our internet is cut off and the computers get packed up on Monday. We’ve done the power and the phone connection calls, the mail redirection, all those little things that are easy to forget if you’re not careful.

A bit of the Halifax nightlife on Wednesday night left me tired and sore yesterday. Apparently I’m not used to staying up to the wee hours and dancing my face off. Apparently muscles that aren’t supposed to hurt can and I’m quite out of practice. Or maybe it’s just that magic switch that gets pulled once you cross 25.

Nonetheless, Gal, Martin and I hit a club here called The Marquis for some retro 80’s goodness. The music was fun, the crowd was crazy and we danced up a storm. I’m sure Def Leppard and Glass Tiger thought they were cool in 1986, but it’s all just fun and games now. I’m sure all the hip hop artists will be mocked equally in 10-12 years.

Nothing makes your voice go hoarse faster than trying to sing “Shot Through The Heart, and You’re Too Late” louder than the 3-foot tall speakers.

Walking outside after grabbing our coats, there was a light snowfall and my body actually steamed a bit. I haven’t done that since Jordie, Kevin and I went to raves in Calgary. It was fun working up an intense sweat and getting into the groove. I had no idea my body would go into revolt the next day because of it.

So it’s Friday and I feel human again. The move is creeping up slowly and I’m trying to keep a zen-like approach to the whole thing. With the way the moving companies work and all the students leaving university here, the end of April became the best time to go. It’s quick, it’s crazy, it’s for the best. The guys at the studio just found out that the next show’s been delayed again, so I have no regrets about not sticking around to wait for more work.

I was actually in Toronto last week for my Dad’s 60th birthday. My Mom and I had planned the surprise for months and even though I’m going to be in Toronto soon, the flight was already booked and I figured I could get some of the move stuff organized and get my family prepared for “The Return Of The Jimbo”.

My Dad was totally shocked when I showed up at the birthday party. He cried, which is always a shock. Well actually, he stood there dumbfounded for a second and then cried. We spent the day bugging him about his age and eating amazing home cooked food. It was amazing.

I had a nice visit, staying at my brother’s place for five days after that. His daughters are growing up very quickly and I was shocked to be able to carry on conversations with Jennifer. Even at 2 years old, she’s talking in full sentences and saying stuff I never, ever would have comprehended at that age. It’s odd and charming.

Talking with my family, it’s hard not to feel like I’m still a kid. My life revolves around comics, animation and video games. If I wasn’t actually making money doing it I’d be even more of a nerd, but luckily I am and probably will for the rest of my life. I don’t regret it, just the perception that my career and hobbies have attached to them. I talk about film composition, 3D animation or the theory behind sequential art (comics) and I can see family members nodding politely and looking for the nearest exit. In the end, it’s probably best to just show them the art I’m actually doing and leave it at that. It’s hard not to go into propaganda mode, preaching to the masses though.

I’ve been doing some freelance illustration for some smaller role-playing game companies. The money is okay, but not something I could live off of. Still, it’s a good way for me to get some extra exposure and make some valuable new contacts. As soon as the companies start advertising for the products, I’ll be able to post up the art and show everyone. Until then, I’ve gotta keep it under wraps.

Gal and I have decided to stay at my Aunt and Uncle’s place for the summer and test the waters there. Edith, Iain and Lisa are amazing people. I lived with them when I attended Humber. They think Gal’s a hoot and I’m hoping it all works out well. My Grandmother’s place has more space, but her access to the transit system is limited, so we’re gonna try doing the North York thing and see how that goes. In a worst case scenario, we just shift over to Richmond Hill in September. I’m pretty sure it’s going to work at Edith and Iain’s though. It’ll be a transition for all of us, that’s for sure.

Otherwise, art, writing and enjoying the city until I bid it farewell. Gal and I are gonna have one last visit to the Farmer’s Market this Saturday and next week we’ll start doing the good-bye thing with people we know around here. Gal’s last exam is Monday, so we should have a lot of free time after that point to organize our apartment beyond the chaos that it’s currently in.

Hope everyone’s doing well. My phone’s still working until the end of the month, so feel free to call.

As usual, time slips away far too quickly and I get caught up in everything. Sorry I didn’t get back to all of you quicker. It’s not very fair telling you that I’ve got a big announcement and then not delivering it on time.

I think I’m a nomad. I’m a crazy nomad who’s been traveling and searching all over the place for something that feels right. Teaching in Calgary felt right for a while, but that changed. Now, I’m on the search again.

