Transcription

in an earlier post I mentioned that I must choose between one of several projects on which to start working , and that there are three top choices.  the third choice (I have yet to mention the second choice) I like to call "the slippery slope".

the slippery slope involves (in part) music.  I know nothing about music, and have no musical talent.  I DO know that nobody will offer me their time and musical talents without remuneration, and that's something I can't give (heck, I couldn't even spell it - thanks spell checker!)

so if I am to venture down that slippery slope I need to deal with my musical limitations.  If I find these limitations insurmountable, then I know not to undertake this venture.  right?

RIGHT?!!

so I purchased a program that lets you write music.  a music sheet pops onto your computer screen, and you put the notes and rests and sharps and flats etc. onto it.  then you can play it, hear how it sounds, and if you like it you can save it as an audio file.

as I said, I know nothing about music, so what I did was take a book with old Pennsylvania Dutch folk songs and copy the music onto the virtual sheet.  the idea is that if I COPY songs enough I will eventually get the hang of the program, and then I can try to write original compositions.

yes, it is pathetic.  laugh it up, but you've gotta crawl before you fall.  nyah.

for my first song I chose a very simple song, "Wann ich heemkumm voll Bier" (When I come home full of Beer)

here's the (English) words, if you want to sing along:

When I come home full of beer
my old lady scolds me:
"Old Hellion,
if you're not going to be quiet
get out in front of the door!"

ps- I've never heard this song, so I don't know how well I did transcribing it.  I think it sounds okay.

I found some time ...

... to upload another clip from Wolf Boy Ken.  Here we have the opening scene from episode 46.  Very cute; I wish I knew what they are singing.

I endeavored ...

... to keep any images of the protagonist of my latest comic off this blog to help build suspense and interest in the work.

now (with mere days before the comic reaches the hands of the faithful few) i find myself being true to my "fall flat on my face 2 feet before the finish line" nature.

not that i would do this without reason, mind you.

and who will help me ...

... *EAT* the bread?

the comics arrived today ... all dressed up and no place to go.

I Started ...

... a very long post about how i saw a web comic this morning that had a scene whose ending is very similar to a scene that i was inking just the night before, and how over the years i have had such things happen time and again.

but it was a rambling mess, so i deleted it.  instead, here's a picture of "the henbanes" protagonist:

"Where Do We Go From Here?" ...

... was the burning question sung (briefly) by Bing Crosby in Fleischer Studio's feature length cartoon "Mr. Bug Goes to Town" (funny how some things stick in your mind).

now i find myself asking that same question (though not in song).  with the comic book put to press it's now time to start gearing up for the next project, but what will that project be?  i have 3 top choices:

1) The Henbanes.  i was working on a comic book titled "The Henbanes" when Bill White told me he'd like to collaborate with me.  thrilled by the opportunity i dropped work on it and cooked up the project that i've been rambling on about here.
The Henbanes was my most ambitious project to date.  it was to be 7 chapters in length, two of which have been completed.  the third chapter was the inspiration/foundation for the entire story, and far longer and more involved than the first two chapters combined.  i had over 40 pages of pencils done on this chapter when i stopped work on it.  it seems logical to finish what i started.

or does it?  it took me well over an hour to hunt down those pages, and when i did i found something quite different from what i remembered.
first off, many of the pages are ROUGH penciled.  the drawings are so scant, so basic it will take a lot of work to get them to the "ready to ink" stage.
second, as i look at this series now with fresh perspective, i see its flaws all too clearly.  there are flaws in the characters' designs, the story is in parts pretentious and contrived.  things that seemed amusing and endearing are actually neither.  if i had it all to do over i could make this a much stronger work ... BUT I CAN'T.  i'm a keep moving forward kind of guy.  i'm a really slow artist, and if i kept going back to fix my mistakes i'd never get anything done.  so my choice on this project is keep moving forward or admit failure and move on to the next work.

but it does seem a waste to let these pages waste away.  if i was to resume work on this i think i'd break the work down into groups, say 11 pages or so each.  that would make them more manageable, and i'd also be able to publish them more quickly.
then, after i finished work on the pages i have i could decide if i wanted to finish it, or move on to something else.

to be continued.