Yesterday was supposed to be the start of the pre-holiday family trip to Phoenix. We got about thirty miles out before the winter storm walloped us and everyone else on the roads. They were so bad twenty miles out that at the highway T in the next town, I couldn't stop the van. I slid around the guy in my lane and into the intersection. And it got worse from there - ten miles per hour, and STILL sliding all over. And then they announced on the road signs that chains were required, so we decided to turn around. Good call: both major routes to Phoenix are closed due to accidents, and then the Rim Country road was just closed entirely. If we'd gone farther, or left earlier, we'd have been stuck on ice-covered roads in the dark.

So, the trip has been postponed for a few days. We went home, ate good Mexican food by the fire, watched HOME ALONE, and I ended up working at the Studio. A good, fair night for drawing, I think - as it will be tonight.

I hath arrived in jolly ol' Texas. I will be here until the 6th-7th. (I will prolly make a jaunt to club spooky on the 3rd if you wanna see me there) There is a party at mah folks place on NYE. Come out, bring yer x-mas tree and watch it BURN!! Details Here.

So, around two decades ago, when I was a footloose single guy, I lived in the Phoenix area but would return home to Northern Arizona for the Holidays. And, being the night owl type, I'd find myself puttering around long after everyone else had gone to bed.

On this particular Christmas Eve, I was eating Santa's cookies when I heard a noise from the front porch. I thought it was probably a cat, but when I glanced out the window, I saw the silhouette of a man standing there.

My childhood was rife with memories of a neighbor who would get drunk then end up at the wrong house - so seeing someone just standing on the porch at midnight was not something I took lightly. I watched for a moment, then went around to the door.

I opened the door, and saw him more clearly - a little shorter than I was (not hard), and still just standing there. I asked if I could help him, and he didn't answer. I pushed open the screen door and stepped out, speaking more forcefully: "Hey! Buddy! Everything okay? Can I help you?"

Still no answer.

I moved onto the porch - he stood ten feet away - and walked right up to him and practically yelled, "HEY!" And THIS got a response - he hissed something I couldn't understand and lunged at me.

I took five years of Tae Kwon Do, and my reaction was instinctive: I stepped back and threw my best kick squarely at his face.

It worked - not only did my kick throw him backwards and away from me, but it also snapped his head cleanly off, and I watched in horror as it sailed into the middle of the yard.

I stood there in shock, trying to decide what to do, when the porch light came on, and the rest of the household came outside to see what was the matter. They found me there, standing over the now headless body of Joseph, father of Jesus, in a now demolished nativity scene.

When I yelled, it scared the cat sleeping in the manger, and it had hissed and jumped against Joseph, knocking him forward. And so I got to explain why I'd basically beheaded Jesus' dad in the process of protecting the household from our own cat.

Why I didn't just turn on the light myself is a mystery that may never be solved.

Merry Christmas, everyone.

The sky is overcast and gray, with perfect soft light. There's a Jazz Christmas channel on itunes radio, and I'm going to be Christmas-card-making with the kids, then drawing at the Studio all night. All calming; centering; necessary.

 

There are some things too great for one's heart to bear, and mine cannot even fathom the pain my friend Cesar is going through. He is a fine artist, a fine man, and his daughter Alana, not yet three, has been critically ill all year. Multiple surgeries, and infections, and several occurrences of septic danger caused by whatever went wrong that day. In November, she didn't even have enough abdominal skin left to cover the wounds from surgery. She has been so sick, and so sweet and brave, and it got worse a few days ago, requiring full time dialysis just to keep her functional, and Cesar and his wife have decided to let her go, so that she won't continue to suffer from all the ailments and treatments she just isn't strong enough to bear. And this isn't my pain, but it's my friend's pain, and I am shattered today. Shattered. Tell them you love them. Don't wait. Don't push back the days, or the hours, or the minutes. Don't waste time on anything less important - and everything - everything - is less important. God be with you and your family and little Alana, Cesar. http://forums.comicbookresources.com/showthread.php?t=300699

The coolest thing I've been given this year is a custom-made artisan clock, which I've decided is what you'd get if you made Roly Poly Olie into a Kachina Doll. We hung it outside the doorway to the toy room. ;)

The color version of the cover art I posted recently... 

Summumuh beetch. I forgot to eet lunch!!!!!

...Publisher's Weekly is spotlighting my ice-cream-0serving talents. http://www.publishersweekly.com/article/CA6712115.html?nid=2788&source=title&rid=16800567

For a variety of reasons, including scheduling delays and my own ineptitude in web design/maintenance, the new JINGLE BELLE strips will NOT be presented on the Jingle Belle website but at:

http://www.quickstopentertainment.com/jinglebelle/jingle-belle-01.html

Big thanks to Ken Plume, Kevin Smith and the rest of the Quick Stop gang for including Jing in this year's Holiday Havoc. And of course, an extra dip in Santa's goodie bag for Stephanie Gladden for her mad cartooning chops.

The first strip is up now, the next one, fittingly a Christmas Eve story, goes up next Thursday. After that, we'll be back in early '10 with more winter fun.

After that, Steph and I may showcase other characters from the Jingle/Dinicartoons world - Ida Red, Polly the witch, Super Rica and Rashy...

Any suggestions?

Current Mood: jovial
Current Music: Senor Santa Claus - Louis Prima