After a bit of soul searching and copious discussions with Gala, we’ve decided that we’re going to move to Toronto so that I can attend Seneca College and take 3D Animation. The industry is changing and I don’t want to be caught behind the 8-ball as 2D is being pushed lower and becoming ludicrously obscure. Gal’s applied to the University of Toronto and York, and she’s crossing her fingers that she can get in. She’ll be working and schooling right along with me…it’s going to be crazy.

It was a hard decision, but now that the ball’s rolling, I’m very excited. Yes, I’m moving again, but the road ahead is looking like one hell of an adventure. Opportunities are presenting themselves and I feel good about the skills I’m going to grab hold of in the next year.

My family has been unbelievably supportive and I can’t believe how much they’ve been there for me while I get this all organized. My Grandmother and my Aunt and Uncle have offered for Gal and I to stay with them while I’m at school and in Toronto. Gal and I still have to decide which place will be more convenient for getting to school. Either one would be incredible and having a home base to move to and work from will relieve a lot of stress while we’re doing the school-thing.

So, the changes have already started. The move is slowly getting organized and our target at this point is the end of April/start of May. God, it’s already coming up so fast. Well, at least my time off won’t be boring.

Halifax has been a good experience for Gal and I. We’ve learned a lot about each other and taken on a better appreciation of why we’re together. I met some amazing people at Helix and improved my drawing skills substantially. It may not have been the long term stay we anticipated, but it was good nonetheless.

I’m sure a lot of you will have questions or comments. Feel free to e-mail me. Now that I’m off I will respond in short order.

It’s going to be fun reconnecting with people in Toronto. It’s going to be weird moving again and leaving people behind here in Halifax.

Well, now that’s out of the way, I’ll fill you in on other recent stuff. Martin, Gal and I went to karaoke last night at a run down bar called Bearly’s last night. We had an absolute blast. The bar has the strangest mixture of people on karaoke nights. Bikers, jocks, old hicks, drunks and of course, us. Weirder still, everyone had a lot of fun, singing and dancing with each other, no matter who you were. Martin and I tried our hand at Tennessee Ford’s Sixteen Tons, which was a disaster, but we recovered for a stirring rendition of Tom Jones’ Delilah. I wish my parents could have been there so that they could have danced to it (Delilah is one of their favorite songs). Everything from country to disco to reggae…it was an odd mix of song choices and styles. The whole surreal spectacle hit a fever pitch when one of the regulars belted out AC/DC as well as Brian Johnson ever has. Madness…it was quite memorable.

Otherwise, I’ve been drawing and writing quite heavily. Things are good, and they’re going to get even better.

If you’re in TO, look forward to me being in town this summer. In any case, I’ll have updated contact info when things change in about a month.

Hi All,

The show is done and I’m officially a class-A bum. Well, not entirely. I have been keeping busy with tons of little pet project material, drawing and writing. It’s been a good time for creativity and a bit of relaxation (but too much).

It’s an odd feeling waking up and not going to work during the week. I’m still not quite used to it. Gal and I are able to spend more time and I’ve been doing my best to keep the apartment clean (but am mostly unsuccessful with my drawing table, which has piled papers more than I can count).

Friday was frustrating. Our power went out when some faulty wires went down on our building and wasn’t restored until about 18 hours later. Most of our freezer stuff thawed and water was all over the floor. It was a mess. No power meant no heat, so Gal and I went out for dinner and a couple drinks, figuring that sitting around candles is okay, but only for so long. Now that the power is back, we’ve got flashlights and candles strategically placed for easy access in case other problems develop.

Now that Makeshift Miracle is done, I’m in talks with a few people about getting it published in book form. I’m also doing some more short story material, keeping my page updated and experimenting a bit more.

Otherwise, it’s cold and foggy here in Halifax. Luckily, I’m staying inside 🙂

I should have a big announcement next week, so stay out of trouble until then. I don’t want to let the cat out of the bag until things are finalized.

Hmm…the last Newsletter I sent out was October 28th, 2002. Now it’s February 2003 and as usual, lots of things are going on.

I have to admit, I haven’t been motivated to send out an update for the last few months. I don’t expect reply from everyone for each and every e-mail I send out, but I’ve been feeling particularly hermit-like for the last little bit. Most people haven’t made any effort contact me and it makes this occasionally feel a bit futile. It may not be a gold-plated invitation or anything, but it is an effort to stay in touch and that’s the key I guess. It usually doesn’t bother me. I guess I’m just in a mood.

