On The Schedule.

Last Monday was an important day, as Mondays tend to be. It's all about building up that momentum that will (hopefully) carry me through the week. An important day, made even more so because I was starting the next issue of CHEW, the first of a new story arc and the first chapter of the second third of the book's life. It was crucial that I start the week off on the right foot. So on Sunday I mentally prepared for the work day, psyching myself up. Off to bed early, planning to wake around 5:45am and begin the kickassery that surely awaited me when I woke.

Monday's Goal: Layout, pencil, ink and scan Page 1. And pencil (and maybe ink) the cover of the second CHEW Omnivore Edition.

Cut to Monday morning. My wife is down with severe neck pain from God knows what, bleary-eyed from sitting up with our 7-month-old, who has the shits from a mild food allergy. Apparently, he's lactose intolerant, as I am. He's okay, but CRANKY.

So work had to wait. As it does whenever Life kicks The Schedule in the crotch. You see, Life, REAL Life, hates The Schedule. Mine, at least. It's always throwing things in the spokes of my plan. Someone gets sick. Someone dies. An impromptu trip pops up. Someone gets a flat tire and needs a ride. And it tends to be right when I'm getting into the flow of things. Never fails.

So, after taking care of things on the home front, I arrived at the studio 5 hours late. Half of my workday GONE, just like that. GAH. I don't know if other artists experience this, but there can come a point when a blank page can be a bully. For me, my blank pages remind me of time I wasted and of potential unrealized. Fortunately, yesterday was one of the good days. I tore past the doubt and anxiety and got to work.

Five or six hours later, I'd produced the work you (partially) see above.

Actual Work Completed: Page 1 penciled and partially inked. Omnivore Cover penciled.

So I fell short of what I wanted. Sucks, but it happens. Didn't finish the inks on either piece, and I still have to make up the time later. Maybe on a weekend or a late night. Bummer. Still, I left the studio at a reasonable hour, happy with the work and energized.

As I said, Monday was one of the Good days, despite the small bear trap that Life set in my path to achieving the day's goal. I've had many, many bad ones. Days where NOTHING went right. Days where I sat at my desk, fought with a page for hours, then tore it to shreds. Days when I forgot how to draw. Horrible, horrible days.

It happens. All you can do is keep rolling with it, suck it up and work the extra hour later. That's how it is for me, anyway.

A week later, I'm still cranking, and still a few hours behind where I want to be. But what else is new? Below is the above cover, still in progress, but getting closer.




-Rob