mo makes things

so, at the end of may, chris and i are leaving savannah and moving to denver.

and that’s beautiful and wonderful and exciting and fantastic. really, i’m terribly excited. as you can tell from the lack of posts here and on my comic tumblr, i haven’t been all that inspired to create things. most of that comes from my current lifestyle; working five out of seven days of the week in retail, too exhausted to care about anything on my days off, feeling cranky and unmotivated under the monotony and energy-drain of it all, etc. this state of mind, coupled with not creating regularly, has been emotionally tiresome and generally unpleasant. in short, i’m not happy with my life at the moment. but that will all change sooner than i know.

i sincerely hope that the extreme change of scenery (city to mountains) will inspire me in a big way. i hope to find a less soul-crushing job there, and plan on making radical changes to my lifestyle. i want to make art constantly, even when i don’t feel like it. i want to advance as a person.

but until then, i’ve got a wedding to go to, packing and cleaning to do, people i need to visit with before we leave, and more research to do on so many, many things. so, for most of may, i’ll be absent on both blogs getting all these things done. but i promise to return as soon as possible! i have big plans for both my comics and for my illustrations. i also want to teach myself how to animate, so that’s exciting :)

so, yes, please don’t lose hope on me. i promise i’ll be back and - hopefully - updating more regularly.

with love,
mo

NEW DESK, GUYS.

NEW. DESK.

guys, do you know what this means? it means i can start doing art again! AHHH.
AHHHH, guys. SERIOUSLY. this is like christmas. ho’shit. AHHH.
my old desk was absolute hell on my back. plenty of work space, but pretty much 90 degrees of pure neck-snapping hell, as the most efficient way to work was with my face completely parallel to desk top. also, the chair was of average height, which is too low for me to sit at comfortably due to my shit back, so doing anything at all at my desk was pretty much out of the question if i had to do other things like, y’know, drive. or work at my part-time. or sit on the toilet (which is both a pain and incredibly stupid). my activity-reserve is extremely limited.  

BUT WITH THIS SUPER TALL, SUPER SEXY DESK, i don’t have to dread the horrific process of lowering my body into a desk chair, wiggle around for about 10 minutes trying to get comfortable, and then give up before even starting a sketch due to the horribly uncomfortable position i’m in. dudes, seriously. it’s basically the equivilant of holding candy in front of a toddler and then snatching it away from their reach - only i’m the toddler, the candy is my whole illustration thing, and the bastard snatching it away is my spine, preventing me from bending my head down to look at what i’m doing.

also, i’m rambling entirely out of excitement here.

accompanying my sexy tall desk is an adorable little shelf that holds all of my illustration necessities and just makes for classy presentation. i’m not gonna lie, the anatomy books are less for reference and more for distraction. there, i said it.

new desk also means i can finally finish my ren & stimpy piece, which is a whole other ball of excitement as i haven’t touched it in about a month now and that’s extremely depressing. for a while there, i had it taped to a slab of wood and i would attempt to work on it on the couch or on the ground. however, if you’ve ever tried to work for more than half an hour in prone-position, you’d know that that is one of the least effective ways to get shit done. (unless you’re shooting or doing yoga or being held hostage. they’re all connected either way, i’m sure.) anyway, super stoked to finally work on this again. it’s about 70% done, too. eeeeeeee-…

meanwhile, i’ve been trying to sketch in my new, tiny-ish sketchbook that i drew an unfinished chubby little monster thing on. it has a butt on the backside that isn’t finished. also, that’s a sign that i put on top of my art to keep the cats off of my desk while paint/ink is drying. not that they can read (at least to my knowledge, they’re illiterate), but when it’s up, it gets rid of any flat space for them to sprawl on - thus, keepin’ dem bitches off of my work space. y’know… in case you were wondering.

also, PRACTICE SKINS! AHHHH- more excitement, as now i can advance a tad further in my apprenticeship! [insert noises of joy and hyperventilation here.]

also also, here’s the super rad [read: “admittedly cute”] portrait i did for my illustration pal, Venton Kisser, private eye:

now featured in our latest edition of Pictures of Butts (which i highly recommend following, as we’re actually a rather good collection of aspiring illustrators.)

new goodies aside, i’ve been receiving regular therapy for my back, which is also splendid news. aaaand i have purple hair dye coming in the mail soon, so that’s also exciting - along with the upcoming school semester (which will be ultimately less exciting as it’s just a math and biology class (y’know, things they don’t teach you in art college) but something new nonetheless).

TL;DR things are looking up and i have a new desk yay.

cheers. it’s late. i’ve done all sorts of shit today that i shouldn’t have done (for my back, i mean) so i’m off to bed. i have comics to scan in the morning, comics to continue inking in the morning, and hopefully time to work/finish this painting.

AHHH. 

gather around, children, and let me weave you the tiny tale of one (possibly) bearded illustrator and his insatiable appetite for partying…

[editor’s note: this is extremely late. i’ve been meaning to write this story months ago, but was rather busy being an utter mess. apologies to you, (possibly) bearded illustrator.]

his name was Kenton Visser. to the best of my knowledge, his name is still Kenton Visser, and, boy, could he party. internationally known for whoopin’ it up, cuttin’ a rug, and just generally havin’ a good time, Kenton’s partying abilities were unmatched. so, naturally, his party-senses were all a’ quiver when word of the About [blank] release/gallery party began to surface. i can’t speak directly for Kenton, but i imagine his reaction was something along the lines of, “showcased art with an accompanying shindig? sounds like my kind of bag, man.”

now, don’t get me wrong - Kenton was far more than just a master of ceremonies. he was a painter, an illustrator, a private eye. granted, he is still all of those things, but the fact remains that he appreciated this planned get-together on a visceral level.

“this is no ordinary party,” he may or may not have thought to himself, “this is a showcase of my art and the art of my peers. this is an opportunity for others to see our dreams in physical form and discuss their reactions amongst themselves. feelings will be shared - not just beer and snacks. maybe inspiration will inhabit some; maybe confusion or empathy. regardless, it will probably be a momentous occasion. i should wear shades.”

and so he did.

presumably feeling humble but sassy, Kenton readied himself for the event and arrived fashionably late - mostly due to his ride getting off of work late. upon his arrival, he was greeted by a table full of homemade treats, a fridge full of beer, and quite a handful of happy, loud friends. strewn around him on tables and chairs were hundreds of About [blank] zines, all carefully hand-folded and assembled, free to the curious public. and inside those zines was Kenton’s art - a whole page dedicated to his work, which was also conveniently hanging on display in the makeshift gallery of this tiny apartment space where the party was being held.

beer magically in hand, Kenton approached his hanging illustration slowly. a sensation bubbled within him as he gazed contentedly at his work and then those around him. to this day, he still can’t say for sure if that sensation was pride or carbonation, but said sensation began to stir the party animal within him. elation swelled deep in his bosom, and a jolt of energy rushed through his veins. “now, i shall party like i’ve never partied before,” he probably declared, and it was at this moment that kenton danced. he danced and danced and danced! he laughed with friends! he talked about his art! he drank plenty of beer! he never felt so alive!

…and he did this all while miles away in texas.