Christmas was a nice break, overall. Seeing family, being goofy as usual and showing Gal downtown Toronto. It was a good chance for me to take stock of the last year or so and relax. Time spent with the relatives was good: great food, fun conversation and the typical Christmas silliness. Missing it last year made it even more important this time around.

The only trouble spot over the holidays came when I invited a pile of people to meet Cornflake, Gal and I at our favorite pub downtown. It ended up turning out oddly. I’ll be honest: it felt down right weird and awkward.

After the initial meet and greet, we grabbed some pints and settled in to a booth to chat. I had told Gal all about these wonderful people from residence and almost all of them had mentioned to me that they were looking forward to meeting her. But now that they were all there in person, they just ignored her and she felt horribly left out and annoyed. I knew everyone would want to catch up, but I hadn’t anticipated all of them being this self-absorbed. Luckily, my cousin stopped by, so Gal and her headed off to do some shopping. I felt like crap about it but there wasn’t much I could do.

The Sheridan crew said they’d be at the pub from 3:00 until 5:00ish and I invited our old Toronto friends to be there at about 6:00. They’re two very different groups of people and they have pretty much nothing in common. I figured that way we could meet up with both groups and everyone would be happy. Instead, the Sheridan kids stuck around and everyone ended up being there all at once after 6:00. I tried to toggle between the two groups but didn’t really feel like I belonged anywhere.

Either everyone’s changed or I have and everyone’s practically the same. I didn’t know what to say to people and my normally glib social interaction turned into staring at my pint of cider. The Toronto crew was polite and it was nice to see them, but I really wasn’t sure what to talk about. When the Sheridan people pulled out cameras and started taking pictures, I could appreciate the sentiment, but just wasn’t into it.

By 8:00pm, I was tipsy and more than ready to leave…I apologized like crazy for taking off early, but just needed to get out. As I headed down Queen Street to get the subway I ran into Josh and Allison, two of the people I’d invited down. They were running late and were obviously surprised to see me on the street instead of at the pub. I was embarrassed as hell when I explained to them that I’d cut out early from my own get together. Ugh…just thinking about it over a month later and I’m still frustrated by it.

This type of thing has been echoed several other times when I’ve called up friends and tried to carry on conversations. Lots of reminiscing, but it’s hard with connect to them on any current level. I don’t know what it means, but it’s troubling. I really enjoy the friendships I’ve made and it annoys me that everyone seems so apathetic about communicating with each other, myself included!

It’s obvious that we’re all growing up. I don’t have delusions that we’re all going to be the same people, but the common interests seem fewer and farther between. I don’t want to be trapped with a few old time stories we tell each other over and over each time we meet with nothing else worth sharing. “Do you remember when…” should be “This is what I’m doing right now.” Even still, I talk about what I’m doing currently and I can sense a shift over the phone. They’re no longer a part of it, they haven’t been there for it, they just want to get it over with, hang up and let people know “I talked to Jim the other day. He’s doing good.”

Worse still, I’m the same way.

Other than the ol’ break down of communication, things are actually pretty good.

I shaved my head to about a millimeter soon after Christmas, which was entertaining. I don’t have the head for this lack of hair thing. All my head wound scars are way too apparent and it just looked messed up. It’s finally growing in now, but it was really bizarre for a while. Gal was suitably surprised when she first saw it, with a shocked “What the fuck did you do that for?” I wish I could have taken a shot of her face at that moment with the camera; Truly priceless.

Work-wise, we’re in the home stretch on this show. 3 more episodes and it’s done, which could mean that work itself is finished for a few months. I’m not looking forward to a lay off. I can’t get excited about it like some of the guys at work. I don’t want to sit on my ass and collect EI. Even though I’ve put money into it, it just feels like a failing of some sort. I don’t know how else to explain it. I have more than enough pet projects to keep me busy, but I’d rather be working as well.

Speaking of pet projects, my big one is almost finished. At the end of this month, The Makeshift Miracle will be done. “Oh yeah” you say. The Makeshift Miracle…that thing Jim has been doing for two years. I wish I could read the story, but that damn subscription thing is in the way.”

It’s actually really strange being in the home stretch on it. It’s been relatively constant, doing 3 pages almost every week and not doing it will be downright odd. I have plans to possibly bring the archives back to my webpage for free again or get the story printed in a book or both. More details as these things develop. In any case, it’s been a good exercise in drawing, storytelling and work ethic for me, warts and all. Joining Modern Tales has been a weird and wonderful way to be slightly “pro” about it, and the contacts I’ve made there have been quite valuable.

