Blake

In my procrastination to start serious work on comics again, I try to remind myself that I've done it before, and I can do it again. I just have to find my muse. In my teenage and college years, I was partial to the comic strip as my medium of choice, and Blake was my comic. He still has a home at an old website of mine, Bob's Comics. My idol growing up was Bill Watterson. He was the champion of the comic strip, fighting for cartoonist's rights while breathing new life into the artform (to this day, Calvin and Hobbes is my hands down favorite—Krazy Kat a close second). I worked on Blake, and Blake alone for a good 5 or more years (1995-2001). Alas, I grew tired of the medium—I think it had something to do with art school broadening my interests—so I dropped comics altogether.

Here are some samples of Blake. There is quite an archive of strips at the website mentioned above. I'm sometimes amazed at how productive I was, but I guess I was a bit of a loner in those days with a lot of free time.




It didn't take much time before my interests in comics bubbled up again. I discovered Chris Ware and a brand of underground caroonists working in the longer format commonly known as the "graphic novel"—a term I generally try to avoid, but it suits its purpose here. I was awestruck by the complex storylines, the range of styles, and the range of formats. I realized that where I had become disenchanted with the comic strip (setup...punchline), the longer form offered a different realm for me to explore. One that I am only beginning to play around with. Actually, I did create a handful of longer strips in my Blake days. My challenge now is to write stories that compliment my taste for the surreal. So, stay tuned...