Ah yes, the 70s. Remember when men were encouraged to share their feelings, and every college girl’s record collection included Carole King’s “Tapestries” and “Best of Bread?” Nelson, Reade, and Lyssa do.
Looks like these two might just do some bonding after all.
The trouble is, that we won’t know about it for a while. I’ve run out of buffer, and I’m still in a slump. I’ve got the next strip written, but I just can’t seem to make it come to life. So, I’m gonna take a break for a bit and try to get this whole drawing thing to work. I’ve got some ideas on where I want to go with Groovy, Kinda. There might be some changes ahead, or it might just take a different turn. I’ll keep you posted.
And thank you in advance for your patience and understanding. You really are the best. Take care, and check back from time to time.
UPDATE: Sheesh! See how bad my brain working is? I completely forgot to share this awesome drawing of everyone’s favorite vampire, The Famous Supermodel Victoria, done by our very own awesomeness himself, Neil Kapit of “We Are The WyreCats” fame! Thank you, favorite Underdog!
I would figure that the objection would be doing it for free, instead of for pay.
Slinging books, that is.
Lending libraries haven’t put bookstores out of business in a century and more of co-existence. No reason for one purveyor of the written word to object to another.
Technically, since they’re taxpayer supported, libraries aren’t free. I used to tell my patrons that, since they’ve already paid for library service, the more they check out the more value they’re getting for money already spent.
And I’ve owned a used bookstore while working at the library. There’s a lot of overlap. It’s all about books, and readers. Two of my favorite things in this world.
Charlie, don’t stress about running out of buffer, or slumping, or writers block or whatever. Just do what you need to to take care of yourself and pay no attention to the fact that I need my fix need my fix needmyfix needmyfix needmyfixneedmyfixneedmyfixneedmyfix…..
I love you, Pops.
It sounds to me as if you need a short season “treading the boards”. Anything on the horizon?
Possibly. I’m up for a job that I really really want (which is adding to the stress), and, if I get it, my evenings will be free. There’s a comedy coming up with auditions in December. I’ll let you know.
I already had to pass on the Alan Sherman musical “Hello Muddah, Hello Fadduh.” It was killing me, ’cause I’ve been a huge Alan Sherman fan since I was a kid. Heck, I already had most of the songs memorized!
The slightly less dated version of that would be Alannis Morrisette’s “Jagged Little Pill” (which I still think is one of the greatest albums every made, though I also love Janis Ian’s “Between the Lines.”)
Also, I DO have the Best of Bread and though I love the way it sounds, the lyrics to several of the songs now give me the creeps. I also have Tapestries….
Sheesh. Now I feel like a stereotype.
He-hee! Well, it was a different time back then. Much as I hated them at the time, I do kind of like some Bread songs (and I agree about the lyrics).
And “Jagged Little Pill” is a classic album.
My constantly played over and over album is Love’s “Forever Changes.” Still, in my mind, the greatest Rock ‘n Roll album ever.
OK, I’m checking back from time to time (as instructed) and re-reading (of course) and have a couple-or-three comments. I don’t care one way or the other about the little “fashion choices” dig in panel one, but I REALLY like the fact that the word balloon containing it was placed next to Reade’s patchwork pantsleg. And in the last panel I like the way Anya’s computer monitor looks like the direct descendant of those big, bullet-shaped microphones that police dispatchers used in 1930s detective movies. And thirdly, I’m wondering who is speaking the top two word bubbles in the fourth panel (“The sensitive young artist…” and “Right. The Seventies….”) — other patrons of the bookstore? Now, back to work for me!
Oh Pops, you’re the best. As a reward for your checking back, I’m gonna post a strip this Monday, and brother, she’s a doozy. The best stuff I’ve drawn in a long while is all I’m gonna say.
The balloon placement next to Reade’s skirt was deliberate.
Anya’s monitor-Groovy, Kinda, takes place in the early years of computers, so I’m indulging in my love of Dieselpunk to make them look as mid-century as possible. If you notice the microphones (except in the radio station), they all look like the old chrome monsters from the 30s.
Panel 4- “The sensitive young artist” line is Lyssa, with Reade replying. That was the setup for Lyssa’s reply while holding the phone. My apologies if it wasn’t terribly clear.
YEA-RAH!! You are so good! I do myself generally prefer the Art Nouveau of SteamPunk to the Art Moderne of DieselPunk, but you manage to make the latter look so natural…. And I think a big part of my confusion about who was speaking is that neither Reade nor Lyssa make a whole lot of sense to me (mind you, I have friends I can say the same thing of) so I can’t tell if a line is in character or not.
Um, that was me. Forgot to give my name….
I love Steampunk, but it’s such a pain to draw. Art Nouveau is wonderful though, isn’t it?
I have books and books about Art Nouveau, but have never figured out how to design or draw, much less build, that kind of beauty. Professionally, I give my clients what they want — but I’m at my best when what they want is Craftsman style. A good finish carpenter with a table saw and a router can turn my drawings into art.
I made the cover of “The Importance of Being Eleanor” in the style of Alphonse Mucha, but that’s about as far as I’ve gone.
Your clients-are you a woodworker? I can handle rough carpentry myself-stage sets, chicken coops, etc.
And I’m with you on Craftsman Style. I love the natural, clean look and feel of Craftsman stuff. And it’s easy to draw, which is why it’s the preferred style of the Groovyverse.
And if Nelson has blond hair, did they ever call him…
…”Mellow Yellow”?
“I’m just mad about fourteen,
Fourteen’s mad about me…”
Or, he could’ve been with Eleanor and it would’ve been Blonde on Blonde.
Heck, MY record collection included Carole King’s Tapestry, and I’m a guy! Absolutely awesome album.
I drew the line at Bread, though. Nope nope nope.
“Tapestry” truly is a great album. I have some songs on my Walkman, and I’m always glad to hear them. It still holds up.
Bread, while firmly entrenched in a certain place in the 70s, still has some charm for me, though I loathed it as a callow youth. Age must’ve mellowed me a bit.
Not as much as Nelson in that picture though (but that was a pose…).