Writing-wise things are going well too. I submitted an article to Steve Jackson Games for their online magazine called d20 Weekly. I was super pleased that they took my article and the next two submissions as well. In a tiny way, I’m now getting paid to write RPG material, which is a tiny geeky dream. Unfortunately, you’re not going to be able to read that either, d20 Weekly requires a subscription. Geez, you’d think I was in the online porn industry with all this subscription stuff. I thought the internet was free, what the heck?

Art-wise, I’ve made a lot of progress with more painterly approaches to color, which has been a really good feeling.

I always wanted to be able to paint when I was in high school but didn’t have any aptitude for it and was horribly disappointed with my initial forays into it. My digital stuff is really progressing now thought, but I’m hitting the limits of what I seem to be able to do with the mouse. I’m really kicking myself for selling my Wacom digital tablet back in Calgary. Oh well, that’s a monetary goal down the road now.

Gal’s had a nasty cough for weeks now and is doing her best to fight it off. It’s really drained her and between work and school, she’s been like the living dead around here. Not a pretty thought I know, but still. The cold weather has made it harder for her to shake this and I’m popping vitamins like crazy to ensure that I don’t catch it.

I can’t wait for it to warm up again. Crisp winds from off the ocean can be a killer. It’s not as brutal as Calgary’s winters were, but it can still be plenty cold.

That’s the report. There’s probably more but I’m finishing this early in the morning and my brain’s a bit fuzzy. More next time and some pictures too if I can get around to it.

A relaxing weekend here for the most part. There was a crazy Halloween party on Saturday night, but I wasn’t feeling incredibly social, so I passed on it. There’s another one on Thursday that I might head to, I’ve just got to figure out what the heck I’m going to wear. The problem with being out of the Halloween loop so long is that it’s hard to come up with do-able costume ideas. That, and the little fact that I don’t know where to go to buy costume-type items for cheap in Halifax.

Work has gotten into a decent rhythm. I chug away at it and have been beating all the deadlines for the last month and a bit. It feels good to go in, be productive and be able to judge how much I can do in a day/week/whatever.

The studio is crossing their fingers that there’s more work on the horizon after we’re done work on our current show in February. If not, it’ll be quite the kick in the head. Moving across the country to do production work and then having it hiccup will play some major havoc with the financial plan Gal and I set up. I know I can make it work, it’ll just require some creative budgeting. I’m not fond of using EI or something like that between productions. I know that some of the guys here have done that in the past, but it doesn’t exactly fill me with joy.

I’ve been missing teaching quite a bit lately. Talking my face off about things I know about to an eager audience can be quite gratifying. The fact that they actually learn from it is even better. It’s something I’ve thought about doing again down the road. I think I just go through phases of remembering the good or the bad parts about teaching. I guess I’m in a “good” phase currently…

Actually, Gal and I have been talking about all sorts of things for the future. It’s almost impossible to predict what I’ll be doing or even where I’ll be in a few years. We’ve tried to narrow down the variables, but there’s just too many “ifs”. My job prospects aren’t the kind that lend themselves to stability and a gold watch at the end. It’s nerve wracking, but rarely dull. There’s so many creative paths and no set route. I’ve got to do some soul searching over the next 6-12 months and decide where I’m going to put my future eggs. I can’t really elaborate beyond that at this point. And no, I’m not talking about marriage…

Gal and I watched old video footage I shot from Humber and Sheridan. It was bizarre seeing myself and those situations again. Even in that footage, I’m way more nervous, unsure…scared and angsty. It was nostalgic and bizarre. Seeing people I haven’t talked to in ages, or other ones who I had falling outs with. Close friends, people I’ve dated and others who never seemed to grow up.

Most of all, why the hell didn’t some one tell me to get a real haircut and some contact lenses right at the start of college?! I look at me there and I’m thinking “Dammit, Zubkavich, fix your hair! You look awful! God, no wonder you couldn’t find a girl until the second year of Sheridan. Look at you!”

Admittedly, I’ll probably look at photos of me now and have the 20/20 hindsight to criticize myself at this moment too. I’m sure it all made sense to me at the time.

Christmas should be a good break, as always. It’ll give me time to clear my head. I’m really looking forward to seeing friends and family. Feel free to e-mail me your holiday schedule. Maybe we can hook up. Otherwise, there’s that little ‘Reply’ feature on your e-mail. Feel free to use it 🙂

Thanksgiving dinner and the weather has turned a touch colder here. Halifax is more rainy then Calgary ever was. I don’t mind the rain at all; with only a short walk to work, it’s just a nice distraction instead of an annoyance.

We cooked up a pretty impressive meal considering it was just the two of us: Turkey (just turkey breasts, not a whole turkey), Carrots, Asparagus, Stuffing and Potatoes. We’ve got just enough leftovers to make a second meal out of it, which is damn good. I didn’t want to overdose on turkey meals for the rest of the week. The local liquor store just started carrying the mighty Strongbow cider here, so it was a great meal indeed 🙂

Gal’s been in school for over a month and her schedule has definitely changed the way we do just about everything. She’s working, she’s studying, she’s stressing about assignments and everything else. She is enjoying her time at University, but it has been quite overwhelming for her. Having not been in school for quite a while, it’s a crazy readjustment for her. It’s the kind of schedule where our apartment gets more and more disorganized until one of us gets sick of it and we go on a cleaning rampage doing laundry, dishes and everything else. Then, it slowly degenerates again…

Work-wise, I’m quite a busy guy too. We’ve finally got overlapping episodes (and I hope it keeps up). It means that the work is very steady, but it does make it more hectic too. Still, the bigger pay from it is more than enough incentive. I’ve gotten more confident with my work. I’m getting far less revisions on my backgrounds and have gotten into an even better groove on them.

I can sort of see how monotonous this kind of corporate drawing could be down the road, but at this point it’s still a challenge. Having a wild set of goofballs to work with also helps keep the entertainment value intact. The key animators drawing extra frames of characters doing stupid or sick things that will never, ever air is also a big hoot. It’s juvenile, but hey, this is cartoons.

I’ve been thoroughly distracted at home with new video games. It’s just another thing for me to putter with and play. It’s been a good time waster, especially when the weather is crappy. Currently getting the most play are Unreal Tournament 2003, Grand Theft Auto 3, Links 2003 and Mame (the arcade emulator). If you haven’t tried Mame in particular, you really should; It’s a free download. You can find perfect ports of arcade games, digitized right from the original arcade motherboards. Everything from old games like Pac Man through to new fighting games and shooters are playable on Mame. If you get a good controller for your PC, it’s like an arcade in your room.

I went to a friend’s housewarming party on Friday and was surprised at the conversation that developed there. I ended up chatting with my boss Mark, Cornflake and a few other people about everything from politics, war, the internet, corporations, technology, greed and everything inbetween. A lot of it was negatives and positives of the way society seems to be developing.

I think almost every generation looks at the future as some sort of looming evil. From flappers of the 20’s, the war of the 30’s and 40’s, teens of the 50’s, hippies of the 60’s and 70’s, punks of the 80’s, grunge of the 90’s…it’s easy to look at each successive thing and say that the world is degenerating into something worse. Each time you can point at the “signs” and say that this is the worst it’s ever been. I think it’s more just fear of us getting older and not being the youth anymore. Call it optimism if you want to, but I want to enjoy things instead of obsess over how long until “the end”. I do still see the awful things out there, I do think about them, I just don’t let that wreck everything else.

Trying new Jimbo recipes has been entertaining. Most of the things I’ve cooked have turned out great, but I’ve flubbed now and then. I wrecked a frying pan when I tried to make a honey-garlic sauce with too much real honey. It caramelized and burnt to the pan to the point where taking it off meant taking the coating with it. I tend to cook with high heat, which doesn’t help. I guess I’ve been weened on those cooking shows where everything is sizzling like crazy and the chef is shaking pans and sprinkling stuff in all dramatically. Oh well, it makes dinner time pretty amusing. I never did this when I was eating alone.

Gala and I are both doing our best to save up money for the Christmas holidays. We’ve got flight plans booked and it looks like we’ll be in Toronto from December 19th to the 29th. That should be a decent break and give Gal a better chance to meet my family.

Let me know how you’re all doing.

Sweltering heat here in Halifax is driving me crazy. I’m not used to the insane amounts of humidity here. I’ve been staying inside most of the weekend to avoid being outside and getting baked. We don’t have air conditioning, so Gal and I have the fan going full-tilt and are drinking water like mad. I hate feeling dirty all the time from sweating, it just saps everything out of me. It’s kind of funny that the weather up here is so much hotter after I spent almost a week in California for the convention.

After a hiccup in the schedule, work’s rolling in at an okay pace and I’m chugging away on drawing backgrounds. Mix that in with doing the comic, paying the bills, cooking, cleaning, Gal getting ready for school and pretending I have a social life… it’s a pretty full schedule. I’m going at breakneck speed and just doing my best to juggle everything going on around me.

I want to finish my convention report on the website, but haven’t had time to organize the photos and post my thoughts about the remaining days of the con. Soon, soon…speaking of which, are any of you still reading the comic? I know it can be weird and the subscription thing’s a pain, but I hope you all check in from time to time to see how it’s going. Mid-September will mark a full year of the comic, and considering that it was a tool to motivate me, I’d say it’s been pretty successful.

What else? Gal’s finally lined up a job at The Keg, which is ideal since she was looking for a flexible restaurant job. Her finding that has eased some of the financial stress that I could see looming on the horizon. I wouldn’t have even gone to the convention if my parents and Aunt and Uncle hadn’t helped me out. My new life in Halifax is a wild adventure, but there’s a real squeeze there too. Gal going to school means that the bills and rent aren’t 50/50 anymore. I knew what I was getting myself into when we planned it, but that doesn’t change the stress it brings. So far, so good…

Short and sweet, that’s the report from ol’ Jimbo this time. Time to grab a cold ice tea and try to cool down before I go to sleep. Sleeping in this heat is bleh.

Hi Everybody,

I just wanted to drop you all a quick note now that I’m back from the convention and decently rested. I’ve added a bunch of new people that I met to this e-mail list. I hope they don’t mind hearing about the life of Jimbo every few weeks.

I had an incredible time. I met so many wonderful people down in San Diego and saw a dizzying amount of things.

I’ve attached one photo with this e-mail that oddly sums up things quite well. Where else but at San Diego Comic Con could I get my ass kicked by Darth Vader and the Baroness? 🙂

I’m on my flight to San Diego today!

I’m excited, nervous, electrified, tired, and everything else in a big jumble.

I had been waffling back and forth about whether or not to do some new artwork and brush up my portfolio. On the one hand, I’m not sure I could get professional comic work, on the other, I’d kick myself if there was an opportunity and I didn’t have anything to show.

I gave myself 6 days to pull stuff together, but noodled away the first few. Then, on Sunday I exploded on a good groove of drawing bliss and am happy to report that I’ve got some decent artwork to take with me. It may have slightly melted my brain with some late hours, but I did it. Walking back from the studio in the middle of the night after getting photocopies of my work, I was exhausted but pleased with myself.

It felt great because I’ve been trying to evolve and this feels like a good step.

I always felt like I was just a “talker” in school and for a quite a while afterwards. That I knew what I was talking about drawing-wise, theory-wise, but couldn’t put it down on the page. Teaching reinforced that because talking was almost all that I did… talk. I talked, and the students were an amazing audience. It felt great in many ways but also made me feel like I was all talk, and minimal skill to back it up.

So, I pushed myself to draw more; More life drawing at the school and the web comic. Ways to stop talking about it, and start doing it. I always wanted to be thought of as a reliable artist instead of a creative flake with a big mouth. It wasn’t perfect, but the schedule of the comic helped me a lot. Working at the animation studio here in Halifax has helped a lot too.

There’s nothing quite like drawings = money = food & rent to inspire 🙂

When I sat down to do up some comic book samples, I had a nagging feeling like I was going to let it slide. I could just go to Comic Con, socialize and still be happy. I could push down the little voice that would say “you should have brought artwork” and pretend it wasn’t important.

But I didn’t. What I pushed back was my fear of doing it. I sat and drew 3-4 hours at a time, only stopping for meal breaks or to run some errands with Gal. I could have used my time earlier more effectively, but at the end I was ON.

It feels good. Really good. Gal realized how important this was once I got the drive going and she was really supportive and patient as I chugged away at it. She sat on the couch and we talked about all sorts of things to pass the time. Silly stuff, like “Where do you want to travel when we’re rich some day?” and things like that.

The funny part is that now that I did that, I’ll be okay if I don’t get work from it. It’s not that I need a second job. I just wanted to do it, to have it and know that I have work I’m proud of to be critiqued if the chance comes up. That’s enough. Now I can enjoy the convention and not worry about it.

I’m packing all that I need into my backpack so that I won’t need to check any luggage or haul things around. Portable Jimbo, as it were.

Wish me luck as I go through two long stopovers. I leave Halifax at 2:15pm and won’t be into San Diego until 9:45pm because of the waits at each stop. I’m packing a good read and my sketchbook to help pass the time.

Digital Camera, check.
Sketchbook, check.
Portfolio, check.

Big smile, check 🙂